Vacancy: Postdoctoral Research Fellow (GIScience/GeoAI)

Job and project description

The Urban Analytics Lab, a geospatial and urban data science research group at the National University of Singapore (NUS), a leading global university centered in Asia, is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the team and spearhead a variety of research activities within our agenda. The Research Fellow will also contribute to the management of the group and other tasks such as preparation of proposals, co-supervision of junior researchers, and administration.

The successful applicant in this senior role will be engaged on some of our novel research lines on GeoAI, GIScience, VGI, and digital twins, namely: investigation of the potential and integration of emerging urban data sources (e.g. 3D city models, street view imagery), initiating new means of processing, benchmarking and quality assessment of data and workflows, invention of new methodologies to maximise the value of urban data, and/or developing new use cases and studies pertaining to building/urban/geospatial data infrastructure in the context of smart cities and sustainability. Positioned at the intersection of academia, industry, international organisations and government, the nature of the work is computational and practical.

The Research Fellow will be supervised by the Principal Investigator of the Lab – Dr Filip Biljecki, NUS College of Design and Engineering.

Candidates should have strong computational skills and a PhD degree in computer science, geographical information science, geomatics, mechanical engineering, or another relevant field of study, with a demonstrated track record in their career so far (in terms of publications/impact and/or other forms of output such as development of code, open datasets, and outreach).

The Lab will provide a motivating, conducive, and flexible environment that enables to explore the Research Fellow’s interests and build skills required for future career steps. Our current and former members have secured meaningful and significant placements in the continuation of their academic career, including faculty positions, and have published dozens of impactful papers in leading journals.

Scope and responsibilities

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Conducting and leading research activities.
• Development of code, and/or software prototypes and related solutions to support the research.
• Collaboration with other researchers, research groups, and coordination of activities/projects.
• Exploring new research directions and experimenting with new datasets, methodologies, and technologies.
• Leading and assisting with the preparation of funding proposals.
• Assisting the PI in various activities in the research group and project such as supervision/mentorship of research staff and students (e.g. PhD researchers), management, and outreach.
• Preparation of publications and managing other forms of research output such as software and data.
• Presentation of the research.

Required qualifications

A strong interest in GIScience and GeoAI, together with proactivity, initiative, ownership, and continuous learning aspirations, is key to this position. The candidate is expected to continue their journey to grow into a leading scientist in the field.

You should demonstrate that you possess:

• A PhD degree 🎓 in a related discipline from a reputable university. Current PhD candidates are eligible to apply as well, provided that they are in the final stage of their studies and that their PhD degree will be completed before the start of the appointment (preferably within the next few months).
• A publication record with demonstrated impact, writing skills, and a strong aptitude to publish. We expect at least one recent first-authored paper in a journal of interest (e.g. the ones we tend to publish in) or more depending on the years of experience so far.
• Ability to identify research gaps and conceptualise research plans and methods to address them.
• Proficiency in one or more of the following areas: GIScience, urban data science, computer science, game engines, Geomatics, remote sensing (in the urban/built environment), 3D city modelling / BIM, computer vision / deep learning, urban planning, and/or urban simulations. We do not expect applicants to be proficient in all the topics we work on 🦄, however, we ask them to demonstrate that they have a momentum in at least one of the related topics, have aptitude to expand their expertise beyond their main focus, have affinity with our research agenda, and have solid ideas how to continue their research aspirations.
• Very good communication skills in English (oral and written), and an ability to present research in both academic and non-academic venues.
• Solid experience with programming (e.g. in Python, R, and/or C++), as much of our research is computational. Having built software used by others and/or scientific software experience is a plus. We will prioritise applicants who can demonstrate these qualities through a Github profile or similar evidence.
• Proficiency with (i) general academic tools such as LaTeX; (ii) geospatial tools such as ArcGIS/QGIS; and (3) plotting libraries such as ggplot or matplotlib.
• An ability to (co-)supervise others (e.g. students and junior researchers).
• Curiosity and passion to explore new concepts, methods and technologies, and capability of identifying and quickly learning the most suitable tools for the research on the go.
• A positive and proactive stance on open science, preferably with demonstrated activities such as using and developing open-source software, releasing data as open data, and promoting reproducible research.

Our offer

• You will be working on compelling research activities at the forefront of geographical information science and urban data science in a unique research group that is gaining a strong momentum in Singapore and globally. Further, we collaborate with other research groups at NUS, which often leads to multidisciplinary efforts, exposing you to new topics.
• You will advance your research and transferable skills required for the next stage of your career. You will be welcome to explore and learn new tools and technologies, expand your current skillset, and gain potentially new experience such as funding applications and management that may be critical for your next career step (e.g. faculty position).
• You will be involved in steering the direction of our research group, participate in discussions continuously revisiting and enhancing our research agenda, and take a leadership role in one of the managerial tasks.
• You will work in a research and educational environment where you may not only contribute to your own development, but also to others, e.g. by supervising master theses that may arise as part of the research and by advising PhD researchers.
• Opportunity to make impactful contributions in the field, on globally relevant and growing topics.
• Visibility and exposure of your work.
• Expansion of your network through potential contact with academic, industrial, and governmental partners, both locally and internationally.
• A diverse, inclusive, friendly, and flexible working environment.
• Flexibility to explore new ideas and an opportunity to experiment with the state of the art.

Remuneration

The remuneration will be determined according to the university’s salary range depending on the degree, experience, and output so far. The estimated monthly salary including allowances and overheads is in the range of SGD 6300 to 7200. The income tax in Singapore for this range is about 5%, without taking possible deductions into account.

Duration and location

The position will be filled when a suitable candidate is found, and will start preferably within the next 2-3 months.

The appointment is for one year, with a probation period of 3 months. The contract can be extended for a further period subject to performance.

This full-time job is based in Singapore. This is not a remote position. We offer flexible working arrangements similar to most academic environments (e.g. no strict office hours and the possibility to spend a portion of time working from home).

Employer and location

National University of Singapore

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is ranked consistently as one of the world’s top universities. NUS offers a global approach to education and research with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. It was founded in 1905 and is today Singapore’s flagship university. It aspires to be a vital community of academics, researchers, staff, students and alumni working together in a spirit of innovation and enterprise for a better world.

Singapore

Singapore is a tropical and cosmopolitan English-speaking island city-state located in Southeast Asia near the equator. Thanks to the unique combination of variety of factors such as culture, languages, business environment and governance, it is a distinct and enjoyable place to live and work, and positioned to act as a bridge between the East and the West. Singapore tops many international rankings in education, quality of life, infrastructure, housing, and healthcare. For example, it is considered to be the #1 most competitive country and the safest country in the world, successfully attracting talents from all parts of the globe by offering first-class living and working experience in the heart of Southeast Asia, and a very clean, efficient and low-tax environment.

And of course, it has great food and weather, with many popular tourist destinations in the region just a short flight away. ☀️ 🍜 ✈️

Urban Analytics Lab

The NUS Urban Analytics Lab is an interdepartmental multidisciplinary research group established in 2019 focusing on urban analytics, geographic data science, and 3D city modelling at the NUS College of Design and Engineering. Working at our Lab presents a rare opportunity to be involved in the entire GIScience ecosystem under the same roof: from standardisation and generation of geo-data all the way to their utilisation and visualisation, while continuously exploring new frontiers in the field such as GeoAI. We run a unique research agenda in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Our work is consistently published in leading international journals.

Our Lab is located at SDE4, the first newly-built net-zero energy building in Singapore, and the first university building in the world to be WELL Certified Gold.

Our department is consistently ranked among the best in the world.

The principal investigator of the Lab was awarded the prestigious presidential young professorship in 2020, supporting the longterm development of the research group.

Feel free to check the rest of our website for further detailed information or watch the video below.

Application

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The applications have been reviewed, and it is not possible to apply anymore.

Before applying, please make sure that you understand:

• What we do.
• How we do it.

Generic applications will not be entertained.

Please apply by email (please write “Application: Postdoctoral research fellow (GIScience/GeoAI)” in the subject), including the following materials:

• CV
• Short cover letter (about one page) briefly indicating:
  • (i) your computational skills and relevant experience so far and how would they translate to benefit of our research agenda, and your learning goals and aspirations;
  • (ii) outlook on one of the aforementioned topics and some of our work/publications; and
  • (iii) how do you intend to contribute to our growing research group and enhance its activities.
  • The letter should also include the expected availability / preferred starting date. Keep it short and simple, please. One paragraph for each of these points is sufficient.
• A link to at least one first-authored paper published in a reputable journal that mirrors your background and research so far, and one that you are particularly proud of. A link to the article is sufficient, no need to include its PDF in your email.
• Names and contact information for three referees. There is no need to submit recommendation letters at the application stage. By providing this information, we assume that we have your and their permission to contact them to learn more about you.
• Other materials that indicate possessing the required qualifications, e.g. link to a public Github repository you have developed, recorded talks, and portfolio. Candidates who can demonstrate strong computational skills will be preferred.
• In accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), please provide consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal data, using the NUS Personal Data Consent for Job Applicants form. Please attach it to your email.

For general information about academic jobs at NUS, please visit NUS Academic Appointments. This position is under the Research Track of the University.

We appreciate your understanding that only applicants shortlisted for the interview will be notified. The selected candidate will later be asked to provide the full documentation, e.g. academic certificates and transcripts, copy of ID, and three letters of recommendation. These do not have to be submitted at the application stage and are required only by the candidate that is selected for this position and accepts our in-principle offer.

Contact

For more information feel free to contact Dr Filip Biljecki.