Program Information:
June 15-26, 2020 USPAS Session in Melville, New York USA

Classes, meals, sleeping rooms, the Computer Lab and the Study Room will all be held at the Hilton Long Island/Huntington Hotel (598 Broad Hollow Road, Melville, New York 11747-5002).

Classes ending on Friday June 19 or Friday June 26 will finish at 12:00 (noon). When booking return air tickets students should allow time for their class to end at noon plus transportation time to the airport before selecting their flight time home.

Registration Fee

The Registration Fee is $1,700.00 if your Application Form is received before April 2, 2020; after April 2 the fee increases to $1,800.00. The Registration Fee is prorated to $1,200.00 for students attending a one-week class. Please note: you do not have to pay the Registration Fee by April 2, you must send in an Application Form before April 2. The $1,700/$1,800 Registration Fee includes12 breakfasts and dinners. The $1,200 registration fee includes 5 breakfasts and dinners.

Scholarships

To be considered for financial support you must submit four documents: an application form; a cover letter explaining why the USPAS is important to your career and describing prior research experience, work with or as a user of particle accelerators; your CV; at least one letter of recommendation. USPAS scholarships are awarded without regard to race, gender or national origin. Consideration will be given to balancing class sizes.

Note: International students requesting a scholarship who are not from U.S. visa-waiver countries must already be in possession of a visa that is valid for the entire period of the USPAS session. A copy of your visa must be faxed (630-840-8500) to the USPAS before April 2, 2020.

New Travel Scholarship Opportunity

The Division of Physics of Beams (DPB) of the American Physical Society is offering a limited number of travel scholarships to USPAS students. Applicants must be members of the DPB (note that student membership is free for the first year). The DPB scholarship will cover travel expenses and your USPAS scholarship will cover housing and your registration fee. Typical travel awards amounts will be $500.00 with the possibility of larger awards for higher cost points of origin. These scholarships are open to domestic and international students who meet the usual USPAS scholarship requirements (required documents listed above) and who are members of the DPB. You can enroll for DPB membership here https://www.aps.org/membership/ and more details on eligibility and the selection criteria can be found at DPB Scholarship Details.

If you are AUDITING your course

If you are auditing your course(s), you will not enroll at Stony Brook University and will not earn a grade. You are not required to complete homework assignments nor take any exams. You will be asked to complete a USPAS Audit Form.

If you are taking your course for CREDIT

If you are taking your course(s) for credit, you will enroll at Stony Brook University through the USPAS and will fully participate in class. Students enrolled for credit are expected to complete homework, take all exams and participate fully in class. If you successfully pass a two-week class you will earn 3 units of academic credit through Stony Brook University. SBU will not award credit for just a one-week half course, you must attend both weeks of the USPAS to be eligible for credit. You will be asked to complete a Stony Brook University Enrollment Form.

Academic Status at Stony Brook University

Students must make final confirmation of their choice to take their course for credit or audit on or before Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Official transcripts will be maintained by Stony Brook University. Students receiving financial support from the USPAS or the DPB must enroll for university credit. Foreign nationals receiving financial support from the USPAS may not enroll for credit, but they must participate fully in all aspects of their session.

International participants

This USPAS program is open to participation by both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. The program is an intense learning experience sponsored by Stony Brook University from June 15-26, 2020 only. Because this program is not a course of full-time study, an F visa (student visa) is not appropriate. We believe a B visa (visitor/business visa) or Visa Waiver is appropriate. International participants not currently residing in the U.S. may attend the program and may request financial sponsorship, but they may not earn credit from Stony Brook University. International participants receiving financial support from the USPAS must participate fully in all aspects of their session and will receive a letter confirming their attendance and rating their performance. Failure to turn in assignments or take exams could jeopardize financial support awarded by the USPAS.

Note: International students requesting a scholarship who are not from U.S. visa-waiver countries must already be in possession of a visa that is valid for the entire period of the USPAS session. A copy of your visa must be mailed or faxed to the USPAS at (630-840-8500) before the April 2 deadline date.

You will be asked to complete an International Participant Registration Form.

USPAS Registration and Course Check-In

Registration will be held on Sunday June 14, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Hilton Long Island/Huntington Hotel (598 Broad Hollow Road, Melville, New York 11747-5002) with dinner from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The USPAS Director will give a talk at 7:00 p.m.

If you do not register with the USPAS on Sunday night, you must register on Monday morning, June 15 in the USPAS Office at the hotel. If you arrive after registration hours Sunday night, please check the hotel information boards to locate the breakfast room. If you are scheduled to arrive for classes the second week only (June 22-26), information will be provided so that you know when and where meals will be served, what your classroom assignment is, and to remind you to check-in with the USPAS staff Monday morning of the second week. The USPAS Office will be open weekdays beginning Monday, June 15, during normal business hours.

Housing

By reserving your hotel room via a link we provide to you, you may take advantage of a special reduced hotel room rate and any extras (free internet in your sleeping room, etc) that we have negotiated for our participants at the Hilton Long Island/Huntington Hotel. Sleeping rooms are available for $158.00 plus tax per night and a double room (shared by 2 people) will be $79.00 plus tax per person per night. Rooms may be reserved at our rate 3 days before and after the program dates, based on hotel availability.

Please note: the hotel is in a commercial area next to a very busy highway. Because of the traffic, the hotel does not recommend that you try to walk to the two restaurants that are in the general area. If you eat lunch it would be very helpful to have a car. Parking at the hotel is free. The hotel has a Starbucks kiosk in the lobby, an ATM, a car rental desk, a fitness room, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and tennis, basketball and volleyball courts. Each sleeping room has a hair dryer, alarm clock, iron/ironing board and coffee-maker with complimentary coffee. Hotel check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m.

Please confirm your departure date when you check-in to the hotel as they will charge an Early Departure Fee (equal to one night of housing) if you change your departure date after check-in.

As is true with any hotel, this hotel may impose access and service charges in addition to time charges for phone calls (even for credit card or 800-number calls) so it is wise to confirm applicable charges from your sleeping room before using the telephone in your room.

All USPAS participants should make their hotel room reservation through a link we send in your acceptance email. All reservations require a one-night deposit to hold your room. No charge will be made to your credit card unless you fail to cancel your reservation as directed on the form, i.e., 72 hrs. in advance of your scheduled arrival. If your deposit is made by check, it will be credited to your stay or it will be refunded if cancellation is made before the deadline (or returned to you if you are a scholarship student). We never recommend using a debit card for your one-night deposit or to pay for your hotel room. The hotel will "hold" an amount of money on your debit card and it could take your bank several days (or longer) to release that hold. You would not have access to those funds during the "hold" period.

Even if your accommodations are being paid for by the USPAS, you must guarantee your arrival by credit card or by a check in US dollars (the one-night deposit). Please remember that this is only a guarantee (a deposit). After your arrival, the room charges for housing scholarship students will be paid directly by the USPAS and your deposit (if made by check) will be returned to you. If your guarantee is made by credit card and you arrive as scheduled, no room charges will be put on your card. It is important that you tell us if your travel plans do not match what is on the web form; note that some date changes may make you responsible for payment, e.g., if you arrive earlier than or stay later than School dates. Also, if you are scheduled to have a roommate and one does not appear, notify the USPAS Office the following morning so that your room can be reassigned if necessary. Otherwise you may be responsible for room charges.

Scholarship students are also advised that the hotel will require a credit card or a $50.00 cash deposit upon arrival to guarantee payment of any personal charges to your room which are not included in USPAS financial support; these charges would include telephone calls, room service, restaurant charges, in-room movies, etc. We do not recommend that you use a debit card for this type of payment guarantee.

Please note, in all cases (including if you are receiving financial support from the USPAS to cover your sleeping room): the USPAS will only pay for your room during the dates of the program. If you arrive earlier or stay later than those dates, you are responsible for paying the extra cost.

Meals

Breakfasts and dinners are included in the USPAS Registration Fee. USPAS dinners will be provided from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. beginning Sunday, June 14 through Thursday, June 25 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 dinners). Breakfasts will be provided from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. daily from Monday June 15 through Friday June 26. USPAS meal tickets for accompanying persons must be purchased separately and in advance. Attendees are free to make their own lunch arrangements.

Study Room

USPAS Study is scheduled at the hotel every evening from 7:00 p.m. to midnight (including the weekend).

Computer Lab and Internet Access

The USPAS will provide a Computer Lab with Internet access for classroom, homework and email purposes. Participants are free to use the PCs in the Computer Lab when the room is not scheduled for class. The Computer Lab is open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight (including the weekend). The USPAS will provide Wi-Fi in all of the classrooms.

We have secured free guest room internet for attendees booking their room via the housing link we send in your acceptance email.

Airport and Ground Transportation

There are three airports to choose from. We are told you should not hire a taxi directly from the airport. Any taxi you hire at the airport will cost twice as much due to airport fees and taxes.

1) Long Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP) is the closest, but it is a small airport. It's about 15 miles/25 minutes from the hotel. A taxi is about $45.00 one way.

2) John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is about 26 miles/40 minutes from the hotel. A taxi is about $80.00 one way. Pubic transportation: take Air Train (red line) to the Jamaica station and then transfer to the Long Island Railroad (Ronkonkoma line) to the Farmingdale station. Then you can take an Uber/Lyft to the hotel (about 4 miles) or bus N70 to the hotel.

3) La Guardia Airport (LGA) is about 32 miles/45 minutes from the hotel. A taxi is about $80 one way. Public transportation: take a bus from Terminals B, C, and D to the Jackson Heights/Woodside station; then take the Long Island Railroad (Ronkonkoma line) to the Farmingdale station. Then you can take an Uber/Lyft to the hotel (about 4 miles) or bus N70 to the hotel.

Programs

Program Information: June 15-26, 2020 USPAS Session in Melville, New York USA