Job Description

Scholar-in-Residence Position

Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for Scholar-in-Residence at its location in Kigali, Rwanda. The scholar-in-residence position is an opportunity for early career researchers interested in an academic career to develop their teaching and research portfolio. They will work with more experienced faculty to design and deliver impactful courses and to advise CMU graduate students on research projects leading to publications and funding.

We welcome applicants with interest in the development and application of information and communications technology to address societal challenges. Areas of particular interest include artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity and privacy, software engineering and development, robotics, IoT, technology policy, and technology entrepreneurship with the potential for high impact to health, finance, agriculture, e-government and education that is relevant in the African context.

About CMU-Africa

Carnegie Mellon University, a world leader in information technology, engineering, and artificial intelligence, started its graduate programs on the ground in Kigali, Rwanda in 2012, with the goal of educating the next generation of technology leaders in Africa. With strong support from the Government of Rwanda, the Mastercard Foundation, Smart Africa, the Gates Foundation, the Mandela Institute for Developmental Studies (MINDS) and other partners, CMU-Africa has grown to more than 350 full-time resident graduate students from 25 countries in Africa, with plans to grow to over 400 students.

CMU-Africa graduates take advantage of Africa’s unique opportunities and are having a significant positive impact through technology leadership positions. CMU-Africa is on a strong positive trajectory, having moved into a new building in 2019 as the anchor tenant of the Kigali Innovation City and continues to grow rapidly. CMU-Africa offers three master’s degree programs: Information Technology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Engineering Artificial Intelligence. The location has about 25 faculty members dedicated to teaching, research, and entrepreneurship activities. Some examples of current research projects include culturally sensitive robotics for Africa, using machine learning to detect cardiovascular diseases and to identify and classify malaria parasites in blood smears, and building secure and interoperable digital identity systems.

Building on CMU-Africa’s significant growth and success in its first decade, CMU-Africa leads an ambitious, well-resourced program to develop a network of African higher learning institutions that will work collaboratively in education, knowledge creation and technology entrepreneurship with the goal of supporting digital transformation throughout Africa.

Qualifications

• We welcome applicants with interest in the development and application of information and communications technology to address societal challenges.
• CMU-Africa seeks highly qualified early career researchers with a Ph.D. from leading research universities and a passion for the digital transformation of Africa, to contribute to CMU-Africa’s innovative, interdisciplinary graduate teaching and research.
• The scholar-in-residence position is an opportunity for early career researchers interested in an academic career to develop their teaching and research portfolio. They will work with more experienced faculty to design and deliver impactful courses and to advise CMU graduate students on research projects leading to publications and funding.
• The position is offered on a one-year contract, with the possibility of a one-time renewal based on satisfactory performance, for a total term of up to two years.
• This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of a one-time one-year renewal, based on satisfactory performance for a maximum total duration of two years
• Areas of interest include artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity and privacy, software engineering and development, robotics, IoT, technology policy, and technology entrepreneurship with the potential for high impact to health, finance, agriculture, e-government and education that is relevant in the African context.

Application Instructions

Your application package should consist of the following:

1. A cover letter;
2. A curriculum vitae;
3. A research statement, typically three to five pages, outlining a compelling short-term and long-term vision for a research program that is aligned to CMU-Africa’s goal of supporting the digital transformation of Africa and may reference potential collaborators at CMU-Africa, CMU-Pittsburgh and other higher learning institutions in Africa and beyond;
4. A teaching statement, typically on the order of two pages, outlining both your experience and philosophy, a listing of courses you are interested in teaching and presenting a longer-term vision for training Africa’s next generation of technology thought leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs; and
5. A service statement, typically one to two pages, noting professional service, particularly in STEM fields, such as science and engineering outreach to K-12 students, leadership in graduate student organizations, organizing or chairing sessions at conferences, etc.

Two letters of recommendation should be requested individually through the confidential letter request function in Interfolio. You may wish to send an email to each of your letter writers to alert them that they will receive an automated email from Interfolio requesting that they upload their letter of recommendation (sometimes the automated Interfolio emails are mistaken for spam).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Carnegie Mellon University is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition, family status, marital status, parental status, religion, ancestry, veteran status, or genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state, or local laws or executive orders.