IMMEDIATE OPENINGS AVAILABLE
Description of Position 1: Electrical Engineer student
The Electronics Group of the High Energy Physics Division seeks two Electrical Engineering undergraduate students who would work alternating semesters to fill a single co-op student position. Each student is expected to work full time (40 hours per week) during their work semester. Prefer commitment for at least three work semesters from each student, and may be optionally extended to include summer and winter break periods. The successful candidate will work with engineers and technical assistants in the development of high-performance electronic instrumentation to support research programs at the lab.
Requirements: Undergraduate student in an accredited electrical engineering program. Prefer students who have completed the sophomore year or above. To be considered you must have a strong interest in both digital and analog circuit design.
Desirable skills and experiences: Experience and/or course work in FPGA logic design using VHDL,'C' software development on Windows computers. Familiarity with the use of electronic lab equipment including oscilloscopes and logic analyzers. Experience with Microsoft Excel, embedded microcontrollers, schematic entry and printed circuit board design. Good mechanical ability and familiarity with hand tools.
If you have questions you can send an email to John Anderson at JTA@anl.gov for more details on the position. Please contact Lisa Reed lisareed@anl.gov for information on the Co-op Program. This is a great opportunity to get hands on, real world experience!
Description of Position 4: Multi-core processing of x-ray data
Overview: We seek a co-op student in computer science or electrical engineering with strong Linux-based programming skills to work on multi-core processing of x-ray data from fast (up to 400 MB/s), x-ray-sensitive area detectors. You will work with electrical engineers and physicists at the premier 3rd generation synchrotron-x-ray source in the Western Hemisphere. Deliverables you will produce include: i) an evaluation of whether detector data can be processed on-the-fly (ideally) or post-acquisition only, ii) implementation of lower-level discrimination (LLD), and iii) implementation of droplet/charge-cluster algorithms. All of this development work will be performed in a multi-core Scientific Linux computing environment hosted on an Advanced Telecommunications Architecture (ATCA) crate. If time permits, you will also evaluate the suitability of graphical processing units (GPU’s) for performing the work described above and the possibility of performing short-time time autocorrelations within either the multi-core or GPU computing environment.
Project Background and Detailed Description: X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy uses nearly coherent x-rays produced by a high-brilliance x-ray source to study dynamics at the nanoscale in condensed matter. Fast x-ray-sensitive area detectors are increasingly used for this technique because they greatly increase the quality of the measured signals. One challenge with using such detectors, however, is the enormous quantity of raw data they can produce. This challenge is mitigated by the fact that actual the signal content of the raw data is sparse so the data can be compressed. In fact, we have successfully performed such work before at much lower data rates (120 Mbytes per second) [T. Madden et al., Rev Sci. Instr. 82, 075109 (2011)] within a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) but now seek to develop a solution appropriate to data rates of 400 Mbytes per second or more. The specific technical goals of the project are as follows:
- Evaluate the feasibility of post-acquisition compression versus on-the-fly compression by investigating and possibly developing an iSCSI interface to a multi-core processor board running Scientific Linux on an ATCA crate.
- Develop lower-level-discrimination (LLD) based compression routines able to filter saved detector data and, based on the evaluation above, data streaming from the detector.
- Develop so-called “droplet” algorithms to further compress appropriately sparse detector data.
- Evaluate the feasibility of performing short-time time autocorrelations of the compressed data produced above.
- Evaluate the feasibility of performing the work described above in GPU’s vis-a-vis multi-core processors
The work you perform will have immediate impact on ongoing high-impact research programs examining the nature of dynamics in equilibrium and non-equilibrium soft condensed matter and will facilitate the development of new programs.
The position is for 19 hours per week during the school year; 40 hours per week during the summer and academic breaks. Please contact Cindy Kuzma at kuzma@aps.anl.gov for information on this position. Please contact Lisa Reed lisareed.anl.gov for information on the Co-op Program.
Notification
Students who are selected will be notified by email. The email will include the official offer package
providing details of the project, salary, travel reimbursement, etc.
Financial Information
Salaries are competitive and are based upon the field of study and academic year status of the student.
Transportation Reimbursement
Students cannot be reimbursed for travel expenses for an interview trip. Transportation expenses are reimbursed for one round trip between your home or academic institution (the address on the student's driver's license will be used to establish eligibility for travel reimbursement) and the facility. Travel will only be paid for student's whose permanent addresses established by your driver's license is more than fifty miles away from Argonne. Transportation expenses will be reimbursed on the basis of the most direct route. Travel by a private automobile will be reimbursed at the current government mileage rate. Travel by air will be reimbursed at the cost of the lowest commercial airfare. Travel arrangements are arranged by the host Division at Argonne. Housing
Apartment type lodging facility is available on site. All housing arrangements for single students or
married students traveling without their spouse are handled by the Argonne Guest House.
Application Requirements
The application requirements include two (2) letters of recommendation. Applicants are encouraged to
make the requests for recommendation letters as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of the applicant
to inform their recommenders that they must submit the recommendation letter. Letters should be sent by
email or fax to the address listed below. Also required is a CO-Op Verification
Form.
Application Access
Frequently Asked Questions - Cooperative Education Program
- Are non-U.S. citizens eligible?
Yes, but you must have Curricular Practical Training (CPT) approval on your 1-20 from your campus foreign student advisor.
- I'm an undergraduate student, but I won't be 18 years old for another year. If this program is for undergraduate students, why can't I participate?
Eighteen is the minimum age for participation regardless of your education level.
- Do I have to have health insurance coverage to apply or can I wait until I'm selected to acquire it?
You do not have to have health insurance at the time of applying, but you must have health insurance in order to begin your appointment.
- Can I transfer my previous recommendations to my new application?
No, letters of recommendations cannot be transferred from previous applications.
- Who should I get to write my letters of recommendation?
Letters of recommendation should be requested from individuals familiar with your academic achievements and your academic or professional accomplishments. College faculty members who teach science, technology, engineering, or mathematics courses are the best references, but you may also use lab assistants, teaching assistants, or employers (only if they are in a research setting).
- Am I required to submit transcripts?
No, transcripts are not required
- Can I get in touch with scientists in areas I've chosen? Is this advisable?
Yes. As you explore Argonne's websites, you may identify scientists, programs, or divisions you would like to contact. The more you know about a group, the better chance you have of making a choice appropriate to your interests and skills. HOWEVER, potential research advisors are NOT authorized to offer you an appointment. If you are selected you must receive an official letter from the Educational Programs at Argonne.
- Will you let me know if I am missing parts of my application?
No, it is your responsibility to ensure that your application is complete and received before the deadline.
- How does the selection process work?
To be considered, an applicant must meet all eligibility criteria and have submitted an application comprising of all required materials. Prior to the merit assessment and evaluation, an initial review of all applications will be conducted to verify applicant eligibility and ensure all the required application materials have been provided. If a staff member has an interest in an application, an interview is scheduled.
- What are my chances of getting selected?
The chances of being selected depend on many factors: the number of applications submitted, the number of available opportunities and the availability of funds. These factors vary each year so it is not possible to determine an individual's chances of being selected for any given time period.
- When and how will I find out if I've been selected?
Students who are selected will be notified by email. The email will include the official offer package providing details of the project, salary, travel reimbursement, etc.
- If I don't get selected immediately, will my application be reviewed automatically for open positions as they become available or do I have to reapply?
Yes, your current application will continue to be reviewed for open positions up to six months. You would then need to submit an updated application.
- If I request a certain field of study am I guaranteed to be placed in it if I am accepted into the program?
Argonne tries to match to the extent possible applicant's research interests with available research projects and research advisors, but this is not always possible. Please keep in mind that researchers read your applications carefully and look for students who they think would benefit from being in their lab.
- Do I get any vacation during the appointment period?
The program does not include vacation, holiday, or sick leave. You are not expected to be present on days that Argonne is closed due to a holiday. Most research advisors will help you design a schedule that is mutually agreeable.
- How often do I receive payment?
Students are paid on a bi-weekly basis. However, you will not receive your first payment until 4 weeks after the start of your appointment.
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