Integrating Satellite Remote Sensing with a Demographic Dynamic Global Vegetation Model to Adva[...]

ORAU; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

ORAU is seeking Postdoctoral Fellows for the NASA Postdoctoral Program based at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. This opportunity offers unique research projects in Earth science, emphasizing lidar data and carbon cycle dynamics. Applicants need a Doctoral Degree and programming experience in C, FORTRAN95, Python, or R. Candidates will propose their research, engage in mathematical modeling, and join in studies contributing to NASA's scientific missions. Successful applicants must be U.S. Citizens or eligible non-citizens.

Qualifications

• Experience with mathematical modeling, computer programming, and analyzing datasets.
• Background in Earth, Physical, and/or Computing Sciences is desirable.
• Strong skills in advanced statistics.

Responsibilities

• Propose research incorporating lidar observations of vegetation.
• Engage in studies to advance NASA’s missions in Earth science.
• Conduct coupled climate-carbon cycle simulation experiments.

Skills

Mathematical modeling

Computer programming

Analyzing field datasets

Remote sensing datasets analysis

Plant allometry

Education

Doctoral Degree

Tools

C programming

FORTRAN95

Python

R

Job description

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0015-NPP-NOV26-GISS-EarthSci

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect. Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org)

A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents

Application Deadline

11/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly‑talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA‑affiliated research institute. These one‑ to three‑year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

This opportunity is closed to applicants who are Senior Fellows (5‑years or more past PhD).

A key challenge in constraining uncertainty in land carbon dynamics is how to represent the vertical and horizontal spatial heterogeneity and community structure of vegetation canopies in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) that couple with climate models. DGVMs that represent demography of vegetation communities – the distribution of plants of different sizes – offer a promising, still emerging computational framework. Satellite lidar data are now also emerging as a means to quantify observed vertical canopy structure. Our group pursues studies to incorporate such data into a demographic DGVM coupled to the NASA GISS Model Earth System Model. We use satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), and other Earth observing missions.

Postdoctoral fellows are invited to propose research incorporating lidar observations of vegetation at the site, regional and/or global scales. Studies could involve, but are not limited to:

• Radiative transfer and albedo
• Plant allometry to constrain canopy structure, vegetation biomass, and radiative transfer metrics
• Development of new satellite lidar data products estimating vegetation demography or landscape structure
• Coupled climate‑carbon cycle simulation experiments that may incorporate any of the above, including climate change, seasonality, fire dynamics.

Successful applicants should have experience with mathematical modeling, computer programming, and analyzing field and remote sensing datasets. Background in the following is highly desirable: Earth, Physical, and/or Computing Sciences, Carbon Cycle Science, advanced statistics, programming in a compiled language like C or FORTRAN95, and scripting with Python or R.

Location

Goddard Institute for Space Studies

New York City, New York

Field of Science

Earth Science

Advisors

Nancy Y. Kiang

Email: [e-mail]

Phone: [phone]

Questions? Contact

Email: [e-mail]

Point of Contact: Mikeala

Eligibility Requirements

• Doctoral Degree.
• Eligibility is currently open to: U.S. Citizens; U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR); Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J‑1 visa status; and Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I‑485 or I‑589 forms in pending status.
• Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States.