Postdoc Position in Robot Manipulation for Autonomous Scientific Discovery at University of Liverpool, UK
Prasanalakshmi Balaji
Dear Community,
Inviting international applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (Grade 7) position to work on an EPSRC-funded project - Accelerating Laboratory Automation Through Learning Tool Morphology For Robotic Chemists.
Join us in addressing a core manipulation challenge facing autonomous robotic scientists today. Every tool in a chemistry laboratory has been designed for humans, where our dexterity has influenced how these tools are made. This poses a fundamental challenge for robotic chemists 🤖🧪: they are forced to use tools that were not built for them! Our project tackles this by fundamentally rethinking tool design by co-designing the tool and robot behaviour to unlock new capabilities for autonomous robotic chemists in human-centric labs.
The research is highly interdisciplinary, involving close collaboration with partners from Chemistry, Engineering, and industrial stakeholders, which include, but are not limited to:
- VU Amsterdam (Dr. Kevin Luck)
- Royce Institute
- Unilever
- EPSRC AI Hub in Chemistry (AIchemy)
We are looking for a researcher who can conduct high-impact, multidisciplinary research in robot learning for autonomous robotic chemists.
Key Requirements:
- Strong research skills with a background of excellent research outputs across robotics and machine learning.
- Ability to conduct multidisciplinary research.
- Ideally, a background in robot manipulation and/or reinforcement learning
- A willingness and aptitude for collaborating closely with the wider research team (chemists, engineers, and industrial partners).
What We Offer:
- Opportunity to work on a cutting-edge, highly collaborative project, with academic and industry partners.
- A full-time, fully funded, fixed-term contract for 3 years.
- A vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment at the University of Liverpool, with world-leading researchers and facilities in robotics and AI for scientific discovery.
Application Deadline: October 24, 2025.
For full details and to apply online, please visit the original job posting:https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOX707/postdoctoral-research-associate-grade-7.
Informal enquiries are very welcome and should be addressed to gabriell...@liverpool.ac.uk.
We look forward to welcoming a new member to our interdisciplinary team and enriching our vibrant, globally diverse research group!
With Thanks & regards
Prasanalakshmi Balaji, FHEA, SMIEEE,
She/Her
College of Computer Science,
King Khalid University,
Saudi Arabia.