The CCC Summer Research Program is designed to give undergraduate chemistry, physics, and math majors an opportunity to explore computational quantum chemistry at a world-class research institute.

Time Frame

The program will commence May 21 and continue for ten weeks. The schedule is flexible enough to accommodate students who require an earlier or later starting date (e.g., quarter system undergraduates). The application deadline is March 1, 2008. In special cases, earlier decisions are possible.

Stipend

A stipend will be paid at a rate of $2000 each month and a travel stipend of $400 will be dispensed to the student shortly after arrival.

Housing

Participants in the Summer Program are responsible for arranging housing for the summer. There is a wide range of housing options available both on and off campus. The program directors are available to help locate summer housing opportunities.

Application Requirements

• Participants should have completed three years of undergraduate study by the start of the program.
• Applicants must submit a complete application packet (application form, unofficial transcript, and two referee letters). A PDF version of the application is available online that allows applicants to type directly in the form before printing.
• Applicants must have completed a course in Physical Chemistry.
• Applicants must have a genuine interest in computational quantum chemistry. Please refer to the rest of the summer program website to learn more about the type of research you may be conducting.
• A working knowledge of the FORTRAN, C, and/or C++ programming languages is desirable.

Independent Research Project

The research projects allow participants to perform original investigations under the guidance of senior group members. Upon arrival, the students will become acquainted with research at the CCC through visits with each group member. Based on these meetings, each student will choose a mentor for the program and begin research. Large-scale access to our computational facilities will be available for this purpose. The result of each research project should be submission of a paper to a major journal of physical chemistry. Each summer student will also give a presentation to the group at the conclusion of the program. Some student publications from summer 2006 and 2007 include:

• "The Deprotonation Energies of BH₅ and AlH₅: Comparisons to GaH₅," L. D. Speakman, J. M. Turney, and H. F. Schaefer, Chem. Phys. 331, 396 (2007).
• "Thermochemistry of Key Soot Formation Intermediates: C₃H₃ Isomers," S. E. Wheeler, K. A. Robertson, W. D. Allen, H. F. Schaefer, Y. J. Bomble, and J. F. Stanton, J. Phys. Chem. A 111, 3819 (2007).
• "Hydrogen Atom Abstraction from the Adenine-Uracil Base Pair," S. Kim, T. Meehan, H. F. Schaefer, J. Phys. Chem. A 111, 6806 (2007).

Programming Projects

Instruction in the implementation of modern quantum chemical methods will include several programming projects.

Lecture Series