2232 A/B International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers Program

2232 A/B International Leading and Early Career Researchers ProgramThe TÜBİTAK 2232 International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers Program aims to attract and support qualified researchers with international experience to conduct high-impact research in Türkiye. The program provides an opportunity for leading scientists to continue their R&D activities in strategic areas by joining universities, public research institutions, TÜBİTAK Research Centers and Institutes, or R&D units of private sector companies in Türkiye. Through this initiative, Türkiye seeks to strengthen its scientific capacity, foster international collaboration, and contribute to the development of innovative and competitive research ecosystems.Please note: Researchers who have previously received funding from Turkish public institutions and have outstanding compulsory service obligations in Türkiye are not eligible to apply.Applications will be evaluated in line with the eligibility criteria of the TÜBİTAK 2232-A/B International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers Program.Application Requirements:• Currently employed abroad at the time of application,• Have not resided in Türkiye for more than one year total over the past 3 years,• Experienced Researcher: Completed PhD and worked as a faculty member, team leader, or conducted independent academic research at a university or public research center abroad for at least 3 years, or have at least 6 years of full-time R&D experience in the private sector abroad after completing a bachelor’s degree (up to 1 year of master’s thesis or 3 years of PhD research can be counted).• Young Researcher: Completed PhD with at least 1 year of full-time work experience post-PhD, or 4 years of full-time professional experience including at least 1 year in the private sector abroad after a bachelor’s degreeNote: Applicants for the young researcher category must meet the eligibility criteria defined at the time of the call opening.1. Research Scientist - Computer Vision, ML, AIResponsibilities• Conduct research, development, and prototyping of state-of-the-art ML and software technologies in 3D perception, including environment and object detection, reconstruction, semantic understanding, and user motion estimation.• Build and integrate real-time prototypes for advanced 3D perception systems within Ford Otosan’s ADAS and autonomous driving software stacks.• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams throughout the full project lifecycle, from prototyping to deployment.Qualifications• PhD in Computer Vision, Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, or a closely related field.• Proven record of impactful research, demonstrated through grants, fellowships, patents, and first-author publications in leading venues (e.g., CVPR, ICCV/ECCV, ICCP, 3DV, BMVC, SIGGRAPH).• Expertise in advanced 3D computer vision and ML, with a strong foundation in 3D geometry and modern ML/AI models.• Broad understanding of contemporary ML/AI architectures and training paradigms.• Strong mathematical background, including numerical optimization, linear algebra, probabilistic estimation, and 3D geometry.• 5+ years of professional C++ and Python experience including proficiency with major ML frameworks.• Demonstrated software engineering ability through internships, professional experience, coding competitions, or open-source contributions (e.g., GitHub, Linux).• Experience developing real-time, high-performance systems in robotics, autonomous driving, or related domains.2. Research Scientist – ADAS/AD Motion Planning & ControlResponsibilities• Conduct research, development, and prototyping of state-of-the-art algorithms in motion planning (e.g., optimization based, search and sampling based, learning based) and control (e.g., robust control, disturbance rejection control, adaptive control, optimal control, system identification), for different levels of driving automation with or without human drivers in the loop.• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams throughout the full project lifecycle, from prototyping to production.Qualifications• PhD in Robotics, Controls, Applied Optimization, Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related field.• Proven record of impactful research, demonstrated through grants, fellowships, patents, and first-author publications in leading venues (e.g., ICRA, IROS, IV, ITSC, ACC, ECC etc.).• Strong mathematical background, including signals and systems, vehicle dynamics, modern and classical control theory, search algorithms, numerical optimization, linear algebra, probability and stochastic processes, and geometry of coordinate transformations.• Expertise in learning based and/or optimization based motion planning methods such as Reinforcement Learning, Large Language Models and Model predictive control.• Expertise in robust control methods such as disturbance observer based methods, fixed order robust controllers, with a strong foundation in frequency domain design and convex optimization.• Broad understanding of safe planning and control architectures for autonomous driving.• Demonstrated software engineering ability through internships, professional experience, coding competitions, or open-source contributions (e.g., GitHub).• Experience developing real-time, high-performance systems in automotive, robotics, autonomous driving, or related domains.Supports (Max.):• Research Support: 2,400,000 TL• Scholarships for forming the research team and project researchers:o Master's Student: 19,000 TL/ month (Full Payment) / 5,250 TL/month (Partial Payment)o PhD Student: 27,500 TL (Full Payment) / 7,250 TL/month (Partial Payment)o Postdoctoral: 36,500 TL/month• Project Incentive Bonus: 2,500 TL/month• Supports for the family of the International Leader Researcher:• Family living expenses scholarship: 12,000 TL/month• Health insurance support: 370 TL/person/month• Travel ticket cost for arrival• Supports for the Host Institution/Organization:• Institution share/general expense allowance: 18,000 TL/monthThe only criterion evaluated in the recruitment and employment is suitability for the job; equal opportunity is provided without any discrimination.What About Us?Ford Otosan, being one of the top three exporting companies in Turkey since 2004, has achieved 12 consecutive years of automotive industry championship and is Turkiye goods product export champion for 8 years in a row. Ford Otosan operates in 4 main centers with its Gölcük and Yeniköy Plants in Kocaeli, Eskişehir Plant in Eskişehir, Sancaktepe R&D Center and Spare Parts Warehouse in İstanbul and Craiova Plant in Romania employs more than 20,000 people. Kocaeli and Eskişehir Plants are listed among Ford's 'Best Vehicle Production Centers' and Eskişehir is the only factory in Turkiye that can produce vehicles, engines, and powertrains in the same center.Ford Otosan, standing out with its sensitivity regarding social responsibilities, also carries out several social responsibility projects in many fields including education, healthcare, culture, arts, and sports on “Future. Now” vision. Ford Otosan, also carrying out awareness studies on gender equality since 2013 with the understanding of "Equality at Work", became the only automotive and the first and only industrial company from Turkiye to be included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index in 2021.The building blocks of our new corporate culture, which we call “Dynamic Balance”, our values are mutual trust and respect, value each other and affection, openness to change and innovation, open and transparent communication.A common culture brings us to a common sense and purpose, helps us to work in a positive atmosphere of trust, ties us closer and helps us to reach a stronger future all together.