Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (Close date)
Funding Amounts: Base stipend approximately $95,000 plus $5,000 travel allowance; experience-based supplements available; typical award duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral and senior researchers are supported to develop integrated satellite communication networks with free space optical links that provide resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services, reducing reliance on GPS and enabling operation in GPS-denied environments.
Key Information: U.S. citizenship required; research conducted onsite at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM; applicants must contact the Research Adviser prior to applying.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports research to advance satellite communication (SATCOM) networks that integrate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services using Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC). The Department of Defense (DoD) relies heavily on Medium-Earth-Orbit (MEO) Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) like GPS for satellite orbit determination, but these systems are vulnerable to interference and spoofing. This research aims to reduce dependence on GNSS by leveraging optical crosslinks in SATCOM networks, which can provide not only high-speed data transfer but also precise time synchronization, ranging, and angle measurements.
Key goals include enabling SATCOM systems to maintain operation during GNSS outages and extending PNT services on-demand to users via accurately tracked and synchronized satellite constellations. Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) SATCOM networks, with stronger signals than MEO GNSS, offer enhanced resilience against jamming and spoofing, providing robust PNT coverage in denied environments.
Challenges to be addressed include:
- Supporting accurate time synchronization and ranging over optical crosslinks with minimal impact on communication throughput.
- Optimizing resource allocation between communication and PNT functions.
- Developing advanced asynchronous fusion and estimation algorithms for satellite orbital state determination.
- Investigating integrated communication and PNT systems to provide on-demand PNT services from communication satellites.
The research is conducted at the Space Vehicles Directorate, RV/Space and Planetary Sciences, Kirtland Air Force Base, NM.
Due Dates
- Application deadline: May 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: $95,000 per year
- Travel allowance: $5,000 per year
- Experience-based stipend supplements available for postdoctoral and senior researchers
- Typical award duration: 2-3 years
Eligibility
- Citizenship: U.S. citizens only
- Applicant level: Postdoctoral researchers (within 5 years of PhD) and senior researchers (5+ years post-PhD or established investigators)
- Must not have current or recent prior affiliation with the sponsoring agency that disqualifies eligibility (e.g., current employment or prior postdoctoral fellowship at the agency)
- Research must be conducted onsite at the host laboratory (Kirtland AFB, NM)
- Applicants must contact the Research Adviser prior to applying
Application Process
- Identify the Research Opportunity number: 13.40.01.B8171
- Contact the Research Adviser, Khanh Dai Pham (khanh.pham.1@spaceforce.mil, 505-846-4823), to discuss research plans and funding availability before applying
- Prepare application materials including:
- Profile information (contact, education, transcripts, research history)
- Research proposal (up to 10 pages) detailing problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs)
- Submit application via the NRC RAP online system: Apply Now
- Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by letter writers by the deadline
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels; scoring above 70 typically recommended for award
- Review feedback is provided approximately one week after panel decisions
Additional Information
- Relocation assistance is available for awardees living more than 50 miles from the host laboratory who remain for at least six months
- Group health insurance is offered to awardees and qualifying dependents in the U.S.
- The program fosters professional growth through mentorship, access to facilities, and collaboration with leading scientists
- Awards are contingent on security clearance processes as required by the agency
External Links
Contact Information