Student Research Assistant

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Hiring Unit:

Mathematics and Statistics Department

Position Summary:

• Conduct a research project on methodological development of contrastive learning approaches for dimension reduction techniques (e.g., t-SNE, UMAP).

• Review and synthesize relevant literature in machine learning, representation learning, and manifold learning.

• Propose and implement extensions to existing dimension reduction algorithms using contrastive objectives.

• Design and conduct simulation studies and experiments on benchmark datasets to evaluate proposed methods.

• Analyze results, create visualizations, and compare performance with baseline methods.

• Participate in regular meetings with the supervisor to report progress and receive feedback.

• Write a final research paper summarizing the methodology, findings, and implications.

Qualifications:

• Strong background in machine learning, mathematics, or statistics.

• Proficiency in Python and relevant libraries (e.g., NumPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow).

• Experience with data visualization and dimensionality reduction techniques (e.g., PCA, t-SNE, UMAP).

• Ability to work independently and proactively with minimal supervision.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Prior experience in research or writing technical reports is a strong asset

Experience and Education:

• Must be a current undergraduate student in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field.

• Completion of relevant coursework in machine learning, linear algebra, statistics, or optimization is preferred.

• Previous research experience is an asset but not required.

Before applying, please note that to work at McGill University, you must be both authorized to work in Canada and willing to work in the province of Quebec at the campus where the position is based / located.

McGill University is an English-language university where most teaching and research activities are conducted in the English language, thereby requiring English communication both verbally and in writing. The level of English required for this position has been assessed at a level # 3 on a scale of 0-4.

Hourly Salary:

$18.19

Hours per Week:

20 (Part time)

Location:

Burnside Hall

Supervisor:

Associate Professor

Position Start Date:

2025-04-10

Position End Date:

2025-08-30

Deadline to Apply:

2025-04-29

This position is covered by the Association of McGill University Research Employees (AMURE) collective agreement.

McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.