Job Summary
The Geospatial and Environmental Machine Learning (GEM) Lab led by Professor Esther Rolf at the University of Colorado Boulder is hiring a postdoctoral researcher to join a multi-institution project on next-generation neural-field representations of Earth observation data—continuous, queryable representations of the planet that are formed from multiple modalities of Earth data, can be updated as new observations arrive and that report calibrated uncertainty over user-specified regions and time ranges. Integrating with recent work on implicit neural representations, the postdoc will help push these ideas toward spatiotemporal, multimodal GeoAI systems that can be queried, updated, and trusted at scale, with validation across environmental monitoring and integration with physical process-based models. In addition to building these new GeoAI systems, the postdoc will focus on fundamentals of model capabilities: measuring scaling laws to understand the importance of pretraining data decisions, and integrating implicit neural representations with physical models for more robust performance.
This position comes with 2 years of guaranteed funding; extensions will be considered in the second year if the candidate desires. The position could start as soon as Fall/Winter 2026, and as late as Spring 2027.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Who We Are
Founded in 1970, the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder is passionate about real-world, interdisciplinary experiences for our students. Our researchers are making advances in computer science today that will change the world tomorrow. Via the Partnership Program, the department is now helping CU to support higher education across the state of Colorado.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
The postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for leading and implementing research projects on GeoAI, including a) the development of new GeoAI models such as geospatial Implicit Neural Representations (GeoINRs), b) development of scaling laws that capture the influence of the scale and sampling of spatiotemporal datasets on GeoAI model performance. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to collaborate with and lead team projects, which can include mentoring of PhD students. This position does not have a teaching expectation.
What You Should Know
The position is funded in part by Taylor Geospatial and is aligned with a larger research objective toward the creation of digital public goods. Over the next two years, this effort has three key elements: hybrid neural fields, detection of features (such as buildings, agricultural fields, and wind turbines), and the creation of benchmarks for the community. The postdoc will be based in Boulder Colorado and advised by Esther Rolf , with regular opportunities to interact and collaborate with a cross-institution team that includes Caleb Robinson (Microsoft AI for Good), Evan Shelhamer , Hamed Alemohammad , Hannah Kerner , Isaac Corley , Konstantin Klemmer , Nathan Jacobs , and Marc Rußwurm .
This is an in-person role on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position .
What We Can Offer
The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $90,000 annually.
Benefits
At the University of Colorado Boulder , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers , ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
Be authentic. Be impactful. Be Boulder.
What We Require
- PhD (already completed, or expected to be conferred by start date) in Computer Science or a closely related field.