U.S. Particle Accelerator School
U.S. Particle Accelerator School
America's National School of Accelerator Science and Technology

Winter 2025 USPAS Session

University Sponsor:
Michigan State University

We have not received enough cancellations to reopen this session. Our classes are still full and so are our waiting lists. We hope to open applications for our summer 2025 session in February. We apologize for the inconvenience.

General Information and Details
Location & Dates:
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
January 27 - February 7, 2025
Deadline Dates:

Application deadline for all attendees and deadline for scholarship supporting documents: October 1, 2024

The following courses run in parallel so students may take one 2-week full course OR two 1-week half courses. Each two-week course is eligible for 3 units of credit from Michigan State University.

Two-week full courses: January 27 - February 7, 2025

One-week half courses: Students must take two 1-week half course pairs to be eligible for 3 units of credit from Michigan State University. Credit will not be awarded for taking only one 1-week half course.

Week one: January 27 - 31, 2025

Week two: February 3 - 7, 2025


Session Information

We will not have a Computer Lab with shared PCs so all participants are required to bring their own portable computer to access online course notes and computer resources. This can be a laptop or a tablet with a sufficiently large screen and keyboard. Windows, Mac, and Linux-based systems that are wifi capable and have a standard web browser and mouse are all acceptable. You should have privileges for software installs. If you are unable to bring a computer, please contact uspas@fnal.gov ASAP to request a laptop loan. Very limited IT support and spare loaner laptops will be available during the session.

U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens living in the U.S. may enroll for 3 units of graduate credit from Michigan State University. International participants living outside the U.S. may apply to attend the program and may request financial sponsorship but they may not earn credit from Michigan State University. 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.

Attendees must be 18 years or older.

The Registration Fee is $2,000.00 if your Application Form is received before October 1, 2024; after October 1, the fee is $2,500.00. The Registration Fee is $1,000.00 for participants attending only one week of the program. Please note: you do not have to pay the Registration Fee by October 1, 2024 - you must send in an Application Form before October 1. Information on how and when to pay the Registration Fee will be sent to non-scholarship students upon acceptance into the program. Group breakfasts and dinners are included in the Registration Fee.

A group block of hotel rooms will be available at the FY2025 U.S. federal government hotel per diem rate for Knoxville. A single room will be available for $119.00 plus tax (currently 17.25%) and a double room (shared by 2 people) will be $59.50 plus tax (currently 17.25%) per person per night. Sleeping rooms reserved via the link we email to you are also entitled to free sleeping room wifi access. Rooms may be reserved at our rate 3 days before and 3 days after the School dates based on hotel availability.

The USPAS provides breakfasts and dinners to students and teaching teams during the dates of the school. Please see General Information for more details

Scholarships

Currently-enrolled university and college students as well as postdocs within 5 years of graduation may request financial support. To be considered for any of these merit-based awards, you must check the relevant application form boxes and submit supporting documents including: 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/resume; one letter of recommendation.

If you submitted these documents for the winter or summer 2024 sessions you do not need to resubmit them for this application. We keep supporting documents for one year.

Students receiving any scholarship are expected to fully participate in all aspects of the course and must take their university course for a grade/credit. Students receiving housing support must share their hotel room with another student. Scholarships are open to both U.S. and non-U.S. residents. Consideration will be given to balancing class sizes. Applications in multiple scholarship categories are possible and prior awards do not preclude receiving support again.

Scholarship requests and supporting documents are due October 1, 2024. This deadline will be strictly enforced. Please email your supporting documents to uspas@fnal.gov

1. USPAS Scholarship

Covers the registration fee (includes 2 meals per day) or shared housing or both. This award does not cover travel.

2. Mel Month Scholarship for Women in Accelerator Science and Engineering
Covers the registration fee (includes 2 meals per day), lunch per diem, shared housing and most travel expenses.

The Mel Month Scholarship supports the increased participation of women in the study and workforce of Accelerator Science and Engineering (AS&E). Eligible scholarship recipients are actively-enrolled Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) women students. A maximum of two scholarships will be awarded at each USPAS session. This scholarship is available to foreign and domestic matriculated undergraduate and graduate students and covers your registration fee (includes 2 meals per day), lunch per diem, shared housing and most travel expenses to and from the school session. More information on the Month Scholarships can be found at https://uspas.fnal.gov/about/about-month-scholarship.shtml

3. Sekazi K. Mtingwa Scholarship
Covers the registration fee (includes 2 meals per day), lunch per diem, shared housing and most travel expenses.

The Sekazi K. Mtingwa Scholarship supports the increased participation of identities (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indians and Alaskan Natives) that are historically underrepresented in the study and workforce of Accelerator Science and Engineering (AS&E). Eligible scholarship recipients are actively-enrolled Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) students historically underrepresented in AS&E. This scholarship is available to foreign and domestic matriculated undergraduate and graduate students and covers your registration fee (includes 2 meals per day), lunch per diem, shared housing and most travel expenses to and from the school session. More information on the Mtingwa Scholarships can be found at https://uspas.fnal.gov/about/about-mtingwa-scholarship.shtml

4. APS Division of Physics of Beams Travel Awards
Covers travel to and from the session. Reimbursable for actual expenses up to a limit.

The Division of Physics of Beams of the American Physical Society is offering a limited number of travel expense scholarships to USPAS students. Applicants must be members of the APS DPB unit (if you are not already a member of the APS and DPB unit, you must join before requesting the award; student membership is free for the first year). The travel award amount is limited to expenses up to $600.00 with all receipts required. You can enroll for DPB membership at https://www.aps.org/membership/ and more details on eligibility and the selection criteria can be found at DPB Scholarship Details.

Application deadline for all attendees and deadline for scholarship supporting documents: October 1, 2024
Please email your scholarship documents to uspas@fnal.gov