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Survey of Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry

By Joel Shulman

How does your chemistry Ph.D. program compare to others in terms of department size and student demographics? Requirements for the degree? Graduate student progression and support? Developing skills that go beyond knowledge of chemistry? Answers to these questions and many others can be gleaned from the Survey of Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry recently reported by the ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT) . Highlights of the survey are given here.

View the full report

The primary objective of the CPT is to facilitate the maintenance and improvement of the quality of chemical education at the postsecondary level. Not only does the Committee develop and administer the guidelines that define high-quality undergraduate education, but it also produces resources such as the ACS Directory of Graduate Education and publishes data on undergraduate and graduate education. Approximately every ten years, CPT fields a survey of Ph.D. programs. The latest survey solicited data from all 196 Ph.D. programs in chemistry and received usable information (base year, 2007) from 139 of these programs.

Figure 1. Size Distribution of Ph.D. Programs

Program size and demographics of students

The 139 reporting Ph.D. programs are divided for purposes of comparison into three groups of approximately equal size according to the total number of graduate students in the program: 44 small (defined as 0 to 40 total graduate students), 46 medium (41 to 105 graduate students), and 49 large programs (106+ graduate students). The number of students in Ph.D. programs ranges from 0 to 394 (see Figure 1) with a total of 13,280 students. Eighteen departments have more than 200 students, accounting for more than one-third (4,460) of the total graduate students in chemistry. The 30 largest programs account for almost 50% of graduate students. The average program size is 96 students (and 23 faculty), while the median program size is 67 students.

Of the doctoral students in responding programs, 27.4% are women, 5.2% are underrepresented minorities, and 42.3% are international students (Table 1). Small programs tend to have a higher percentage of underrepresented minority students (averaging 7.8%), while large programs have a higher percentage of women (28.5%) and a lower percentage of international students (37.3%).

Table 1. Demographics of Graduate Students by Program Size

Requirements for degree (table 2).

Of course, a doctoral dissertation is required by all Ph.D. programs. Most (71%) graduate programs require entering graduate students to take placement exams, although this requirement tends to be less prevalent as program size increases. The average program requires a minimum of 20 credits (semester hours, corrected for programs on the quarter system) of coursework, a number that does not vary significantly by program size. In addition to course work and dissertation, 96% of programs require at least one of the following: cumulative examinations (58%), an oral preliminary exam (54%), a comprehensive oral exam (50%), and/or a comprehensive written exam (31%). All four of these exams are required by 7% of programs; 17% of programs require three; 43% of programs require two; and 28% require only one. Large programs require cumulative exams less often and oral exams more often than small or medium programs. Only four programs (3%) require students to pass a language exam for the Ph.D.

Table 2. Requirement in Ph.D. Program

Graduate student progression and support (table 3).

The mean time to the Ph.D. is 5.1 years, a number that varies neither by program size nor by public vs. private institution (data not shown). Most programs place a limit on the amount of time allowed to achieve a Ph.D. (average of 7.8 years) as well as on the number of years of departmental support allowed a student (average of 5.9 years). More than 80% of students choose a research advisor within six months of entering graduate school. A significant number of programs either require or permit laboratory rotations before a final advisor is selected.

Monetary support for Ph.D. students comes from teaching assistantships more often than from research assistantships at small and medium programs, while the reverse is true in large programs. There is wide variation in TA stipends, depending on both program size and geographic location. Most programs have a range of stipends, which on average run from $18,000 to about $20,000 per year. Teaching assistants at larger programs are more likely to teach discussion (recitation) sections than those in small or medium programs.

Table 3. Student Progression and Support in Ph.D. Programs

Developing student skills.

In addition to chemistry knowledge and laboratory skills, it is important that all Ph.D. chemists develop skills in areas such as critical thinking, oral and written communication, and teamwork. Toward this end, 74% of all programs require students to create and defend an original research proposal (Table 2). All but six programs require students to make presentations (exclusive of the thesis defense) to audiences other than their research group; the average number of required presentations is 2.4, with little variation by program size. When asked whether any graduate students receive student-skills training outside of formal course work, 67% responded that at least some students receive specific training in communications; 59% in ethics/scientific integrity; 43% in grant writing; 37% in mentoring; 37% in intellectual property/patents; and 18% in business/economics. Students in large programs are more likely to receive some training in these skill areas than are students in other programs.

The data from this CPT survey provide a snapshot of graduate student demographics, requirements for the degree, and progression and support in chemistry Ph.D. programs. Survey results highlight similarities and differences among small, medium, and large programs across the country.

Dr. Joel I. Shulman retired as The Procter & Gamble Company's Manager of Doctoral Recruiting and University Relations in 2001 and is now an adjunct professor of chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He serves the ACS as a consultant for the Office of Graduate Education and the Department of Career Management and Development and as a member of the Committee on Professional Training.

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Deciphering the US News and World Report Ranking of US Chemistry Graduate Programs

• Published: 04 April 2022
• Volume 127 , pages 2131–2150, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

• Masaru Kuno   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4210-8514 1 , 2 ,
• Mary Prorok 1 ,
• Shubin Zhang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7167-8909 2 ,
• Huy Huynh 3 &
• Thurston Miller   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4027-7066 4  

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The US News & World Reports (US News) regularly publishes highly influential rankings of graduate programs in the sciences. These rankings are exclusively based on reputational surveys sent to a small subset of faculty experts in a given discipline, namely Directors of Graduate Studies and Department Chairs. No other quantitative metric is used to establish a graduate program’s rank. If reputation alone establishes US News rank, what quantifiable metrics underlie it? The question is an important one when considering that these rankings are widely consulted within higher education circles. These can impact a particular program’s ability to attract top faculty, graduate students, and other researchers who directly contribute to the program’s collective publication, citation, and funding profiles. In this study, we focus on US News’ most recently published peer assessment scores for chemistry graduate programs and establish seven departmental and institutional metrics that correlate with these scores. We find that central to US News rank is a chemistry program’s research visibility and impact as quantified by the median career h-index of its tenured and tenure track (T/TT) faculty, departmental T/TT size, and per capita research expenditures. These three predictor variables account for approximately 84% of the total variability in reported average peer assessment scores. When prestige indicators such as institutional membership in the American Association of Universities and percentage T/TT faculty membership in the US National Academy of Sciences are included, over 88% of the variability in average peer assessment score is accounted for. In whole, a seven-variable statistical model we develop explains nearly 91% of the variability in US News’ average peer assessment scores, which form the basis for its ranking of graduate US chemistry programs. We also explore the possibility that an anchoring effect influences reputational scores by analyzing how rank change complementary cumulative distribution functions evolve with time, following release of the initial 1994 US News and World Reports chemistry graduate program rankings. We find that the likelihood of rank changes increase with time with a t \(_\text {1/2}\) of \(\sim\) 20 years.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Yurii Morozov for creating the initial Python/Scopus API program. We also thank Molly Walsh for assistance with the statistical model of average peer assessment scores and Pavel Frantsuzov for helpful discussions on the eCCDF. We also thank the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as the College of Science at Notre Dame for partial financial support of this study.

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Kuno, M., Prorok, M., Zhang, S. et al. Deciphering the US News and World Report Ranking of US Chemistry Graduate Programs. Scientometrics 127 , 2131–2150 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-022-04317-6

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-022-04317-6

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College of sciences, college of sciences advances in u.s. news best graduate school rankings.

Mar 29, 2022

The College of Sciences at Georgia Tech continues to make progress in the graduate school rankings published by U.S. News and World Report.

Released on March 29, the 2023 U.S. News Best Graduate School Rankings highlights all six College of Sciences schools as best overall science programs for graduate studies :

Biology – No. 37    

Chemistry – No. 21

Earth Sciences – No. 28

Mathematics – No. 21

Physics – No. 28

Psychology – No. 39

Biological Sciences rose 17 places (from No. 54) in a nine-way tie with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Indiana University-Bloomington, Ohio State University, University of Utah, and UT Health MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Chemistry and Biochemistry shifted from No. 20 in a four-way tie with Johns Hopkins University, University of California (UC)-San Diego, and Texas A&M University-College Station.

Earth and Atmospheric Sciences rose by 10 (from No. 38) in a tie with Ohio State University, University of Southern California, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Mathematics advanced by five, up from No. 26 in a tie with Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, UC-San Diego, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Physics maintains its No. 28 ranking in a tie with Brown University, Duke University, and Rice University.

Psychology rose six spots to No. 39 in a tie with Arizona State University, Michigan State University, Stony Brook University, University of Florida, University of Iowa, and University of Pittsburgh.

U.S. News previously ranked graduate science programs in their 2019 Best Graduate Schools Edition (published in March 2018) with the exception of Psychology, which is categorized under U.S. News “Social Sciences and Humanities” programs and was last ranked in the 2017 Edition.

Among specialty graduate programs , Analytical Chemistry and Condensed Matter (Physics) both rank in the top 20, while previously unranked Applied Math climbed into the top 16 to No. 11.

Mathematical Analysis and Topology tied for No. 18 and No. 15, respectively, and Tech remains top five in the nation for Discrete Math and Combinatorics. Uniquely organized across the Colleges of Sciences , Computing , and Engineering , the Institute’s Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization program previously held a rank of No. 2.

Analytical Chemistry – No. 17

Applied Math – No. 11

Condensed Matter – No. 18

Discrete Math and Combinatorics – No. 5

Mathematical Analysis – No. 18

Topology – No. 15

“I was very happy to see that several of our schools in the College of Sciences moved up in the rankings, in some cases quite significantly,” shares Matthew Baker , professor in the School of Mathematics and associate dean for Faculty Development in the College.

Fellow colleges on campus are also on the rise in the latest U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” set, with Engineering remaining in the top ten in its overall disciplines, and Business, Computing, and Public Affairs also ranking among top programs in the nation. The full roster of current Georgia Institute of Technology rankings can be found here , along with U.S. News’ methodology for graduate rankings here .

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Johns Hopkins University was the first American institution to emphasize graduate education and to establish a PhD program in chemistry. Founding Chair Ira Remsen initiated a tradition of excellence in research and education that has continued until this day. The Hopkins graduate program is designed for students who desire a PhD in chemistry while advancing scientific knowledge for humankind.

The graduate program provides students with the background and technical expertise required to be leaders in their field and to pursue independent research.

Graduate students’ advancement is marked by entrance exams, coursework, teaching, seminars, oral examinations, and an individual research project that culminates in a thesis dissertation. The thesis research project represents an opportunity for graduate students to make a mark on the world. Working in conjunction with a faculty member or team, individually tailored thesis projects enable students to think independently about cutting-edge research areas that are of critical importance. Thesis research is the most important step toward becoming a PhD scientist, and our program provides an outstanding base with a proven track record of success.

Graduate students make up the heart of the Chemistry Department, and the department strives to support students’ individual needs. Each student is carefully advised and classes are traditionally quite small. Multidisciplinary research and course offerings that increase scientific breadth and innovation are hallmarks of the program.  In addition to academic and technical development, our department also offers several outlets for professional and social development.

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Assistance with the application process is available. Candidates with questions about the application process, or requests for a GRE General Test waiver (or on other matters related to the application) should contact the Admissions Committee’s Academic Affairs Administrator ( [email protected] ).

There are no fixed requirements for admission. Undergraduate majors in chemistry, biology, earth sciences, mathematics, or physics may apply as well as all well-qualified individuals who will have received a BA degree before matriculation. A select number of applicants will be invited to visit campus to tour our facilities and interact with our faculty members and their lab members over a weekend in March.

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Johns Hopkins University was the first American institution to emphasize graduate education and to establish a PhD program in chemistry. Founding Chair Ira Remsen initiated a tradition of excellence in research and education that has continued until this day. The Hopkins graduate program is designed for students who desire a PhD in chemistry while advancing scientific knowledge for humankind.

The graduate program provides students with the background and technical expertise required to be leaders in their field and to pursue independent research.

Graduate students’ advancement is marked by entrance exams, coursework, teaching, seminars, oral examinations, and an individual research project that culminates in a thesis dissertation. The thesis research project represents an opportunity for graduate students to make a mark on the world. Working in conjunction with a faculty member or team, individually tailored thesis projects enable students to think independently about cutting-edge research areas that are of critical importance. Thesis research is the most important step toward becoming a PhD scientist, and our program provides an outstanding base with a proven track record of success.

Graduate students make up the heart of the Chemistry Department, and the department strives to support students’ individual needs. Each student is carefully advised and classes are traditionally quite small. Multidisciplinary research and course offerings that increase scientific breadth and innovation are hallmarks of the program.  In addition to academic and technical development, our department also offers several outlets for professional and social development.

For more information, contact the Director of Graduate Studies. Dr. Art Bragg Office: Remsen 221 410-516-5616 [email protected]

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Professor Wender discusses chemistry with his graduate students.

Doctoral study in chemistry at Stanford University prepares students for research and teaching careers with diverse emphases in basic, life, medical, physical, energy, materials, and environmental sciences.

The Department of Chemistry offers opportunities for graduate study spanning contemporary subfields, including theoretical, organic, inorganic, physical, biophysical and biomedical chemistry and more. Much of the research defies easy classification along traditional divisions; cross-disciplinary collaborations with Stanford's many vibrant research departments and institutes is among factors distinguishing this world-class graduate program.

The Department of Chemistry is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development.  This advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement with mutual respect by both the adviser and advisee.

• The adviser is expected to meet at least monthly with the graduate student to discuss on-going research.
• There should be a yearly independent development plan (IDP) meeting between the graduate student and adviser. Topics include research progress, expectations for completion of PhD, areas for both the student and adviser to improve in their joint research effort.
• A research adviser should provide timely feedback on manuscripts and thesis chapters.
• Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.
• If there is a significant issue concerning the graduate student’s progress in research, the adviser must communicate this to the student and to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing.  This feedback should include the issues, what needs to be done to overcome these issues and by when.

Academic advising by Stanford faculty is a critical component of all graduate students' education and additional resources can be found in the  Policies and Best Practices for Advising Relationships at Stanford  and the  Guidelines for Faculty-Student Advising at Stanford .

Learn more about the program through the links below, and by exploring the research interests of the  Chemistry Faculty  and  Courtesy Faculty .

Harvard Launches PhD in Quantum Science and Engineering

Drawing on world-class research community, program will prepare leaders of the ‘quantum revolution’.

Harvard University today announced one of the world’s first PhD programs in Quantum Science and Engineering, a new intellectual discipline at the nexus of physics, chemistry, computer science and electrical engineering with the promise to profoundly transform the way we acquire, process and communicate information and interact with the world around us.

The University is already home to a robust quantum science and engineering research community, organized under the Harvard Quantum Initiative . With the launch of the PhD program, Harvard is making the next needed commitment to provide the foundational education for the next generation of innovators and leaders who will push the boundaries of knowledge and transform quantum science and engineering into useful systems, devices and applications. 

“The new PhD program is designed to equip students with the appropriate experimental and theoretical education that reflects the nuanced intellectual approaches brought by both the sciences and engineering,” said faculty co-director Evelyn Hu , Tarr-Coyne Professor of Applied Physics and of Electrical at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). “The core curriculum dramatically reduces the time to basic quantum proficiency for a community of students who will be the future innovators, researchers and educators in quantum science and engineering.”

“Quantum science and engineering is not just a hybrid of subjects from different disciplines, but an important new area of study in its own right,” said faculty co-director John Doyle , Henry B. Silsbee Professor of Physics. “A Ph.D. program is necessary and foundational to the development of this new discipline.”

Quantum science and engineering is not just a hybrid of subjects from different disciplines, but an important new area of study in its own right.

“America’s continued success leading the quantum revolution depends on accelerating the next generation of talent,” said Dr. Charles Tahan, Assistant Director for Quantum Information Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office. “It’s nice to see that a key component of Harvard’s education strategy is optimizing how core quantum-relevant concepts are taught.”

The University is also finalizing plans for the comprehensive renovation of a campus building into a new state-of-the-art quantum hub – a shared resource for the quantum community with instructional and research labs, spaces for seminars and workshops, and places for students, faculty, and visiting researchers and collaborators to meet and convene. Harvard’s quantum headquarters will integrate the educational, research, and translational aspects of the diverse field of quantum science and engineering in an architecturally cohesive way. This critical element of Harvard’s quantum strategy was made possible by generous gifts from Stacey L. and David E. Goel ‘93 and several other alumni .

“Existing technologies are reaching the limit of their capacity and cannot drive the innovation we need for the future, specifically in areas like semiconductors and the life sciences,” said David Goel, co-founder and managing general partner of Waltham, Mass.-based Matrix Capital Management Company, LP and one of Harvard’s most ardent supporters. “Quantum is an enabler, providing a multiplier effect on a logarithmic scale. It is a catalyst that drives scientific revolutions and epoch-making paradigm shifts.”

“Harvard is making significant institutional investments in its quantum enterprise and in the creation of a new field,” said Science Division Dean Christopher Stubbs , Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy. Stubbs added that several active searches are underway to broaden Harvard’s faculty strength in this domain, and current faculty are building innovative partnerships around quantum research with industry.

“An incredible foundation has been laid in quantum, and we are now at an inflection point to accelerate that activity,” said SEAS Dean Frank Doyle , John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

An incredible foundation has been laid in quantum, and we are now at an inflection point to accelerate that activity.

To enable opportunities to move from basic to applied research to translating ideas into products, Doyle described a vision for “integrated partnerships where we invite partners from the private sector to be embedded on the campus to learn from the researchers in our labs, and where our faculty connect to the private sector and national labs to learn about the cutting-edge applications, as well as help translate basic research into useful tools for society.”

Harvard will admit the first cohort of PhD candidates in Fall 2022 and anticipates enrolling 35 to 40 students in the program. Participating faculty are drawn from physics and chemistry in Harvard’s Division of Science and applied physics, electrical engineering, and computer science in SEAS.

Candidates interested in Harvard’s PhD in Quantum Science and Engineering can learn more about the program philosophy, curriculum, and requirements here .

“This cross disciplinary PhD program will prepare our students to become the leaders and innovators in the emerging field of quantum science and engineering” said Emma Dench, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. “Harvard’s interdisciplinary strength and intellectual resources make it the perfect place for them to develop their ideas, grow as scholars, and make discoveries that will change the world.”

Harvard has a long history of leadership in quantum science and engineering. Theoretical physicist and 2005 Nobel laureate Roy Glauber is widely considered the founding father of quantum optics, and 1989 Nobel laureate Norman Ramsey pioneered much of the experimental foundation of quantum science.

Today, Harvard experimental research groups are among the leaders worldwide in areas such as quantum simulations, metrology, quantum communications and computation, and are complemented by strong theoretical groups in computer science, physics, and chemistry.

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Launch of pioneering ph.d. program bolsters harvard’s leadership in quantum science and engineering.

Field expected to usher in era of super-fast computing and innovation across a range of fields

Leah Burrows

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Researchers used atomic-size defects in diamonds to detect and measure magnetic fields generated by spin waves.

Images courtesy of Second Bay Studios/Harvard SEAS

In the middle of the 20th century, mathematicians, physicists, and engineers at Harvard began work that would lay the foundations for a new field of study, the applications of which would change the world in ways unimaginable at the time. These pioneering computer scientists helped develop the theory and technology that would usher in the digital age.

Harvard is once again taking a leading role in a scientific and technological revolution — this time in the field of quantum science and engineering. Today, the University launched one of the world’s first Ph.D. programs in the subject, providing the foundational education for the next generation of innovators and leaders who will transform quantum science and engineering into next-level systems, devices, and applications.

The new degree is the latest step in the University’s commitment to moving forward as both a leader in research and an innovator in teaching in the field of quantum science and engineering. Harvard launched the Harvard Quantum Initiative in 2018 to foster and grow this new scientific community. And additional future plans call for the creation of a quantum hub on campus to help further integrate efforts and encourage collaboration.

“This is a pivotal time for quantum science and engineering at Harvard,” said President Larry Bacow. “With institutional collaborators including MIT and industry partners, and the support of generous donors, we are making extraordinary progress in discovery and innovation. Our faculty and students are driving progress that will reshape our world through quantum computing, networking, cryptography, materials, and sensing, as well as emerging areas of promise that will yield advances none of us can yet imagine.”

“This cross disciplinary Ph.D. program will prepare our students to become the leaders and innovators in the emerging field of quantum science and engineering,” said Emma Dench, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. “Harvard’s interdisciplinary strength and intellectual resources make it the perfect place for them to develop their ideas, grow as scholars, and make discoveries that will change the world.”

At the nexus of physics, chemistry, computer science, and electrical engineering, quantum science and technology promises to profoundly change the way we acquire, process, and communicate information. Imagine a computer that could sequence a person’s genome in a matter of seconds or an un-hackable communications system that could make data breaches a thing of the past. Quantum technology will usher in game-changing innovations in health care, infrastructure, security, drug development, climate-change prediction, machine learning, financial services, and more.

Researchers excited and detected spin waves in a quantum Hall ferromagnet, spending them through the insulating material like waves in a pond.

The University is building partnerships with government agencies and national laboratories to advance quantum technologies and educate the next generation of quantum scientists. Harvard researchers will play a major role in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers, aimed at bolstering the nation’s global competitiveness and security. As part of the centers, Harvard researchers will:

• develop and study the next generation of quantum materials that are resilient, controllable, and scalable;
• use quantum-sensing techniques to explore the exotic properties of quantum materials for applications in numerous quantum technologies;
• construct a quantum simulator out of ultra-cold molecules to attack important problems in materials development and test the performance of new types of quantum computation;
• develop topological quantum materials for manipulating, transferring, and storing information for quantum computers and sensors;
• investigate how quantum computers can meaningfully speed up answers to real-world scientific problems and create new tools to quantify this advantage and performance.

In partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Harvard University Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) has helped develop curriculum and educator activities that will help K‒12 students engage with quantum information science. CIQM is also collaborating with the Learning Center for the Deaf to create quantum science terms in American Sign Language .

“Breakthrough research happens when you create the right community of scholars around the right ideas at the right time,” said Claudine Gay, the Edgerley Family Dean of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “The Harvard Quantum Initiative builds on Harvard’s historic strength in the core disciplines of quantum science by drawing together cross-cutting faculty talent into a community committed to thinking broadly and boldly about the many problems where quantum innovations may offer a solution. This new approach to quantum science will open the way for new partnerships to advance the field, but perhaps even more importantly, it promises to make Harvard the training ground for the next generation of breakthrough scientists who could change the way we live and work.”

“Harvard’s missions are to excel at education and research, and these are closely related,” said John Doyle, the Henry B. Silsbee Professor of Physics and co-director of HQI. “Being at — and sometimes defining — the frontier of research keeps our education vibrant and meaningful to students. We aim to teach a broad range of students to think about the physical world in this new, quantum way as this is crucial to creating a strong community of future leaders in science and engineering. Tight focus on both research and teaching in quantum will develop Harvard into the leading institution in this area and keep the country at the forefront of this critical area of knowledge.”

Quantum at Harvard: ‘A game-changing’ moment

A conversation with SEAS Dean Frank Doyle, John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Science Division Dean Christopher Stubbs, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy.

Transcript:

Doyle: We’re at a game changing point in science and technology. We’re poised to enable translation breakthroughs in our applications of that understanding to broadly stated information science, so networking, signal processing, encryption, communications, computing and simulation.

Stubbs: What we’re talking about, looking to the future, exploits the really spooky parts of quantum mechanics, about the relationship of information in spatially separated systems and trying to harness that technologically and bringing it to bear on problems in networking, computing, and sensing systems.

I think we’re learning more about the way the world works every day, and we’re interested here at Harvard in knitting that understanding together across different traditionally separated fields and pulling together an integrated effort that pulls together, computer science, electrical engineering, physics systems engineering, and tries to use these to build new tools to make life better for everybody.

Doyle: Chris, I completely agree, and I would say that one thing, I recognize deeply as the dean on the engineering side is that foundations are critical to achieving success in the domain of innovation or translation, whatever the application space might be. We have to have that core body of knowledge supporting and enabling really a continuum from basic science through applied science, ultimately to engineering. I would also point to the fact that we are modestly scaled compared to some of our peers, which I think empowers us with agility and nimbleness that allows us to quickly assemble the teams that cross the spectrum of these disciplines that we need to harness, and that’s a real strength here at Harvard as well.

Stubbs: I would say we’re making significant institutional investments in this enterprise. We’ve identified a building, working in partnership across the university, that’s going to be put to use for this activity, with new labs, new teaching labs. We will fill that space with colleagues that we intend to bring to campus to strengthen our faculty in this domain. We’re building a strong and vibrant educational program. And I think an important element to include here is that we see this as a way to reach all the way into applications at scale, and we’re building partnerships with industrial partners, ranging from startups-sized companies to major national corporations that are going to have the ability to bring these ideas to bear at scale and impact people’s lives in a positive way.

Doyle: I would say that this opportunity has tremendous potential across a wide array of fields and applications, from more traditional engineering fields like communications, cybersecurity, network science, but across an even broader array of fields including finance (thinking about the new kinds of algorithms that are going to power the future of things like trading and stress testing the market); precision medicine; the quantum principles that we’re going to be able to leverage in devices that will now interrogate at unprecedented scale — spatial and temporal — to bring information back that we can act upon. So it’s virtually a limitless horizon of application opportunities out there.

Stubbs: We’re fortunate in the Boston area to have another university down the road, whose initials are MIT, with which, in particular in this technical domain, we have strong existing partnerships among the faculty. We view this as moving forward arm-in-arm with sister institutions in this region to establish Boston as one of the premier centers in the nation for both innovation, education, and application of this new technology.

Doyle: Our faculties partnering across Harvard and MIT have been doing this for literally decades. So there’s an incredible organic foundation that has been laid in the Greater Cambridge, Greater Boston space that we’re now turning an inflection point to accelerate that activity.

The field of quantum really opens up some exciting partnership opportunities, which we’re exploring with great passion. The notion that the continuum from the university and basic research and applied research, through to getting products in the market, through getting operational networks, operational systems is one that truly is a continuum. So there has to be integrated partnerships, where we invite partners in the private sector in to be embedded on the campus to learn from the researchers in our labs, where we embed our faculty out in the private sector in national labs to learn about the cutting edge applications that need to drive and fuel the research taking place back on the campus. So I really view this as a wonderful new opportunity to rethink the nature of how the private sector and the academy partner to enable the ultimate translation into products, technologies that are going to benefit mankind.

Edited for length.

The University’s location within the Greater Boston ecosystem of innovation and discovery is one of its greatest strengths.

A recent collaboration between Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and University quantum physicists resulted in a proof-of-concept algorithm to dramatically speed up the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NNMR) readings to identify biomarkers of specific diseases and disorders, reducing the process from days to just minutes.

A multidisciplinary team of electrical engineers and physicists from Harvard and MIT are building the infrastructure for tomorrow’s quantum internet , including quantum repeaters, quantum memory storage, and quantum networking nodes, and developing the key technologies to connect quantum processors over local and global scales.

“We are moving forward arm in arm with sister institutions in this region, most notably MIT, to establish Boston as one of the premier centers in the nation for both education and developing technologies that we anticipate will have significant impact on society,” said Christopher Stubbs, science division dean and Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy.

  “We are excited to see the ever-growing opportunities for collaboration in quantum science and engineering at Harvard, in the Boston community, and beyond,” said Evelyn L. Hu, the Tarr-Coyne Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Science at SEAS and co-director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative. “Harvard is committed to sustaining that growth and fostering a strong community of students, faculty, and inventors, both locally and nationwide.”

Fiber-optical networks, the backbone of the internet, rely on high-fidelity information conversion from electrical to the optical domain. The researchers combined the best optical material with innovative nanofabrication and design approaches, to realize, energy-efficient, high-speed, low-loss, electro-optic converters for quantum and classical communications.

“Building a vibrant community and ecosystem is essential for bringing the benefits of quantum research to different fields of science and society,” said Mikhail Lukin, George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics and co-director of HQI. “Quantum at Harvard aims to integrate unique strengths of university research groups, government labs, established companies, and startups to not only advance foundational quantum science and engineering but also to build and to enable broad access to practical quantum systems.”

To facilitate those collaborations, the University is finalizing plans for the comprehensive renovation of an existing campus building into a new quantum hub — a shared resource for the quantum community with instructional and research labs, seminar and workshop spaces, meeting spaces for students and faculty, and space for visiting researchers and collaborators. The quantum headquarters will integrate the educational, research, and translational aspects of the diverse field of quantum science and engineering in an architecturally cohesive way.

This critical element of Harvard’s quantum strategy was made possible by a generous gift from Stacey L. and David E. Goel ’93 and gifts from several other alumni who stepped forward to support HQI. David Goel, co-founder and managing general partner of Waltham, Mass.-based Matrix Capital Management Co. and one of Harvard’s most ardent supporters, said his gift was inspired both by recognizing Harvard’s “intellectual dynamism and leadership in quantum” and a sense of the utmost urgency to pursue opportunities in this field. “Our existing technologies are reaching the limit of their capacity and cannot drive the innovation we need for the future, specifically in areas like semiconductors, technology, and the life sciences. Quantum is an enabler, providing a multiplier effect on a logarithmic scale. It is a catalyst that drives the kinds of scientific revolutions and epoch-making paradigm shifts.”

Electrodes stretch diamond strings to increase the frequency of atomic vibrations to which an electron is sensitive, just like tightening a guitar string increases the frequency or pitch of the string. The tension quiets a qubit’s environment and improves memory from tens to several hundred nanoseconds, enough time to do many operations on a quantum chip.

Goel credits the academic leaders and their “commitment to ensuring that Harvard’s community will be at the forefront of the science that is already changing the world.”

The University is also building partnerships with industry partners, ranging from startups to major national corporations, that are preparing to bring quantum technologies to the public.

“An incredible foundation has been laid in quantum at Harvard, and we are now at an inflection point to accelerate that activity and build on the momentum that has already made Harvard a leader in the field,” said Frank Doyle, SEAS dean and John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Research happening right now in Harvard labs is significantly advancing our understanding of quantum science and engineering and positioning us to make breathtaking new discoveries and industry-leading translation breakthroughs.”

To enable opportunities to move from basic to applied research to translating ideas into products, Doyle described a vision for “integrated partnerships where we invite partners from the private sector to be embedded on the campus to learn from the researchers in our labs and where our faculty connect to the private sector and national labs to learn about the cutting-edge applications, as well as help translate of basic research into useful tools for society.”

  “We are at the early stages of a technological transformation, similar or maybe even grander than the excitement and the promise that came with the birth of computer science — and Harvard is at the forefront,” Stubbs said.

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Best Global Universities for Chemistry

Students interested in chemistry can explore these well-regarded universities that have shown strength in producing research in the field. Chemistry is the study of matter, or the “stuff” in and around us, and is related to biology and physics. Subjects include organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and analytical chemistry. These are the world's top universities for chemistry. Read the methodology »

To unlock more data and access tools to help you get into your dream school, sign up for the  U.S. News College Compass !

Here are the best global universities for chemistry

Stanford university, tsinghua university, nanyang technological university, university of california berkeley, university of science & technology of china, cas, massachusetts institute of technology (mit), northwestern university, national university of singapore, university of chinese academy of sciences, cas, king abdulaziz university.

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• # 1 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 3 in Best Global Universities

Stanford University was founded in 1885 and is located in California’s Bay Area, around 30 miles south of San Francisco... Read More

• # 2 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 23 in Best Global Universities

Tsinghua University, located in northwest Beijing, China, is a public institution that traces its roots back to 1911... Read More

• # 3 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 30 in Best Global Universities

• # 4 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 4 in Best Global Universities

The University of California—Berkeley is situated roughly 15 miles from San Francisco in what is known as the Bay Area... Read More

• # 5 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 102 in Best Global Universities

The University of Science and Technology of China is a public university that the Chinese Academy of Sciences founded in... Read More

• # 6 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 2 in Best Global Universities

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded in 1861, is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston. Around... Read More

• # 7 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 24 in Best Global Universities

Northwestern University is a private institution that was founded in 1851. The university has three campuses – the main... Read More

• # 8 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 26 in Best Global Universities
• # 9 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 112 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 10 in Best Universities for Chemistry
• # 65 in Best Global Universities  (tie)

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Harvard Horizons Scholar Looks to ‘Sound the Alarm’ on ‘Forever Chemicals’

Heidi M. Pickard, a fifth-year Ph.D. student in Engineering and Applied Sciences at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, used her 2024 Harvard Horizons project to investigate environmental contamination and human exposure to highly prevalent “forever chemicals.”

Pickard is one of eight Harvard Horizons Scholars for 2024, a cohort of “outstanding” Ph.D. students at Harvard selected to present their research to a wider audience.

Her research centers around measuring the prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” due to their inability to be digested within human bodies — throughout the Northeast, specifically in a variety of Cape Cod fish species.

In an interview, Pickard said she uses “a toolbox of methods to investigate the full extent of PFAS contamination.”

“Is it our drinking water? Is it from the products we use? Is it from the seafood we eat?” she said.

Current research has linked high levels of PFAS to decreased fertility and high blood pressure in pregnant women, developmental effects in children, reduced immune system capability, and increased risk of cancer and obesity.

In the fall of 2022, the City of Cambridge briefly switched water sources due to a spike in PFAS contamination.

Pickard said the “scale” of PFAS contamination originally inspired her to investigate the set of chemicals.

“There was this class of synthetic chemicals that are literally used in everything, basically all of our consumer products and all of these industries,” Pickard said. “They’ve been around since the 1930s. There is all this toxicity data associated with them.”

“You can find them everywhere in the world,” she added. “They were in the high Arctic, you can find them in the entire Antarctic, in the islands and the ocean and basically every animal on the planet.”

Pickard said she wants to spread information about PFAS chemicals and their dangers, adding that public awareness of the chemicals has risen in recent years.

When she was first researching the chemicals, Pickard said, “I would say maybe 30 percent of the people I had talked to had even heard of PFAS.”

“Now fast forward nine years later, a majority of people that I have talked to have now heard of PFAS. They’re really prevalent in the media,” she added. “There’s a lot going on in terms of regulations and lawsuits, but they’re still produced and used in many of our products.”

Pickard said the fish she has researched are a primary food source for local communities, especially the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, creating a sense of urgency to understand the impacts of PFAS contamination.

“We don’t have a great understanding of those chemicals also being taken up into the fish and shellfish that are being consumed,” she said.

In her presentation, she wrote that she hopes her research spurs action on the issue.

“My work is trying to sound the alarm,” she wrote.

Pickard will present her research alongside her fellow Horizon scholars at the Harvard Horizons Symposium in Sanders Theater on April 9.

—Staff writer Adina R. Lippman can be reached at [email protected] .

—Staff writer Angelina J. Parker can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X @ angelinajparker .

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Strikes spread across US as postdocs and other researchers fight for better pay and conditions

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In the wake of high-profile, successful strikes by tens of thousands of academics at the University of California (UC) system late last year, higher education workers across the US are now mobilising. The United Auto Workers (UAW), through which University of California employees negotiated with their university system, says it is in talks with graduate student workers at more than a dozen universities in the country, including the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of Maine (UM), which are in the process of organising to secure better working conditions.

Two days before Christmas, academic and postdoctoral researchers across the University of California’s 10 campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory won new five-year contracts that gave them a 20–23% raise, and graduate student researchers there secured a 10% pay increase in the first year of their contract and 6.4% increases in each subsequent year. In addition, the employees negotiated eight weeks of paid leave per year for serious health conditions and also parental leave and other leave to care for family, on top of childcare reimbursement and subsidised transport. These improvements to working conditions ended the unprecedented 40-day strike.

Academic employees across the US took note. The strikes inspired people at research institutions like the University of Washington, where workers have been fighting for their first union contract for about a year-and-a-half.

In June, postdocs, research scientists and engineers ended a strike at the University of Washington after reaching an agreement with their university’s administration that secures significant gains to their pay and working conditions.

Working with UAW, which represents about 100,000 higher education workers across the US, postdocs won salary increases of 28%. Meanwhile, research scientists and engineers at the university received a 33% raise, and also scored future wage hikes that keep up with the cost of living. They also secured a boost to childcare support, on top of improved fee waivers and visa programmes for international scholars.

‘We had a lot of conversations with UC colleagues … about what was effective for them,’ recalls Sarah Pristash, a chemistry postdoc at the University of Washington. ‘A lot of people around the country are talking about this – it’s a bit of a movement,’ adds Pristash, who joined the bargaining committee in December and helped with contract negotiations. ‘We’re all seeing how important it is to unionise and try to make science more sustainable and equitable through collective action.’

Predictions of a ‘larger shift’

It has been really difficult in the last few years, especially in higher cost-of-living areas like Seattle, Pristash explains. ‘People are really struggling to make it work on the stipends that have been the standard for a while.’

She says that Washington’s postdoc pay is now competitive, and predicts that change there and at other institutions will probably lead to a ‘larger shift’ throughout academia.

Academic workers at the University of Southern California, which is not part of the University of California system, have been negotiating a new contract with their university through their union. They voted to affiliate with the UAW in 2020, but so far there have been no strikes.

‘It is a really big wave happening in academia – I think people are realising that we can work together to push back against systemic ways in which our labour is exploited,’ says Megan Cassingham, a fourth-year chemistry PhD student at the University of Southern California, who is on the UAW negotiating team.

She notes that the University of California strikes were ‘just down the road’. ‘A lot of folks here were really inspired by that movement and that action that the students there were taking,’ Cassingham recounts. ‘It made really big headlines.’ More recently, she adds, University of Washington employees were able to win ‘a fantastic contract with their strike efforts, and that is also really inspiring a lot of people across the country’.

Elsewhere in the US, graduate students at the University of Maine started comparing notes about two years ago and concluded that their work was undervalued and underappreciated. On top of their research, they were being asked to take on more courses, as well as teaching and marking. ‘We had and continue to have support from our faculty unions, our state senators, and the local government,’ says Remi Geohegan, a biomedical science and engineering PhD student at the university.

In late February, she was part of a team at Maine that initiated a ‘card campaign’ that graduate student workers used if they were in favour of unionising.

Striking not always an option 

‘We’re in discussions with the administration now for voluntary recognition of the union,’ explains Sophie Craig, a biomedical PhD student at the University of Maine. These cards will soon be handed over to a third party that will provide a tally and determine whether a majority have voted to unionise. If not, then a vote on the matter will be triggered across campus in autumn, according to Geohegan.

In the US, the law that protects employees in the private sector is federal, but each state has jurisdiction over public employees. That means that at the University of California campuses and the University of Washington academic workers can go on strike, but at Maine – which is a public institution – they can’t.

‘Striking is really not an option for us here at UM, but there are definitely other forms of collective action that we can take,’ Craig states. For example, in the spring Geohegan and other organisers addressed the university’s board of trustees, and they have also spoken before the faculty senate. In addition, they lobbied the state House of Representatives and Senate, where they obtained letters of support.

Widespread working from home durin the Covid-19 pandemic has helped fuel this movement, according to Geohegan. ‘It has shaped and changed how a lot of us view and value our labour as graduate students – we worked from home for such a long time and saw what life could be like having this improved work–life balance,’ she says.

Chemists and other lab workers, however, face unique health and safety challenges. At the University of Southern California, they recently won a tentative agreement in this area, Cassingham notes. ‘There now is an article in the contract, which the USC administration and the bargaining team have tentatively agreed to before the contract goes to ratification, that essentially gives lab workers the right to refuse work in unsafe or unhealthy conditions,’ she says. ‘This is not something that we had before.’

Cassingham and her colleagues also emphasise that chemistry graduate students and postdocs at the University of Southern California are paid less than their counterparts in comparable departments like physics and earth sciences. ‘As chemists, we see we’re doing very similar work to them and that is upsetting to a lot of my peers – we want to see that wage gap addressed in our contract,’ Cassingham tells Chemistry World .

Arrests made

Action by workers comes with risks. The UAW notes 59 student workers at UC San Diego received emails in June from the university’s office of student conduct accusing them of assault at a protest – this included dozens who were not present at the demonstration. UAW suggests that they were targeted because they support union action.

Earlier this month, one of these postdocs and two graduate workers were arrested and held overnight. They were each charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and vandalism. The vandalism charge was for allegedly using chalk and washable marker at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to draw attention to the university’s underpayment of workers and refusal to honour contracts, UAW says.

Vandalism is punishable with up to three years in prison and up to $50,000 (£39,000) in fines. Such charges can also affect a person’s ability to graduate and find a job.

On 10 July, graduate workers and UAW officials held a rally at the San Diego courthouse to protest this apparent retaliatory action by the university. They vowed to continue organising protests and other actions until the university drops the charges and implements the contract they are asking for, including adequate wages.

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Dear Colleague Letter: Research Internships for Graduate Students at U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL) or Ground Vehicle Systems Center (DEVCOM GVSC) Supplemental Funding Opportunity (NSF-DEVCOM INTERN)

March 21, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

Fostering the growth of a globally competitive and diverse research workforce and advancing the scientific and innovation skills of the Nation is a strategic objective of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF and U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL) and Ground Vehicle Systems Center (DEVCOM GVSC) have entered into a partnership to support the development of graduate students to meet both the NSF's strategic workforce development objectives as well as DEVCOM ARL’s and DEVCOM GVSC’s mission to advance cutting-edge scientific discovery, technological innovation and transition of knowledge products to empowering U.S. Army capabilities today and in the future.

This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) describes this unique partnership with DEVCOM ARL or DEVCOM GVSC and is aligned with and conforms with the NSF INTERN opportunity described in the Dear Colleague Letter: Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity . This DCL is referred to as the NSF - DEVCOM INTERN DCL.

SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

NSF and DEVCOM ARL and DEVCOM GVSC will consider supplemental funding requests that enable PIs (or co-PIs) to request up to six months of additional support for graduate students supported on active NSF grants with the following goals:

• To provide graduate students with the opportunity to augment their research assistantships or NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) fellowships with DEVCOM ARL or DEVCOM GVSC research internship activities and development opportunities that will complement their academic research development;
• To allow graduate students to pursue new activities aimed at acquiring professional development experience that will enhance their preparation for multiple career pathways after graduation; and
• To encourage the participation of the full spectrum of diverse talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the programs and activities of the Department of Defense.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED

The Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI of an active NSF award may request supplemental funding for one or more graduate students to gain knowledge, skills and experiences that will augment their preparation for a successful long-term career through an internship at the DEVCOM ARL or DEVCOM GVSC.

PIs and co-PIs are encouraged to discuss with the cognizant NSF program directors and the DEVCOM ARL or DEVCOM GVSC point of contact to identify potential Army collaborators and ensure activities are aligned with Army mission priorities and within the NSF grant project scope. It is expected that the graduate student and the PI on the NSF grant will work together to identify innovative experiences that add the most educational value for the graduate student. Further, it is expected that the internship will be on-site at DEVCOM ARL (Adelphi, MD, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD or White Sands, NM) or DEVCOM GVSC (Warren, MI) and will be research-focused within a relevant STEM field.

DEVCOM ARL RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS

DEVCOM ARL research initiatives are aligned to eleven (11) research competencies (Figure 1). These provide the Army foundational expertise to accelerate the delivery of knowledge products aimed to solve the most Army-relevant research questions. Opportunities for NSF-supported graduate student internships provide ample research stimulation as the competencies span a wide spectrum of NSF supported science and engineering basic research fields.

Figure 1. DEVCOM ARL Research Competencies

• Biological and Biotechnology Sciences: biological-related disciplines, including synthetic biology, biological materials, biological / abiological interfaces and biological effect.
• Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences: novel approaches to sensing and operating across the entire electromagnetic (EM) environment; counter-sensing across the EM spectrum; protection from EM effects; emerging concepts for RF, radars, and electronic warfare (EW).
• Energy Sciences: science of mechanical and electrical power generation, storage, conditioning, and distribution; energy conversion; and emerging concepts for lasers, directed energy (DE), and DE protection and propagation.
• Humans in Complex Systems: multi-disciplinary non-medical approaches to understand and modify the potential of humans situated in and interacting within complex social, technological, and socio-technical systems.
• Mechanical Sciences: science of novel mechanics, mechanisms, and control to enable manned/unmanned ground and air vehicle concepts.
• Military Information Sciences: underpinning sciences, physical autonomy, and enablers required to provide timely, mission-aware information to humans and systems at speed and scale for all-domain and coalition operations.
• Network, Cyber, and Computational Sciences: sciences to enable and ensure secure resilient communication networks for distributed analytics in Multi-Domain Operations.
• Photonics, Electronics, and Quantum Sciences: materials (and related manufacturing methods) and devices intended for achieving photonic, electronic, and quantum-based effects.
• Sciences of Extreme Materials: materials and related manufacturing methods focusing on mechanical response and performance extremes, including active, adaptive, and flexible/soft materials; novel manufacturing science for energetic materials.
• Terminal Effects: sciences and applied research of weapon–target interactions.
• Weapons Sciences: internal, transitional, and external ballistics; launch, flight, control, and navigation of guided weapons and aerial systems; development of novel weapon concepts.

DEVCOM GVSC RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS

DEVCOM GVSC research initiatives are aligned to five (5) research competencies (Figure 2). These provide the Army applied science and technology expertise to accelerate the delivery of knowledge products aimed to solve the most Army-relevant research questions focused on the ground vehicle mission. Opportunities for NSF-supported graduate student internships provide ample ground vehicle research stimulation as the competencies focuses on the physical sciences and related disciplines critical to the ground vehicle mission.

Figure 2. DEVCOM GVSC Research Competencies

• Propulsion and Mobility: Development, control and integration of vehicle powertrains, including electrical. Track and suspension development. Energy storage including fuel cells to effectively maneuver over greater percentages of terrain than current systems.
• Fuels and Lubricants: Development and improvement of existing and future ground and aviation fuels, fuel additives, interactions with propulsion systems and distribution to include renewable diesel fuel, alternative/sustainable fuel and fuel additives to include the needs of electronic platforms. Computational materials science and materials engineering approaches for lubricants coatings, batteries, and fuel cells.
• Electrical and Power Management: Vehicle electrical power, including high voltage systems, system design, electromagnetic environment effects, thermal and safety concerns and component development. Vehicle embedded system architectures, firmware and software design and development to include cybersecurity issues.
• Survivability and Protection: Protection consists of the capabilities and technologies to mitigate the effects of threats employed against ground vehicles on the occupants and individuals in their proximity. Materials science, glass, composites and ceramic production, joining technologies, structural design optimization, signature management, occupant protection, special components, physical protection and modular architecture are critical enablers to achieving optimized layered survivability and protection.
• Autonomy & Robotics: mobility functions of robotic, automated and autonomous systems to include executive decision making, human robot interactions, development of autonomous behaviors utilizing the robotic technology kernel, robotic data modeling and curation and the development of modeling and simulation and testing methods and capabilities.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible, graduate students must: be a U.S. citizen, have completed at least one academic year in their graduate programs (master's or doctoral), be in good academic standing and demonstrate satisfactory progress towards completion of their degrees. This opportunity is open to PIs or co-PIs who are supporting graduate students through any active NSF award, including institutional GRFP awards. The PI for an active GRFP fellowship (not the GRFP fellow) should contact GRFP ([email protected]) regarding specific requirements before submitting a supplemental funding request on behalf of a GRFP fellow.

Graduate students selected for the NSF-DEVCOM INTERN Program must be U.S. citizens in order to access the Government research facilities needed to conduct research, attend visits, and participate in meetings. Proof of citizenship, which will require two (2) forms of identification, must be provided for the selected graduate students when requested by DEVCOM ARL or DEVCOM GVSC. One form of identification must include a picture, such as a current driver’s license or passport. The second form of identification does not require a picture, such as a Social Security Number (SSN) card or a birth certificate. Additionally, the selected graduate students must be willing to submit to a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) check. Proof of citizenship is NOT required as part of the supplemental funding request submitted to NSF.

SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

Information about requesting supplemental support is contained in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter VI.E.5. In addition to the PAPPG requirements for supplemental support, the following materials must be included.

• The first line of the Summary of Proposed Work must include the NSF-DEVCOM INTERN DCL title and NSF publication number and include these components:
• Under supplementary documents provide the following:

(A) A resume of the graduate student (up to 2 pages) that contains (but not limited to) the following information:

• Research summary to include contribution(s) to research discipline
• Educational Preparation
• Institution(s)
• Year of study (1st year, 2nd year, etc.)
• Completed coursework
• Employment and volunteer/outreach history
• Publications (accepted only)
• Other information relevant to the proposed internship
• If the Host organization is DEVCOM GVSC, then the NSF recipient and DEVCOM GVSC must agree in advance as to how intellectual property (IP) rights will be handled. A signed agreement on IP (including publication and patent rights) must be submitted either as a supplementary document or, via email to the cognizant Program Director after submission of the supplementary funding request and prior to the award of the supplemental funding. NSF is responsible neither for the agreement reached nor the IP information exchanged between the NSF recipient and GVSC. Note: No IP Agreement is required if the Host organization is DEVCOM ARL.
• A budget and budget justification.

SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING AMOUNT

The total amount of funding requested must not exceed $55,000 per student per six-month period. NSF plans to fund approximately 10 supplements in each fiscal year starting with FY 2024, depending on the availability of funds.

ALLOWABLE COSTS UNDER THIS DCL

Funds may be used to support travel, tuition and fees, health insurance, additional stipend, and temporary relocation costs for the graduate student. Additional stipends are not allowed for GRFP fellows “on tenure” (currently receiving a GRFP stipend), but a stipend will be considered for fellows “on reserve” (not currently receiving a GRFP stipend) equal to the monthly rate of the GRFP stipend. Up to $2,500 may be used for the PI or the graduate research fellow’s advisor to travel to work with the host organization in co-mentoring the student during the internship. Up to $2,500 may be used for materials and supplies to support the student during the internship. The recipient is permitted to request indirect costs in accordance with their approved/negotiated indirect cost rate. The total requested budget cannot exceed the limits listed under the “Supplement funding amount” section above. Note: Spousal and dependent travel are not supported.

PERIOD OF SUPPORT

The supplement funding will provide up to six months of support for an internship. Up to two supplemental funding requests may be submitted per student supported by the award. This would allow the student up to two internship periods up to six months each (i.e., a maximum of 12 months per student).

Supplemental funding requests may be submitted at any time with a target date of June 15 for Fiscal Year 2024 and April 15 for future Fiscal Years.

SUBMISSION & REVIEW

Requests for supplemental funding must be submitted electronically via Research.gov. A PI or co-PI on an NSF award must contact his/her cognizant program director prior to submission. GRFP INTERN supplement requests are submitted by the GRFP PI, not by the GRFP fellow or the fellow’s research advisor. Requests for supplemental funding submitted in response to this DCL will be reviewed internally by NSF Program Officers. All supplements are subject to (a) the availability of funds, and (b) merit review of the supplemental funding request.

For further information, please contact: Dr. Prakash G. Balan, [email protected] DEVCOM ARL Point of Contact: Dr. Pablo E. Guzmán, [email protected] DEVCOM GVSC Point of Contact: Ms. Andrea Simon, [email protected]

SPECIAL AWARD CONDITION

Intellectual Property Rights: Internships under this DCL are considered equivalent to traineeships. The National Science Foundation and DEVCOM ARL claim no rights to any inventions or writings that might result from its traineeship awards. However, trainees should be aware that NSF, another Federal agency, or some private party may acquire such rights through other support for particular research. Also, trainees should note their obligation to include an Acknowledgment and Disclaimer in any publication.

Note: If the Host organization is DEVCOM GVSC, an IP agreement between the NSF recipient and DEVCOM GVSC is required per the guidance under the section on Supplemental Funding Request Preparation Instructions.

POLICY OR CODE ADDRESSING HARASSMENT

Recipients are required to have a policy or code of conduct that addresses sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault. The recipient should coordinate with DEVCOM ARL or DEVCOM GVSC to provide orientation to graduate students to cover expectations of behavior to ensure a safe and respectful environment, and to review the recipient and DEVCOM ARL's or DEVCOM GVSC’s policy or code of conduct addressing sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault, including reporting and complaint procedures. For additional information, see the NSF policies at https://new.nsf.gov/stopping-harassment .

Sincerely, Susan Marqusee, Assistant Director Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Dilma Da Silva, Acting Assistant Director Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) James Luther Moore, Assistant Director Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) Susan Margulies, Assistant Director Directorate for Engineering (ENG) Alexandra Isern, Assistant Director Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) Denise Caldwell, Acting Assistant Director Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Sylvia M. Butterfield, Acting Assistant Director Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnership (TIP) Alicia Knoedler, Office Head Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) Kendra Sharp, Office Head Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE)

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At US universities, record numbers of Indian students seek brighter prospects — and overseas jobs

Pranay Karkale, a first-year graduate student at Johns Hopkins University from Nashik, India, stands at the university’s campus in Baltimore on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. Karkale is working toward his Master of Science in engineering management. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

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Pranay Karkale is spending years of savings and $60,000 in student loans to pursue a master’s degree in the United States, yet he considers himself lucky. At home in India, it’s common to hear about families selling off their land to send children to universities overseas.

Karkale was willing to do whatever it took once he got into Johns Hopkins University. A degree from a prestigious U.S. college, he believed, would open doors to a better job and higher pay than he would find in India.

“I don’t feel like I would have gotten the same level of education that I get here,” said Karkale, 23.

Historic numbers of students from India are studying at foreign universities as a fast-growing, aspirational generation of young people looks for opportunities they can’t find at home. India estimates 1.5 million students are studying at universities elsewhere — an eightfold increase since 2012 — with no country attracting more than the U.S.

It represents a loss for India, with many students seeing universities as stepping stones for careers overseas, but a boon for American schools . As record-setting enrollment by students from China has ebbed, U.S. universities have turned to India as a new source of full-price tuition payments.

India’s economy is growing, but joblessness remains persistent even for college graduates. Jobs are being created in fields such as construction and agriculture, but they don’t meet the demands of a newly educated workforce, said Rosa Abraham, an economist at the Azim Premji University.

“I think many young people today feel like the economy isn’t meeting their potential, their aspirations, and so they want to try their chances abroad if they can,” she said.

India’s own higher education system is also short on capacity. As its population surges, competition for admission to India’s top universities has become frenzied. Acceptance rates at some elite Indian universities have fallen as low as 0.2%, compared to 3% at Harvard University and 4% at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lokesh Sangabattula, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in materials science at MIT, is among many hoping to land jobs inside the U.S. There’s little demand for materials scientists in India, he said, and at best he figures he could become a professor. It’s a similar story for engineers, which India generates in huge numbers without the industry to employ them.

“We produce engineers whose degrees don’t have value, so people leave the country,” he said.

Universities in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom also are seeing surging interest, but none more than the U.S., where universities enroll nearly 269,000 students from India. With that number soaring, including a 35% increase in the 2022-23 academic year, India is on the verge of replacing China as the largest international presence on U.S. college campuses.

The vast majority are coming for graduate programs, often in science, math and engineering — fields that have faced persistent labor shortages in the U.S. — though undergraduate numbers also are rising as India’s middle class expands. One selling point is the chance to work in America for up to three years after graduating, a benefit provided by the U.S. government and known as optional practical training.

For Karkale, staying in India never felt like an option. As an undergraduate in India, he became interested in engineering management, which merges engineering and leadership skills. It’s a growing industry in the U.S. and Europe, but Karkale, who is from the western Indian state of Maharashtra, couldn’t find any master’s programs in India.

At Hopkins, he’s gaining professional work experience arranged by the school, a rarity at Indian universities, he said. Ultimately he wants to return to India, but the most appealing jobs are elsewhere. After graduating, he plans to work in the U.S. for at least a year or two.

If he could find the right job in India, he added, “I would hop right back.”

The surge has helped the bottom line of American colleges, which charge international students higher tuition rates. It comes as many Americans sour on higher education, citing concerns about student debt and the perception of liberal bias at universities. The number of students coming from China has been declining as a result of chilly political ties and a stagnant Chinese economy.

In India, American universities have become a common presence at college fairs. Many are spending big to gain name recognition in India, and they are fanning farther across the country to recruit in smaller cities and towns, where demand to study abroad has been rising.

Still, for the vast majority of India’s young people, an overseas education remains out of reach. The cost of a U.S. education is a fortune for most, and Indian banks have scaled back on student loans in response to high default rates.

Even for those who can afford it, the student visa process presents roadblocks. At the U.S. embassy in New Delhi, student applicants are routinely turned away.

On a recent Friday, Daisy Cheema slumped her shoulders and sighed as she left the embassy. She spent weeks preparing for a visa interview after getting accepted to Westcliff University, a for-profit college in California. She hired an agency to help, but her visa was rejected with no reason provided; she just received a slip of paper saying she could reapply.

Cheema, 22, hoped to gain work experience in the U.S. before returning to India to support her family. Her parents, who own a gas station in the northern Indian state of Punjab, were going to pay with their savings.

“I feel terrible right now,” said Cheema, holding back tears. “But I will prepare more and try again. I’m not giving up.”

America’s shift toward Indian students is visible on campuses like the University of Texas, Dallas, where enrollment from China fell from about 1,200 to 400 over the past four years. Meantime, enrollment from India grew from about 3,000 to 4,400.

Rajarshi Boggarapu came to the U.S. to get a master’s degree in business analytics and chose UT-Dallas in part because of its large Indian population. He borrowed $40,000 for tuition, which he sees as an investment in his future.

“We value education more than anything else back in India,” he said.

Like many U.S. universities, Johns Hopkins is deepening ties with India. It has hosted Indian diplomats to discuss health and engineering partnerships and is part of a new task force formed by the Association of American Universities to promote exchange with India.

Before he came to the U.S., Karkale had concerns about the political climate, but the campus made him feel welcome. When he couldn’t return home for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, he was surprised to find a campus celebration that drew hundreds of students and staff.

In a campus gym adorned with colorful flowers and lamps, Karkale watched as student groups performed dances to a mix of new and old Indian music. There was a Hindu prayer ceremony. And when the dance floor opened up, Karkale joined in.

“It was a memorable evening,” he said. “It made me feel right at home.”

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

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Biden-harris administration announces preliminary terms with intel to support investment in u.s. semiconductor technology leadership and create tens of thousands of jobs, office of public affairs.

U.S. Department of Commerce Proposes up to $8.5 Billion in Potential Direct Funding for Intel Under President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to Support Multiple Projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Intel Corporation have reached a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $8.5 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen the U.S. supply chain and re-establish American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. Leading-edge logic chips are essential to the world’s most advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, and this proposed funding would help ensure more of those chips are developed and made domestically. As President Biden highlighted in his State of the Union, the CHIPS and Science Act is charting a new course to manufacture critical technologies in America, lead the world in innovation, and create good jobs here in the United States. This is the Department of Commerce’s fourth PMT announcement under the CHIPS and Science Act.

Over the course of the next five years, Intel expects its investments in the United States to exceed $100 billion, as it expands capacity and capabilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon, estimated to directly create over 10,000 manufacturing jobs and nearly 20,000 construction jobs. The Biden Administration’s proposed CHIPS investment, coupled with Intel’s investment, would mark one of the largest investments ever announced in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. The PMT also includes approximately $50 million in dedicated funding to develop the company’s semiconductor and construction workforce. This builds upon Intel’s own workforce investments, totaling over $250 million in the past five years, as well as its strong partnerships with local communities, community colleges, universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and apprenticeship programs.

“There is no one who cares more about revitalizing American manufacturing than President Biden, and today’s announcement is a massive step towards ensuring America’s leadership in manufacturing for the 21st century. With this agreement, we are helping to incentivize over $100 billion in investments from Intel – marking one of the largest investments ever in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, which will create over 30,000 good-paying jobs and ignite the next generation of innovation,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo . “This announcement is the culmination of years of work by President Biden and bipartisan efforts in Congress to ensure that the leading-edge chips we need to secure our economic and national security are made in the U.S.”

Leading-edge chips power the most sophisticated technology on the planet, including developing AI and building critical military capabilities. Intel’s process technologies such as Intel 18A and advanced packaging technologies, combined with its foundry services, would better enable U.S. companies to lead the AI industry by ensuring we have a domestic supply of these advanced chips.

“The CHIPS for America program will bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. and create a vital R&D ecosystem to keep it here,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio . “The innovation sparked by this proposed investment would strengthen America’s technological and research leadership and significantly help enhance our nation’s manufacturing capacity while strengthening communities and creating good-paying jobs.”

“Today is a defining moment for the U.S. and Intel as we work to power the next great chapter of American semiconductor manufacturing innovation,” said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger . “AI is supercharging the digital revolution and everything digital needs semiconductors. CHIPS Act support will help to ensure that Intel and the U.S. stay at the forefront of the AI era as we build a resilient and sustainable semiconductor supply chain to power our nation’s future.”

This proposed investment would deliver on the Administration's commitment to developing a robust domestic semiconductor ecosystem by reinforcing Intel's decades-long history in the United States. The investment will also enable the company to support industry-leading, U.S.-based fabless semiconductor companies with U.S.-based leading-edge production. The proposed CHIPS funding would strengthen all major technical processes for leading-edge chips to occur in the United States, including proposed investments in:

• Chandler, Arizona: Construction of two new leading-edge logic fabs and modernization of one existing fab, significantly increasing leading-edge logic capacity, including high volume domestic production of Intel 18A – the company’s most advanced chip design that enables higher performing, leading-edge chips through RibbonFET gate-all-around transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery. The company will produce the first Intel 18A product, called Clearwater Forest, at its Arizona facilities. In 2022, Intel partnered with Maricopa County Community Colleges to launch a first-of-its-kind program with Intel employee-instructors to provide students an entry point into semiconductor technician careers. This investment will support 3,000 manufacturing jobs and 6,000 construction jobs.
• Rio Rancho, New Mexico: Modernization of two fabs into advanced packaging facilities to close an important gap in the domestic semiconductor supply chain. When in full production, this facility will be the largest advanced packaging facility in the United States. To support engineering students in New Mexico, Intel established endowment scholarships at five colleges and universities and has supported STEAM education through investments, annual grants, and hands-on learning kits benefitting students living on indigenous lands. This investment will support 700 manufacturing jobs and 1,000 construction jobs.
• New Albany, Ohio: Creation of a new regional chipmaking ecosystem, anchored by the construction of two leading-edge logic fabs, expanded leading-edge foundry capacity, and supply chain diversification. Intel has devoted significant resources to develop a pipeline of skilled workers in Ohio, funding over 80 institutions of higher education across the state, including community colleges, HBCUs, and universities. As part of this investment in Ohio, Intel’s design and build partner Bechtel signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the North America Building Trades Unions for the construction of the two facilities. This investment will support 3,000 manufacturing jobs and 7,000 construction jobs.
• Hillsboro, Oregon: Investment in the premier hub of leading-edge development in the United States through the expansion and modernization of technology development facilities that will utilize the world’s first High NA EUV lithography equipment. The Gordon Moore Park campus at Ronler Acres in Hillsboro, Oregon, is the heart of Intel’s innovation hub for leading-edge semiconductor research and technology development in the United States. These investments will further the company’s technological leadership and enable the continued development of new innovations. In 2022, Intel spent more than $4 billion with more than 500 suppliers across Oregon. This investment will support several thousand manufacturing and construction jobs.

Intel currently uses 100% renewable electricity in U.S. fabs and has achieved net-positive water status in its U.S. operations through efficient water management, water reuse, and, in collaboration with local communities, investment in water restoration in local watersheds. In addition, as part of its broader workforce investment program, Intel has committed to providing affordable, accessible, high-quality child care for its workers across its facilities. For U.S. employees, Intel will be increasing the reimbursement amount and duration for its back-up care program and adding additional access to discounted primary child care providers, as well as access to a vetted network of child care providers. In addition, Intel will pilot a primary child care reimbursement program for non-exempt employees.

In addition to the proposed direct funding of up to $8.5 billion, the CHIPS Program Office would make up to $11 billion in loans – which is part of the $75 billion in loan authority provided by the CHIPS and Science Act – available to Intel under the PMT. The company has indicated that it is planning to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Investment Tax Credit, which is expected to be up to 25% of qualified capital expenditures.

As explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) , the Department may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The PMT outlines key terms for a CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of a long-form term sheet and award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones and remain subject to availability of funds. After the PMT is signed, the Department begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in the long-form term sheet and the final award documents may differ from the terms of the PMT being announced today.

About CHIPS for America

The Department has received more than 620 statements of interest, more than 170 pre-applications and full applications for NOFO 1, and more than 160 small supplier concept plans for NOFO 2. The Department is continuing to conduct rigorous evaluation of applications to determine which projects will advance U.S. national and economic security, attract more private capital, and deliver other economic benefits to the country. The announcement with Intel is the fourth PMT announcement the Department of Commerce has made under the CHIPS and Science Act, with additional PMT announcements expected to follow throughout 2024.

CHIPS for America is part of President Biden’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST is uniquely positioned to successfully administer the CHIPS for America program because of the bureau’s strong relationships with U.S. industries, its deep understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem, and its reputation as fair and trusted. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.

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Is a Computer Science Degree Worth It?

Understanding the Numbers When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

If working with software, technology and a systems mindset interests you, computer science can be a great fit. It’s a field that offers many opportunities to work in cutting-edge technology and can lead to a variety of rewarding career paths .

What is Computer Science?

In addition to work at SNHU, Savard has extensive experience working in the computer science field in other ways. He served in the United States Air Force as an officer, both active and reserve, for more than 30 years. He also worked as a software engineer for many companies and owned a software company himself.

His experience in the field ranges from classified Department of Defense projects to maintenance workflow software, artificial intelligence, medical imaging, large-scale database systems, web development and many other types of software development.

At SNHU, Savard oversees the team responsible for computer science course development and management, among many other responsibilities with both faculty and students.

Is it Worth it to Get a Degree in Computer Science?

Computer science is highly in demand across all types of industry, Savard said.* In fact, the field is enjoying exponential growth, both with traditional companies and with cutting-edge start-ups, he said.*

Since earning his bachelor's degree in computer science from SNHU, LeBoeuf has put his own technological skills to work at his job in web development . To be successful in this role, he needs strong design skills coupled with the ability to put himself in the end-user's shoes.

LeBoeuf enjoys working in a profession that challenges him to keep his skills sharp. “What I love most about the computer science field is that you are constantly learning,” he said. “Technology is ever-evolving, and in computer science, we are (on) the front lines of this ever-changing field, trying to ... adapt our existing applications to new standards.”

Find Your Program

How hard is a computer science degree.

Any degree can be hard if it’s the wrong fit. While computer science is no doubt a challenging major for many due to its highly technical and mathematical nature, it’s a field that can be very rewarding for the right person, said Savard.

“It takes some time to develop the skills required (to be successful), but grit and persistence pays off,” he said.

As a recent graduate, LeBoeuf said, “I do think computer science (may) require more effort than other degrees ... but if you put in that effort and really enjoy what you do, it doesn’t seem hard."

Several skills that can be helpful for success in the computer science field, per Savard, are:

• Communication skills , which include teamwork, oral and written communication and creative thinking. " Soft skills are critical ," said Savard. You need the ability to speak to technical and non-technical stakeholders in an effective way, he said.
• Database management skills , which includes an understanding of systems thinking , software design and software testing.
• Math, which includes both applied and theoretical mathematical concepts such as algebra, calculus, discrete math and statistics, all of which are necessary to excel in this heavily technology-based career field.
• Passion for learning , which includes a desire to work in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment working on technology that has become central to most areas of our lives.

What are the Disadvantages of a Computer Science Degree?

There are likely some individual classes you might not want to take, just like with any degree program, but these classes may help you later on in your schooling and career.

For LeBoeuf, "Data Structures and Algorithms" was a challenge. “When I was taking the class my sophomore year, it was definitely not my favorite class ... but I stuck with it because I knew it was important,” he said.

Two years later, LeBoeuf was able to apply what he learned in this class by serving as a Lead Peer Educator at SNHU for the computer science program. Through this role, he was able to teach other computer science majors the material and help them along in their own schooling. Today, working in the field as a front-end developer, LeBoeuf continues to apply the concepts he learned in that class every day.

Do Computer Science Majors Make a Lot of Money?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows positive job outlooks for a number of professions suitable for people with a bachelor's degree in computer science.* These professions include:

• Computer Network Architects
• Computer Systems Analysts
• Database Administrators and Architects
• Information Security Analysts
• Web Developers and Digital Designers

Median incomes for these jobs range from $80,730 for web developers and digital designers to $126,900 for computer network architects, BLS reported.* Job outlooks for each are predicted to increase between 4% (the national average for job growth) for computer network architects and by as much as 32% for information security analysts over the next 10 years, according to BLS.*

According to BLS, you may engage in the following types of work, depending on your specific career choice:

• Create and maintain websites
• Design and implement data communication networks
• Design systems to hold and organize data
• Design ways to improve efficiency of an organization's computer systems
• Plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization's digital safety

While many computer science jobs require only a bachelor's degree to get started, if you go on to earn a master's degree, you may have even more career opportunities (SNHU does not currently offer a master's degree in computer science).

Working as a computer and information research scientist in software, research and development and computer systems design tends to be among the higher-earning computer science careers, as reported by BLS .* There are also many opportunities to work in the federal government, including the military, as well as academia. While these latter roles may not be as lucrative as more technological jobs, they still pay between $84,440 and $115,400, according to BLS.*

Is Computer Science Going to Be Replaced by AI?

It’s important to remember that AI was originally developed by computer scientists. Because of this, Savard said he feels confident that computer science as a discipline isn’t going anywhere. Instead, "AI will help us to progress more quickly in developing new technologies as well as automate some of the more tedious tasks that can consume part of our day,” he said.

LeBoeuf agrees that AI is a good thing. “People think that AI is going to take jobs,” he said. “(But) you still need that human aspect to every single job to make sure AI is producing what it's meant to (produce).”

After all, computer scientists are the ones who implement AI into websites and applications for people to use, LeBoeuf said.

“AI can revolutionize various industries by improving efficiency and decision-making,” he said. “Through the tons of data you give it, (AI) also might discover new patterns or insights that humans might overlook because of the amount of data (they have before them).”

Is a Degree in Computer Science Right for Me?

Everyone has their own motivation for choosing a career  field. If you have an interest in one or more of the following areas, you may find computer science a good path for you, said Savard:

• Continual learning
• Entrepreneurship
• Opportunities to make a positive impact on society
• Technology and problem-solving

Savard recognizes the unique skill set of computer scientists. He said that the ability to do things that seem like magic to those not in the field is very rewarding. Working first in the military and now in academia, he enjoys being able to put his skills to use educating others.

LeBoeuf's work is with a civil engineering firm. He enjoys the public involvement aspect of the field in particular.

“Putting yourself in the users’ shoes, and understanding where they would look for certain items on a website," is important and useful, LeBoeuf said.

The quickly expanding nature of the computer science field and the many avenues for learning and applying your skills are top benefits to a career in computer science.

Taking advantage of opportunities for collaboration and learning while in school can help prepare you for the rewarding computer science career of your choice.

Discover more about SNHU’s bachelor's degree in computer science : Find out what courses you'll take, skills you’ll learn and how to request information about the program.

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

A former higher education administrator, Dr. Marie Morganelli  is a career educator and writer. She has taught and tutored composition, literature, and writing at all levels from middle school through graduate school. With two graduate degrees in English language and literature, her focus – whether teaching or writing – is in helping to raise the voices of others through the power of storytelling. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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About southern new hampshire university.

SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

Aggie Oceanographer And Geographer Named 2024 US Science Envoy

Dr. Dawn Wright, chief scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) and a 1986 Texas A&M University graduate in oceanography, has been selected by the U.S. Department of State as a 2024 U.S. Science Envoy.

Wright , a leader in the development of data science for the oceans, is one of four eminent U.S. scientists and engineers added earlier this month to the program as its first-ever all-female cohort. She and her fellow 2024 honorees join 30 predecessors tasked with leveraging their expertise and networks to forge connections and identify opportunities for sustained international cooperation in a global quest to address shared challenges, champion innovation, and demonstrate America’s scientific leadership and technical ingenuity.

The U.S. Science Envoy program was established by the Secretary of State in 2010 to help inform the Department of State, other U.S. government agencies and the scientific community about opportunities for science and technology cooperation. As U.S. Science Envoys, Wright and the other 2024 cohort members will travel as private U.S. citizens to engage internationally with civil society as well as government interlocutors. Each was selected to take advantage of respective expertise in key issues facing the world today: artificial intelligence, fusion energy, civil use of space and ocean sustainability.

In addition to a master’s in oceanography from Texas A&M, Wright earned a Ph.D. in physical geography and marine geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1994. As a specialist in marine geology, geography and oceanography, her work has focused on mapping the ocean floor in locations all over the world. She has completed oceanographic fieldwork in some of the most geologically-active regions on the planet, including the East Pacific Rise, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the Juan de Fuca Ridge, the Tonga Trench, volcanoes under the Japan Sea and the Indian Ocean, and American Samoa.

Wright was appointed chief scientist at Esri in 2011 after 17 years as a professor of geography and oceanography at Oregon State University, where she ran her own laboratory, fittingly dubbed Davey Jones’ Locker, and continues to hold a courtesy appointment. Her research interests include geospatial data science, seafloor mapping, coastal/ocean informatics, and environmental education. She has also assisted with several outreach and policy programs in an effort to encourage more minority and female students to consider careers in the sciences.

Wright credits her own childhood in Hawaii for her initial interest in oceanography and her time in the Texas A&M Department of Oceanography for exposing her to the map to her future — the 1977 World Ocean Floor Panorama by Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen. “It was the first in history to hint at the full scope of what lies beneath the blue,” she shared in a 2019 article for Bloomberg .

Wright’s fascination with Tharp as the inventor of marine cartography and her insatiable curiosity about the unexplored later fueled her first move after earning her master’s degree — a post as a marine technician with the National Science Foundation-funded International Ocean Discovery Program ( IODP ) aboard the scientific drilling ship JOIDES Resolution . She sailed on 10 expeditions before leaving in 1990 to pursue her Ph.D. at UC Santa Barbara, where she worked with Dr. Rachel Haymon to perfect her seafloor data mapping skills using the then-cutting-edge data software ArcInfo, the precursor to ArcGIS .

In 1991 during the early stages of her doctoral studies, Wright became the first African-American woman to dive to the ocean floor in Alvin, a deep-sea submersible vehicle. Two decades later in 2022, she became the first — and only — African-American to dive to Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, the deepest and most unexplored place on Earth.

During the past decade at Esri, Wright has written and contributed to some of the most definitive literature on marine geographic information system (GIS) technology while also leading the team that created the Ecological Marine Units (EMUs), a 3D digital ocean that creates a better understanding of marine environments and how to plan for more sustainable activities there in the wake of climate change. She is an elected member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Last fall, she was honored with the 2023 Women of Discovery Award as a WINGS WorldQuest Fellow.

Four decades after arriving in Aggieland, Wright’s ties to Texas A&M remain strong, particularly through The Association of Former Students . In addition to being an active member of the Southern California Texas A&M Club, she is a member of the Black Former Student Network and the Aggie Women Network.

Media contact: Shana K. Hutchins, [email protected]

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National Science Foundation prepares activities and educational resources for April’s solar eclipse

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with agency partners will serve as a major source of information, educational activities and experiences on and around the total solar eclipse taking place on April 8, 2024. The next total solar eclipse will not be visible in the contiguous United States until 2044, so this is a once-in-a-generation event of astronomical magnitude.

NSF will celebrate the eclipse in Dallas, Texas, which falls within the path of totality (the area where a full eclipse can be viewed); in Washington, D.C (outside the path of totality); and in locations across the country. For those who cannot attend an in-person viewing, NSF will host a livestream of the eclipse featuring scientists who study the sun and some of the high-tech facilities they use, including the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope at the National Solar Observatory.

Prior to the eclipse, NSF, in partnership with NOAA and NASA, is making 1 million solar eclipse glasses available to the public. The glasses are being distributed nationwide and will be available on the National Mall the day of the eclipse while supplies last. 

Leading up to the eclipse, NSF will host multiple outreach events at public libraries, museums and observatories across the country, many of which are free and open to the public. At these events, eclipse-related educational material will be available to teachers, parents and caregivers. NSF also offers many educational resources and activities on the science of eclipses. 

For more information, visit  Total Solar Eclipse 2024 | NSF - National Science Foundation .  

Solar Eclipse Viewing Events (April 8) 

Washington, D.C.

Solar Eclipse Festival on the National Mall FREE event Event runs from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. EDT (between 7th and 12th Streets, NW)

On April 8, in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, NSF will participate in the " Solar Eclipse Festival on the National Mall ," in Washington, D.C. This event, presented in collaboration with the Smithsonian, NASA, NOAA and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, will run from 12 to 4 p.m. Attendees will be able to participate in many activity stations and view the sun using a variety of safe telescopes. The eclipse will be visible in the Washington, D.C., area between 2:04 p.m. and 4:32 p.m. Maximum eclipse will be at 3:20 p.m., with the sun 87% covered by the moon. A limited supply of solar eclipse glasses will be available for event attendees. The "Solar Eclipse Festival on the National Mall" is made possible by the generous support of Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons.  

Dallas, Texas Fair Park Cotton Bowl® Stadium

Sun, Moon, and You Solar Eclipse Viewing Event FREE event but must register for a ticket Gates open at 8:30 a.m. CDT; show starts at 9:30 a.m. CDT Totality is from 1:40 - 1:44 p.m. CDT

On April 8, NSF, NOAA and NASA will host the "Sun, Moon, and You Solar Eclipse Viewing Event" at the Fair Park Cotton Bowl ® Stadium in downtown Dallas, with special guest speaker Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist and writer, and educational entertainment from the PBS television series "Ready, Jet, Go!" Experts from NSF, NOAA and NASA will talk about the science of the eclipse, space weather, and why we study the sun. Multiple STEM organizations will be on-site throughout the stadium’s concourse, providing activities and handouts, and telescopes will be available for viewing the eclipse as well as food for purchase. Tickets are available here .  

Livestream 

For those not in the path of the solar eclipse on April 8, NSF is hosting an educational livestream featuring scientists who study the sun and the high-tech facilities they use. The livestream will be geared toward school-aged children and is a free resource that teachers can use in their classrooms. Watch NSF's eclipse livestream here .  

Other Eclipse Events (on and prior to April 8)

NSF and partnering organizations across the country will also host a variety of educational and outreach events on and leading up to the total solar eclipse on April 8. Many of these events will feature solar and space experts, presentations, and activities that are free and open to the public. 

For updates, please consult  Total Solar Eclipse 2024 | NSF - National Science Foundation .

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Ultracold electron source for a compact X-ray source

Daniel Nijhof defended his PhD thesis at the Department of Applied Physics and Science Education on March 21st.

High-energy X-rays have become an indispensable tool for the advancement of scientific research across various disciplines, such as materials science, biomedical research, and environmental sciences. Right now, the type of X-rays needed are only available at large complexes called synchrotrons and x-ray free-electron lasers, and the demand for such facilities is growing, which makes it difficult for researchers and industry to get timely access to X-rays. For his PhD research, Daniel Nijhof explored the development of a compact system known as Smart*Light that can produce X-rays like those from synchrotrons, but with a lower intensity.

In numerous fields, X-rays play a key role in terms of experimentation and measurement. For instance, in materials science, X-rays are used to investigate the structure and composition of new materials at the atomic and molecular level.

In biomedical research, x-ray imaging techniques such as x-ray crystallography and microscopy are used in the development of drugs and to understand the diseases they should fight.

In addition, environmental sciences, energy and fundamental physics research, archaeology and cultural heritage, and advanced manufacturing all benefit greatly from the advantages of x-ray diagnostics.

Demand for X-rays

In this moment in time, X-rays needed for investigative and diagnostic techniques are only available at large complexes called synchrotrons and x-ray free-electron lasers. These are among the most complex and high-tech research facilities that have been devised by humans, but are extremely expensive to construct, to maintain, and to operate.

As a result, there are only around 70 such facilities operational around the world and they are in extremely high demand, possibly resulting in waiting times of months.

Smart*Light

For his thesis, Daniel Nijhof looked at the development of a compact system known as Smart*Light that can produce x-rays with similar properties as those produced in synchrotrons, albeit with a lower intensity.

Bringing these types of X-rays to labs, museums, and incorporating these systems in manufacturing plants could bring great advantages to the various disciplines.

The generation of x-rays in this new system is realized through the interaction between short, relativistic electron bunches and high-intensity laser pulses. In this interaction, the electrons in the bunch collide with the laser pulses and cause an upshift in their frequency, analogous to the frequency shift of an ambulance’s siren when it is approaching.

Even though this mechanism has been known for a century, only recently have the necessary advancements in accelerator and laser technology matured to the required level that producing x-rays in this fashion has become worthwhile.

Relativistic velocities

To generate enough x-rays for this system to be viable, the electrons must be accelerated to relativistic velocities.

This is achieved using a custom-made radio-frequency (RF) linear accelerator (LINAC), adapted from existing LINAC structures designed by CERN for the Compact Linear Collider project.

In this structure, the electron bunches enter with a velocity of 55% of the speed of light and exit with a velocity that is more than 99.9% of the speed of light. In this work, Nijhof and his colleagues realized the construction of the electron beamline and preparation of the RF LINAC. Furthermore, acceleration of the electron bunches to speeds greater than 99% the speed of light has been demonstrated.

What sets the Smart*Light project apart from other compact X-ray devices is the modularity of the design. Additional LINAC sections can be added to further increase the final energy of the electron bunches, increasing the range of achievable x-ray energy with it.

Furthermore, the source of the electron bunches can be swapped with other sources that similarly produce electrons travelling at 55% the speed of light.

This constitutes another part of the work presented in the thesis of Nijhof, where the additional acceleration of electron bunches produced from a laser-cooled and trapped atomic gas was explored.

He demonstrated that electron bunches produced in this way at velocities of roughly 15% the speed of light can be further accelerated properly by RF techniques.

Based on this, a dedicated RF structure has been designed that should be capable of accelerating these bunches to the required velocity of 55% the speed of light. The prospect of combining such a source with the Smart*Light electron beamline is very interesting and fits with the Smart*Light philosophy of generating high quality X-rays at reduced intensities.

Title of PhD thesis: Ultracold electron source development and X-band acceleration for a compact ICS-based x-ray source . Supervisors: Jom Luiten and Peter Mutsaers.

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