Scientific Computing Research Expert
AfterQuery • Remote
Education
PhD
Type
Hourly
Pay Rate
$75/hr
Listed
29d ago
About this role
From the AfterQuery listing
Author research-grade AI evaluation tasks from your own computational work. Open to PhD-level and PhD-pursuing researchers across the sciences, math, and engineering.
AfterQuery is building a network of PhD-level and PhD-pursuing researchers to author and calibrate research-grade evaluation tasks for AI models.
A strong task is a real piece of computational work from your own research, something you have actually run, debugged, or been paid to do: data reduction, model fitting, simulation setup, instrument data processing, numerical solvers, or inverse problems. The difficulty should come from the science itself, not from artificially withheld information.
We are commissioning tasks across five broad areas: Life sciences (biology, ecology, medicine, neuroscience), Physical sciences (astronomy, chemistry, materials science, physics), Earth sciences (atmospheric, environmental, geosciences, ocean), Mathematical sciences (applied mathematics, formal mathematics, operations research, statistics), and Engineering sciences (chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical).
Requirements
Domain: Scientific Computing (multi-discipline research task authoring)
Experience: Active, hands-on research or technical experience in your field
Education: Currently pursuing or holding a PhD, actively doing hands-on research. A Master's also qualifies if you are research-active: thesis-based enrollment, an active RA or lab role, a real publication, or a clear PhD trajectory. A Master's followed by a purely industry role with no research component is not a fit.
Technical: Working proficiency in Python. You will need to run and debug your own computational work to author a task.
Contract and pay
This is flexible, independent-contractor work: $300 per approved task, roughly 4 hours of work each, with no cap on how many tasks you can take on. Tasks go through review before approval, and most take a round or two of revision to get there. Feedback is specific and you can resubmit.
All accepted experts undergo standard background and identity verification.
How long hiring takes
Across the AI training platforms we refer candidates to, the median gap between referral and hire is about 30 days. It varies by platform and role, so treat it as a rough guide for this one.
Why this role
AI labs pay $75/hr for a Scientific Computing Research Expert because getting Generalist nuance wrong in a training set is expensive to fix later. That's what this rate is pricing in.
Skills and categories
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Common questions
Do I need a PhD to qualify for AfterQuery?
Only for specialist roles: ML research, atmospheric modeling, bioinformatics, COBOL, and audit accounting positions require verifiable credentials, usually a PhD, master's degree, or 5+ years of professional experience. AfterQuery's domain screeners check credentials before confirming an assignment, so listing a degree without the matching experience won't get you through. Generalist reviewer roles have a lower bar but come up less often.
How long do AfterQuery projects last?
Typically 2 to 3 weeks at 10 to 20 hours a week. There's no guaranteed follow-on work once a project closes, so treat it as a high-pay burst contract rather than steady income. AfterQuery does re-hire specialists for new campaigns, but that depends entirely on what AI labs are training at the time.
What does asynchronous AI training work mean in practice?
No set hours, no check-ins, no meetings. You log in when you want, pick up an available task, complete it, and submit; nobody is waiting on you in real time. That's different from remote employment, where you're expected online during business hours. The tradeoff: you're competing with others for available tasks, so an empty queue means there's simply nothing to do until more work is released.
Do task-based AI training roles require an interview?
Most skip a live interview entirely and gate access through an automated assessment or qualification task instead. Where we've confirmed the specific requirement for this listing, it's called out above in What We Know About This Role.
What does Generalist work look like for a Scientific Computing Research Expert?
Tasks here are scoped to Generalist, not generic labeling. As a Scientific Computing Research Expert, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to Generalist) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on Generalist background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
What specific skills does this listing call for?
Expert and AI Training are named directly in the listing. If you don't have hands-on experience with these, expect the screening process to test for them directly rather than accepting adjacent experience as a substitute.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $75/hr, an hourly rate. Pay can change between when we last checked the listing and when you apply, so confirm the current number on the platform's own application page before committing time.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Afterquery's external site to complete your application there. This listing links through a referral, but the process is identical to applying directly; the link just routes you correctly. Create an account on their site and follow their onboarding steps.
Is a PhD required?
For this specific role, yes, or near-equivalent professional depth. The credential gate is enforced at the assessment stage, not just on paper. That said, active PhD candidates and people with equivalent published research have qualified without a formal degree. The assessment is the real filter.