Top 25 University STEM PhD

Mercor is hiring STEM PhD students and graduates (Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, Physics, Life Sciences, etc.) for flexible projects with leading AI research labs, paying $55–$90 per hour.

STEM to us spans computer & data sciences, mathematics and statistics, all engineering disciplines, the physical sciences, and the life/health sciences.

In this role, you will contribute your subject matter expertise to a cutting-edge project involving state-of-the-art large language models. Specifically, you will help create high-quality data that will inform the future of AI innovation by coming up with difficult problems in your domain.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and assess high-quality problems in your STEM domain to challenge and improve AI reasoning

• Provide structured feedback on AI outputs for accuracy, clarity, and rigor

• Contribute to the development of datasets that benchmark model capabilities across disciplines

• Collaborate asynchronously with AI researchers via Slack and other channels

Ideal Qualifications

• PhD from a top US university in a STEM field

• High attention to detail

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

Project Timeline

• Start Date: March (with rolling applications)

• Duration: 1–2 months (with potential extensions)

• Commitment: Part-time (10–20 hours/week, with flexibility up to 40 hours/week)

Application & Onboarding Process

• Submit your resume and application form

• Complete a short interview and task (20–30 minutes)

• Paid onboarding: up to 1 hour of time covered (including interview, task, and onboarding videos if hired)

Apply today and leverage your STEM expertise to help build the future of AI-driven scientific and engineering workflows!

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

• You will be engaged as an independent contractor.
• This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.
• Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
• Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.
• Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.