SCAMP 2025 Summer Research Program

Overview

The IDA Center for Communications Research, La Jolla (CCRL), invites applications for SCAMP, its summer research effort. Each year, mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists come to CCRL and work full-time for 10 weeks on a few projects side-by-side with our research staff and visitors from our sponsor, the National Security Agency. The scientific scope is broad and varied, including proving theorems, high-performance implementations of mathematical algorithms, practical machine learning, and statistical data analysis. Our research environment is distinctive in encouraging collaboration, multidisciplinary teams, and combining theory and practice.

SCAMP is held at our facility in beautiful San Diego, California. Participants are paid for their time and reimbursed for their travel and housing expenses. SCAMP is designed to be compatible with academic jobs, and it provides a way for academics to experience working in a non-academic environment in service to the country.

Applicants who are chosen would likely start work around 16 June 2025 and work until some time in August.

We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation program and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range based on data-driven market analysis for each position. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $112,924- $263,335. Individual salary within this range will be commensurate with the incumbent's experience and unique skills or qualifications.

Qualifications:

Most SCAMP participants have a PhD in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or a related field. Graduate students and exceptional undergraduates in such fields will also be considered.

We do not require applicants to have any particular background, although we typically do not accept SCAMP applicants whose main occupation is cryptography.

US citizenship is required for all applicants. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph (which we sponsor).

Application Materials Required:
Please submit the following items:

• Cover letter explaining your interest in our SCAMP program.
• Curriculum vitae, including links to work samples.
• References: Provide three references who can speak knowledgeably about your research contributions or letters of recommendation. Note that you are not required to submit letters of recommendation.

To receive full consideration for SCAMP 2025, applications should be received by November 15, 2024.