The DOE SC program in High Energy Physics (HEP) hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for the DOE Traineeship in Accelerator Science & Engineering, which will provide support to train the next generation of scientists and engineers in this field.
Donor Name: Office of Science
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/06/2023
Size of the Grant: $5,000,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
This program is to assist domestic institutions of higher education in enhancing their graduate level educational efforts to ensure that a diverse and highly trained future population of scientists is available to conduct cutting-edge research in the basic sciences. By training the scientists of the future, this program will ensure the continued vitality of U.S. scientific endeavors that will create knowledge for the public benefit.
Accelerators play a key role in the discovery sciences, including High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, and Basic Energy Sciences. Modern discovery science accelerators are high technology instruments of remarkable complexity, having advanced over eight orders of magnitude in energy since their invention. Aggressive reinvention of the underlying technology has driven improvements in this science, and has required sustained investment in R&D that advances the methods, materials, and understanding of accelerator science.
The purpose of this FOA is to address the need for an appropriately-trained next generation of scientists and researchers by awarding up to 4 grants (anticipated to be for a term of up to five years) to accredited U.S. colleges and universities (hereafter referred to as “Universities”) to train graduate students in specific disciplines or sub-disciplines in accelerator science and engineering, particularly as they apply to the mission-space of the DOE SC program in HEP.
This DOE Traineeship program will support innovative, university-led applications for graduate level training that leverage DOE assets, capabilities, and strategic partnerships, and address emerging needs in graduate training to enable preparedness for STEM careers beyond academia in disciplines supported by DOE. This will be accomplished through a focused academic graduate program that delivers unique, innovative curriculum, coupled with a rigorous thesis or dissertation research requirement, in the desired scientific or technical discipline(s).
Training the Next Generation of Accelerator Scientists and Engineers
A lack of trained personnel in four areas of accelerator science and engineering have been identified as adversely impacting the research community supported by SC:
- Physics of large accelerators and systems engineering: Opportunities for graduate research that lead to a system-wide hands-on experience with large accelerators are comparatively rare. Scientists and engineers prepared to take on system-wide design, optimization, diagnosis, operation, and upgrade planning for large accelerators are needed. A broad range of skills are required, including: beam physics at the systems level, a broad and substantive knowledge of the technologies of large accelerators, engineering expertise in high reliability design and failure analysis, and knowledge of the fundamentals of project management.
- Superconducting radiofrequency accelerator physics and engineering: Current and next generation machines require R&D to develop the material science, design methodology, fabrication techniques, and operations expertise needed to produce and operate superconducting radiofrequency accelerators. Scientists and engineers prepared to take on the full range of research and engineering challenges are needed.
- Radiofrequency power system engineering: The production, control, and transmission of radiofrequency (RF) power is needed for the majority of accelerators and RF power consumption is typically a large component of operations cost. Engineers or engineering physicists prepared to design, build, diagnose, and maintain efficient, high reliability high power rf systems are needed.
- Cryogenic systems engineering (especially liquid helium systems): The engineering of large-scale cryogenic systems—particularly liquid helium systems—is critical to superconducting accelerator technology. Engineers or engineering physicists prepared to design, fabricate, and operate large one-of-a-kind cryogenic systems are needed.
Traineeship Program Objectives
The objectives of DOE Traineeship in Accelerator Science & Engineering are to support the training of the next generation of STEM professionals at universities through the following objectives:
- Advance the DOE mission by advancing specific STEM workforce competencies required for the DOE’s unique mission to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its science and technology challenges; and,
- Address priority technical workforce needs and identified gaps by advancing those critical STEM disciplines and competencies specifically relevant to the DOE’s mission where other development programs do not exist or where DOE-relevant applications are not being leveraged to support specific DOE mission responsibilities.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $10,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $5,000,000
- Award Floor: $2,500,000
Period of Performance
DOE anticipates making awards with a project period of 5 years. DOE retains the option to renew or re-compete the award at the end of the award term period of performance.
Eligible Applicants
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) with these types of graduate study programs are encouraged to apply. Universities with cooperative programs, which share coursework between two or more colleges and universities to meet the above requirements are also encouraged to apply.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
