The Milton S. Eisenhower Research Center (MERC) recruits and nurtures staff members who thrive on creating breakthrough technologies that further national security, space science and exploration, and biomedicine. Staff members may expect to contribute through conceptualization of new ideas and technologies; system design, analysis, testing, and validation; creating proof of concept systems; and early field testing. MERC staff members conduct different types of research and technology development work including Internal Research & Development (IRAD) work for the Science and Technology Business Area (S&T BA), external S&T work for sponsors (e.g. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), The Office of Naval Research (ONR), The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and The National Institutes of Health (NIH), work for other BAs in JHAPL, and special collaborative effort with JHU academic divisions and with other research institutes.
We expect the staff members to collectively develop a portfolio of innovations leading to new capabilities for JHUAPL sponsors; to publish in journals and conferences; and to build their reputations within JHUAPL, among JHUAPL sponsors, and in the global S&T community. Many staff members serve in standards working groups, advisory panels, and review boards for Government agencies.
More than 50% of the MERC technical staff members have Ph.D. degrees and about 30% have Masters degrees. More than 10% of the MERC staff has a research faculty position with The Johns Hopkins University. The academic disciplines of MERC staff members include physics, chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, and material science. Staff members collaborate extensively with operational business areas in JHUAPL to facilitate technology transition, to identify technical challenges, and to provide technical expertise to address the challenges faced by the current sponsors. Staff members also collaborate with faculties at many universities, with government Research Labs, and with small commercial companies.
If one is inclined to pursue a career in management, there are opportunities for MERC staff members to take management positions within the MERC organization or in other APL departments.
For current openings in MERC and S&T BA, see Employment at APL