Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Researcher (Task Author)

What you'll do

You take a piece of computational biology you have already run and debugged, and rebuild it as an evaluation task for AI models. The ad names examples such as an analysis pipeline, a dynamical model of a biological system, a molecular or structural simulation, or a statistical inference method you implemented and validated. Each task has a main problem, a few connected subproblems, a Python reference solution and tests that check the result. The ad says the difficulty should come from the biology itself, not from withheld information.

You also specify the metrics a strong answer should be judged by (without publishing the exact passing thresholds), revise the task after structured review feedback until it is approved, and can optionally review and calibrate other experts' tasks in your domain.

The areas AfterQuery lists are wide: genomics and bioinformatics (including single-cell and transcriptomics), systems biology and biochemical networks, structural biology and molecular biophysics, computational neuroscience, ecology and population dynamics, epidemiology and infectious disease modelling, biostatistics, biomechanics and physiological modelling, and quantitative pharmacology.

Who fits

• A research-track Bachelor's student (for example with an REU, a thesis, or an RA or lab role), a Master's or PhD student, a postdoc, or a recent graduate in biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, biomedical engineering or a closely related field
• Hands-on experience writing your own code, preferably Python, to build analysis pipelines or models of biological systems; the ad says wet-lab work or running standard tools without your own code is not enough
• Able to turn your own research into a well-specified task with a reference solution and tests, and to work independently with no fixed weekly schedule
• Preferred: research in systems or structural biology, computational neuroscience, epidemiology or ecological modelling; public code, a thesis or papers; prior data annotation, labelling or AI/ML evaluation work
• Must be able to work as an independent contractor without visa sponsorship; the ad says students on F-1 visas (including OPT/CPT) are not eligible

What it pays

The board headlines $100/hr. The ad itself pays per approved task: $200 per task, about 2 hours each, with no cap on how many you take on. That works out at the headline figure only if a task really takes about two hours, and tasks go through review before approval, so time spent on revisions is a cost to weigh.

The ad does not publish payment terms such as the payout day or minimum weekly hours; the AfterQuery company page covers how AfterQuery pays contractors.

What applying involves

The application form asks for your institutional affiliation(s), current degree programme, year and field, a link to research code you have written, your work authorization, and a calculation from your research that could become a task (all required). The ad says all accepted experts undergo standard background and identity verification.

Worth knowing

Good:

• Task-based and flexible, with no fixed hourly commitment and no cap on tasks
• Open to students and recent graduates, not only PhDs
• You build tasks from work you already did, so the starting material exists

Less good:

• Pay is per approved task, so unapproved or heavily revised tasks lower your effective hourly rate
• Requires your own code; using standard tools alone does not qualify
• F-1 students (including OPT/CPT) are excluded and no visa sponsorship is offered
• The form asks for research code and a worked calculation up front

About this listing

Read from the AfterQuery Experts board on 18 October 2026; the board posting is dated 16 October 2026. Pay, eligibility and form fields are AfterQuery's own text. See AfterQuery.