Postdoctoral Fellowship in AI-Driven Movement Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals – University of Michigan
University of Michigan (Federal)
Details
Application Deadline:
11/30/2025
Published:
10/15/2025
Starting Date:
after 8/1/2026
Hours per Week:
at least 40
Salary:
Commensurate / Negotiable
Education Required:
Doctorate
Experience Required:
none
Location:
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tags:
Faculty / Post-Doc Appointments
Description
I'm looking to recruit a postdoctoral fellow in my research group (https://www.coexistencegroup.com/) to develop AI-driven models of animal movements, leveraging high-resolution GPS tracking data and diverse environmental datasets. The fellow would collaborate closely with researchers at the University of British Columbia and Kruger National Park.
Research activities will include the development and application of advanced deep learning frameworks to model and predict animal movement and habitat selection. The fellow will integrate spatially and temporally explicit environmental covariates (e.g., NDVI, vegetation structure, topography, seasonality), enabling nuanced exploration of how landscape features and dynamic conditions influence animal movement decisions at multiple scales. Research will involve constructing, training, and evaluating AI models capable of simulating realistic movement trajectories, identifying patterns in resource selection, and revealing how animals interact with variable or human-modified environments.
The position offers opportunities to:
Research activities will include the development and application of advanced deep learning frameworks to model and predict animal movement and habitat selection. The fellow will integrate spatially and temporally explicit environmental covariates (e.g., NDVI, vegetation structure, topography, seasonality), enabling nuanced exploration of how landscape features and dynamic conditions influence animal movement decisions at multiple scales. Research will involve constructing, training, and evaluating AI models capable of simulating realistic movement trajectories, identifying patterns in resource selection, and revealing how animals interact with variable or human-modified environments.
The position offers opportunities to:
- Advance mechanistic understanding of animal-environment interactions to inform conservation solutions.
- Experiment with state-of-the-art AI architectures, potentially incorporating memory, multi-individual, or social dynamics.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and partners to adapt models for real-world conservation management scenarios.
- Contribute novel approaches and open-source tools to the field of computational movement ecology.
Applicants must apply here:
https://midas.umich.edu/training/postdoctoral-programs/schmidt-ai-in-science-postdoctoral-fellowship/
Applications are due November 30th
Please reach out to me (nhcarter@umich.edu) as soon as possible to determine research fit before the deadline.
https://midas.umich.edu/training/postdoctoral-programs/schmidt-ai-in-science-postdoctoral-fellowship/
Applications are due November 30th
Please reach out to me (nhcarter@umich.edu) as soon as possible to determine research fit before the deadline.
Contact
Neil Carter
nhcarter@umich.edu (preferred contact method)