Assistant Research Scientist in UAV Remote Sensing and Geospatial AI

Position Information

Classification Title Researcher AC FLSA Faculty Rank Assistant Research Scientist Contract Type Fiscal (12 mo.) Tenure Status Non-Tenure Track

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must have PhD degree in Geography (remote sensing, photogrammetry, GeoAI), Earth Science, Computer Science, Engineering, or other related fields.

Position Summary

Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, invites applications for an Assistant Research Scientist in UAV Remote Sensing and Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) beginning February or March 2026. The position is for two years with the possibility of extension, a non-tenure track appointment, and the salary is competitive, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position will include retirement and health benefits.

The successful candidate will participate in a funded project developing advanced remote sensing data fusion and analytics methods using multi-modal and multi-sensor data streams (UAVs, Cube Sats, and other Earth observation satellites) for continual terrain awareness.

The research scientist will work with a large team of undergraduate and graduate students on a project to design, develop, and demonstrate a robust terrain awareness system from multiple high-resolution satellite and UAV data sources using photogrammetric theory, Structure from Motion (SfM), and Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) techniques, and advanced data analytics models (DNN, SLAM, feature extraction, pose estimation). The terrain awareness system will be tested and applied to a few target geographies (Coastal, Arctic, Tropical, and Desert) used throughout the larger project.

There will be four field trips annually to acquire UAV data from different geographic regions for model development and testing. The successful candidate will supervise undergraduate students' research, oversee the day-to-day activities of the project, and prepare monthly and annual reports for the funding agency. Additional responsibilities will include integrating models with onboard hardware (embedded GPUs, edge computing devices) and evaluating inference performance under field conditions.

The successful candidate is expected to publish research results in peer-reviewed outlets, present findings at technical conferences, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of faculty, students, and external partners to obtain extramural funding. Professional development opportunities in teaching and grant writing will be provided through on-campus teaching workshops.

The candidate will join the Center for Geospatial Research ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) in the Department of Geography at the University of Georgia and work closely with co-investigators from the Department of Computer Science. The candidate will also be a part of UGA's Small Satellite Research Laboratory ().

Additional Requirements Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

* The candidate should have a strong publication record and proven abilities to conduct related research projects and to work as part of a scientific team.

* Must be familiar with high-level satellite image processing and photogrammetric techniques, including object detection, feature matching, bundle adjustment, SfM, SLAM, visual odometry, pose estimation, programming, deep learning, and handling large datasets.

* Familiarity with mainstream deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, Tensor Flow) and photogrammetric and visualization tools (e.g., Agisoft Metashape or Blender) is welcome.

* Strong written and verbal communication skills are required.

Physical Demands Is this a Position of Trust? No Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? No Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Is driving a responsibility of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care?

No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) No Credit and P-Card policy

Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.

Background Investigation Policy

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with…