Applied Cryptography Researcher (Research Coding Tasks)

$80/hr

rate as listed

Workload: ~15h/week
Engagement: Project-based
Location: Worldwide
Field: STEM and Coding

Turn published applied cryptography research and released code into coding tasks for frontier AI agents. You will design hidden evaluations, establish benchmark thresholds and review agent solutions against reproducible research results.

The work

You will start with a recent applied cryptography paper that has released code, ideally one of your own. You will remove the implementation of its core contribution, package the remaining repository as an agent-solvable task, write the task statement and later review AI agent attempts. Relevant areas include FHE, MPC, zero-knowledge, PIR and lattice-based or post-quantum implementations.

Evaluation design

Each task needs held-out workloads, per-metric pass thresholds, a hidden reference solution and a second solution demonstrating that the stated benchmark can be beaten. The platform screens for a verifiable publication and code-release record, detailed knowledge of the selected paper, sound benchmark design and the judgment to distinguish genuine improvements from leakage, measurement noise or broken correctness.

Logistics

This is fully remote, asynchronous contract work with flexible scheduling. Each task is expected to take a few hours rather than follow a fixed weekly schedule, and applicants should be prepared for a thorough background check. The observed listing states:

Pay band: $80/hr

What they look for

Published applied cryptography research at a recognized or comparable venue
Released code for at least one published paper
PhD in computer science or a related field, completed or in progress
Applied cryptography implementation expertise
Research benchmark and evaluation design
Ability to review and diagnose research code

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 10 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: This checks whether your publication record is verifiable and whether your personal contribution involved the research and implementation work needed to author a task.
A strong answer: Identify specific papers, venues, dates and author roles, then distinguish your own contribution from the broader team effort. Prioritize work with implemented and measured results.
Where people lose it: Naming papers without explaining your contribution leaves the screener unable to tell whether you designed the method, wrote the implementation or only supported the project.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

STEM AND CODING on Sidequest

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