Post-Doctoral Fellow, NIST PREP and Mines, Computer Science

Colorado School of Mines

2d • $81,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Engineering a world of possibilities NIST Post-Doctoral Fellow - Indoor Localization, Tracking, and Navigation with NIST’s Adv. Communication research group Research Title: Postdoctoral scholar / PREP0004274 / Indoor Localization, Tracking, and Navigation Mines Advisor: Qi Han in Computer Science and NIST Sponsor Name: Scott Ledgerwood in Advanced Communications Group. Requested Start Date: 2026-07-01 The position is not eligible for visa sponsorship now or in the future. Research Location: In Boulder, CO at the NIST campus with the Advanced Communications Research Group in the Communication Technology Lab and in Golden, CO on the campus of Colorado School of Mines. This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may want to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields. Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration's scientific research. As an engineer/developer, the selected applicant will be part of a team of engineers and researchers conducting research and development (R&D) activities focused on accelerating the development of indoor mapping, tracking, and navigation capabilities for first responders. The Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) is a cooperative partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Colorado School of Mines (Mines). Through PREP, Mines undergraduate and graduate students—as well as researchers holding a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD—have the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research in NIST laboratories while working closely with both NIST scientists and a Mines faculty advisor. This dual mentorship ensures participants gain not only hands-on technical expertise but also guidance in connecting their NIST research to Mines’ academic and professional pathways. All hires made through the NIST PREP program at Mines are employed by Colorado School of Mines.

Requirements

• PhD in Engineering, or a related field
• Knowledge of localization and tracking systems
• Advance knowledge and skill in applying theories, principles, and methods of a technical professional field (in science, engineering, information technology, or mathematics) and of a specialty within that field.
• Ability to define problems, perform background research, develop, and execute a project plan, organize, and evaluate results, and prepare reports of findings.
• Ability to consider precedents and use judgment to research, select, interpret, modify, adapt, and apply available guidelines to specific problems or issues.
• Ability to present ideas and results in a clear, compelling, and persuasive manner.
• Ability to develop research proposals.
• Ability to work with the Institutional Review Board, the Research Protections Office, and other parties to ensure that any research involving human subjects is conducted ethically and effectively.
• Ability to operate a Total Station for collecting survey measurements
• Familiarity with geodetic datums and coordinate transformations
• Experience with experimental design and statistical analysis including uncertainty quantification
• Experience with mobile mapping solutions such as mobile lidar scanning systems
• Proficiency with MATLAB and Motive.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with GIS software and Python preferred

Responsibilities

• Foster relationships with a diverse set of public safety stakeholders and execute/document case studies related to indoor mapping tracking and navigation
• Collect data using a mobile lidar scanning system, process the acquired data
• Conduct research related to the accuracy of indoor mapping technologies including mapping done by Augmented Reality systems
• Conduct research related to the accuracy of indoor localization system and support research related to novel algorithms for indoor localization
• Utilize an OptiTrack motion capture system to test infrastructure free indoor localization systems; develop software in support of this system
• Utilize a total station theodolite to conduct measurements related to ground truth measurements and georeferencing of motion capture systems
• Work with the PSCR Lab Operations team to coordinate and document the deployment of hardware and software capabilities required to support the team's R&D activities
• Publishing results of research to relevant conferences and journals
• Other hardware/software tasks as required.
• Work independently and as part of a diverse team of researchers and support team members to meet the mission goals of the Public Safety Communications Research Division at NIST.

Benefits

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution (you will receive 12% from Mines in a MDCP averaging $8,640 a year)
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass for regional bus and light rail transportation
• All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center.
• We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees