Area: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research
Duration: 18 months
Start Date: As soon as possible; no later than October 1, 2016
Salary: $50,000 ‐ $75,000 annually, depending on experience
The Foothills Facility for Remote Sensing and GIScience in the Department of Geography, University of Calgary, is
accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow or Research Technician under the supervision of Dr. Greg McDermid.
Job Description:
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a transformative platform for data acquisition for researchers in a wide variety of
fields, bridging the gap between observations made on the ground and those acquired from satellites and manned
aircraft. However, today’s researchers are required to perform a large number of daunting and repetitive tasks in order
to plan missions, collect data, and perform basic image processing. These tasks represent barriers to UAV research and
development that distract researchers and block innovation. We are seeing an individual to contribute to the
development of CloudUAV: a cloud‐based computing platform designed to streamline UAV workflows for researchers.
Our project is supported by CANARIE (www.canarie.ca): an organization that funds the development of Canada’s digital
research infrastructure, and is responsible for some of the country’s most advanced research‐software platforms. We
will be working with professional software developers in SensorUp (www.sensorup.com) to complete this project.
Note that we are not looking for a software developer. Rather, we seek an individual with expertise in UAV regulatory
compliance, mission planning, data processing, and collaboration. The successful candidate will interface with
developers at SensorUp, the UAV research community, and other CANARIE projects to deliver user‐requirement
information to the development team. An interest in research software, open‐source communities, and enthusiasm for
UAV research are all positive attributes.
Qualifications:
A PhD in a remote‐sensing‐related discipline, or MSc with more than 5 years of research experience
Expertise in UAV workflows, including regulatory compliance, mission planning, and data processing
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
A high level of productivity for peer‐reviewed publications
An ability to multi‐task, and contribute to research projects in our lab outside of your core CloudUAV
responsibilities
Application Details:
Applicants should submit their curriculum vitae, cover letter, and contact information for three referees. Short‐listed
applicants will be required to provide two letters of recommendation. Please submit application packages to
Greg McDermid
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
University of Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Application Deadline: August 1, 2016
About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a leading Canadian university located in the nation’s most enterprising city. The university
has a clear strategic direction to become one of Canada’s top five research universities by 2016, where innovative
teaching and groundbreaking research go hand in hand, and where we fully engage the communities we both serve and
lead. The strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by our Gaelic motto, which translates to ‘I will lift up my eyes.’
To succeed as one of Canada’s top universities, where new ideas are created, tested and applied through first‐class
teaching and research, the University of Calgary needs more of the best minds in our classrooms and labs. We’re
increasing our scholarly capacity by investing in people who want to change the world, bringing the best and brightest to
Calgary to form a global intellectual hub and achieve advances that matter to everyone.
About Calgary, Alberta
Named a cultural capital of Canada and one of the best places to live in the world, Calgary is a city of leaders – in
business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and
enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the
Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.
The University of Calgary believes that a respectful workplace, equal opportunity and building a diverse workforce
contribute to the richness of the environment for teaching, learning and research, and provide faculty, staff, students and
the public with a university that reflects the society it serves. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however
preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
