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PREP Graduate Research Assistant Position at NIST in the Sources and Detectors Group under the Applied Physics Division (PREP0003232)

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.


The Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) is a special partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder. PREP provides research opportunities to CU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in NIST labs to gain research experience alongside NIST scientists.

Research Location: 

At NIST in the Sources and Detectors Group under the Applied Physics Division.

Summary of Position: 

The individual will work with scientists in the Sources and Detectors Group in the Applied Physics Division on advanced metrology for faint light detection. The individual will perform a diverse set of duties including general laboratory support, support for optical measurements in free-space and integrated photonics, and technical support for calibrations of single photon detector efficiency.

Key Responsibilities: 

  • Support laboratory experiments through purchasing, basic assembly of mechanical components, aligning optics, optical fiber splicing and metrology, general physics laboratory activities.
  • Write Python code for data acquisition and analysis.
  • Safe alignment and operation of laser optical systems.
  • Set-up and characterization of test system for single photon detector efficiency calibrations

Required Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Physics or Physics.

Minimum Qualifications: 

  • One (1) to two (2) years of relevant experience in splicing fiber optics and alignment of optical components.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Preferred: Familiarity with laboratory equipment such as cryostats, spectrophotometers, optical spectrum analyzer.
  • Preferred: CAD experience.
  • Strong oral and written communications skills.

Length of Term (if applicable): 

  • Start date: 05/15/25
  • End date: 05/16/25

Salary (contract pay format): 

  • Pre-comps: $3,041 per month
  • Post-comps: $3,202 per month

Benefits: 

  • Graduate Research Assistant contract pay based on pre-comps/post-comps rate.
  • Tuition, fees, and insurance paid for by PREP during the academic year while in PREP.

If interested, please send your resume/CV to Lisa Valencia at recruitprep@colorado.edu. The finalist will be required to submit their resume/CV, transcript, one letter of recommendation, and the PREP application.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)


Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.


PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.


Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.


Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated.