Suffolk Reporter

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative, Brookhaven Lab and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility will collaborate on an immersive summer school aimed at providing college freshmen and recent high school graduates with skills in "big data" and artificial intelligence/machine learning. The program will utilize a hybrid model, reflecting modern scientific practices, while leveraging the unique strengths of each lab. Big data applications will include those developed for the future Electron-Ion Collider, a collaborative project between the two laboratories.

A total of 165 students will spend next summer learning, networking, and conducting scientific research at seven national laboratories via funding from the DOE's RENEW initiative. These students are high schoolers, recent graduates, or early undergraduates interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). They will participate in the RENEW Pathways Summer School (PSS) program. Sponsored by the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) at the Office of Science, the PSS program aims to diversify the STEM talent pool through hands-on learning opportunities and inclusive mentorship at DOE national laboratories.

“A diverse workforce now and into the future is absolutely essential if we are going to solve the huge scientific challenges we are facing,” said Harriet Kung, Acting Director of the DOE Office of Science. “These pathway summer schools are a wonderful and innovative way to bring talented young individuals into our nation’s scientific powerhouses, our national laboratories. The goal is that they will see the many different opportunities available and avenues to pursue a career in science.”

New awards will go to:

- Argonne National Laboratory: A Taste of Technical Roles: A Community College Pathway Summer School

- Brookhaven National Laboratory and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility: Big Data Science and Applications Summer School at Brookhaven and Jefferson Labs

- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship

- Los Alamos National Laboratory: BEAM: Bridging Education in Optics and Applied STEM

- National Renewable Energy Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: NREL-SLAC Pathway Summer School: Exploring Chemistry, Transforming Communities

The new PSS groups join efforts across DOE national laboratories to create inclusive pathways for young students entering the science and technology workforce in support of DOE's mission.

Pathways Summer Schools leverage partnerships between DOE national laboratories and organizations supporting underrepresented groups in STEM to recruit participants. Twelve national labs will conduct 16 Pathways Summer Schools next year. Students will engage in activities designed to enhance their knowledge of STEM fields and promote their STEM identity.

Activities include hands-on learning guided by mentors or mentoring teams, networking with mentors and other participants, and professional development activities. The summer schools are scheduled for Summer 2025.

More information about opportunities available to students, faculty, and researchers can be found on the Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists website.