Research Associate/Senior Research Associate in Multimodal Foundation Models

Research Associate/Senior Research Associate in Multimodal Foundation Models UNSW Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Posted 4 days ago – Be among first 25 applicants The Opportunity The School of Computer Science and Engineering is offering an opportunity for a Research Associate/Senior Research Associate. In this role, you will conduct independent and collaborative research within your appointed field and undertake activities to further develop your expertise in deep learning. You will work on a defence‑funded project focusing on multimodal foundation models using data from a broad range of modalities. The project will develop techniques for pre‑training such as continual learning and lifelong learning, and post‑training such as instruction fine‑tuning and task‑agnostic prompting that are adapted for robustness across new modalities and tasks, and against adversarial attacks. The models will be evaluated on downstream tasks related to situational understanding and contextual intelligence. This position offers the opportunity to advance your scholarly research and professional activities nationally and internationally. You will contribute to writing scientific papers and reports for international journals, participate in conferences and workshops, supervise HDR students, and collaborate with industry partners. The role reports to Professor Flora Salim and has no direct reports. Position Details Salary: Research Associate (Level A) – AUD$113,911 to $121,838 per annum + 17% superannuation Senior Research Associate (Level B, Step 1) – AUD$127,947 per annum + 17% superannuation Full time Fixed‑term contract – 3.5 years starting January 2026 Location: Kensington – Sydney, Australia Working rights for Australia required About UNSW UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. We’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community. We are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. If you want a career where you can thrive, be challenged, and do meaningful work, you’re in the right place. The School of Computer Science and Engineering is one of the largest and most prestigious schools of computing in Australia. It offers undergraduate programmes in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Bioinformatics, as well as combined degrees with other disciplines. Skills and Experience – Research Associate (Level A) A PhD (or soon to be awarded) in a related discipline, and/or relevant work experience. Demonstrated track record in research, evidenced by publications in top‑tier AI and ML conferences such as CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML. Strong experience in at least two of the following areas: deep learning and/or computer vision, continual learning, vision language models. Experience in developing comprehensive benchmarks. Robust coding and software engineering skills. A strong practice of maintaining open‑source code repositories. Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships. Evidence of highly developed interpersonal skills. Understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action. Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to relevant training. Skills and Experience – Senior Research Associate (Level B) A PhD in a related discipline, and/or relevant work experience. Demonstrated track record in research, evidenced by publications in top‑tier AI and ML conferences as above. Strong experience in all of the following areas: deep learning and/or computer vision, continual learning, vision language models. Experience in developing comprehensive benchmarks. Robust coding and software engineering skills. Experience in handling multimodal data, especially videos. Proven commitment to staying up‑to‑date with discipline knowledge and developments. A track record of significant involvement with the profession and/or industry. A strong practice of maintaining open‑source code repositories. High‑level communication skills and ability to network effectively with a diverse range of students and staff. Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships. Evidence of highly developed interpersonal skills. Ability to build effective networks with colleagues. Ability to generate alternative funding or industry projects through effective liaison with external local and international researchers, industry and government. Understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action. Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to relevant training. Application Process Please click the apply now button and submit your CV, Cover Letter, and responses to the Skills and Experience. You should systematically address the Skills and Experience listed within the position description. Applicants must have working rights in Australia and be able to work on site in Kensington. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment. Applications close: 11:55 pm (Sydney time) on Sunday 14 December 2025. UNSW is committed to evolving a culture that embraces equity and supports a diverse and inclusive community where everyone can participate fairly, in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people of diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, people with disability and those with caring and family responsibilities. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment. #J-18808-Ljbffr