Data Science, Remote Sensing Intern

About the Program:

The Global Restoration Initiative (GRI) is a program within WRI’s Forests team. The GRI’s goal is to move human society to live in ways that restore Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Within the GRI, the monitoring team develops tools to monitor the biophysical and social impacts and progress of restoration at the global, landscape, and project scales.

This position is fully remote.

What you will do:

This role reports to the remote sensing team within the Global Restoration Initiative, who leverage data science and remote sensing to develop annual data on tree cover change, and regular monitoring data for carbon and vegetation structure for restoration projects. In this role, you will work with data scientists in the GRI to propose, develop, test, and communicate Python-based remote sensing models for tree monitoring. You will be supported by an international staff of monitoring experts within WRI's Forests program.

Internship Learning Outcomes:

• Develop remote sensing models utilizing machine learning to model vegetation structure with medium and high-resolution imagery.
• Implement protocols for data engineering and standardization of data preprocessing and processing pipeline, with Jupyter Notebooks, Docker, and / or Amazon Web Services provisions.
• Assess the accuracy of map products with statistical approaches.
• Program data cleaning and outlier and anomaly detection pipelines in Python.
• Develop data visualizations in R, Python, Tableau, or Microsoft BI.
• Assist in technical writing and documentation of research methodology.

What you will need:

• Current undergraduate or graduate student in the fields of computer science, mathematics, environmental science, or related field.
• Experience in R or Python, with preferable experience in TensorFlow or PyTorch, numpy, scipy, and rasterio
• Experience with Docker and cloud computing providers, such as GCP, AWS, or Azure
• Familiarity with supervised and unsupervised image segmentation and classification models.

Compensation

The pay range for this internship opportunity is $20/ hour for undergrads and $22/ hour for graduates.

Length of Contract:

This is a full-time, 3-month internship with a flexible start and end date.

Location:

• This is a remote-based internship with the option to work out of the Washington D.C. office once it reopens.
• WRI will provide a laptop for the duration of your internship.

**How to Apply:
**
Please submit a resume with a cover letter. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

About Us: Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, and other candidates who wish to gain knowledge about a specific area of our work. We strive to attract diverse, intellectually driven candidates who have a passion for sustainability and development. WRI provides many internship opportunities throughout the year in all our programs.

WRI is committed to advancing gender, racial, and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.