Education and Outreach
NSF’s ChemMatCARS is a national facility for chemistry and materials research. We welcome students at all levels – high school, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate – into our laboratories, providing them the opportunity to learn about x-ray science and instrumentation, and participate in hands-on experiments.
Faculty and Student Team Research Award at ChemMatCARS (FaSTRAC)
NSF’s ChemMatCARS at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is sponsoring summer research experiences for faculty and students from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). The purpose of our program is to provide MSI faculty members and their research students with hands-on experience and one-on-one training, thereby increasing their use of NSF’s ChemMatCARS facility and establishing long-term collaborations between scientists in MSIs and NSF’s ChemMatCARS.
Take a look at the previous FaSTRAC recipients
Graduate Student Research Award at ChemMatCARS (GSRAC)
The annual Graduate Student Research Award at ChemMatCARS (GSRAC) program supports two graduate students to carry out their research and participate in other beamline activities at NSF’s ChemMatCARS over an extended period of 4–6 weeks during the summer. This program allows students to pursue their PhD research and deepen their understanding of the sophisticated synchrotron x-ray techniques and capabilities at NSF’s ChemMatCARS and the Advanced Photon Source. Preference is given to women and members of under-represented groups (URG), but all are encouraged to apply.
Take a look at the previous GSRAC recipients
Tours
Since August 2003, more than 1000 people have visited our facility, most of them students.
Nearly 250 people visit our facility annually.
- To request an individual tour, contact the NSF’s ChemMatCARS Outreach Coordinator, Natalie Chen
- To request a group tour, contact Argonne National Laboratory’s Educational Programs and Outreach
Teaching Experiments
In 2007, 2012, and 2016 we hosted the School on Liquid Surface X-ray Scattering for graduate students and professors. We have participated in Argonne’s National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering during the summers of 2002-2016. We also hosted a pilot laboratory investigation for high school advanced-placement physics students from nearby Riverside-Brookfield High School in the spring of 2003.
Workshops and Courses
We host, organize, and provide major participation in professional-level workshops.
Recently, these have included the following:
- NSF’s ChemMatCARS Workshop on Mail-in Service and Remote Data Collection, 2023
- NSF’s ChemMatCARS Workshop on Biomembranes, 2023
- ASAXS Workshop: New Opportunities in Chemistry & Materials Sciences w/Anomalous X-ray Scattering, , co-organized by ChemMatCARS and the APS Users Meeting, 2023
- Data Analysis School on X-ray Scattering from Liquid Interfaces, 2021
- Workshop on Advanced Crystallography, organized/hosted by NSF’s ChemMatCARS, 2019
- Workshop on Liquid Interfaces, organized/hosted by NSF’s ChemMatCARS, 2019
- Truman State University Advanced Crystallography Class at ChemMatCARS, 2016, 2017, 2019
- School on Liquid Surface Scattering: Data Analysis, organized/hosted by ChemMatCARS, 2016
- Liquid Surface Scattering hands-on experiments at ChemMatCARS for the APS X-ray and Neutron School, annually, 2014-2019
- APS Special Interest group on Soft Matter, seminar series organized and hosted monthly by ChemMatCARS, 2014-2023
- Harvard University Advanced Crystallography Class at ChemMatCARS, annually, 2014-2017
- School for Synchrotron Crystallography, organized/hosted by ChemMatCARS, 2014
- Liquid Surface Workshop, co-organized by ChemMatCARS and the APS Users Meeting, 2014
For a full listing of workshops and courses, click here
Staff Presentations
NSF’s ChemMatCARS staff members have been actively involved in events promoting scientific careers, synchrotron x-ray research, and student involvement in science. These include more than fifty staff presentations to groups of students, as well as participation as judges and advisors in student competitions. NSF’s ChemMatCARS staff members are available for presentations. Please contact staff members for more information.
Education and Outreach Contacts
FASTRAC & GSRAC
- Natalie Chen
(nataliec@uchicago.edu) - Dr. Binhua Lin
(blin@uchicago.edu) - Dr. Yu-Sheng Chen
(yushengchen@uchicago.edu)
TOURS
STAFF PRESENTATIONS
- Liquid Surface:
- Advanced Crystallography:
- ASAXS: