ATLAS Young Scientists Programme

ATLAS Young Scientists Programme
Name	ATLAS Young Scientists Programme
Type	Fellowship / Outreach
Founded	2010s
Location	CERN, Geneva
Leader title	Coordinators

Contents

ATLAS Young Scientists Programme

The ATLAS Young Scientists Programme is an initiative associated with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider hosted by CERN in Geneva. The programme supports early-career researchers through training, mentorship, and opportunities to engage with detectors, computing, and analysis within collaborations that include institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Tokyo, and University of California, Berkeley. It connects participants to broader initiatives and facilities like the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, European Organization for Nuclear Research, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the European Laboratory for Particle Physics ecosystem.

Overview

The programme targets doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers linked to the ATLAS experiment and affiliated groups including Imperial College London, University of Manchester, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, École Polytechnique, and University of Chicago. It offers structured mentorship from senior scientists at institutions such as CERN, DESY, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, TRIUMF, and Max Planck Society. Activities span detector commissioning with teams from RAL, INFN, CEA Saclay, and Nikhef, as well as analysis training drawing on resources from HEPData, ROOT (software), Geant4, and the Open Data Portal. The programme fosters links to international projects including High-Luminosity LHC, Compact Muon Solenoid, LHCb experiment, ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), and collaborations with universities such as Stanford University, University of Heidelberg, and Kyoto University.

Originating in the 2010s amid expansion of the ATLAS experiment after the Higgs boson discovery, the programme was developed by senior members from groups at CERN, University of Edinburgh, University of Birmingham, University of Glasgow, and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Early frameworks referenced educational models from European Laboratory for Particle Physics outreach and training initiatives observed at Fermilab, KEK, and research networks like CERN openlab. Milestones include alignment with major runs such as LHC Run 2 and LHC Run 3, integration with computing upgrades linked to the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, and adaptation to pandemic-era remote collaborations exemplified by practices used at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and DESY. Advisory input has come from committees including representatives from European Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, National Science Foundation, and national laboratories like Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Components include formal workshops hosted at CERN and satellite sessions at partner universities including University of Oxford, École Normale Supérieure, and University of Melbourne. Training modules cover detector physics with mentors from ATLAS collaboration, software development referencing CMake, GitLab, and ROOT (software), and analysis techniques using datasets maintained by HEPData and the CERN Open Data Portal. Participants engage in hands-on shifts in control rooms modeled on operations at CERN and Fermilab, receive supervision from principal investigators at institutions like Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Amsterdam, and take part in conferences such as ICHEP, EPS Conference on High Energy Physics, and Neutrino 202x symposia. Outreach activities include public lectures coordinated with museums like the Science Museum, London and media engagement inspired by programs at Royal Institution and National Academies of Sciences.

Applicants are typically affiliated with ATLAS institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles, University of Pennsylvania, ETH Zurich, University of Helsinki, or Seoul National University. Eligibility criteria emphasize enrollment or appointment at doctoral or postdoctoral level, endorsement by a supervisory group from entities like INFN, CNRS, U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, or academic departments at University of Toronto. The application bundle commonly includes a curriculum vitae referencing collaborations with groups at DESY, a research statement aligning with detector or analysis work at ATLAS experiment, letters of support from principal investigators at universities such as Yale University and Johns Hopkins University, and proposed mentoring plans co-signed by supervisors at institutes like Max Planck Institute for Physics. Selection panels have included representatives from CERN, European Research Council, National Science Foundation, and partner universities.

Alumni have progressed to faculty and research positions at institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Tokyo, and to roles at laboratories including Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermilab, and DESY. Contributions include detector upgrades for High-Luminosity LHC, analysis leading to precision measurements in electroweak physics and searches for beyond Standard Model signatures tied to results published by the ATLAS collaboration. Trainees have participated in collaborations with experiments like CMS and LHCb experiment, presented work at conferences including ICHEP and Moriond, and contributed to open-source toolchains used across HEPData and the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid. The programme has influenced career pathways recognized by awards from institutions such as European Physical Society and national academies.

Funding and partnerships derive from a mix of sources: in-kind support from CERN and national laboratories like Brookhaven National Laboratory and Fermilab; grants from agencies including the European Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, National Science Foundation, and national ministries connected to universities such as ETH Zurich and University of Melbourne; and collaborative support from research infrastructures like DESY and the Max Planck Society. Industrial and philanthropic engagement has mirrored models used by CERN openlab and involved technology partners with ties to institutions like Siemens, Intel, and companies active in high-performance computing. The programme coordinates with regional training networks and consortia including Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, national physics societies, and international bodies such as International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

Category:Particle physics programs