Research Associate in Music and AI (Fixed Term)

Job description

The Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge wishes to appoint a Research Associate in Music and AI, starting on 1 January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. This is a fixed-term, five-year post. The appointee will have strong computational skills, with experience in developing, adapting, or evaluating machine-learning systems. We envisage that the appointee's research will focus on one of the three research topics below, but are open to alternative fields of specialism that fall under the guiding ideal of advancing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

[1] Empowerment vs automation: how can generative AI enhance musical creativity and agency for expert musicians rather than simply automate creative decisions?

[2] Artificial creativity: how can music AI models be taught to be 'truly' creative, embracing the irrational, the unexpected, the quirks of human arbitrariness that might later be defined as creative breakthroughs?

[3] Music AI for health and wellbeing: in what ways can music AI be used to enhance health and wellbeing through sound and music's proven capacity to enhance such mechanisms as emotion induction, memory stimulation, and physical entrainment?

Applicants should have a relevant PhD in machine learning, computer science or a related discipline and a record of, or clear potential for, outstanding research. We seek a scholar of disciplinary depth who wishes to forge intellectual and creative synergies with colleagues working in other areas. The appointee will work alongside colleagues in the Centre for Music and Science, with further opportunities for collaborations with the Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA), the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, and the Department of Computer Science.

The successful applicant will primarily pursue a multi-year research project in the field of Music and AI. They will also have the opportunity to deliver teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

At the heart of a vast network of musical study, research and practice, the Faculty of Music is a world-leading centre of research. Our facilities include a professional concert hall and music library as well as an extensive collection of historical instruments and a Javanese gamelan. Integral to the Faculty is the Centre for Music and Science, housing a fully equipped studio, computer room and research room, and fostering a vibrant research community addressing key topics in music cognitions, computational musicology, and music AI.

Further information about the Faculty of Music is available at www.mus.cam.ac.uk .

For information on what to include in your application, please see the further information document on the top right-hand side of this advertisement.

Informal enquiries about the role are welcomed and should be directed to Professor David Trippett at [email protected] .

For questions on the application process, please contact the School's HR Team on [email protected] .

The closing date for applications is midnight (BST) on Wednesday 21 October 2026. Interviews are planned for Thursday 29 October 2026, subject to change.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please quote vacancy reference number GT51091 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.