Computational Engineering Researcher (Task Author)

What you'll do

You take a real piece of computational work from your own engineering research and package it as a task for evaluating AI models. The ad defines a strong task as something you have actually run and debugged: a finite-element or CFD solver, a reaction-engineering model, a physiological model, or a structural or electromagnetic simulation 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 difficulty should come from the engineering science, not from withheld information.

You also specify the metrics a strong solution should be judged by (without publishing exact passing thresholds), revise tasks from structured review feedback until they are approved, and may optionally review other experts' tasks against a short rubric.

The fields the ad wants: computational mechanics and finite-element methods, CFD, aerospace numerical modeling, chemical and reaction engineering, biomedical and physiological modeling, civil and structural computational mechanics, environmental modeling and computational electromagnetics.

Who qualifies

• A Bachelor's student on a research track or with research experience (an REU, thesis, RA or lab role), a Master's or PhD student, a postdoc, or a recent graduate in mechanical, aerospace, chemical, biomedical, civil, environmental or electrical engineering with a computational focus
• Hands-on experience writing your own code, preferably Python, to implement or validate engineering models and solvers; the ad says using commercial software such as ANSYS, COMSOL or Abaqus without your own code is not enough
• The ability to work as an independent contractor without visa sponsorship; the ad states students on F-1 visas (including OPT/CPT) are not eligible
• Ability to work independently and manage your own time

Preferred: research experience developing finite-element, CFD or other numerical solvers, public code, a thesis or papers showing your work, and prior data annotation or AI/ML evaluation experience.

The application form requires institutional affiliation(s), current degree program, year and field, a link to research code you have written, work authorization, and a calculation from your research that could become a task. All accepted experts undergo standard background and identity verification.

What it pays

The board shows $100/hour, which matches the ad's task pay: $200 per approved task, about 2 hours each, with no cap on how many tasks you take on. Because pay is per approved task, the hourly figure holds only if tasks take about the stated 2 hours and pass review. The ad describes this as task-based work, not a fixed hourly commitment, and gives no payment schedule.

Worth knowing

Good:

• Your own existing research is the raw material
• No fixed weekly schedule and no cap on tasks
• Open to students and recent graduates, not only experienced practitioners

Less good:

• Pay depends on a task being approved after review and revision
• Not available to F-1 visa holders, including OPT and CPT
• The application asks for a research code link and a sample calculation, which is more up-front effort than a resume

About this listing

Posted on the AfterQuery Experts board on 16 October 2026 and read on 18 October 2026. Duties, eligibility and pay are the ad's own text. Engagement is as an independent contractor. See AfterQuery.