Scientific Researcher (Computational Task Author)

What you'll do

You author research-grade AI evaluation tasks from computational work you have run, debugged or been paid to do: simulation setup, numerical solvers, model fitting, data reduction, analysis pipelines or inverse problems. Each task has a main problem, a few connected subproblems, a reference solution and tests that check the scientific result, with difficulty coming from the science itself.

You also set the metrics a strong solution should meet (without publishing exact thresholds), revise after structured review feedback, and can optionally review and calibrate other experts' tasks against a short rubric.

AfterQuery says it is especially looking for researchers in bioinformatics and computational biology; quantum physics and computational astrophysics; materials science and molecular or quantum chemistry (including electronic structure, polymers and soft matter, chemical kinetics and spectroscopy); condensed-matter and statistical physics; particle and plasma physics; and geochemistry, remote sensing, oceanography and coastal modelling. This is the general version of those fields; the ad does not say how it relates to AfterQuery's other task-author listings.

Who fits

• Currently pursuing or holding a PhD with active hands-on research, or a Master's (current or completed) with a research-active record: thesis research, an RA or lab role, a publication or a clear PhD trajectory
• Working proficiency in Python, enough to run and debug your own computational work
• Able to turn your own research into a well-specified evaluation task and to work independently with no fixed weekly schedule
• Preferred: current PhD student, postdoc or faculty actively publishing; experience in scientific computing, data analysis, simulation or numerical methods; prior annotation, labelling or AI/ML evaluation work

What it pays

The board headlines $100/hr. The ad pays $200 per approved task, about 2 hours each, with no cap on how many you take on. Tasks go through review, so revision time lowers the effective hourly rate.

The ad does not publish payment terms; the AfterQuery company page explains how AfterQuery pays contractors.

What applying involves

The form asks for a full list of published papers and institutional affiliation(s), both optional. The ad says all accepted experts undergo standard background and identity verification. It does not mention a work-authorization or visa restriction.

Worth knowing

Good:

• Flexible, task-based, uncapped work
• Short tasks of about two hours each
• Optional application fields

Less good:

• Pay depends on approval after review
• Graduate-level research experience is expected
• The ad does not say which of the listed fields are in highest demand at any given time

About this listing

Read from the AfterQuery Experts board on 18 October 2026; posted on the board 1 October 2026. Pay and eligibility are AfterQuery's own text. See AfterQuery.