GENERAL: The Nuclear Chemistry Summer Schools (NCSS) are a prestigious six-week summer program for undergraduates. Funding is provided by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, and the summer schools are administered through the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (NUCL) of the American Chemical Society. The NCSS has been running for 40 consecutive years with continuous funding provided by the US Department of Energy. NCSS alumni are sought by prominent graduate programs and employers in all fields.
The NCSS students receive stipends of $4,000 for the 6-week program. In addition to the stipends, the NCSS program pays for transportation to and from the Summer School location. The NCSS also pays for student housing, books, and laboratory supplies. Transferable college credit is awarded through the ACS accredited chemistry programs at San Jose State University (7 units) or Stony Brook University for the Brookhaven site (6 units). The NCSS program pays for all tuition and fees.
Overall, 24 students are selected to participate in the NCSS. Twelve students are placed at the West Coast summer school at San Jose State University and twelve students are placed at the East Coast summer school at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates should be undergraduates with an interest in nuclear science who are presently in their sophomore or junior year of study at a US college or university. They should have completed at least two years of chemistry, one year of physics and one year of calculus or the equivalent. Applicants must be US citizens. Past participants have come from all across the country.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The NCSS program is a comprehensive course consisting of lectures on the fundamentals of nuclear science, radiochemistry, and their applications. Laboratory exercises introduce state-of-the-art instrumentation and technology used in basic and applied nuclear science and radiochemistry research and development.
In addition to the formal instruction, the course includes a Guest Lecture Series where students engage one-on-one with experts in nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry fields. Major themes at both locations include environmental radiochemistry, nuclear energy, nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear security, actinide chemistry, and nuclear medicine. The students meet with the speakers and talk with them both in lecture and in settings outside of the classroom. The guest lecturers are primarily from research universities, DOE National Laboratories, and the government. Students at both locations have consistently rated the guest lecture program as one of the highlights of the summer school. While the research talks are enlightening to the students, the opportunity to meet in a social setting provides the opportunity for students to get an idea of “a day in the life of a nuclear chemist or radiochemist”.
Field trips to institutions relevant to nuclear and radiochemistry are also very important to the program. The field trips include university research centers, National Laboratories, and other nuclear facilities. Students meet and interact with prominent scientists who are working in nuclear and radiochemistry, nuclear medicine, nuclear forensics, and related fields.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Participants in the Summer Schools are encouraged to join a research project during the following summer at a university or federal institution. Considerable personal assistance is provided to secure summer positions and admission to PhD programs at leading universities. An “Outstanding Student” is selected from each summer school site to attend the American Chemical Society national meeting the following spring, all expenses paid.
INTERESTED?
Come and discover Long Island, New York and San Jose, CA in the summer, and engage in exploring opportunities in Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry as a participant in the NCSS. You will learn the fundamentals and meet scientists in the fields who will engage and inspire you in the varied fields that comprise Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry.
WHAT THE PROGRAM OFFERS YOU:
As a NCSS participant you will:
- Earn a Stipend of 4K for the 6-week program ($666/ week)
- Receive free travel to and from the Brookhaven, NY site or the San Jose, CA site.
- Receive free on-campus housing for the entire program.
- Interact and engage one-on-one with scientific experts in their fields of Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry
- Learn the fundamentals of Nuclear Chemistry/Radiochemistry
- Participate in tours and field trips to nuclear facilities that are local to the BNL or SJSU site
- Receive guidance on the Graduate School experience and application process
The online application for the coming summer is currently open.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page, or for more information, contact:
Dr. Lynn C. Francesconi
Director, Nuclear Chemistry Summer Schools
Professor, Hunter College of the City University of New York
695 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Email: LFRANCES AT hunter.cuny.edu
Or
Mr. Lamount Evanson
Administrative Assistant
Nuclear Chemistry Summer Schools
ncss.acs.doe AT gmail.com