New

College of IST-Research Assistant in Securing Embodied AI Systemsw/ Dr Peng

The Pennsylvania State University
remote work
United States, Pennsylvania, University Park
201 Old Main (Show on map)
May 12, 2026
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional information on remote work at Penn State, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants. JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS The College of IST is seeking applicants for part-time job of Research Assistant in Securing Embodied AI Systems. We are looking for a summer research assistant who has expertise in the intersection of adversarial and typographic attacks, Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models, and embodied AI. In particular, the researcher will work on identifying and assessing the severity of adversarial and typographic attacks against end-to-end VLA models. For example, a malicious input at the perceptual layer can propagate silently through reasoning and into physical action, misclassifying objects and bypassing the safety checks. Accordingly, the researcher should have adequate experience in both Cyber-Physical Security and Embodied AI systems. This position involves part-time wage payroll employment. Job duties to include: Identify and address the limitations of the existing security measures for autonomous AI agents Develop a new IFC framework Conduct experiments to validate the new IFC framework. Write a technical report. Requirements, qualifications, and/or competencies: Researcher should have adequate experience in both Cyber-Physical Security and Embodied AI systems Compensation: The starting rate for this job is $16.00 BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here. EEO IS THE LAW Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university's teaching, research, and service mission. Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster PA State Labor Law Poster Penn State Policies Copyright Information Hotlines