About the job

The University of Leeds is seeking a Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence for Digital Democracy to join the Trustworthy Distributed Intelligence Lab. This exciting role offers the opportunity to explore how AI can shape democratic and collective decision-making processes, with a focus on computational social choice, deliberation, and collective governance. Candidates should hold a PhD (or have submitted their thesis) in AI, data science, or computational social science, and demonstrate strong research experience in data collection, analysis, and machine learning for human-AI collaboration. The post is linked to cutting-edge projects such as the AI for Collective Intelligence Hub and the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship ARTIO initiative, providing exposure to real-world applications of AI in digital democracy and smart city governance. The role is based at the Leeds main campus with hybrid working options, offering a competitive salary (£41,064–£43,482 p.a.), generous pension contributions, 42 days of annual leave, and access to a range of staff benefits including wellbeing, professional development, and childcare support. The position is full-time, fixed-term (1 November 2025 – 31 October 2026), and may be suitable for sponsorship under the UK Skilled Worker visa route, with potential eligibility for the Global Talent visa. This is a unique opportunity for early-career researchers to advance their expertise while contributing to world-class interdisciplinary research in AI and digital democracy.