University Relations

The Jefferson Lab University Relations Office was created in 1991 to facilitate interactions between Jefferson Lab and the nation's universities. Its most important role is partnering with universities to help them build strong research groups focused on the Jefferson Lab scientific program. Jefferson Lab pays particular attention to the potential of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) and other Minority Educational Institutions (MES's), which are currently underrepresented among the users of national laboratories.

Joint and Bridge Appointments

Joint Faculty

Jefferson Lab is fortunate to have five graduate universities in its immediate neighborhood: The College of William and Mary, Christopher Newport University, Hampton University, Norfolk State University, and Old Dominion University. We also have one appointment at Indiana University and one at The Catholic University of America. It has proven particularly effective for Jefferson Lab and these universities to share staff: while sharing the costs equally, each side receives what they consider to be more than the benefit of a half-time staff member. Especially advantageous for Jefferson Lab is the large resident graduate student population these researchers bring to the Laboratory.

Bridged Faculty

Jefferson Lab has considered, on a case-by-case basis, proposals for partnerships to build or critically strengthen Jefferson Lab-related research in the nation's universities. These partnerships are based on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and have built into them a variety of terms (duration, cost-sharing basis, etc.) suited to each individual university's circumstances.

In all cases, the University undertakes to treat the person hired as a regular, tenure-track faculty member. These faculty are, however, released on a pro rata basis (e.g. 50% time if costs are shared or a 50-50 basis) to work on Jefferson Lab programmatic activities.