Senior Research Fellow on Agentic AI and Verification

The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research. We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world, which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee. Our culture empowers people to achieve this aim and to collectively, and individually, make a real difference. The role We are looking to recruit two Senior Research Associates at the University of Surrey for a new project on formal verification, seL4 security and AI-assisted theorem proving, funded by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA): https://agentic-sel4.github.io/ The project, joint with Andrei Popescu at the University of Sheffield and Toby Murray at the University of Melbourne, has two closely connected aims. First, we will develop a formally verified reference monitor on top of seL4 for the secure containment of AI agents, including mechanisms for dynamically controlling agents’ capabilities and information flows. Second, we will investigate the use of modern AI techniques to accelerate large-scale formal verification, including AI proof agents for maintaining, extending and refactoring the seL4 Isabelle/HOL proof base. The Surrey positions are full-time fixed-term until November 2027. We have substantial funding for access to state-of-the-art AI models and computing infrastructure. About You We are interested in candidates with expertise in one or more of interactive theorem proving, formal verification, information-flow security, seL4, neurosymbolic AI, and AI-assisted reasoning. Candidates do not need to cover all these areas: the researchers can focus on different parts of the project according to their expertise. Particular preference will be given to candidates with strong Isabelle/HOL expertise (or substantial experience with related interactive theorem provers), and to candidates who are available to start as soon as possible. We would also be very interested in hearing from excellent Isabelle researchers who may be at an earlier career stage than would normally be expected for a Senior Researcher position. There will also be closely related positions at our partner institutions. For opportunities at the University of Sheffield, please contact Andrei Popescu (a.popescu@sheffield.ac.uk); for opportunities at the University of Melbourne, please contact Toby Murray (toby.murray@unimelb.edu.au). How to apply To apply, please upload your CV and a cover letter outlining how your experience and skills meet the requirements of the role. For informal queries about the role, please contact Professor Brijesh Dongol via b.dongol@surrey.ac.uk. Interviews will take place on 17th September.