GeoField Fellow (Spring 2024)

AidData, a lab at the Global Research Institute (GRI) at William & Mary, invites applications for 3 three-month graduate fellowships with the potential extension of another three months during the spring of 2024. As GeoField Fellows, individuals will engage in cutting-edge geospatial research, including research design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. The objective of this fellowship is to develop and apply critical geospatial skills for academic and non-academic purposes. This position is classified as a temporary position.

The selected fellows will work on the following projects:

1. Estimate evapotranspiration of crops in Bangladesh using Sentinel and high-resolution imagery.
2. Develop land suitability models for establishing rainwater harvesting systems in African drylands.
3. Develop mapping scheme using PlanetScope imagery in GEE setting.‍

Primary responsibilities include:

• Develop and program cloud-based workflows: Utilize cloud computing platforms like Google Earth Engine (GEE) and open-source statistical software such as R to process time series remotely sensed imagery and open-source data. The goal is to generate insights into socio-ecological, agricultural, and environmental issues worldwide, with a specific focus on Asia and Africa.
• Automated geospatial workflows: Create automated processes for estimating environmental indicators relevant to climate-sensitive agriculture. This includes thorough testing and comprehensive documentation.
• Conduct literature reviews: Explore and analyze existing literature in the fields related to geospatial data and techniques, including machine learning. Emphasis is placed on environmental and agricultural remote sensing.

Following a successful fellowship, GeoField Fellows will have a high probability of co-authored publication in a pre-eminent journal as well as be competitive for future full-time positions in this field.

Note: Due to the temporary nature of the position, W&M will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this vacancy and will only consider applicants who are authorized to work in the United States. This position is a hourly position in the U03 range with an advertised pay range of $17/hr, eligible to receive overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. This position may be subject to overtime during high peak times as directed and approved by the supervisor. The duration of this contract will not exceed 6 months. All hourly employees are subject to the limitations of the Virginia Manpower Control Program and total hours worked may not exceed on average 29 hours per week, over the course of a twelve-month period beginning May 1 each year.