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Published Date : 05/02/2025
The successful candidate will join Dr. Vishal Gajjar and his team at the SETI Institute and IIT Tirupati to refine and expand machine learning-driven pipelines for exoplanet discovery.
The successful candidate will join Dr. Vishal Gajjar and his team at the SETI Institute and IIT Tirupati to refine and expand machine learning-driven pipelines for exoplanet discovery.
February 5, 2025, Mountain View, CA -- The SETI Institute is excited to announce the Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship in Artificial Intelligence for Astronomy.
This fellowship invites researchers to enhance and expand machine learning (ML) pipelines for the discovery of exoplanets.
The successful candidate will collaborate with Dr.
Vishal Gajjar, a researcher at the SETI Institute, and his team, along with partners at IIT Tirupati in India.
The primary focus will be on improving supervised Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures and integrating advanced anomaly-detection techniques to identify subtle or unconventional signals within large datasets.
The application deadline is March 15, 2025, and detailed application information is available here.
“Machine learning is revolutionizing the way we search for exoplanets, allowing us to find hidden patterns in vast datasets,” said Dr.
Vishal Gajjar.
“This fellowship will accelerate the development of advanced AI tools to detect not just conventional planets, but also exotic and unconventional transit signatures, including potential technosignatures.”
The SETI Institute is deeply grateful to John Davie, who has generously supported the Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Davie, driven by his curiosity about space and the potential of AI, reached out to the SETI Institute and, through discussions with Dr.
Gajjar, decided to make a meaningful impact.
“I am not a scientist, but I have a deep love for space and a fascination with the potential of AI,” said John Davie.
“It occurred to me that AI, when applied to massive historical data sets, could uncover hints of life.
I am proud to partner with the SETI Institute to help foster breakthroughs that could reshape our understanding of distant worlds and possibly technologically advanced life.”
Telescopes like TESS and Kepler have significantly advanced exoplanet detection but also produced enormous datasets.
Supervised CNN-based classification pipelines have been highly effective in identifying planetary signals while filtering out systematics and stellar variability.
These methods are now evolving to more sophisticated anomaly-detection frameworks, such as autoencoders and clustering, to identify unusual candidates.
These could include ringed or disintegrating objects, megastructures, exocomets, and complex multi-planetary systems that deviate from standard spherical transit models.
The Davie Postdoctoral Fellow will conduct groundbreaking research at the intersection of machine learning, astrophysical modeling, and interpretability, driving the next generation of exoplanet discoveries.
This includes the search for megastructures that could potentially answer the age-old question “Are we alone in the universe?”
About the SETI Institute
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization dedicated to leading humanity’s quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe.
Our research spans the physical and biological sciences and leverages expertise in data analytics, machine learning, and advanced signal detection technologies.
The SETI Institute collaborates with industry, academia, and government agencies, including NASA and NSF, to achieve its mission.
For more information, or to download the full press release, please visit https //aas.org/jobregister/ad/a17b25ac
Contact
Rebecca McDonald
Director of Communications
SETI Institute
rmcdonald@seti.org
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):
Q: What is the focus of the Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship?
A: The Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship focuses on enhancing and expanding machine learning-driven pipelines for exoplanet discovery, particularly by improving supervised Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures and integrating advanced anomaly-detection techniques.
Q: Who is supporting the Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship?
A: The Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship is supported by John Davie, an individual with a deep interest in space and the potential of artificial intelligence.
Q: What are the key instruments used in exoplanet detection?
A: Key instruments used in exoplanet detection include telescopes like TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and Kepler, which have significantly advanced the field but also produced vast datasets.
Q: What are some of the advanced techniques being used in exoplanet discovery?
A: Advanced techniques include supervised CNN-based classification pipelines, autoencoders, and clustering methods, which are used to identify unusual candidates and anomalous signals in large datasets.
Q: What is the ultimate goal of the fellowship?
A: The ultimate goal of the fellowship is to conduct groundbreaking research at the intersection of machine learning, astrophysical modeling, and interpretability, driving the next generation of exoplanet discoveries and potentially answering the question: 'Are we alone in the universe?'
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