WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide $5 million to one or more institutions of higher education to support graduate student training programs in the science and technology of particle accelerators. The support is intended to help build the highly technical workforce needed to sustain U.S. capabilities in this area.

"Particle accelerators have become increasingly critical tools not just for science, but also for industry and medicine," said James Siegrist, DOE Associate Director of Science for High Energy Physics. "DOE has led the world in the development of this technology, and this training initiative will help us continue to nurture the talent needed to sustain U.S. leadership in these crucial capabilities."

Traineeships are expected to focus on the broad physics and engineering of accelerators, including such advanced topics as superconductivity and cryogenics.

Applications are open to U.S. colleges and universities, singly or as consortia. Applicant institutions will be expected to develop and propose an innovative curriculum for the program, including a rigorous thesis or dissertation requirement, with studies closely aligned to DOE science and technology priorities. Application institutions will normally be expected to form a collaborative relationship with one or more DOE National Laboratories, where many of the nation's most powerful particle accelerators reside.

Awards will be made on the basis of peer review are expected to take the form of one or two Cooperative Agreements. Funding under the program will provide student tuition, stipend, and travel costs, along with modest support for curriculum development and program administration.

Funding for the program, beginning in Fiscal Year 2019, is expected to be $1 million per year over five years, with outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations.

The deadline for final applications will be May 31st at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The Funding Opportunity Announcement, titled "DOE Traineeship in Accelerator Science & Engineering," and issued by the Department's Office of Science, can be found here.