FRIB will host a number of online summer schools to allow students and early-career scientists the opportunity to explore the world of science.

Physics of Atomic Nuclei (PAN) @ Michigan State Experience
27-31 July 2020 
Online format

Physics of Atomic Nuclei (PAN) is a free week-long program for high school students. It is sponsored by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics - Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE), which is a Physics Frontier Center funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

This year, the program takes place online with experts from two nuclear-physics laboratories: Nuclear Science Laboratory (NSL) at the University of Notre Dame and the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at MSU. NSL and NSCL faculty, staff, and students lead the lectures and experiments. The program introduces participants to the fundamentals of the domain of atomic nuclei and its connection to the domain of astrophysics and cosmology.

The online PAN will incorporate lectures and question-and-answer sessions with faculty from a variety of JINA institutions. It will also offer interactive activities and remote experiments in small groups with a mentor. Lectures will cover experimental and theoretical nuclear physics, astrophysical modeling, and astronomical observations. For more information, visit the PAN web page.

MSU Gifted And Talented Education program
Gifted University for Parents and Precocious Youth (GUPPY) (elementary-school students)
6-10 July
Online format

Math, Science, Technology (MST) (middle-school students)
13-17 July
Online format

NSCL and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics - Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE) will provide short courses in nuclear astrophysics for this summer’s online programs through MSU’s Gifted And Talented Education (GATE) office.

The Gifted University for Parents and Precocious Youth (GUPPY) program (6-10 July) invites elementary-school students to explore new academic subjects. The Math, Science, Technology (MST) program (13-17 July) offers a variety of advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes to middle-school students. The nuclear astrophysics course, offered by JINA-CEE faculty and staff at NSCL, will introduce them to the chart of nuclides, reactions, nucleosynthesis, and current frontiers in the field.

Students who participate in these courses often find their interest piqued. Many alumni from GUPPY and MST have pursued the next level of exploration in MSU’s Physics of Atomic Nuclei program, and many of those students have gone on to STEM majors and/or careers.

NS³ Nuclear Science Summer School
3-7 August 2020
Online format

NS³ Nuclear Science Summer School introduces undergraduate students to the nuclear science field. NS3 is hosted by Michigan State University (MSU) and will offer lectures and activities covering selected nuclear science and astrophysics topics.

Participants will:

• Be introduced to basic nuclear science and nuclear astrophysics concepts through dedicated lectures and collaborative activities
• Learn about current research topics and open questions in nuclear science
• Meet with peers who are equally excited about research in nuclear science and nuclear astrophysics

The National Science Foundation (NSF), NSCL, and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics - Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE) fund participation in NS³.