Fellowship in Computer Vision

The Department of Defense (DoD) is offering a postdoctoral fellowship for the Visiting Scientist Program at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), a world leader in timely, relevant, accurate and actionable GEOINT.

NGA’s Research Directorate, Predictive Analysis Team, encompasses techniques from data mining, predictive modeling, and machine learning that analyze current and historical facts to make predictions about future or other unknown events. Sometimes the event is in the future, but predictive analytics can be applied to any time of unknown – past, present or future.

Under the guidance of a mentor, you will conduct applied research in the area of computer vision, satellite image processing and analysis, and geospatial data visualization. The overall objectives for this research are to develop new software scripts and tools that provide rapid analysis of agriculture and land use, apply machine learning and deep learning to identify agricultural fields, and analyze times series of vegetation indices. Emphasis will be placed on cloud computing infrastructure, machine learning algorithms, deep learning frameworks, and testing and validation procedures. The prospective candidate will be a member of an experienced team responsible for developing new methods and carrying out research on small-holder agriculture as it relates to human and environmental security.

Springfield, Virginia

NGA is ready to make appointments immediately. Exact start dates will be determined at the time of selection and in coordination with the selected candidate. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis and fellowships will be filled as qualified candidates are identified.

Appointments are initially for one year with the option to extend the appointment for up to four additional years, contingent upon project needs and funding availability.

As a participant with NGA, you will receive:

You must have or be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance for the duration of your appointment. It is expected that after completing the necessary application for clearance a fitness determination will allow participation to begin with unclassified material, while awaiting a clearance.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) delivers world-class geospatial intelligence that provides a decisive advantage to policymakers, warfighters, intelligence professionals, and first responders. Anyone who sails a U.S. ship, flies a U.S. aircraft, makes national policy decisions, fights wars, locates, target, responds to natural disasters, or even navigates with a cellphone relies on NGA. NGA enables all of these critical actions and shapes decisions that impact our world through the indispensable discipline of geospatial intelligence.  For more information about NGA, please visit https://www.nga.mil/.

This program, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and DoD. Participants do not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, DoD or any other office or agency. Instead, you will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE. For more information, visit the ORISE Research Participation Program at the U.S. Department of Defense.

Crop studies, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning, Environmental Security, Satellite Image Processing, Algorithm Development, Agricultural Monitoring, Data Science, Predictive Analysis

The qualified candidate will have a PhD by the start of appointment in one of the following fields: computer science, geography, natural resource management, mathematics, statistics, data science, environmental science, remote sensing, physics, biology, ecology, or a related field. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date. U.S. military veterans who have been honorably discharged (or who have been medically discharged because of a service-connected disability) and who received a doctoral degree within ten years of the desired start date are also eligible.

Highly competitive applicants will have education and/or experience in one or more of the following: