EDUCATION
National Labs Offer New Student Program The U.S. Department of Energy is offering a new program for undergraduate science and engineering students aimed at providing research experience during the academic year. The program is being offered at six national laboratories throughout the country to qualified students. The six national laboratories are Argonne, Brookhaven, Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest. Students accepted in the program will participate directly in current research areas of their choice. They will receive training and gain experience in the operation of state-ofthe-art equipment. To be eligible for the Science & Engineering Research Semester (SERS), students must have completed at least their sophomore year of study and currently be enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges or universities in academic programs leading to baccalaureate degrees in computer sciences, engineering, environmental and life sciences, mathematics, or the physical sciences. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens, 18 years of age or older. (Security clearances are required.) They must have an overall grade point average of at least 3.0, based on A = 4.0, from all institutions attended. The applicants are reviewed by a national selection committee to determine the finalists. Selection is based on academic performance, expressed research interest, academic references, statement of career goals, availability of resources, and available positions in the various laboratories. Appointments will be announced by the end of November foj: the spring session, and by the end of April for the fall session. Appointees receive stipends during the SERS program. Juniors receive $150 per week and seniors $175 per week. Appointees also receive complimentary housing or a 24
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housing allowance, and transportation expenses are reimbursed. Appointees are encouraged to apply for academic credit for their research work through their colleges or universities. Where available, academic courses may be taken at the national laboratories subject to prior approval by the student's academic institution. The normal period of participation is one semester, but under some circumstances the period may be extended to as long as 12 months. Much depends on the nature of the research and the mutual agreement of the student and the student's college or university. It is advantageous to contact the laboratories well in advance to determine what research is being conducted and what the needs of the laboratories might be. Students are advised to make first and second choices. The spectrum of research areas is typified by those of Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. Pro-
Students contribute active, inquiring minds with fresh viewpoints and continuing interest when they return home grams are available in physics, basic and applied chemistry, materials science, environmental and life sciences, reactor physics and engineering, experimental reactor technology, mathematics and computer sciences, energy systems, and the GeV advanced photon source. Research in the chemical sciences extends from basic studies in the structure of coal to photosynthesis and includes such diverse topics as basic phenomena involving electron transfer, redox reactions, free radicals, molecular beams, metal clusters, and photochemistry. Work is also under way in the basic prop-
erties of the actinide elements, organic superconductors, and surface chemistry. A new program is devoted to computational chemistry for calculating the energetics and dynamics of hydrogen oxidation. There are also two programs in electrochemical technology, one concerning fuel cells and the other new battery technology. Other basic work is devoted to high-temperature chemistry and catalysis. Some important studies are devoted to municipal waste disposal and gas cleanup. The program in nuclear chemistry is concerned with fusion technology, fission, geoscience, environmental and life sciences, and energy systems. While being of great potential interest to students, the programs also provide the laboratories with considerable benefits. John F. Mateja, program leader in student programs at Argonne, notes that the students provide more than inexpensive help. They also contribute active, inquiring minds with fresh viewpoints and continuing interest when they return home. This is the stuff of research, he says, and not always easy to acquire. The students are also potential lab staffers of the future. The laboratories are aware of the necessity to maintain their stature within the scientific community and among the public at large. In addition to the new SERS program, the laboratories conduct a variety of programs including the Summer Research Participation program, graduate thesis appointments, and numerous faculty programs. In fiscal 1987 more than 190 colleges and universities participated in the various programs at Argonne National Laboratory. These and similar programs at other national laboratories around the country are convincing evidence of the laboratories' involvement in scientific and technical education. Joseph Haggin
