Contact Us
EIC2@JLab Director:
Douglas Higinbotham
(757) 269-7851
Media Contact:
Lauren Hansen
Communications Manager
(757) 269-7689
lhansen@jlab.org
https://www.jlab.org/pressroom
EIC2@JLab Director:
Douglas Higinbotham
(757) 269-7851
Media Contact:
Lauren Hansen
Communications Manager
(757) 269-7689
lhansen@jlab.org
https://www.jlab.org/pressroom
The Electron-Ion Collider Center at Jefferson Lab (EIC2@JLab) is an organization to advance and promote the science program at a future electron-ion collider (EIC) facility. Particular emphasis is on the close connection of EIC science to the current Jefferson Lab 12 GeV CEBAF science program.
EIC2@JLab consolidates and connects the EIC physics and detector development activities in and around Jefferson Lab. These activities include:
Further, EIC2 coordinates with the following activities:
In addition, EIC2 establishes the following new activities:
The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) is located at 12000 Jefferson Avenue in Newport News, Virginia.
Accelerate your career with a new role at the nation's newest national laboratory. Here you can be part of a team exploring the building blocks of matter and lay the ground work for scientific discoveries that will reshape our understanding of the atomic nucleus. Join a community with a common purpose of solving the most challenging scientific and engineering problems of our time.
A career at Jefferson Lab is more than a job. You will be part of “big science” and work alongside top scientists and engineers from around the world unlocking the secrets of our visible universe. Managed by Jefferson Science Associates, LLC; Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is entering an exciting period of mission growth and is seeking new team members ready to apply their skills and passion to have an impact. You could call it work, or you could call it a mission. We call it a challenge. We do things that will change the world.
At Jefferson Lab we believe in giving back to our community and encouraging the next generation of scientists and engineers. Our staff reaches out to students to advance awareness and appreciation of the range of research carried out within the DOE national laboratory system, to increase interest in STEM careers for women and minorities, and to encourage everyone to become a part of the next-generation STEM workforce. We are recognized for our innovative programs like:
1,500 students from 15 Title I schools engage in the Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science (BEAMS) program at the lab each school year.
60 teachers are enrolled in the Jefferson Science Associates Activities for Teachers (JSAT) program at the lab inspiring 9,000 students annually.
24 high school students have internships and 34 college students have mentorships at the lab.
Dreaming of SoLID, Jian-Ping Chen works with teams to bring the future of science to Jefferson Lab
From his early interests in Einstein and Newton, Jian-Ping Chen created a career in science to make a difference in this world.
Growing up in the bustling city of Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution, books were difficult to find.
“Anytime I could find written words, I would bring it home to read,” Chen said.
Chen’s middle school teacher had mentioned Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton in class, so he knew what kind of books he was looking for and he knew what he wanted to become.
“I always wanted to be a scientist,” he said. "I liked to use my brain. I imagined theory to figure out how things work.”
Chen found books from his friends who had kept books in their personal homes. “Reading books shows you there’s a great world outside,” Chen said.
Due to the Cultural Revolution, a sociopolitical movement launched by Mao Zedong from 1966 until 1976, Chen’s early academic experiences were relaxed, requiring him to seek out and nurture his own curiosities. Chen turned to reading books he managed to find and playing mind games.
After completing his studies at the University of Science and Technology of China, Chen was selected to take the China-U.S. Physics Examination and Application (CUSPEA), an exam and admission system used by physics departments to place students from China into American and Canadian Universities between 1979 and 1989. At the age of 22, Chen packed his bags and moved to Charlottesville, Va., for graduate studies at the University of Virginia.
A UVA professor leading a team of physicists from UVA and other universities in the southeast region performed an initial study and proposed a multi-GeV continuous electron beam accelerator facility, CEBAF. Chen was excited when CEBAF (later changing its name to Jefferson Lab) was approved.
“It’s where I always wanted to be,” Chen said. “We want to understand the basic elements of how the world is built.”
After two years of postdoc work at MIT, Chen became a Staff Scientist at Jefferson Lab in 1994, making his way through the ranks to Senior Staff Scientist in 2011.
Focusing on nucleon spin-flavor and 3D structure studies, Chen has led a number of Jefferson Lab experiments to completion and has mentored dozens of Ph.D. students.
“I work with students closely and make sure they stay on track,” he said, laughing.
While working on experiments and projects can be difficult, Chen’s largest challenge as a scientist is convincing people that certain science is important.
“A great scientist first must have curiosity and must like science,” Chen said. “If you don’t like it, it’s very hard to do it right. You need a perspective or vision to choose important subjects to study. Then you need to work hard to convince people. You need to overcome a lot of difficulties, and have persistence.”
Chen applies that mentality to his research proposals, backing each proposal with an enthusiasm.
From working on solving a problem that may take days, weeks, months or years to convincing funders why a particular study or technology is necessary, Chen said, “If you feel it’s a good project, you need to work on it continuously. With patience and persistence, eventually, you will often be successful.”
On a daily basis, Chen is always working in the past, present and future. He works on guiding students to analyze data from past experiments and to write, edit and publish papers. He also works on projects and preparations for upcoming experiments, while working on the future Solenoidal Large Intensity Device project.
SoLID is a large acceptance detector system that can handle high luminosity. Once built, SoLID will greatly enhance the Jefferson Lab capability to fully exploit the potential of the 12 GeV energy upgrade.
“We really want our new detector system,” Chen said, bubbling over with excitement.
“We are lucky to do our hobby as our job.” He said. “Every time we solve problems, we contribute. It’s exciting times for new results and discoveries.”
Growing up the youngest of five siblings and now serving as a scientist, tolerance is another skill life taught Chen.
“You always want to convince people that you are right,” Chen said. “But I learned you cannot always convince people. Express yourself, and that’s all you need to do.”
A father to his son and partner to his wife, Chen hopes to continue contributing to science and the broader world that science touches.
One of Chen’s hobbies is the game of bridge, a mind game he learned as a child and continues to play in tournaments whenever time allows.
When one gets 90 years old and looks back, “I want to say I lived my life and I have no regrets,” Chen said. Then, he added, with a contented smile, “And because of my existence, I made things a little bit better.”
The Jefferson Lab campus is located in southeastern Virginia amidst a vibrant and growing technology community with deep historical roots that date back to the founding of our nation. Staff members can live on or near the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay region or find peace in the deeply wooded coastal plain. You will have easy access to nearby beaches, mountains, and all major metropolitan centers along the United States east coast.
To learn more about the region and its museums, wineries, parks, zoos and more, visit the Virginia tourism page, Virginia is for Lovers.
To learn more about life at Jefferson Lab, click here.
We support our inventors! The lab provides resources to employees for the development of patented technology -- with over 180 awarded to date! Those looking to obtain patent coverage for their newly developed technologies and inventions while working at the lab are supported and mentored by technology experts, from its discovery to its applied commercialization, including opportunities for monetary awards and royalty sharing. Learn more about our patents and technologies here.
“Chemistry is the art of science and art; you’re manipulating and creating things. We have lots of different recipes to work with.”
“Here at the lab you get to see what you’ve worked on. You can hold it in your hands. It’s rewarding to know that you’ve played a part in helping the machine to be successful.”
“Every time we solve problems, we contribute. It’s exciting times for new results and discoveries.”
"Not every day is the same day. Working in research and development, it’s not a one person job."
"My own research enables me to better lead the Theory Center, to lead our collaboration, to provide good guidance to our junior researchers on the team, and to provide valuable input to the advisory and review committees that I serve"
Jefferson Science Associates, LLC manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Jefferson Science Associates/Jefferson Lab is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, or veteran status or on any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to recruiting @jlab.org or call (757) 269-7100 between 8 am – 5 pm EST to provide the nature of your request.
JSA is an E-Verify Employer
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A Proud V3-Certified Company
JSA/Jefferson Lab values the skills, experience and expertise veterans can offer due to the myriad of experiences, skill sets and knowledge service members achieve during their years of service. The organization is committed to recruiting, hiring, training and retaining veterans, and its ongoing efforts has earned JSA/Jefferson Lab the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certification, awarded by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN For 2024
The EIC Center at Jefferson Lab, EIC2, is pleased to announce opportunities for graduate and post-doctoral fellowships.
These fellowships will be awarded to fund coming to Jefferson Lab to research a special topic. The current areas of research include theory, simulations, detectors, and computing as they relate to the EIC, Positrons or the proposed JLab 22 GeV upgrade. Each fellowship will provide travel to Jefferson Lab, housing and a per diem for a typical stay of ten weeks at the lab.
Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in a relevant doctoral program. Postdocs must have a full-time position with a relevant university or laboratory research program. . The awardees may not concurrently hold another major full-time fellowship or internship. The award is limited to once a year though awardees can reapply for an additional year.
To apply, a research plan must be provided according to the guidance provided below. The plan should be written by the applicant together with their university or laboratory advisor. The plan should contain clear goals and deliverable to be accomplished by the end of the Fellowship visit. Working with a Jefferson Lab staff member is encouraged.
The applications will be evaluated on an ongoing basis according to the following criteria:
The following application will be reviewed on an rolling basis.
The application materials must be sent by email to Patricia Cheeseboro <pcheese@jlab.org>.
Inquiries about the fellowship program should be directed to: Douglas Higinbotham (doug@jlab.org)
Press releases about past winners of the program can be found at the following links: