Contract Researcher: Embodied Conversational Agents and Adaptive Learning

About the role

The University of Technology of Compiègne (UTC) is looking for a contract researcher in the Heudiasyc laboratory (UMR CNRS 7253), within the Computer Engineering department. The project studies embodied conversational agents built on generative AI that adapt the interaction with a learner to what they have just experienced in an immersive or interactive environment, and evaluates how their representation, role and behaviour affect engagement, curiosity, understanding and trust.

The position is part of the PostGenAI@Paris cluster, supported by the France 2030 IA-Cluster call, and is jointly carried out by Heudiasyc (UTC) and the MOCAH team at LIP6 (Sorbonne Université), building on the ANR ITS-STORY project. It is based at Heudiasyc in Compiègne, with regular stays at LIP6.

Key responsibilities

• Design and evaluate embodied conversational agents based on generative AI that adapt to the learner's recent experience in immersive or interactive environments
• Design virtual characters and their variations in representation and animation
• Integrate grounded generative agents and interaction-adaptation mechanisms
• Design and run user studies across two learning contexts
• Contribute to generalising the approach across the two partner teams' environments
• Publish scientific results and supervise students

Required profile

• PhD in computer science or a related discipline
• First postdoctoral post strongly preferred

Required skills

• Expected: experience with virtual environments and characters and with user studies
• Familiarity with generative models is a plus

What we offer

• Fixed-term contract of about 24 months, starting as soon as possible
• Gross monthly salary depending on experience and funding
• 1,607 hours per year