NASA Frontier Development Lab (FDL) has announced its 2017 challenges and opened the application process for participants, with an updated deadline of May 19, 2017. FDL is looking for 12 planetary scientists and 12 computer scientists with machine-learning emphasis. Applicants must have a masters, doctorate, or post-doc level of understanding in this year’s problem areas (Heliophysics, Astronomy, Exogeology, Data Science, Software Engineering or Advanced Statistics).
Hosted by the SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center, FDL is an applied research accelerator established to tackle knowledge gaps in space science by bringing together machine learning expertise and physical science specialists at the PhD level. Interdisciplinary teams address tightly defined problems and the format encourages rapid iteration and prototyping to create outputs with meaningful application. The 2017 8-week program will accept 24 participants and will run June 26 – August 18, 2017. The challenge questions for 2017 cover planetary defense, space weather, and space resources.
To learn more about FDL, the 2017 challenge questions, and to apply, please visit the FDL website at www.frontierdevelopmentlab.org.