General Description

Salary: $55.00-$70.00 per hour

PREP Research Associate 

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest, thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.  

The current public release of the AM Bench 2022 instance of the NIST Configurable Data Curation System (CDCS) may be accessed at https://ambench2022.nist.gov. This serves as a measurement metadata catalog, allowing users to access and search the full range of AM Bench data and metadata. The current release includes approximately 870 data records, covering feedstock materials, build processes, build geometries, part provenance, sample preparation, measurement methods, instrument metadata, sample orientations, and access to raw and analyzed sample characterization data. Supported measurements include macroscopic and miniature mechanical testing, laser absorptivity, composition, time-resolved synchrotron X-ray radiography, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and much more. However, several AM Bench 2022 measurements have not yet been added, such as thermography. In addition, work on AM Bench 2025 is progress, requiring substantial additions to the existing schema and data records. For example, the first of several new build approaches (laser hot wire) is being used and the build schema needs to be expanded and generalized to make future expansion easier. Lastly, we have already implemented a CDCS versioning system, but little of this is automated, making version releases highly work intensive. Further development is needed. In summary, the AM Bench measurement metadata catalog is fully operational, but work remains on completing support for the AM Bench 2022 measurements, completing development and implementation of the versioning system, and making substantial additions to the schema and data records in support of AM Bench 2025.  

The work will entail:  

The JHU PREP hired for this position will work with NIST AM Bench-focused staff to facilitate efficient data transfer from the measurement domain experts to the CDCS metadata repository, with updates made to the schema as needed.  To assist users accessing the AM Bench data, a variety of additional query, visualization and exporter tools also need to be developed to facilitate sharing of the data. Lastly, work is needed to complete a rigorous versioning system where data and schema updates are rigorously tracked and maintained. All these systems are envisioned to be easily extended (as needed) for future iterations of AM Bench, including AM Bench 2025 which is the current primary focus. 

The work will entail:

The JHU PREP hired for this position will work with NIST AM Bench-focused staff to facilitate efficient data transfer from the measurement domain experts to the CDCS metadata repository, with updates made to the schema as needed. To assist users accessing the AM Bench data, a variety of additional query, visualization and exporter tools also need to be developed to facilitate sharing of the data. Lastly, work is needed to complete a rigorous versioning system where data and schema updates are rigorously tracked and maintained. All these systems are envisioned to be easily extended (as needed) for future iterations of AM Bench, including AM Bench 2025 which is the current primary focus.

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

§  Continued metadata modelling

§  Updating loading pipeline scripts

§  Oversight of data releases

§  Documentation of all changes and additions

§  Development of user interface components

Qualifications

§  Scientific background at masters level or higher in a STEM field

§  Experience with AWS

§  Deep experience with data modelling practices, both abstract and concrete in XML Schema and relational databases.

§  Familiarity with python scripting language for automating mapping from user supplied metadata to XML

§  Prior experience with the Configurable Data Curation System

Application Instructions

Please upload the following with your application:

-         CV/Resume

*Please limit C.V to 3 pages only and ONLY include a valid email address for your contact info. Please DO NOT include telephone numbers, home address or photos on your resume. 

Privacy Act Statement

Authority:  15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor's degree holders, graduate students, master's degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices:  NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated.

About Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University remains committed to its founding principle, that education for all students should be grounded in exploration and discovery. Hopkins students are challenged not just to learn but also to advance learning itself. Critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and entrepreneurship are all encouraged and nourished in this unique educational environment. After more than 130 years, Johns Hopkins remains a world leader in both teaching and research. Faculty members and their research colleagues at the university's Applied Physics Laboratory have each year since 1979 won Johns Hopkins more federal research and development funding than any other university. The university has nine academic divisions and campuses throughout the Baltimore-Washington area. The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Whiting School of Engineering, the School of Education and the Carey Business School are based at the Homewood campus in northern Baltimore. The schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing share a campus in east Baltimore with The Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Peabody Institute, a leading professional school of music, is located on Mount Vernon Place in downtown Bal...timore. The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies is located in Washington's Dupont Circle area.

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