Senior Research Assistant, Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Policing – Addressing Bias in Facial Recognition Systems and Emotional AI - PSAC-RC

Competition Number: RC156.26
Date Posted: November 3, 2026
Department: Applied Computer Science; Criminal Justice
Researcher: Dr. Mary Adedayo; Dr. Kevin Walby
Position Vacancies: 2
Salary: $20.11 per hour plus 6% vacation pay

Senior Research Assistants are normally graduate students, or University of Winnipeg undergraduate students, employed to assist in the execution and evaluation of research projects in their area of study. The positions may oversee Research Assistants in areas such as the use of proper techniques, analysis, and documentation.

Senior Research Assistants work under the general supervision or direction of more senior researchers or faculty members, and are expected to exercise judgment in prioritizing, planning and organizing their own work within defined parameters.

Position Overview:

The Senior Research Assistant will work on an interdisciplinary project under the leadership of Dr. Mary Adedayo and Dr. Kevin Walby. The project aims to develop methods for evaluating and addressing bias in machine learning models for facial recognition systems. The senior research assistant will be required to collect and analyze data, implement models, and perform editorial tasks. The Research Assistant will be an integral member of the study’s Research Team and will report to the Investigators. This position will require flexible hours, and the assistant must be capable of working at least 10 hours per week. The research assistant may be expected to be a part of the team for a longer period.

Duties:

- Meet with the investigators about research, as necessary.
- Perform academic research activities, including some of the duties listed below.
- Assist in finding and collecting or generating appropriate data sets, data entry, analysis and interpretation.




- Preprocessing data where necessary.
- Training and testing machine learning models and conducting extensive experiments with models.
- Perform literature reviews and assist with duties related to the production of articles, publications, reports and presentations.
- Monitor and document research status and findings.
- Perform routine clerical and administrative duties to support research activities.
- Assist in seeking publication opportunities for the research team.
- Research assistant may be required to work on materials for submission to research funding agencies and foundations.

Qualifications:

- Fourth-year undergraduate or Masters degree student in Computer science, physics, mathematics, statistics, sociology or another relevant field.
- Experience with developing and testing machine learning models is beneficial.
- Experience in data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Excellent project and time management skills.
- Experience with or interest in understanding privacy legislation.
- Highly developed analytical problem-solving skills.
- Highly motivated and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
- Ability to work in a team environment and independently.
- Ability to assist with data organization and management.
- Ability to conduct literature reviews, recruit research participants, perform field research and co-author.
- Experience with grant writing will be beneficial.




- Experience with applications for analyzing qualitative research data (e.g., NVivo) will be beneficial.

Condition(s) of Employment:

- Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

The period of work will be from Nov 16, 2026 - May 31, 2027, and the estimated total hours of work will be 100-300 hours.

Note: This position is represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada - Research Capacity Unit.

Note: The work described in this posting will be conducted in person.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognizes that a diverse staff and faculty advantages and enriches the work, learning and research environments, and is essential to academic and institutional excellence. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and encourage women, racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons to confidentially self-identify at time of application.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to ensuring employment opportunities are accessible for all applicants. If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]: mailto:[email protected].

The personal information of applicants is collected under the authority of the University of Winnipeg Act and 36(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All personal information collected via the recruitment process is used to assess the applicant’s suitability, eligibility, and qualifications for employment, and to otherwise support recruitment activities. This information will be provided to participating members of the recruitment process. Questions regarding the collection of your personal information may be directed to the Director, HR Services, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9 or [email protected].

📌 Senior Research Assistant, Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Policing – Addressing Bias in Facial Recognition Systems and Emotional AI (Winnipeg)
🏢 The University of Winnipeg
📍 Winnipeg