Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (next deadline)
Funding Amounts: Typical stipend around $95,000 plus $5,000 travel allowance; supplements based on experience; 2-3 year fellowship duration.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral and senior researchers to develop unconventional, distributed multi-modal sensor systems inspired by biological flight for robust agile flight control.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens; requires PhD; applicants must contact Research Adviser before applying; relocation and health insurance benefits included.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports research aimed at advancing flight control systems by leveraging unconventional, distributed sensor arrays inspired by the sensory modalities of insects, birds, and bats. These biological systems exhibit exceptional flight agility and robustness, attributed to their use of multiple sensory inputs that current engineered aerial vehicles do not fully exploit.
The research focuses on integrating distributed mechanical sensors (e.g., accelerometers, force/torque sensors, bending/shear sensors, pressure/flow sensors) with conventional inertial measurement units and advanced optical sensing technologies such as optical flow, wide field-of-view optics, compressive sensing, and hexagonal sampling. The goal is to develop efficient, robust, multi-modal sensing and control frameworks that enable agile maneuvering flight comparable to biological flyers.
Key research areas include:
- Information and control theory to characterize biological robust agile flight capabilities.
- Optimization of distributed multi-modal sensor configurations for flight control.
- Development of controller design methodologies using unconventional sensor arrays.
- Concepts of information encoding and processing inspired by biological sensory and neural systems.
- Implementation of biologically realistic stimulation in experiments.
- Measurement of acuity in invertebrate optical systems and natural environmental stimuli (e.g., UV wing signatures).
- Compressive sensing applications in biological systems.
- Anatomical mapping of sensory and processing circuitry.
- Application of optimal sampling approaches.
This opportunity is hosted at the Munitions Directorate, RW/Advanced Guidance, Eglin Air Force Base, FL.
Due Dates
- Next application deadline: May 1, 2025 (5:00 PM ET)
- Subsequent deadlines occur quarterly: August 1, November 1, February 1, etc.
- If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: Approximately $95,000 per year
- Travel allowance: $5,000 annually
- Experience-based supplements available for postdoctoral and senior researchers
- Typical fellowship duration: 2 to 3 years
- Health insurance and relocation assistance provided for eligible awardees
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only
- Applicant Level: Postdoctoral researchers (PhD earned less than 5 years ago) and senior researchers (PhD earned at least 5 years ago or permanent appointment with significant research experience)
- Must have earned a PhD, ScD, MD, DVM, or equivalent research doctorate before starting tenure
- Applicants with current or recent prior affiliation with the sponsoring agency may be ineligible (e.g., current employment or previous postdoctoral fellowship at the agency)
- Applicants must contact the proposed Research Adviser prior to applying to discuss research fit and funding availability
- Letters of recommendation required, including dissertation adviser for postdocs
- Security clearance or National Agency Check may be required depending on agency
Application Process
- Review eligibility on the NRC RAP website and specific agency criteria.
- Identify this Research Opportunity (Opportunity number: 13.45.03.B8521) and contact the Research Adviser, Dr. Rhoe Anthony Thompson (rhoe.thompson@us.af.mil), to discuss your research proposal and funding.
- Prepare application materials including:
- Profile information (contact, education, transcripts)
- Research proposal (max 10 pages) with sections on problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Previous and current research description (max 4 pages)
- List of publications and presentations (max 2 pages)
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs)
- Submit application online via the NRC RAP portal before the deadline.
- Monitor application status and ensure letters of recommendation are submitted on time.
Applications are reviewed by expert panels in relevant scientific disciplines. Scores above 70 typically receive award recommendations. Feedback is provided approximately one week after review completion.
Additional Information
- Awardees must enroll in health insurance throughout the fellowship.
- Relocation assistance is available for those moving more than 50 miles to the host lab.
- Annual travel allowance supports conference attendance and fieldwork.
- The fellowship offers access to state-of-the-art facilities and mentorship at a federal research laboratory.
- The program encourages innovative, technically sound research that advances knowledge and practical applications in flight control and sensor technology.
External Links
Contact Information