The following programs are advertised annually to NSSC scholars:
NSSC-LLNL Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Summer School: The 2025 NSSC-LLNL Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Summer School will feature lectures and hands-on experimental modules covering various aspects of nuclear risk reduction. Scholars will form teams to engage in hands-on experimental modules aimed at tackling challenges in warhead verification, emergency response, and nuclear forensics. This workshop will also include facility tours and an opening reception where scholars will have an opportunity to connect with LLNL scientists from across the laboratory. More details available at https://nssc.berkeley.edu/2025-nssc-llnl-nuclear-security-and-nonproliferation-summer-school/.
Program Dates: June 10-13, 2025
Nuclear Inspector School at LANL: The Nuclear Safeguards Summer School is an introductory course on nondestructive assay (NDA) measurement techniques that are used for nuclear material accountancy by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or within a State’s System of Accounting and Control. The course is designed to teach students the fundamentals of gamma-ray and neutron detection. The course includes lectures and a number of hands-on exercises in LANL’s training facility leveraging the expertise and resources that are also used to instruct IAEA inspectors in NDA principles each year. This course offers students a unique opportunity to perform NDA measurements using a variety of instruments such as sodium iodide detectors, high-purity germanium detectors, and several types of neutron detectors—on a variety of nuclear materials. The training focuses on the quantitative measurements of mass and isotopic composition on uranium and plutonium items. More details available at https://nssc.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-Inspector-School-for-Keepin.pdf
Program Dates: June 9-13, 2025
PNNL Summer School on Radiation Detection for Nuclear Security: The Radiation Detection for Nuclear Security Summer School at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) offers a unique hands-on experience that explores how radiation detectors are used in national security missions. The course provides an understanding of challenges in the field and exposes students to the technical foundations, analysis, and insights required to lead technology development and applications in nuclear security. The two-week course on PNNL’s campus in Richland, Washington, features seminars with top nuclear security experts, tours of operational facilities, and hands-on instruction with detection equipment and methods.
Program Dates: June 16-27, 2025. More details available at https://www.pnnl.gov/radsummerschool.
LBNL Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS): The 2025 Exotic Beam Summer School will be held at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The aim of this annual school is to introduce students and young researchers to the various facets of the science of exotic nuclei including nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and the application of nuclear science and technology. Through these schools, the research community will be able to more fully exploit the opportunities created by the state-of-the-art exotic beam facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Applications will open in February, 2025.
Program Dates: June 22-28, 2025. More details are available at https://ebss2025.lbl.gov.
NSSC Scintillator Summer School: The Scintillator Summer School is a program focusing on scintillation radiation detectors and hosted by ORNL, UCB, AFIT, and UTK. Participants will travel to ORNL/UTK to learn from subject matter experts the fundamentals of scintillation (both organic and inorganic), hear about cutting-edge applications, make their own scintillators, and perform characterization measurements. In addition to the technical content, students will be able to network with ORNL staff, tour some of the world-class lab capabilities at ORNL, and learn about available career opportunities.
Program Dates: July 29-31, 2025. More details available at https://nssc.berkeley.edu/nssc-scintillator-summer-school/.
BRSL AI Red-Teaming Bootcamp: The Berkeley Risk and Security Lab invites early-career professionals, with expertise in CBRN, cybersecurity, machine learning, disinformation studies, or other relevant fields to AI safety to take part in UC Berkeley’s inaugural AI Red-Teaming Bootcamp class. The bootcamp is hosted on UC Berkeley’s campus and features instructors and lecturers from the private sector, government (including the national labs), academia, and civil society. Participants thus get the opportunity to engage with these experts and understand their different approaches and priorities with regard to AI safety. Participants will also learn about the history of red-teaming, understand the current red-teaming landscape, and work through a series of red-teaming exercises.
Program Dates: July 27-August 1, 2025. More details available at: https://brsl.berkeley.edu/ai-red-teaming-bootcamp/.
NSSC-HEPCAT Nuclear Analytical Techniques (NAT) Summer School: The NSSC-HEPCAT NAT Summer School will be held once more live at the UC Davis in Davis, CA. This year, it will be a joint session supported by the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC) and the High Energy Physics Consortium for Advanced Training (HEPCAT). The program will include some lectures but will primarily focus on hands-on activities involving nuclear analytical techniques, such as Nuclear Counting at McClellan Nuclear Research Lab, Cross Section measurement at the Crocker Nuclear Lab Cyclotron, investigations of Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) and Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS), the Dark Radio search for dark matter, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) using signals from a liquid argon detector.
Program Dates: June 8-June 13, 2025. More details available at: https://nssc.physics.ucdavis.edu/nssc-hepcat-summer-school-2025/.