Duties
Work Schedule and Flexibilities:
10 hours per week for a full academic term (quarter or semester). Hours per week are flexible based on student's schedule and goals. Preferred hybrid but remote work is also an option.
Project Description:
Remote Sensing Algorithm Development for Water Quality Monitoring in San Francisco Bay. San Francisco Bay is an economically and environmentally important estuarine system where water quality is dynamic and highly variable. USGS scientists are developing and validating satellite-based algorithms to monitor water quality constituents - including suspended sediment, chlorophyll-a, and dissolved organic matter - using publicly available imagery from Landsat, Sentinel-2, and the new NASA PACE satellite. The student volunteer(s) will support this work by contributing to algorithm testing, validation, and development under the supervision of USGS research scientists. Core tasks may include:
- Compiling and processing satellite imagery and in-situ water quality datasets using Python
- Testing published remote sensing algorithms against field measurements from San Francisco Bay
- Supporting development of novel retrieval approaches, potentially including machine learning methods
- Contributing to map product generation or validation summaries
Requirements
Conditions of employment
To participate in this Program, you must:
-
Be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution.
-
Agree to volunteer. This position is unpaid. No compensation, stipends, or hiring preference will be granted from this work. You may use this volunteer experience to qualify for future jobs you choose to apply for.
Qualifications
Applicants will be considered based on their knowledge, skills or abilities related to project needs. Specifically, applicants should have: demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, curiousity and interest in learning new things, and a background in environmental science, remote sensing, geography, oceanography, hydrology, or computer/data science and an interest in applied environmental monitoring. Familiarity with GIS, satellite imagery, or water quality concepts is a plus but not required.
The government-wide "Semester of Service" Student Volunteer Program, as authorized under 5 U.S.C §31114 and 5 CFR Part 3085, enables Federal agencies to engage students in unpaid, project-based assignments of limited duration. These assignments are designed to align with each agency's strategic priorities, offering participants practical experience within Federal operations while supporting the advancement of targeted initiatives.
Education
To qualify, you must be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution. You also must be in good academic standing as defined by your institution. Attach a copy of your transcripts to your application package for verification.
Additional information
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
This is an unpaid volunteer experience. Student volunteers are not considered Federal employees for any purpose other than injury compensation and laws related to the Federal Tort Claims Act, and service is not creditable for leave accrual or other employee benefits.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be evaluated by DOI personnel to determine your eligibility for the position and your application will be forwarded to the opportunity manager for review.