U.S. Particle Accelerator School
Program Information:
January 23 - February 3, 2023 USPAS Session in Houston, Texas, USA
Classes, meals, sleeping rooms, and the Study Room will all be held at the Hilton Houston North Hotel (12400 Greenspoint Drive, Houston Texas 77060).
Classes ending on Friday January 27 or Friday February 3 will finish at 12:00 (noon). When booking return air tickets students should allow time for their class to end at noon plus transportation time to the airport before selecting their flight time home.
Registration Fee
For students who are not receiving a scholarship, the Registration Fee is $1,500.00 if your Application Form is received before October 3, 2022; after October 3 the Fee increases to $1,600.00. The Registration Fee is prorated to $1,000.00 for students attending a one-week class. Please note: you do not have to pay the Registration Fee by October 3, you must send in the Application Form before October 3. The $1,500/$1,600.00 Registration Fee includes12 breakfasts and dinners. The $1,000.00 registration fee includes 5 breakfasts and dinners.
Scholarships
To be considered for any of the 3 scholarships available, you must submit four documents: an application form; a cover letter explaining why the USPAS is important to your career and describing prior research experience, work with or as a user of particle accelerators; your CV; at least one letter of recommendation. Students receiving any scholarship are expected to fully participate in all aspects of the course and must take their course for credit. Students receiving housing support must share their hotel room with another student. Scholarships are open to both domestic and international students. Consideration will be given to balancing class sizes. Multiple awards are possible.
Note: International students requesting a scholarship who are not from U.S. visa-waiver countries must already be in possession of a visa that is valid for the entire period of the USPAS session. A copy of your visa must be faxed (630-840-8500) or postal mailed to the USPAS before December 15, 2022. If you are unable to do this please contact us.
APS Division of Physics of Beams Travel Scholarship
The Division of Physics of Beams (DPB) of the American Physical Society is offering a limited number of travel scholarships to USPAS students. Applicants must be members of the DPB (note that student membership is free for the first year). The DPB scholarship will cover travel expenses and a USPAS scholarship will cover housing and your registration fee. Typical travel awards amounts will be $500.00 with the possibility of larger awards for higher cost points of origin. These scholarships are open to domestic and international students who meet the usual USPAS scholarship requirements (required documents listed above). You can enroll for DPB membership here https://www.aps.org/membership/ and more details on eligibility and the selection criteria can be found at DPB Scholarship Details.
Auditing Your Course
If you are auditing your course(s), you will not enroll at Northern Illinois University and will not earn a grade. You are not required to complete homework assignments nor take any exams. Domestic and international attendees who audit their course will be asked to complete a USPAS Audit Form.
Taking your Course for Credit/a Grade
If you are taking your course(s) for host university credit, you will enroll at Northern Illinois University through the USPAS and will fully participate in class. Indiana University, MIT and MSU students may directly earn home university credit for their USPAS course. Students enrolled for credit are expected to complete homework, take all exams and participate fully in class. If you successfully pass a two-week class you will earn 3 units of academic credit through Northern Illinois University. Students enrolled in one 1-week course are not eligible for university credit but may ask for their work to be graded and performance rated. Students enrolled for NIU credit will be asked to complete a NIU/USPAS Enrollment Form.
Academic Status at Northern Illinois University
Students must make final confirmation of their choice to take their course for credit or audit on or before Tuesday, January 24, 2023. Official transcripts will be maintained by NIU. Students receiving financial support from the USPAS or the DPB must enroll for university credit. Foreign nationals receiving financial support from the USPAS may not enroll for credit, but they must participate fully in all aspects of their session and have their performance rated.
International Participants
This USPAS program is open to participation by both domestic and international attendees. The program is an intense learning experience sponsored by Northern Illinois University from January 23 - February 3, 2023 only. Because this program is not a course of full-time study, an F visa (student visa) is not appropriate. We believe a B visa (visitor/business visa) or Visa Waiver is appropriate. International participants not currently residing in the U.S. may attend the program and may request financial sponsorship, but they may not earn credit from NIU. International participants receiving financial support from the USPAS must participate fully in all aspects of their session and will receive a letter confirming their attendance and rating their performance. Failure to turn in assignments or take exams could jeopardize financial support awarded by the USPAS.
Note: International students requesting a scholarship who are not from U.S. visa-waiver countries must already be in possession of a visa that is valid for the entire period of the USPAS session. A copy of your visa must be mailed or faxed to the USPAS at (630-840-8500) or postal mailed before December 15, 2022. If you are unable to do this please contact us.
You will be asked to complete an International Participant Registration Form.
USPAS Registration and Course Check-In
Registration will be held on Sunday January 22, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Hilton Houston North Hotel (12400 Greenspoint Drive, Houston Texas 77060) with dinner available from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The USPAS Director will give a welcome talk at 7:00 p.m.
If you do not register with the USPAS on Sunday night, you must register on Monday morning, January 23. If you arrive after registration hours Sunday night, please check the hotel information boards to locate the breakfast room. If you are scheduled to arrive for classes the second week only (January 30 - February 3), information will be provided so that you know when and where meals will be served, what your classroom assignment is, and to remind you to check-in with the USPAS staff Monday morning of the second week. The USPAS Office will be open weekdays beginning Monday, January 23, during normal business hours.
Housing
By reserving your hotel room via a link we provide to you, you may take advantage of a special reduced hotel room rate and any extras (free parking, free Wi-Fi in your sleeping room, etc) that we have negotiated for our participants at the Hilton Houston North Hotel. Hotel rooms are available for $122.00 plus tax per night and a double room (shared by 2 people) will be $61.00 plus tax per person per night. Rooms may be reserved at our rate 3 days before and after the program dates, based on hotel availability.
At the time of this writing the Hilton Houston North offers a free shuttle from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. This service is subject to change or cancellation due to staffing shortages.
Please confirm your departure date when you check-in to the hotel as they may charge an Early Departure Fee (equal to one night of housing) if you change your departure date after check-in.
As is true with any hotel, this hotel may impose access and service charges in addition to time charges for phone calls (even for credit card or 800-number calls) so it is wise to confirm applicable charges from your sleeping room before using the telephone in your room.
All USPAS participants should make their hotel room reservation through a link we send in your acceptance email. All reservations require a one-night deposit to hold your room. No charge will be made to your credit card unless you fail to cancel your reservation as directed on the form, i.e., 72 hrs. in advance of your scheduled arrival. If your deposit is made by check, it will be credited to your stay or it will be refunded if cancellation is made before the deadline (or returned to you if you are a scholarship student). We never recommend using a debit card for your one-night deposit or to pay for your hotel room. The hotel will "hold" an amount of money on your debit card and it could take your bank several days (or longer) to release that hold. You would not have access to those funds during the "hold" period.
Even if your accommodations are being paid for by the USPAS, you must guarantee your arrival by credit card or by a check in US dollars (the one-night deposit). Please remember that this is only a guarantee (a deposit). After your arrival, the room charges for housing scholarship students will be paid directly by the USPAS and your deposit (if made by check) will be returned to you. If your guarantee is made by credit card and you arrive as scheduled, no room charges will be put on your card. It is important that you tell us if your travel plans do not match what is on the web form; note that some date changes may make you responsible for payment, e.g., if you arrive earlier than or stay later than School dates. Also, if you are scheduled to have a roommate and one does not appear, notify the USPAS Office the following morning so that your room can be reassigned if necessary. Otherwise you may be responsible for room charges.
Each guest will be required to pre-pay a $50.00 deposit at check-in for their estimated incidental charges (telephone calls, room service, restaurant charges, in-room movies, etc.). If the initial deposit is exceeded, the guest will be required to make an additional deposit. All unused deposits will be refunded at the end of your stay. The deposit can be made by credit card or cash. We do not recommend that you use a debit card for this type of payment guarantee.
Please note if you are receiving financial support from the USPAS to cover your sleeping room: the USPAS will only pay for your room during the dates of the program. If you arrive earlier or stay later than those dates, you are responsible for paying the extra cost.
Meals
Breakfasts and dinners are included in the USPAS Registration Fee. USPAS dinners will be provided from 6 to 7 p.m. beginning Sunday, January 22 through Thursday, February 2 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 dinners). Breakfasts will be provided from 7:30 to 9 a.m. daily from Monday January 23 through Friday February 3. USPAS meal tickets for accompanying persons must be purchased separately from the USPAS Office. Attendees are free to make their own lunch arrangements.
Study Room
USPAS Study is scheduled at the hotel every evening from 7:00 p.m. to midnight (including the weekend).
Class Computing Requirements and Internet Access
We will not have a Computer Lab with shared PCs so all participants are required to bring their own portable computer to access online course notes and computer resources. This can be a laptop or a tablet with a sufficiently large screen and keyboard. Windows, Mac, and Linux-based systems that are wifi capable and have a standard web browser and mouse are all acceptable. You should have privileges for software installs. If you are unable to bring a computer, please contact uspas@fnal.gov ASAP. Very limited IT support and spare loaner laptops will be available during the session..
We have secured free guest room internet for attendees booking their room via the housing link we send in your acceptance email.
Airport and Ground Transportation
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is the closest airport at 7 miles away. The hotel has a free shuttle to/from IAH that runs every 30 minutes from 5:00 am to 11:30 pm. When you arrive at the IAH airport please call them at 281-875-2222 to learn the pick-up location.
William P. Hobby airport (HOU) is a smaller airport and is 35 miles away.COVID-19
The USPAS has a mandatory vaccination or test mandate and will also follow state and local regulations relating to COVID-19 when carrying out our sessions. Regulations may change in response to needs at the time of the session. We require that all session participants respect regulations applicable to the session, which may or may not include wearing masks. Additionally, consistent with our USPAS Code of Conduct, we require that all participants respect choices that others may make in elective masking and other reasonable actions to reduce pandemic risk. All participants of the session are required to adhere to our policies. Anyone violating our policies will be required to leave the session.
The USPAS will stock rapid tests, masks and hand sanitizer and will provide to attendees upon request.
Participants are required to carry health insurance valid for the duration of the session. Attendees coming from outside the U.S. must purchase temporary health insurance valid while they are in the U.S. The USPAS will not pay any medical expenses.
In order to protect the health and safety of all attendees, instructors and staff, we are requiring all participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to agree to regular testing. You are considered to be “fully vaccinated” after one of these conditions are met:
- have received 2 doses in a two-dose vaccine series and at least one booster.
- have received 1 dose of a single-dose vaccine and at least one booster.