The Nieh lab would like to work with PhD candidates and postdoctoral scholars who are interested in using AI to study honey bee communication to apply for the 2025 Schmidt AI in Science Postdocs. This program is designed to support researchers whose work would be enhanced by training in AI methods. Applicants should articulate both the impact of their proposed research and how integrating AI methods into their research would advance their field.
For additional information about the application requirements, eligibility, and other program details, please see this website, (https://postdoc.ucsd.edu/funding/schmidt-ai/index.html) The deadline for applications for the 2025 cohort is October 7, 2024.
Applicants will apply directly to the program but we are looking to sponsor one postdoctoral who will work on honey bee communication at UCSD. If you are interested, please email James C. Nieh (jnieh@ucsd.edu) with your CV and a cover letter. You would then work together to craft a competitive application that describes the scientific significance of the proposed project and the value of AI training to the applicant’s scholarship.
Although any project that uses AI to study honey bee communication is possible, one potential project will leverage advanced AI techniques to develop an automated system that accurately tracks and decodes honey bee waggle dances. This system will revolutionize environmental biomonitoring by making it feasible to analyze large datasets of honey bee communication, providing critical insights into where bees forage in different landscapes. The technology will have broad applications, from understanding bee ecology and foraging behavior to exploring the adaptive value of animal communication and cognition. More details about the postdoctoral fellowship can be found on the Schmidt AI in Science Postdocs Program at UC San Diego website, SchmidtAI.ucsd.edu. Questions can be directed to SchmidtAI@ucsd.edu.