Before applying, carefully review these instructions. The application process is highly competitive, and failure to follow the guidelines or meet eligibility criteria may result in disqualification.

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Eligibility Criteria

The NNS School is open to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who meet the following requirements:

• Enrollment or Employment: Must be affiliated with a North American college, university, or academic institution.
• Research Focus: Must be pursuing experimental research or degrees where neutron techniques are integral.
• Neutron Relevance: Must demonstrate a need for neutron experimental techniques in their work.

Citizenship is not a factor for acceptance. However, due to lab entry requirements:

• Non-U.S. citizens must have a valid visa
• Applicants with citizenship, birthplace, sponsorship, or employment ties to countries designated as “state sponsors of terrorism” by the U.S. Department of State cannot be accepted due to site authorization constraints.

Selection Preferences

• Multi-Technique Research: Preference is given to applicants requiring multiple neutron techniques for their research. Those needing only a single technique (e.g., powder diffraction, small-angle scattering, TAS) should consider specialized workshops instead.
• Institutional Diversity: To ensure broad representation, the School may limit acceptance to one participant per research group
• Focus Areas: The School does not cover macromolecular crystallography and is not suitable for theoretical researchers seeking only an overview of experimental techniques.

Reference Requirements

Applicants must provide three references, including:

1. Primary Reference: The applicant’s thesis or research advisor.
2. Additional References: Two other individuals, preferably familiar with the applicant’s work, motivation, and expertise. These may include past research supervisors, beamline scientists, or academic instructors.

The application system will automatically send reference requests. However, applicants are responsible for ensuring all references are submitted before the deadline.

Required Application Information

Applicants must provide:

• Department, field of study, coursework/qualifier status, and graduate GPA (if applicable)
• Details of any previous DOE appointments (for security purposes)
• Citation information for any publications.
• ORCID ID (required). Your ORCID ID will serve as your Student ID number throughout the application process. If you do not already have one, you can create an ORCID ID at https://orcid.org/.
• Names and contact details for references.

Additionally, applicants must submit three written responses (max 2,500 characters each):

1. Professional Experience & Training: A detailed list of relevant experience.
2. Neutron/Synchrotron Experience: Any prior work with neutron or synchrotron beamlines.
3. Future Neutron Research Plans: How neutron techniques will be applied in the applicant’s thesis, research, and career.

Application Advice

• Clearly articulate your need for multiple neutron techniques. Strong applicants demonstrate how different neutron methods apply to their research.
• Use plain language. Reviewers may not be familiar with your specific research area, so provide clear explanations.
• Reference past experiment resources. Looking at neutron experiment details from the 2024 program may help refine your application.
• Highlight the impact of the School on your research. The most critical question is: “Describe how you plan to utilize neutrons in your current research and beyond.”

Next Steps

Once you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email confirming receipt of your application. Your ORCID ID will be used as your Student ID number—please reference this number in any inquiries.