CLEAR Global seeks a Language AI Expert on LLMs and Language Tech for Social Impact
Terms of Reference: Language AI Expert on LLMs and Language Tech for Social Impact
Organization: CLEAR Global
Posted: 19 Feb 2025
Closing Date: 1 Mar 2025
Location: Remote (Home-based)
Travel: None
Reporting to: CLEAR Global Language Technology Specialist
Timeframe: March 2025 – June 2025
Maximum Available Budget for Assignment: USD 16,800
Overview:
CLEAR Global is seeking a Language Technology and AI Expert to conduct research into the current state of Large Language Models (LLMs) and advancements in reasoning models, particularly with a focus on their application for social impact in low-resourced languages. The research will explore not only LLMs but may also extend to other models such as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Text-to-Speech (TTS), and Machine Translation (MT) as relevant.
The expert’s role will involve exploring how these technologies can address key issues in various sectors, including agriculture, climate change, humanitarian response, and sexual and reproductive health. The geographic focus of the research will primarily be Africa, with potential secondary research on India and South Asia.
Key Responsibilities:
- Desk Research:
Conduct thorough research on the state-of-the-art LLMs and related models (ASR, TTS, MT) to understand their application for social impact. The focus should be on advancements in reasoning models, including:- Applications and impact of reasoning models.
- The advantages and limitations of reasoning models versus other types.
- Requirements, cost implications, and developments over time.
- Approaches for evaluating these models, especially for low-resource languages.
- Understanding where small language models may be applicable, along with their constraints.
- Efficient methods for adapting models for social impact use cases in low-resourced languages.
- Evaluations:
Where available research is insufficient, the expert will conduct independent evaluations. This may include:- Simple, quick experiments to explore unanswered questions.
- More structured evaluations, as required.
- Budgeting at least USD 2000 for API and compute costs to conduct these evaluations.
- Benchmark Creation:
- Design and create relevant evaluation benchmarks in collaboration with the CLEAR Global team.
- Leverage the Translators without Borders (TWB) community of over 100,000 volunteers to ensure comprehensive coverage across various languages.
- Document Contributions:
- Provide insights and recommendations on creating LLM fine-tuning datasets for social impact use cases.
- Presentations & Webinars:
- Present research findings to CLEAR Global and partners through 1-2 webinars.
- Deliver reports in both written and slide deck formats.
Deliverables:
- A comprehensive research report summarizing findings from desk research and evaluations.
- A recommendation report for creating datasets for LLM fine-tuning and evaluation.
- 1-2 webinars presenting findings to CLEAR Global and partners.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
- Educational Background:
- University degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing (NLP), or related fields.
- Proven Experience in NLP:
- Extensive work on LLMs, demonstrated by involvement in NLP projects, contributions to code repositories, research papers, or other publications.
- Experience with Under-Resourced Languages:
- Practical experience working with low-resourced languages and non-Latin writing systems.
- Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills:
- Strong ability to analyze complex data and offer practical solutions.
- Communication Skills:
- Excellent proficiency in both written and spoken English, with a collaborative and adaptable approach to teamwork.
- Passion for Social Impact:
- A genuine interest in applying technology for social good and positive global change.
Terms and Conditions:
- Payment Structure:
- 20% advance within 30 days of contract signature.
- 40% interim payment upon submission of draft deliverables.
- 40% final payment upon satisfactory completion of work and delivery of all outputs.
- Equipment and Supplies:
- The consultant is expected to provide their own equipment (laptop, etc.).
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit the following documents:
- Technical and Financial Offer:
- A brief description of how the candidate would approach the role (max two pages).
- A proposed work plan, including the number of days allocated to each task.
- A financial offer, specifying daily fees. The offer should also indicate the daily fee in the ‘Desired Salary’ field in the application.
- Examples of relevant work.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV):
- The CV should highlight experience from similar projects, along with contact details of at least three professional references.
Deadline for applications: 1 March 2025 (please note that screening and interviews may commence immediately, and the position may be filled before the deadline).
About CLEAR Global: CLEAR Global helps people get vital information and be heard in any language they speak. Their mission is focused on building local language translation capacity and addressing language barriers in global humanitarian and development contexts. The organization is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its work and hiring practices.
For further details and to apply, please click here.
This is an exciting opportunity for an expert in Language AI and NLP to make a lasting impact by advancing language technology in areas like social development, climate change, and humanitarian action!
