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PREP Graduate Research Assistant Position at NIST in the Ion Storage Group under the Time & Frequency Division (PREP0003523)

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 Ion Storage Group under the Time & Frequency Division.

Summary of the Position:

The project aims to establish new experimental techniques for high precision measurement and control of laser- cooled trapped ions. This is primarily an experimental project and will be carried out in the laboratories of the Ion Storage Group.

Key Responsibilities: 

  • Design and build optical, electronic and mechanical systems for a precision measurement system based on quantum logic in an ion trap.
  • Design and perform precision measurement experiments on trapped ions and analyze the data, including performing relevant theoretical calculations.
  • Communicate the results of our trapped ion experiments in the form of journal publications and conference presentations.

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in physics or a related field.

Minimum Qualifications: 

  • Applicants must be enrolled full-time at the University of Colorado Boulder master’s degree or doctoral degree program in physics, mathematics, engineering, or closely related program.
  • Must currently possess a 3.0 GPA or higher.
  • Laboratory experience with atomic or molecular systems.
  • Ability to work well in a team of researchers.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Familiarity with data analysis and simulation using python, matlab and mathematica.
  • Enrolled in or has completed graduate-level quantum mechanics course.
  • Enrolled in or has completed graduate-level electromagnetism course.
  • Enrolled in or has completed graduate-level quantum optics or atomic physics course.

Length of Term (if applicable):

  • Start Date: 8/1/25
  • End Date: 3/31/28

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 of 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.