[visionlist] Announcement

[Cook, Laura]

Dear Vision Science,

 

Please circulate the following announcement:

 

Subject of email: PhD in Visual Cognition or Neuroscience

 

Visual Attention and Visual Cognition in Imagery Analysis Project
(ID#:2010157)

 

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) provides timely,
relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of national
security objectives. Geospatial intelligence is the exploitation and
analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and
visually depict physical features and geographically referenced
activities on the Earth. Information collected and processed by NGA is
tailored for customer-specific solutions. Complex visual search and
object recognition tasks are major components of NGA's mission. 

 

NGA is looking to appoint one or more post-doctoral researchers with
backgrounds in visual perception, human cognition, neuroscience and/or
related fields to collaborate with imagery analysts and scientists who
are seeking to improve the agency's performance in imagery analysis.
Selected scientists will work with government project scientists and
contract experts to analyze data collected during trials of new methods
of performing visual search tasks in humans. The current project
involves the use of electrophysiological measures, such as
electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and eye movement recordings during
rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of overhead imagery, to
investigate the unconscious perceptual processing and attention
mechanisms underlying visual search. The analysis will look at the
impact of variables such as mode of presentation, duration of an
individual search session, number of objects found, number of objects
missed, image context, and analyst background on visual search
performance. Appointees would be expected to identify implications of
research for current operations; to outline a framework for an overall
research program; and to perform research of interest to NGA.

 

This appointment may include, but is not limited to, the following
tasks:

* Develop approximations of intelligence analysis tasks that might be
used in unclassified (e.g. university) research environments

* Identify and execute relevant statistical analyses data collected in
naturalistic settings (not controlled laboratory experiments)

* Identify variables likely to have an impact on analyst performance,
e.g., input data, quality, presentation mode, analyst background and
expectations, work environment, etc.

* Identify basic research findings likely to be applicable to the NGA
setting, along with relevant predictions for operational settings

* Identify factors that limit the applicability of those basic findings
to the NGA setting

* Develop methods for collecting data in an operational setting

 

Several appointments are available at NGA. Work will require SCI
clearances and drug testing, and work will not begin until all security
processes and drug testing are completed successfully. NGA operates
major facilities in the St. Louis, MO and the Washington, D.C. area. 

 

ELIGIBILITY

*         U.S. CITIZENSHIP is a requirement.

* Student applicants must be completing a Ph.D. or post-doctoral
appointment in a field related to vision and/or attention in a work
environment.

* Current college or university faculty members on sabbatical are also
eligible.

* Other applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

* Applicants should have experience in working within a research
environment and show an ability to conceptualize a broad research agenda
and to plan and execute specific research projects, and to meet task
deadlines and goals. Modern computer skills and experience in scientific
programming, data visualization, or 3-D graphics are also desirable.

* A background check will be conducted for a Sensitive Compartmented
Information (SCI) security clearance. 

* NGA is a drug-free workplace. Initial and random drug tests will be
conducted.

 

For more information, please contact:

Laura Cook

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)

4692 Millennium Drive, Suite 101 

Belcamp, MD 21017

(Office): 410.306.9204

Email: Laura.Cook at orau.org 

Web: www.ORAU.org/Maryland 

 

 

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