Looking for a Grant Manager to start Fall 2025
Grant Manager Position: AI Agents, Well-Being, and Character Virtues
The Well-Being and Measurement Lab at Purdue University, directed by Dr. Louis Tay, invites applications for a Grant Manager position. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge interdisciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) agents, well-being, and character virtues.
Project Summary
This position supports a multi-year, $3.5 million research grant funded by the John Templeton Foundation titled “Enhancing Character Virtues with AI Conversational Agents: Beyond Short-Term Subjective Well-Being.” The project brings together an interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Louis Tay (Psychological Sciences, Purdue University), in collaboration with Dr. Ashton Anderson (Computer Science, University of Toronto) and Dr. Karina Vold (Philosophy, University of Toronto). Together, the team investigates how long-term interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) conversational agents impact human well-being and the development of character virtues, and how AI agents can be architected to promote human flourishing.
This ambitious initiative includes a broad portfolio of activities: multi-site empirical research (e.g., experiments, longitudinal research, experience sampling), focus groups with scientific and thought leaders, development of open-access digital platforms and AI agents, global scholarly convenings, and strategic public dissemination to both academic and public audiences.
Position Summary
We are seeking a highly capable and mission-driven Grant Manager (Research Operations Administrator) to oversee the operational execution of this high-impact research initiative. Serving as the central administrative coordinator, the Grant Manager will ensure the seamless functioning of the project’s activities, facilitate clear communication across collaborators, and support adherence to grant, regulatory, and institutional requirements.
The ideal candidate will bring not only strong organizational and project management skills, but also a research-savvy mindset and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary work. This is a dynamic and intellectually engaging role at the intersection of psychological science, AI, and character virtue - with significant opportunities to contribute meaningfully to advancing the science of human flourishing in the age of AI.
Additional Information
Position details: Full-time in-person appointment. The start date will be Fall 2025.
Mentorship and career development: Dr. Tay is a dedicated mentor who has successfully guided postbacs, postdocs, and graduate students into various academic positions in psychology and related fields.
Lab and research environment: The Well-Being and Measurement Lab fosters a positive and interdisciplinary research culture, collaborating with scholars across psychology, philosophy, and computer science. More details can be found at www.wam-lab.com.
Application process: Review of applications begins immediately. Apply here: https://careers.purdue.edu/job/Research-Operations-Administrator%2C-Associate/37891-en_US/
‘Undergraduate Research Experience
We welcome motivated undergraduate students who are interested in industrial-organizational psychology research — or psychological research more broadly — to apply to our lab.
Research projects have included data science type projects (e.g., annotation of video interview data for building machine learning algorithms; annotation of social media data), well-being projects (e.g., systematic reviews of physical health and psychological health), and measurement (e.g., creation of new psychological scales and measures).
Over the years, we have had more than 30 undergraduate students participate in various research projects in our lab. Many of our undergraduate lab alumni have gone on to pursue graduate work in industrial-organizational psychology or related areas (e.g., clinical psychology, social psychology) or fields (e.g., human resource management).
If you are interested in obtaining research experience, please email Dr. Tay with your CV, an outline of your research interests, and the type of experience you hope to gain. We prefer to have students join us for a minimum commitment of 2 semesters of 8-10 hours per week. Our laboratory is open during the summer as well. You can sign up as a PSY 390: Research Experience in Psychology or PSY 498: Senior Research.
Prospective Graduate Students
The Purdue Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology program is one of the oldest programs in the world. We have an amazing reputation and enjoy strong support from our storied alumni. The I-O faculty are research active, collegial, inclusive, and student-centered. We strive toward an environment that helps students achieve their full potential and provide them substantial resources to do so. More info on our program can be found here.
I am passionate about mentoring students. I work closely with students to develop their interests and expertise within the broad topics of well-being, methodology, and data science. We have a lab culture that is collaborative, positive, and fun! Students are exposed to multiple disciplines and perspectives, and I believe that I-O psychologists should contribute to our world more generally, ranging from science to policy. My goal is to guide students toward independence, training them to pursue their ideas as tenure-track academics when they graduate. Graduate students will have deep knowledge of relevant theory and methodology, have a strong publication record, and make a positive academic and societal impact.
I am most keen on admitting students pursuing research/academia. The selection process to the Purdue I-O program is very competitive and our selection ratios tend to be low (i.e., less than 5 percent). Prior research experience and methodological training are valued. Students who have working experience and/or a master’s degree in associated fields will also be considered favorably.
Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about our research or the I-O program at Purdue.