Research Associate

Grade UE07: £41,885 to £49,798 per annum

School of Informatics / College of Science and Engineering

Full-Time 35 hours per week

24 months fixed term contract

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance research in Embodied AI and Spatial AI at School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh. The position is part of a new research programme led by Dr Liang Zhao, developing AI systems that can perceive, understand, reason about, and act within three-dimensional environments.

The successful candidate will have a PhD (or be close to completing one) in artificial intelligence, robotics, computer vision, machine learning, or a closely related field. They will undertake original research connecting spatial perception and understanding with embodied decision-making and action, developing methods that enable intelligent agents to learn from and interact with the physical world.

We welcome candidates whose research interests align with one or more of the following topics: 

• Spatial intelligence, 3D scene understanding, and spatial reasoning.
• Embodied perception, mapping, and navigation.
• Multimodal foundation models and vision-language-action models.
• World models for prediction, planning, and action.
• Learning from interaction, demonstration, and reinforcement.
• Generalisation and adaptation across tasks and environments.

Applicants should demonstrate a strong research track record appropriate to their career stage, strong technical skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. The successful candidate will contribute to shaping the research programme, publish in leading venues, and collaborate with researchers across AI and robotics, with opportunities to support the supervision and mentoring of student research projects.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week); however, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working. The team currently operates a 100%, i.e. 5 days, on-campus working arrangement which has been agreed by the line manager. 

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The School of Informatics  

The School of Informatics was ranked #1 in the UK for research power in Computer Science and Informatics in the Times Higher Education ranking, based on the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). We are the highest-ranked UK institution and one of the top two in Europe for AI, according to the CSRankings website (csrankings.org). The School of Informatics currently hosts multiple doctoral training programmes related to the field of AI (including Machine Learning Systems, AI for Dependable and Deployable Robotics, Responsible NLP, and Biomedical AI Innovation). The School is also part of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, which brings together researchers across the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University to advance robotics and autonomous systems. The Centre provides a rich interdisciplinary environment for embodied AI research, connecting fundamental advances in AI with real-world robotic systems and their interactions with people and environments. 

The University of Edinburgh  

The University of Edinburgh is a research-intensive university. The University is an active Unit in the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS); these units are recognised centres of excellence in AI research across Europe. In addition, it is one of the five founding partners of the UK's Alan Turing Institute for Data Science and AI. There are also many opportunities within the University to engage in collaborative activities with researchers in other areas of computer science and mathematics, and across the physical, psychological, social, and biomedical sciences. The University has also been recently announced as the home of the UK’s next national supercomputer.  

The City  

Edinburgh is an attractive city to live in; it is walkable, enjoys proximity to nature, and features a world-class cultural scene that includes attractions such as the Edinburgh International Festival or the Edinburgh Fringe. Edinburgh was ranked 1st in the 2022 Time-Out Index of the best cities in the world, which considered everything from scenic beauty, community spirit, public transport, walk-ability, restaurants, through to cleanliness. 

How to apply

Please include the following documents in your application: 

• A Cover letter 
• A CV with full publication list

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• A competitive salary. 
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. 
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits. 

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality. 

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office’s English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa. 

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 30 November 2026
 

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.  
 

Informatics is the study of how natural and artificial systems store, process and communicate information. Research in Informatics promises to take information technology to a new level, and to place information at the heart of 21st century science, technology and society.  The School enjoys collaborations across many disciplines in the University, spanning all three College, and also participates as a strategic partner in the Alan Turing Institute and is home to a number of Centres for Doctoral Training.

The School provides a fertile environment for a wide range of studies focused on understanding computation in both artificial and natural systems. It attracts students around the world to study in our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Informatics is one of seven schools in the College of Science and Engineering, at the University of Edinburgh. It is recognised for the employability of its graduates, its contributions to entrepreneurship, and the excellence of its research. Since the first Research Assessment Exercise in 1986, Informatics at Edinburgh has consistently been assessed to have more internationally excellent and world-class research than any other submission in Computer Science and Informatics. The latest REF 2021 results have again confirmed that ours is the largest concentration of internationally excellent research in the UK. This contributes to our ranking of consistently being in the top 30 world-wide.

We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working and recognise and value diversity across all our staff and students. The School has an active programme offering support and professional development for all staff; providing mentoring, training, and networking opportunities.