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The Boot Camp
Quantum Ideas Factory will provide a transformational learning experience at the interface between rigorous academic research and free interdisciplinary exploration. 28 students and young researchers will be part of a creative innovation environment, which will help them to develop practical skills and visionary mindset in key areas of quantum technologies. The best participants will receive a fast-track access to pursue their PhD studies or postdoctoral careers at the Heidelberg University.
During a three-day tenure in Heidelberg, you will will work in a small group to transform raw research ideas into well-rounded project proposals addressing globally relevant questions from quantum science. You will develop solutions to individual, non-incremental research challenges that each will be provided by our academic partners and team members themselves. By thinking across interdisciplinary areas you will devise new research strategies and transformative applications that harness the full innovative potential of the emerging fields of quantum materials, quantum many-body physics, and photonic quantum interfaces. The boot camp will culminate with team presentations of their results to a distinguished panel of experts.
What it is about
The goal of Quantum Ideas Factory is to inspire young scientists and students to think beyond the boundaries of their fields and to address globally relevant challenges in quantum science. Quantum Ideas Factory will guide you through the cross-synthesis of interdisciplinary science concepts into new solutions with practical relevance. It will enable you to harness the full potential of the emerging quantum technologies, and apply for a PhD or postdoctoral position in Heidelberg.
Action learning
Quantum Ideas Factory builds on the established format of a science hackathon. You will be a part of a diverse four member team consisting of three master students or doctoral candidates that will be lead by an experienced young scientist. The main task of each team will be to create an actionable project proposal for a globally relevant and current quantum science problem. World-class experts and mentors will guide your progress.
Why should you attend
You will have the opportunity to spend three amazing days in Heidelberg with likely-minded and highly-motivated individuals from all over the world. You will learn from world-leading researchers, inventors and their cutting-edge research in academic quantum science and its applications. You will have an unique opportunity to get to know the university city Heidelberg inside-out, to meet your potential thesis advisor, and to master the critical steps for the creation and execution of a successful research project.
Course of action
- Monday, October 15
9.30 Welcome and incentive talks
11.30 Introducing challenges
12.45 Lunch
13.45 Start exploring
- Tuesday, October 16
9.30 Mentors and experts
12.30 Lunch
13.30 Continue exploring
18.30 BBQ dinner
- Wednesday, October 17
9.30 Final project presentations
12.00 Lunch
13.00 Interviews with group leaders and lab tours at the Heidelberg Center for Quantum Dynamics
15.00 Visiting Heidelberg castle
Application
Master students, doctoral candidates, young researchers and postdocs with solid science background and an innovation mindset are welcome to apply! Although the focus of the boot camp is designed for quantum science and interdisciplinary border areas, we encourage applicants with any natural sciences background to apply. You should especially apply if you are thinking about a PhD or a postdoctoral position in one of the challenge topics that are presented below. We will be also happy to receive your application if you don’t have relevant background, but are curious and courageous to take on new challenges, and would like to learn more.
Successful participants will be selected based upon their CV and a motivation letter presenting their reason for applying, and notified briefly after the application deadline by email.
If you would like to lead a team, you can apply for the role of a team leader. For the team leader positions previous track record in leadership or experience in the completion of science projects, e.g. a PhD degree, will be beneficial.
Please choose a research challenge that you would like to work out during the Quantum Ideas Factory from the ones offered below. Alternatively, if you have your own idea, we encourage you to briefly describe it, and submit with your application. The description should outline your idea, its potential future impact, and possible implementation.
In order to apply, please fill out the application form and your CV into a single pdf file and submit it below until September 3, 2018.
Image by Rane.abhijeet (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Our research challenges
The goal of the Quantum Ideas Factory is to develop new, non-incremental pathways towards solving challenging real-world science problems. Therefore we have gathered several interdisciplinary research ideas that address pressing issues across various areas of fundamental quantum science and its applications. You can explore them in detail below. We encourage you to choose and apply for the topic that interests you the most!
In the spirit of free thinking across boundaries, we will be happy to accept applications from participants, who might not have any previous knowledge or experience in the particular research topic they are applying for. In this case, however, it would be enormously beneficial for these individuals to acquire knowledge about the basic physics involved in their chosen research challenge already in advance. (The hyperlinks at the end of each individual challenge are a good place to start.)
Scholarships
Quantum Ideas Factory will cover your accommodation in Heidelberg and participation costs, however we expect you to come up with your own travel expenses. We can provide several travel scholarships for few participants upon request. The final amount and the recipients will be determined after the application deadline. If you wish to receive a travel scholarship please indicate it in your application.
Venue
The Quantum Ideas Factory will take place in:
Physics Institute
Im Neuenheimmer Feld 226
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Team and mentors
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