Winter Schools

About the Winter Schools

AINSE  offers scholarships to each of its member universities to enable a nominated student to attend Winter Schools on applications of nuclear techniques. The Schools are held at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), about 30km south of Sydney.

The scholarship is open to all senior undergraduate students in which knowledge of nuclear techniques of analysis would be of interest. Such techniques have applications in areas ranging from agriculture to zoology; and include physics, chemistry, biology, environmental science, geography, geology, archaeology.

The Winter School involves a mixture of lectures, experimental sessions and demonstrations and includes hands-on experience in experiments in:

• neutron scattering (instruments on the OPAL nuclear research reactor)
• ion beam accelerators (techniques of ion beam analysis of materials and applications to environmental analysis)
• gamma irradiation (chemical and biological effects of ionizing radiation and radiation processing)
• the use of natural radioactivity in environmental studies (sedimentation rates and erosion, late quaternary problems, geomorphology, climate change)
• using nuclear techniques in soil and ground water studies (nuclear probes for metals in soils, radioactive tracers in flow studies, pollution

Tours to inspect other major facilities at ANSTO are also included.

A social program including dinners and speakers encourages students to discuss important current social issues involving science and technology.

ANSTO provides for the costs of the experiments, and AINSE pays for travel, accommodation, all meals and social activities during the program. 

Your University's AINSE Council Member is responsible for coordinating the selection of a scholarship student.  Feel free to contact your University's Council Member and find out more about the AINSE Winter Schools.

Click here for a list of AINSE Councillors.

 2016 Winter School participants

 The 2016 Winter School, was the 20th annual Winter School. It was held on the 18 July -22 July 2016 at AINSE, Lucas Heights.