Public Abstract

DE-SC0020379: Chicagoland Accelerator Science Traineeship

Award Status: Active

Institution: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
UEI: E2NDENMDUEG8
DUNS: 042084434

Most Recent Award Date: 05/01/2024
Number of Support Periods: 6
PM: Li, Derun

Current Budget Period: 09/25/2024 - 07/31/2025
Current Project Period: 09/25/2024 - 07/31/2029
PI: Torun, Yagmur

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

Particle accelerators are used in basic and applied research, industry and medicine, utilizing and often pioneering advanced technologies. There is an acute need for scientists and engineers to work in the rapidly expanding field of particle accelerator science and technology and there are few universities in the US with faculty and courses in accelerators. The Chicagoland Accelerator Science Traineeship (CAST) program is a fellowship designed to address this gap, has provided training for 20 graduate students since its inception in 2019 and 36 more (up to 9 new students per year) will be trained over the next 5 years. The call for a stronger U.S. scientific workforce in the field of accelerator science and technology has intensified as demands grow not only at the national laboratories, but also as accelerators and particle beam systems have increasingly found their way into medicine, industry, and other scientific endeavors besides nuclear and particle physics. The demand for scientists and engineers in specific topical areas of accelerator science and engineering continues to go unmet. While graduate students may find formal instruction available in a limited number of university programs or at the U.S. Particle Accelerator School (USPAS), involvement in large and complex accelerator systems that foster extensive experience and expertise has become difficult. The "general" accelerator scientist -- one that has acquired design and optimization skills; experience constructing, commissioning, or operating accelerators; and has become knowledgeable in the nuances of various technologies of the field -- is, accordingly, rather rare. For students and young professionals to gain such expertise on any reasonable time scale they must have a direct connection with large accelerator systems during their graduate school experience. This project is designed to address this deficiency through a program that partners graduate students directly with active accelerator systems efforts underway at nearby national accelerator laboratories. Illinois Institute of Technology and Northern Illinois University are both located close to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) and Argonne National Laboratory, and are uniquely poised to address the needs briefly described above with faculty members performing research in accelerator and beam physics, all of them with strong ties to accelerator system designs, commissioning and operations, and experimental beam physics. By teaming with Fermilab and Argonne to provide a two-year traineeship experience, the CAST program provides graduate students with deeper and highly relevant proficiency and training for immediate success in the academic, research, and private sector job markets. This joint accelerator traineeship program has both a curriculum component, with special courses at NIU and IIT enhancing professional development, and an operational component distinguished by experience with complex operating accelerator systems. In addition, several accelerator technology companies in the area have agreed to provide opportunities for students to participate in development projects. The students in the program will benefit from taking classes and attending seminars at either university. We have also organized a series of seminars and meetings with potential lab research advisors at Fermilab and Argonne. The program funds students to attend two USPAS sessions and to work for two summer sessions (full-time) and two semesters (part-time) at Fermilab or Argonne during their graduate studies. The work is centered on a general theme of modeling and optimization, operation and system integration issues relevant to the development and upgrades of large-scale accelerator systems, and general beam instrumentation, measurements and diagnostics. The program includes relevant graduate course work, professional laboratory safety training and scientific workforce development, as well as hands-on experience at an accelerator laboratory. The highly diverse undergraduate population at both universities, as a target audience for new students in the traineeship program, provides a unique opportunity to expand and diversify the accelerator workforce. Talented students from the Chicago area will be offered new opportunities to engage in strong skillset development within a highly visible STEM environment.

Particle accelerators are used in basic and applied research, industry and medicine, utilizing and often pioneering advanced technologies. There is an acute need for scientists and engineers to work in the rapidly expanding field of particle accelerator science and technology and there are few universities in the US with faculty and courses in accelerators. The Chicagoland Accelerator Science Traineeship (CAST) program is a fellowship designed to address this gap, has provided training for 20 graduate students since its inception in 2019 and 36 more (up to 9 new students per year) will be trained over the next 5 years.

The call for a stronger U.S. scientific workforce in the field of accelerator science and technology has intensified as demands grow not only at the national laboratories, but also as accelerators and particle beam systems have increasingly found their way into medicine, industry, and other scientific endeavors besides nuclear and particle physics. The demand for scientists and engineers in specific topical areas of accelerator science and engineering continues to go unmet. While graduate students may find formal instruction available in a limited number of university programs or at the U.S. Particle Accelerator School (USPAS), involvement in large and complex accelerator systems that foster extensive experience and expertise has become difficult. The "general" accelerator scientist -- one that has acquired design and optimization skills; experience constructing, commissioning, or operating accelerators; and has become knowledgeable in the nuances of various technologies of the field -- is, accordingly, rather rare. For students and young professionals to gain such expertise on any reasonable time scale they must have a direct connection with large accelerator systems during their graduate school experience. This project is designed to address this deficiency through a program that partners graduate students directly with active accelerator systems efforts underway at nearby national accelerator laboratories.

Illinois Institute of Technology and Northern Illinois University are both located close to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) and Argonne National Laboratory, and are uniquely poised to address the needs briefly described above with faculty members performing research in accelerator and beam physics, all of them with strong ties to accelerator system designs, commissioning and operations, and experimental beam physics.

By teaming with Fermilab and Argonne to provide a two-year traineeship experience, the CAST program provides graduate students with deeper and highly relevant proficiency and training for immediate success in the academic, research, and private sector job markets. This joint accelerator traineeship program has both a curriculum component, with special courses at NIU and IIT enhancing professional development, and an operational component distinguished by experience with complex operating accelerator systems. In addition, several accelerator technology companies in the area have agreed to provide opportunities for students to participate in development projects.

The students in the program will benefit from taking classes and attending seminars at either university. We have also organized a series of seminars and meetings with potential lab research advisors at Fermilab and Argonne. The program funds students to attend two USPAS sessions and to work for two summer sessions (full-time) and two semesters (part-time) at Fermilab or Argonne during their graduate studies. The work is centered on a general theme of modeling and optimization, operation and system integration issues relevant to the development and upgrades of large-scale accelerator systems, and general beam instrumentation, measurements and diagnostics. The program includes relevant graduate course work, professional laboratory safety training and scientific workforce development, as well as hands-on experience at an accelerator laboratory.

The highly diverse undergraduate population at both universities, as a target audience for new students in the traineeship program, provides a unique opportunity to expand and diversify the accelerator workforce. Talented students from the Chicago area will be offered new opportunities to engage in strong skillset development within a highly visible STEM environment.