STEM PhD (AI Subject Matter Experts)

1. Role Overview

Mercor is partnering with a leading research organization seeking independent experts with strong backgrounds in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Contractors will support a study focused on evaluating the quality, novelty, and methodological rigor of modern ML research. This engagement involves analyzing academic papers, inspecting code and experiment logs, and assessing the credibility and originality of submitted work. This is a short-term, flexible contract suitable for technically proficient AI researchers and practitioners.

2. Key Responsibilities

• Critically review machine learning papers for methodological soundness, novelty, and clarity.

• Inspect Python source code and experimental logs to validate reported metrics against underlying data.

• Conduct literature reviews using tools such as Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar to identify prior work, detect plagiarism, and assess research originality.

• Provide structured feedback on “human-quality” research assessments and potential ethical or safety-related concerns.

• Submit non-identifying background details (e.g., affiliation, highest degree, publication links) to establish evaluator credibility for the study.

3. Ideal Qualifications

• Strong academic or professional background in artificial intelligence, machine learning, or related research domains.

• Experience interpreting and analyzing ML papers; familiarity with top-tier venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML) is preferred but not required.

• Ability to read and evaluate Python code, experimental pipelines, and quantitative logs.

• Demonstrated experience with academic literature review tools.

• Doctoral students, industry researchers, and published authors are encouraged to provide services.

• High attention to detail and ability to assess complex technical arguments.

5. Application Process

• Submit your resume or CV to begin.

• Complete a brief form outlining your technical background and relevant publications.

• Additional screening questions or sample evaluations may be requested to confirm expertise.

• You will be contacted with next steps shortly after submission.

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.