Thesis@IBM (Master): The Sixth Sense of White Storks

Job description

The Sixth Sense of White Storks - Towards An E2E Service for Locust Threat Alarms (Master Thesis)

Desert locust plagues form a serious threat because the prediction of when and where desert locusts will start breeding, forming bands and swarms is as of today almost impossible.

White storks seem to have a so-called “sixth sense”. During their migration to the wintering grounds they make stopovers at feeding grounds in North Africa . With a “sixth sense” they seem to find the breeding locations of desert locusts, a rich food source for White Storks. In a first data analysis it has been found evidence that there is a pattern in the historical data supporting the statement "storks go after locusts".

If this proves true one can envision a cloud service which based on (real-time) )white stork flight routes data and environmental data identifies high risk areas of desert locust breeding where bands and swarms form . With the master thesis we want to do some significant steps towards such a service. Such a service then can be used by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the WHO) to take action and prevent outbreaks. In the master thesis you first will have to confirm and substantiate the initial findings i.e. harden the hypothesis that storks on their migration to the wintering grounds find desert locusts as food source. To improve the accuracy for identifying breeding areas you will investigate environmental features like soil moisture or vegetation index to find conditions which favor the laying of eggs and development of desert locust nymphs. Last but not least the acceleration data are to be investigated if specific acceleration patterns can be associated with the kind of food - most important desert locusts - a stork is feeding on. If time allows the diverse models can be combined to create a first prototype of the envisioned "Desert Locust Threat Alarms" service.

The development environment will be the IBM Cloud Platform coming with a rich set of services for data science like IBM Watson Studio and IBM Watson Services.

If you're interested in working within one of above projects and available for 6 months, please apply online, uploading all relevant documents (preferably all in one single pdf file with max. size 3 MB):

1) Cover Letter incl. your availability (note: start date no later than 1st of March)
2) CV incl. your level of German
3) university enrollment document to prove that you are still studying
4) current transcript of records and other relevant certificates / references
5.1) Non-EU citizen studying in Germany: copy of passport, residence and work permit
5.2) Non-EU citizen studying elsewhere: profe of identity incl. place of birth

Thank you !

This is an offer for a Master-Thesis at IBM Germany Research and Development Ltd.

#PRAKTIKUMATIBM

Auto req ID

292407BR
Required Education

Master's Degree
Role ( Job Role )

Student/Intern
State / Province

BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG
Primary job category

Other
Company

(0161) IBM Deutschland Research & Development GmbH
Contract type

Internship
Employment Type

Full-Time
Is this role a commissionable/sales incentive based position?

No
Travel Required

No Travel
IBM Business Group

CLOUD
Preferred Education

Master's Degree
City / Township / Village

BOEBLINGEN
Being You @ IBM

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.
Required Technical and Professional Expertise

- Required Education: Master Student of Data Science or Cognitive Science
- Strong data science skills ranging from data integration and data visualization to machine-learning and deep learning
- Hands-on experience with Python and Jupyter notebooks ideally in a data science project

Country/Region

Germany
Preferred Technical and Professional Experience

- cloud engineering skills (node.js )
- domain knowledge in animal behavior or ornithology
Secondary Job Category

Unassigned
Eligibility Requirements

Candidates applying for this thesis position must be master students enrolled at university.
Position Type

Intern
Early Professional Track

No Track
Location Statement

For additional information about location requirements, please discuss with the recruiter following submission of your application.
New Collar Role

No
Introduction

Still studying? Passionate about applying your skills for the greater public good ? We're looking for master students who will apply their in depth knowledge in Maschine Learning and Deep Learning to help avoiding desert locust plagues. If you are a passionate problem-solver and enjoy interdisciplinary work, we would like you to work with us on a data science project based on "the sixth sense of white stork to find desert locusts breeding places ".
Your Life @ IBM

Your work location is the German Research and Development Lab in Böblingen, close to Stuttgart and Tübingen. You will experience a great culture and diversity of people – people from all ages, different countries, and various backgrounds - unhesitantly sharing their knowledge. IBM Watson Studio is developed in Boeblingen so you are working side-by-side with the developers of the major development tool you will be using. As we are working with the MPI for Animal Behavior in Radolfzell, you will have the opportunity to exchange and validate your ideas with domain experts.
About Business Unit

Digitization is accelerating the ongoing evolution of business, and clouds - public, private, and hybrid - enable companies to extend their existing infrastructure and integrate across systems. IBM Cloud provides the security, control, and visibility that our clients have come to expect. We are working to provide the right tools and environment to combine all of our client's data, no matter where it resides, to respond to changing market dynamics.
About IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that progress is made through progressive thinking, progressive leadership, progressive policy and progressive action. IBMers believe that the application of intelligence, reason and science can improve business, society and the human condition. Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are the largest technology and consulting employer in the world, with more than 380,000 IBMers serving clients in 170 countries.