Department: Earth System Science Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Work type: staff full-time exempt
Location: Huntsville, AL, U.S.A
Job Description (Research Associate)
| Purpose of the Position: | SERVIR, a joint effort of NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) enable the use of Earth observations and geospatial technologies for improved societal decision-making in five focus regions in Africa, Asia, and South America. The SERVIR Science Coordination Office (SCO) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is seeking to hire a Research Associate to support research, data analysis, and science coordination related to SERVIR’s resilience mapping service development. Crop yield estimation is one of the ways to assess the impact of interventions on the ground and can bolster monitoring & evaluation efforts. The fellow is expected to help SERVIR in crop model setup, cal-val activities, perform research, and assist in the development of data dissemination tools. At the end of the fellowship, the SERVIR fellow will present findings to the SERVIR team and submit a research paper. The fellow will receive regular guidance, tasks, and feedback from a mentor at the SERVIR Science Coordination Office (SCO). This is structured as a 1-year position with a possibility of another 1-year extension. The SERVIR Science Coordination Office at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama is collaborating with the University of Alabama in Huntsville to provide SERVIR hubs with direct science support, and science and technical coordination. SERVIR is active in Eastern & Southern Africa, West Africa, Hindu Kush Himalaya, Lower Mekong, and Amazonia. SERVIR hub institutions provide a key interface between the needs of SERVIR regions and the potential use of Earth observations and geospatial technologies and also provide critical technical support to regional and national governmental institutions. With activities in more than 45 countries and counting, SERVIR has already developed over 70 custom tools, collaborated with over 500 institutions, and trained more than 8400 individuals, improving the capacity to develop local solutions. |
| Minimum Requirements: | • Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Earth Science, Environmental Science, or a similar field. • 3 – 18 months of full-time verifiable work experience. • Advanced user of crop modeling system (preferably DSSAT), familiar with model setup and calibration. • Experience in using Earth observations and in-situ measurements. • Knowledge of software packages for data processing and visualization. • Excellent oral and written communication skills and proven ability to work in a team environment. • Ability to independently work through situational issues and use problem-solving skills to achieve desired project outcomes. • Strong analytical and problem-solving background. |
| Desired Qualifications: | • Master’s degree in Agriculture, Earth science, environmental science, or a similar field is preferred. • 1 year of programming experience in Python in a Linux/Unix environment and Fortran knowledge is desired. • Familiarity with developing web-based tools will be a plus. |
| Published Salary (if available): |
Advertised: Mar 23 2022 Central Daylight Time