Biology Expert (PhD, Master's, or Olympiad Participants) Part-time

Biology Expert (PhD, Master's, or Olympiad Participants)

$60-$80 per hour

Hourly contract

Remote

Posted by Mercor

mercor.com

Role Overview

Mercor is collaborating with a leading AI research lab on a project to advance frontier biology problem-solving. We are looking for biology experts who hold a PhD or Master's degree, or have experience participating in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO). The goal of this project is to create novel, clear, and challenging Olympiad-style biology problems that cause the frontier AI models to fail (i.e. generate an incorrect response) and support the training of cutting-edge AI models.

This is a short-term, high impact, remote opportunity for those excited about applying their expertise to frontier AI research, with the possibility of extension based on performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Write original & advanced IBO-style biology problems to challenge frontier AI models
• Evaluate AI-generated solutions for correctness, clarity and style and identify where models fail
• Identify logical flaws, incomplete reasoning, or insufficiently-rigorous proofs
• Provide clear, concise, and correct solutions & chain of thought reasoning using proper LaTeX formatting
• Maintain extremely high standards of precision and problem difficulty

Required Qualifications

Note: Applicants must be highly proficient in writing and formatting documents using LaTeX

You are a good fit for the project if you have any of the following experiences:

• Have a Master's or PhD in biology (or a related field), or are an Olympiad participant or medalist in the IBO (preferred) or equivalent competitions (RBO, CBO, IBO TST, ABO, EUBO, USABO, BBO, INBO, JBO, UBC, IBO Challenge, NSBO, etc.)

Other qualifications:

• Deep understanding of your domain's core theoretical and experimental concepts
• Ability to articulate reasoning and derivations clearly in written form
• Strong ability to evaluate the rigor and complexity of biology problems
• Rigorous attention to detail in verifying solutions

More About the Opportunity

• Expected commitment: 20 hours/week minimum; up to 40 hours/week available
• Approximate project length: ~2 months, with extension potential
• Rolling start dates; setup typically within 1–2 days of approval

Application Process

• Submit your resume or CV highlighting biology background and relevant achievements
• Complete a brief interview (20–30 minutes)
• Submit a short form detailing your experience writing problems and competing in biology competitions
• Selected applicants will be contacted within a few days with next steps

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.