Frontier Development Lab 2022 Call For Applicants

     

FRONTIER DEVELOPMENT LAB 2022 CALL FOR APPLICANTS

KEY DETAILS

• Applications close on Sunday 3 April 2022 - Apply here
• FDL is a program for PhD and PostDoc level researchers
• It runs for 8  weeks and starts from June 20 until August 12 2022
• FDL research often leads to published work (such as Science Advances and ApJ) and outputs are shared at AGU, NeurIPS, AAAI, NASA conferences - as well as partner events like Google Cloud’s NEXT and Nvidia’s GTC
• FDL researchers receive a stipend to support their participation
• Here’s an overview of FDL’s research outputs from 2021 Review last year’s work
• Please read the researcher opportunities brochure for more details here
• Register for our FDL Researcher Meet Up events from March 14 to April 1, 2022 here.

OVERVIEW

FDL is an applied artificial intelligence research program that pairs machine learning and domain specialty researchers for an intense 8-week research sprint with the primary purpose of advancing the application of machine learning, data science and high performance computing to solve problems of material concern to humankind.

FDL is a public-private partnership between Federal agencies (Dept. of Energy, NASA and USGS) and the commercial sector such as Google Cloud, Intel, IBM, Nvidia, Lockheed Martin, Mayo Clinic, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Microsoft, and Planet.  The partnership is administered by the SETI Institute and is run by Trillium Technologies USA, acting as “FDL” and ESA and Trillium in Europe. The FDL USA program is hosted by the SETI Institute and NASA Ames in Mountain View, California and FDL Europe is hosted by University of Oxford

Each year, FDL tackles a series of high risk/high reward problems our partners are currently grappling with. These challenges are put through vigorous assessments to ensure they meet important success criteria, such as standards for AI readiness, reproducibility and ethical best practices in AI. We take great care in recruiting an interdisciplinary team of science and field experts, PhDs and Postdocs to surround each challenge, and then supporting you through an 8 week accelerated research sprint, with huge resources, to deliver world class research that is a powerful platform for a research career in academia, federal government or big tech.

The program encourages rapid interaction and prototyping to create outputs with meaningful application that result in solutions to important challenge questions.  These outputs can be shared in published papers and conference presentations. Participants will have the opportunity to work with world class peers, and SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) to fulfill the expectations of the individual teams and to achieve the objectives of the Program.

Frontier Development Lab (FDL) and the SETI Institute are seeking doctorate/postdoctoral researchers with experience and interest in some of the following areas Astrobiology, Heliophysics, Space Medicine, Earth Science, Alternative Energy/Hydrogen Production, Climate Adaptation, Lunar Exploration and more.  Please read the researcher opportunities brochure for more details here (and image below)

We will be hosting a number of in-person and virtual FDL researcher meet-up events from March 14 to April 1, 2022. This will be an opportunity for you to learn more about FDL, talk about State-of-the-art in ML, hear about our research and get answers to any questions you might have.

If you are interested in hearing more about when these will be taking place, please do register your interest here https://bit.ly/22fdlresearchermeetup

Please visit the FDL website at https://frontierdevelopmentlab.org, for additional information, to apply to the program and to submit a copy of your CV and cover letter no later than April 3, 2022.

SELECTION PROCESS:

After the application deadline, resumes will be reviewed and qualified candidates will be notified for 2 rounds of interviews by FDL and the SETI Institute, including a technical interview. Final candidates will receive invitation letters and complete information about the program, and instruction to attend the program on-line. Participants will be provided with weekly stipends.

REQUIREMENTS:

Since this is an accelerated learning program, commitment to participate in the program for the entire duration, from June 20th through August 12th  is required.

About SETI Institute

Our mission is to explore, understand, and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe, and to apply the knowledge gained to inspire and guide present and future generations. We have a passion for discovery, and for sharing knowledge as scientific ambassadors to the public, the press, and the government.

Location

Depending on the COVID situation and possible travel restrictions, the FDL 2022 program may be offered virtually or in-person.

VISA and Other Requirements

If the FDL 2022 program is held in-person, International Researchers interested in participating in the FDL program are required to obtain a J-1 visa.  Once final candidates are selected, the SETI Institute will aid and support the finalists in the visa application process.  The cost of the visa will be absorbed by the Institute. 

International students on F-1 visa, who are currently pursuing their studies at a US educational institution, are required to obtain OPT, Optional Practical Training, or CPT, Curricular Practical Training.  International students on F-1 visa are strongly recommended to consult with their school advisor on this matter.  Please note that for F-1 students, this is a requirement both for a virtual or in person program.