Research Assistant - Center For AI & Digital Innovation

The Center for AI and DI at United Arab Emirates University invites applications for a research position on an interdisciplinary Agentic AI research program. The successful candidate will develop and conduct high-quality research in one or more of the following interconnected tracks: - Agentic AI: autonomous systems, AI agents, multi-agent systems, planning, reasoning, tool use, and human–AI interaction. - Small Language Models: efficient model architectures, model compression, edge deployment, privacy-preserving AI, domain adaptation, and resource-efficient inference. - Responsible AI: fairness, transparency, explainability, robustness, safety, privacy, governance, evaluation, and trustworthy deployment of AI systems. The appointed researcher will contribute to the development of a coherent research program that combines autonomy and interaction, efficiency and deployability, and responsible and trustworthy AI. Responsibilities may include developing research proposals, publishing in high-quality journals and conferences, supervising students, collaborating with academic and industry partners, preparing research demonstrators and prototypes, and contributing to teaching and knowledge-transfer activities. The position is suitable for candidates with expertise in one or more of the three research tracks and an interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. Grade: 19.

MSc in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline. Demonstrated research experience in at least one of the following areas: - Agentic AI and autonomous systems - Small Language Models and efficient AI - Responsible and trustworthy AI Evidence of scholarly publications in peer-reviewed journals or conferences. Strong programming skills, preferably in Python, and experience with relevant AI and machine-learning frameworks. Ability to conduct independent and collaborative research. Strong written and oral communication skills in English. Preferred qualifications: Research expertise spanning two or more of the following areas: - AI agents, planning, reasoning, multi-agent systems, or human–AI interaction - Language models, model compression, quantization, knowledge distillation, or edge deployment - AI fairness, explainability, robustness, privacy, safety, governance, or auditing Publications in leading AI, machine learning, natural language processing, or responsible AI journals and conferences. Experience with large-scale experimentation, GPU-based training, distributed computing, or efficient model inference. Experience with retrieval-augmented generation, tool-using agents, federated learning, or privacy-preserving machine learning. Experience developing research prototypes, datasets, benchmarks, or open-source software. Record of securing research funding or contributing to funded research projects. Experience supervising students or teaching AI-related courses. Experience collaborating with industry, government, or international research partners. Knowledge of AI applications relevant to the UAE and the wider region. Experience translating research outcomes into real-world AI applications.

developing research proposals, publishing in high-quality journals and conferences, supervising students, collaborating with academic and industry partners, preparing research demonstrators and prototypes, and contributing to teaching and knowledge-transfer activities.