Sebastian Deterding

The University of Bern is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in forensic meta-science for the project “After the Flood: Near-Future Scenarios and Countermeasures of AI-Accelerated Research Fabrication.” The project is funded by UKRI’s Metascience funding scheme and is led by Principal Investigator Prof. Sebastian Deterding of Imperial College London. Working with PD Dr. Ian Hussey, the postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the development of a roadmap for methods and tools that formalise “science sleuthing” into structured Trustworthiness Assessments . The work is situated within the Department of Psychology of Digitalisation at the University of Bern, chaired by Prof. Malte Elson. The research will involve conducting cognitive task analyses with members of the science sleuth community, co-organising and running workshops, and analysing qualitative data to develop a taxonomy of sleuthing practices. The resulting roadmap will identify how expert checks for scientific error, fabrication, and research quality can be formalised into practical methods and tools. The successful researcher will join an English-speaking research group and collaborate closely with expert practitioners. The role offers opportunities to contribute to teaching in English and/or German, although teaching is not required. The position is based at the Institute of Psychology in Bern and is offered as an in-person or hybrid commuting role.