Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $82,764 per year with $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research to develop real-time quantitative visualization systems using GPUs and shaders for precision measurement and analysis of virtual samples.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens holding a doctoral degree; applications require prior contact with a Research Adviser; NIST participates only in February and August review cycles.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing real-time quantitative visualization systems. The research aims to create visualization tools that function as precision measurement instruments, enabling interactive probing of virtual samples to extract quantitative data that supports scientific discovery.
Virtual samples are constructed from data obtained through physical measurements or computational simulations. The project leverages advances in graphics processing units (GPUs) and shader programming, which allow substantial numeric processing directly within the visualization pipeline. This direct access to geometric data describing objects under study facilitates precise measurement and analysis, including the determination of uncertainties—a critical aspect of precision measurement.
The research encompasses all aspects of quantitative visualization, emphasizing real-time measurement and analysis applied directly to visualization objects. Keywords associated with this opportunity include GPUs, precision measurement, shaders, information visualization, visual analytics, scientific visualization, and network visualization.
Due Dates
- February 1, 2025 (NIST participates in February and August reviews only)
- August 1, 2025
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: $82,764 per year
- Travel allowance: $3,000 annually
- Typical appointment duration: 2 years
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only
- Applicant level: Postdoctoral researchers who have earned a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent) within the last five years as of the application deadline
- Prior affiliation restrictions: Applicants with current or recent prior employment or postdoctoral fellowships at the sponsoring agency may be ineligible; collaboration without continuation of the same project or adviser is generally acceptable
- Security clearance: May be required depending on agency policies
Application Process
- Applicants must first contact the proposed Research Adviser listed with the opportunity to discuss research projects and funding availability before applying
- Applications are submitted through the NRC Research Associateship Programs online system
- Required materials include:
- Profile information and education history with transcripts (postdoctoral applicants must upload transcripts)
- Research proposal (up to 10 pages) detailing problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Letters of recommendation (minimum of three, including the dissertation adviser for postdocs) uploaded by letter writers via the online system
- Applicants may apply for up to three research opportunities but only one per sponsoring federal agency
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels; scoring is on a 100-point scale with a minimum score of 70 required for award recommendation
- Review feedback is provided approximately one week after panel decisions
Additional Information
- Health insurance coverage is required throughout the tenure; a group plan is available with shared costs
- Relocation assistance is provided for awardees moving more than 50 miles to the host laboratory
- Annual travel allowance supports conference attendance, meetings, and fieldwork
- Awards are contingent on availability of funding and alignment with agency mission
- Applicants with previous NRC Research Associateships must have a two-year gap before applying again
- The program promotes diversity and equal opportunity without regard to race, gender, or other protected characteristics
External Links
Contact Information
| General Inquiries | Email | Phone |
|---|
| NRC RAP Office | rap@nas.edu | 202-334-2760 |