Mini-Semester Program

The Mini-Semester program provides undergraduate students interested in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields the opportunity to interact with scientists and research in a real-world setting at Brookhaven National Laboratory. 

For 2023 there will be two tracks to select from:

• NSLSII - Life Science
  • The goal of this weeklong program is to introduce you to the research and applications at Brookhaven Lab User Facilities, the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), and the Center for Functional Materials. Through hands-on modules, lectures, and demonstrations, participants will learn about the techniques widely used at the facilities, methods of data collection, and analysis. Also, you will learn how to access these state-of-the-art user facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory and become the next NSLS-II and/or CFN user.
• Technical/Engineering
  • This hands-on workshop will teach the fundamentals of programming microcontrollers to automate the acquisition and analysis of experimental data from scientific instruments. Modern science is critically dependent on the precision and reliability of control systems built and maintained by engineers and technicians. Participants will write Python code to drive a variety of electronic sensors using real-time feedback algorithms with transfer functions modeled upon actual experiments at BNL. Additionally, students will operate software-based function generators, oscilloscopes, and spectrum analyzers to perform advanced signals analysis in mechanical and electrical engineering domains.