Physics
RET.
The Notre Dame Physics RET program has been in operation
for the past 6 years. It uses the QuarkNet infrastructure
already in place at Notre Dame to recruit teachers and
provide meaningful research projects for RET participants.
Educational outreach at the QuarkNet Center at the University
of Notre Dame, introduces high school teachers to current
research in the areas of particle physics, nuclear physics,
and astrophysics through hands-on research guided by
Notre Dame physicists.
Teachers’ research activities are supplemented
by weekly lunch-time physics seminars and weekly educational
seminars. Additionally, teachers meet weekly during the
academic year, although this is optional.
For summer, 2005, research opportunities are available
in the following areas:
• Linear Collider R&D – working on the
newly developed muon detector
• Scintillator R&D – working with newly
formulated scintillating materials to determine their
light output for future high energy physics applications
• Cosmic Ray Detectors – continuing work
on classroom cosmic ray detectors
• Grid Data Analysis– using Grid computing
techniques to allow high school teachers and their students
to analyze real high energy particle physics data on-line.
Further information. The application deadline for the
Physics RET program is April 15. The program runs for
an eight week period from the middle of June to the middle
of August as agreed upon by the teacher and program director.
Teachers can choose to do research for anywhere from
4 to 8 weeks. Teacher stipends are $6000 per 8 weeks
and pro-rated for shorter periods. There is housing available
for teachers in the dorms at Notre Dame.
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The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics.The
objective of the project isto provide
summer research experience opportunities for HS teachers & students,
in which they will complete a simple experiment. Participants
will be introduced to a wide range of experimental
nuclear physics techniques with a broad range of applications
through classroom presentations. The techniques learned
will then be applied to perform an experiment from
start to finish including setup, data collection and
analysis. Participants will gain experience in a modern
physics lab. This provides the participants the opportunity
to experience the process of doing nuclear astrophysics
research. The program runs from June 20 to July 29.
Each of the two HS teachers accepted into the program
are expected to bring up to two of their own HS students
to participate. HS students will receive college course
credits for their participation. At the beginning of
the program the two HS teacher participants will be
introduced to the laboratory environment and receive
specialized training in preparation for the experiments.
The second week brings in their HS student researchers
and begins with Radiation Safety Training course. After
further classroom instruction regarding background
information and the theory behind the experiment, these
participants will perform the experiment from start
to finish, including the set-up, data collection and
analysis. The results will then be presented to the
physics community at ND.
Further Information: The application
deadline is April 15th, 2005.Apply by filling
out the application form available on the program website www.JINAweb.org.
The two teachers are to receive a stipend of $4,500
upon completion of the entire 6 week program as well
as 3 Graduate Course Credits. Housing and travel are
not provided. A few partial and need based scholarships
for HS students may be available.
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