School

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area

The Institute for Quantitative Social Science

Position Description

Research Objective

This project is to conduct research on the design and development of an open source online platform for geospatial data gathering, management, analysis, visualization and sharing. The platform will be the core infrastructure for case-based study and training with China Data Lab at Harvard University, a joint initiative collaborating with the China Data Institute. It will allow researchers to discover spatial data from multiple sources, conduct spatial data analysis with GIS and statistics tools on the cloud, develop data-driven study cases, and share data and results as a package with others online. The platform will also support case-based training programs on spatiotemporal data analysis for economic, social, public health, urban planning and other research subjects.

Position affiliation

The position is sponsored by the NSF Industry–University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) Program in the Spatiotemporal Innovation Center at the Center for Geographic Analysis (CGA) of Harvard University. The candidate will have space assigned at the CGA and attend group meetings and related activities with other research sites and collaborating sponsors. The appointment is for two (2) years with the possibility of renewal based on satisfactory performance and continued availability of funding.

Basic Qualifications

Ph.D. in geographic information science or a related field is required.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you have obtained your Ph.D. in the past 12 months you must be able to provide a certificate of completion from the degree-granting institution OR a letter from the institute’s registrar stating all requirements for the degree have been successfully completed and should verify the date the degree has been conferred. No exceptions.

Additional Qualifications

Strong understanding of geospatial data structure and database standards. Proficient with common GIS and statistical software packages (ArcGIS, QGIS, R, MATLAB). Knowledgeable in spatial analysis methodologies and at least one major application field. Hands-on experience with web-based system engineering (Java, Python, C++, HTML5, JavaScript). Experience with PostGIS, GeoNode, Django, GeoServer, OpenLayers, ExtJS, GeoNetwork, GDAL, jQuery and Bootstrap strongly preferred. Chinese language (reading) skill is a plus.

Special Instructions

PLEASE NOTE:

Please do NOT apply via this application. Only candidates who follow the below application instructions will be considered.

*TO APPLY:

Send curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and names and contact information for three references to Wendy Guan (wguan@cga.harvard.edu). Research papers (up to three) are welcome but optional. Review of applications will begin immediately and end when the position is filled.

Contact Information

Wendy Guan

Contact Email

wguan@cga.harvard.edu

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.