Senior Research Associate: Artificial Intelligence for Ecology

An exciting opportunity for an AI researcher to join the BEACON project, developing novel approaches to unlock animal behaviour as an early warning system for conservation. Location: Lancaster. Travel for collaborations as required. Contract length: 2 years 9 months. We are seeking a highly motivated researcher to help shape the AI approaches within the broader scientific vision of BEACON (Behavioural Ecology AI for CONservation action), a new interdisciplinary research programme funded by UKRI. BEACON will develop the first integrated AI-enabled system for monitoring ecosystems and guiding conservation decisions through changes in animal behaviour. You will work closely with the PI (Dr Sally Keith), Co-I (Prof Chris Nemeth, Turing Fellow) and an interdisciplinary team to develop novel AI approaches for automated behavioural monitoring from underwater video, contributing across computer vision, machine learning, edge AI and interpretable decision-support systems. These methods will be integrated with ecological experiments and mechanistic models to create real-world conservation tools. We are looking for someone with a strong technical foundation and curiosity about applying AI to complex real-world problems. You should have a PhD in computer vision, machine learning, AI or a related discipline, with practical experience developing and applying deep learning approaches to real-world datasets. Familiarity with ecology, animal behaviour or environmental science would be advantageous but is not essential. A commitment to open science, reproducible research and responsible AI principles is essential. You will join a growing interdisciplinary team within the LEC-REEFS research group, linked strongly to the Data Science and AI Institute @Lancaster (DSAIL), working alongside behavioural ecologists, field ecologists and conservation practitioners. The project draws on an extensive archive of underwater video footage from the ReefRUV Network through Prof Sergio Floeter (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina), and will collaborate with an international network of academic and conservation partners including Dr José Paula (University of Lisbon), the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, Cefas, Natural England and Renew Earth. Dedicated training and mentoring will support the successful candidate in developing expertise in ecology, enabling them to work confidently at the interface of AI and conservation. Lancaster University is a research-intensive university, ranked in the top 1% of universities globally and in the top 10 in the UK. Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is a large and multidisciplinary department tackling environmental challenges across the natural and social sciences, with strengths in high-diversity tropical systems. LEC offers a highly collegial and stimulating environment for career development based on departmental values and embedded Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) considerations and actions. We are committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies on an individual basis as well as the Athena SWAN Charter, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in higher education and research. Furthermore, we are active and progressive around sustainability, wellbeing and decolonising agendas. EDI is strongly embedded within LEC-REEFS and DSAIL, and we actively work to create an inclusive environment where researchers from all backgrounds can thrive. We are particularly committed to improving diversity in AI and data science, and welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in these fields. We recognise that career paths are not always linear and welcome applications from candidates who have taken career breaks or worked outside academia. We also welcome informal enquiries about flexible working arrangements. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We anticipate shortlisting in September 2026, with interviews shortly thereafter. The successful candidate is expected to start in Jan 2027. What to include in each document of your application: CV: Please include a 2-page CV. You do not have to include publications in this document. Publication List: Please include a complete list of all publications. You may include publications that are accepted and not yet published, but please do not include publications that are in review or in submission. Cover Letter: Please outline why you are interested specifically in this position, how it fits with your career goals, and describe any ideas you have for methodological or scientific developments that could strengthen the project. Maximum 800 words. Supporting Statements: Please provide a supporting statement for each Personal Specification point that is listed as being scored via “Supporting Statements”. This should include examples that provide evidence of your experience and expertise. Please write one paragraph per criteria, with each paragraph limited to 200 words. Referees: Please include contact information for at least two referees. Further enquiries: Informal enquiries about the scope of the research or working arrangements are welcome to Dr Sally Keith (sally.keith@lancaster.ac.uk). Such enquiries are not necessary as part of the application and will not inform any decision. Applications without prior enquiry are welcome and will not be disadvantaged.