A 2-3 year postdoc position is available in association with the Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change (BGC Center). We are seeking a highly quantitative scientist with a strong background in machine and deep learning and an interest in the modeling of spatial biodiversity patterns and trends. The successful applicant will conduct research using cutting-edge deep learning (self-supervised learning, large language models, image recognition) towards predicting, monitoring, and understanding of spatial ecological processes, and specifically species distribution dynamics, at scale. Planned research projects will target the integration of remote sensing and human or sensor-supported species observations.
Depending on thematic focus, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with project partners at the University of Zurich (Jan Wegner group), the University College London (Benjamin Kellenberger Lab, BGC Center alumnus, start 2024), and/or WSLETH Zurich, and spend part of the postdoc at a partner institution. Support for project-related travel and workshops is available. We support formal co-mentorship arrangements developed jointly with the successful applicant. Financial support for project-related travel and workshops is available. Target start date for the position is summer 2024, but there is flexibility.
Please send the following documents to ybgc@yale.edu by Nov 30, 2023: Cover letter, CV, names and contact information for two referees.
The Yale BGC Center supports research and training around the use of new technologies and data flows for model-based inference and prediction of biodiversity change. One flagship BGC Center project is Map of Life and its associated activities supporting the GEO BON Species Population Essential Biodiversity Variables, biodiversity change indicators, and the Half-Earth Map. Other initiatives associated with the Center include the integration of spatial, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions of biodiversity (e.g., VertLife), NASA-supported remote sensing-informed layers and tools for biodiversity modeling (e.g. EarthEnv), animal movement analysis (e.g., through our partnerships with Max Planck and the International Biologging Initiative), and novel biodiversity sensors, (e.g. with the Wildlife Insights initiative for camera trapping data). Finally, the Center supports the development of new field-based technologies for biodiversity assessment through the Map of Life Rapid Assessments Project, an XPRIZE Rainforest Finalist.
We strongly encourage members of underrepresented groups in the sciences to apply. Historical and ongoing social inequities rooted in racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination result in the continued and widespread exclusion of marginalized groups from academic spaces. At our Center, we strive to support individuals from diverse backgrounds and to create a safe and inclusive community to counter these legacies of discrimination within the ecological and environmental sciences. We are actively committed to building a team and community where individuals representing a variety of paths to the sciences are brought together to foster a community of learning and collaboration. We hope that our commitments and actions create a more supportive and inspiring environment for individuals and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable future for our field.
Yale University offers a thriving and growing international community of scholars in ecology, evolution and global change science in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, the Peabody Museum, and the School of the Environment. Yale University is located two hours north of New York City with many public transportation options to explore surrounding cities.