Monthly Archives: January 2017

17Jan/17

Student-led Conference: Functional scanning probe microscopy techniques 30-31 March 2017

Functional scanning probe microscopy techniques 30-31 March 2017

Who:  This is for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers from the SEPnet region with research interests in this year’s conference topics.  A limited number of places are available to early stage researchers beyond the region.

When:  30-31 March 2017.  Arrival in the evening on 29 March 2017.

Where:  Building 58, Murray Lecture Theatre Complex, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton SO17 1BJ.  Free to attend.  Single en suite accomodation at the Glen Ayre Complex. Travel expenses to and from the venue can be claimed through SEPnet.

Abstract deadline 16 December 2016:   Please email your submissions to hector.corte [at] npl.co.uk using the template here. Once your abstract has been accepted you will be notified by the conference organiser to register for this conference.

This workshop contributes 12 hours towards physics skills training.

Registration: The deadline to register is 28 February 2017.  Register here.

What:  There are two parallel research conferences proposed and organised by students wanting to advance their research and extend their collaborations. The conferences include talks by invited speakers and students as well as poster and recreational sessions.

Confirmed speakers:  Florence Marchi, Institute Néel; Ekaterina Selezneva, NPL, Charles Clifford, NPL; Sonia Antoranz Contera, Oxford University

Functional scanning probe microscopy techniques:  

The conference will be focused on sharing the different functional scanning probe microscopy techniques that PhD students use in their day-to-day. Because scanning probe microscopy is becoming a standard tool in many materials laboratories, it has seen a huge increase in the number of available techniques, with almost no time for training of new users.

Our aim is that each PhD student will be able to share their experience and at the same time will be able to learn from others. The objective is that every student attending the conference will learn at least one new technique relevant for their work.

The main topics will be general applications of atomic force microscopy (AFM), magnetic force microscopy, Kelvin microscopy, nanolithography, scanning tunneling microscopy, electrochemical AFM, force spectroscopy, and thermal AFM. Our aim is to transfer knowledge between users of the different techniques in order to make students aware of the available tools they can use in their research.

If your research involves scanning probe microscopy, then you are welcome to submit an abstract (~300 words) describing your work. Please indicate your preference for an oral presentation (15 minutes) or a poster (A1 size). Travel and accommodation expenses are fully covered by SEPnet and there is no registration fee. Please email your submissions to hector.corte [at] npl.co.uk using the template here.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Organisers: Héctor Corte-León (RHUL) Alex Browning (Surrey)

(The parellel session is “A Broadband Look at Astrophysical Processes “.  This meeting will take a broadband look at astrophysical processes across the electromagnetic spectrum.  By introducing different features of the electromagnetic spectrum in an astrophysical context, it will create a foundation for broadband study at different wavebands. Organisers: Peter Boorman, Bella Boulderstone and Chris Frohmaier  (Soton.)

17Jan/17

Student-led Conference: A Broadband Look at Astrophysical Processes 30-31 March 2017

A Broadband Look at Astrophysical Processes 30-31 March 2017

Who:  This is for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers from the SEPnet region with research interests in this year’s conference topics.  A limited number of places are available to early stage researchers beyond the region.

When:  30-31 March 2017.  Arrival in the evening on 29 March 2017.

Where:  Building 58, Murray Lecture Theatre Complex, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton SO17 1BJ.   Free to attend.  Single en suite accomodation at the Glen Ayre Complex. Travel expenses to and from the venue can be claimed through SEPnet.

Abstract deadline 30 November 2016:  Submit your abstract here.  Once your abstract has been accepted you will be notified by the conference organiser to register for this conference.

Registration: The deadline to register is 28 February 2017.  Register here.

What:  There are two parallel research conferences proposed and organised by students wanting to advance their research and extend their collaborations. The conferences include talks by invited speakers and students as well as poster and recreational sessions.

A Broadband Look at Astrophysical Processes:

Astrophysics PhD students commonly start work at a particular waveband of the electromagnetic spectrum, sometimes without any prior knowledge of how their work fits into the ‘bigger picture’.  By introducing attendees to a broad collection of astrophysical research topics at multiple wavelengths, this conference aims to create a foundation to the wider context of students’ research.

This conference will feature seven sessions across the electromagnetic spectrum on: radio; infrared; optical; ultraviolet; X-ray; gamma ray and cosmology/big data.

We encourage abstract applications from PhD students and post-doctoral researchers for oral and poster presentations on any of the aforementioned topics.  Presentations should encompass how you use this topic in your astronomy-based research.  To submit your abstract, please go to https://sites.google.com/site/broadbandlook/home and fill out the form under ‘Abstract Submission for Students’.

Successful applicants will be notified by early January, who must then register for the conference via the registration link included above.

Organisers: Peter Boorman, Bella Boulderstone and Chris Frohmaier  (Soton)

(The parallel session is Functional scanning probe microscopy techniques. This meeting is for those interested in surface analysis and nanotechnology characterisation. Basic concepts and different techniques used by students working on a wide range of topics, from nanomaterials, soft matter, biomedicine, to polymers, surface analysis, and magnetism will be explored. Organisers: Héctor Corte-León (RHUL) Alex Browning (Surrey).)

This workshop contributes 12 hours towards physics skills training.

17Jan/17

GRADnet School: Experimental Methods for Condensed Matter 5-7 March 2017

Experimental Methods for Condensed Matter 5-7 March 2017

Who:  This course is for 1st and 2nd Year Physics postgraduate researchers working in experimental condensed matter physics, and theorists wanting to learn what   experimenters can do!

When: Sunday, 5 March to Tuesday, 7 March 2017.  Arrival 12:30 on Sunday, 5 March.

Where:  Old Thorns Manor Hotel, Liphook, Hampshire, GU30 7PE.  All meals and accommodation have been booked and pre-paid by SEPnet.  Travel expenses to and from the venue can be claimed through SEPnet.  A shuttle taxi service will be provided from Liphook station to Old Thorns on Monday morning and Tuesday evening.

Register here.  Registration deadline 30 January 2017

What:  A 3-day residential workshop that describes the background science, the methodology, the capability and some dos and don’ts of a range of common spectroscopy, microscopy and characterisation techniques.

This residential school has the joint objectives of reinforcing understanding for students already working with some of the methods discussed and showing what other methods might offer. It will include lectures, tutorials, seminars and other activity sessions on:

  • X-ray and neutron scattering
  • Optical spectroscopies.  A discussion of the basics of optical spectroscopy, spectrometers and spectrographs will be followed by examples of their use in characterising materials by photoluminescence, Raman spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy, etc.
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance. An introduction to how physicists use NMR to measure molecular dynamics and microstructure.
  • Electron and atomic force microscopies and surface analysis techniques. These methods enable the imaging of (i) the topography of materials surfaces, (ii) the microstructure of a material, (iii) the defects, such as dislocations, within a material and (iv) chemical analysis. Two sessions explore how these goals are achieved.

This workshop contributes 16 hours towards physics skills training.

13Jan/17

GRADnet Winter School – Please Register today.

GRADnet Winter School 13-15 February 2017, Cumberland Lodge, Great Windsor Park, Berkshire SL4 2HP

This 3-day residential school will focus on the skills required for effective leadership and team-working.  The core activity will centre around a multi-media case simulation of the ill-fated Columbia Space Shuttle mission. In this mission, NASA engineers and leaders sought to understand the nature and threat associated with a technical problem that occurred on launch. Over the course of the mission, they analysed the damage, assessed the risks, and decided what to do. Leadership, organisational culture, communication, personality characteristics, formal systems and job positions are amongst many complex issues that affected the course of the decision-making process.

Workshop participants work in teams to analyse the simulation, using materials supplied by NASA. Each team takes the role of one of the key NASA managers or engineers, initially experiencing only those events that that person had at the time of the mission. This adds a rich dimension to the case experience as participants recognise how perceptions of the same event can vary.

See attached for further details and a draft timetable. Columbia’s Final Mission Winter School Timetable 2017 Draft

To see what happened at the last Winter School look here.

This is a free event and all reasonable travel expenses are covered by SEPnet.

Log on to the VRE and register here.  Registration deadline 13 January 2017.

Cristobel

Cristobel Soares-Smith

SEPnet Graduate Network Administrator

mailto:gradnetadmin@sepnet.ac.uk

01483 682270

www.sepnet.ac.uk
12Jan/17

SEPnet SUMMER PLACEMENTS 2017

SEPnet is_DSC9244 seeking 8-12 week placement projects in industry or research in areas such as data analysis, mathematic modelling, product design and testing or science communication.

WHO CAN APPLY?
The scheme is aimed at any organisations interested in recruiting physics graduates or who can offer valuable business experience including large companies, SMEs, start-ups, research institutions, charities and NGOs.

BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS
• Early access to bright, numerate students with excellent problem-solving and IT skills
• Enables you to carry out projects you would not normally have time for
• Provides a fresh perspective on your business challenges
• All advertising, administration and placement support is handled by SEPnet
• Some funding available for SMEs.

Employers who participate in the scheme include AWE, BAE Systems, CCFE, Good Energy, Leonardo, Met Office, NPL, QinetiQ, STFC and many SMEs.

Register your placement project, or projects, online by Friday 10 February
For more information visit www.sepnet.ac.uk/students-employers/information-for-employers/

Email summerplacements@sepnet.ac.uk.

12Jan/17

Queen Mary University of London launches Research in Schools report.

There is a growing number of projects across the UK giving the opportunity for school students to run their own research projects. This has led to the launch of the Institute for Research in Schools in 2016. Ever wondered how the projects come together? Are you a researcher or teacher and thought about running such a project?

Physicists at SEPnet partner, Queen Mary University of London, have been running
Research in Schools projects over the last two years. Through this time they have come across different challenges in setting up and running said projects. In this report SEPnet / Ogden Outreach Officer Dr Martin Archer looks back and highlights what has worked and what didn’t come together from these projects. These along with the report’s conclusions and recommendations make it essential reading for those looking to set-up similar projects.

The report highlights how Research in Schools projects can have positive impacts on both students and teachers but states how structure and support from universities were important to their success.

Download the Main Report here.

Supplementary material:
Collaboration Agreement with Schools
ULF Project – Teacher’s Guide
Muon Project – Teacher’s Guide

SEPnet would like toIMG_3105 thank QMUL’s Centre for Public Engagement for supporting the running of the Cosmic Ray Muon Project in 2015/16 through a Large Award and STFC for awarding a Public Engagement Small Award to purchase additional muon detectors enabling QMUL to take the cosmic ray muon project to five schools in 2016/17.

SEPnet Outreach continues to encourage and support its partners to develop Research in Schools projects as part of its Schools programme. SEPnet also continues to participate in CERN@School and works closely with the Institute for Research in Schools.

If you would like more information please contact SEPnet Outreach at outreach@sepnet.ac.uk