DAWN-IRES

The DAWN-IRES Scholars at the annual DAWN Summit, visiting the Island of Hven where Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) built two observatories, Uraniborg and Stjerneborg, during 1576–1596. Photo Credit: G. Brammer

The DAWN-IRES Scholars Program — funded by the National Science Foundation — is a program for US students to come to the Cosmic Dawn Center in Copenhagen and carry out research in collaboration with DAWNers.

The Cosmic Dawn Center runs an undergraduate summer research program in conjunction with the NSF IRES programs. Thanks to their generosity, we support approximately 8 US students to come to Copenhagen and work with us each summer, including 3 graduate student Senior Scholars and 5 undergraduate students.

The science

The Cosmic Dawn Center scientific expertise spans the full observational and theoretical realm of the Cosmic Dawn, the time period within a few billion years of the Big Bang. Joining the vibrant research atmosphere and unique city life, students will be provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform research relevant to current open questions in astrophysics.

Mentoring

Most of the DAWN-IRES students are mentored by DAWN postdoctoral fellows, as many faculty are not around during the summer. The program supports projects in astronomy and astrophysics, but we would be happy to have other majors join us for the summer. DAWN scholars will join a cohort of 8 students to enjoy a stimulating 10-week science program set in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Outcome

Many previous DAWN-IRES collaborations have resulted in refereed papers in high-impact journals. Additionally, DAWN scholars attend the annual American Astronomical Society winter meeting to present their research findings.

 

The DAWN-IRES program builds in 1 week of vacation, encouraging participants to enjoy all that Europe has to offer on a student-friendly budget.

Come join us at DAWN, as we explore the rich uncharted territory of the first stars, galaxies and black holes!

You can learn more info about the DAWN-IRES Scholars Program at the main program webpage. Applications are due February 1st of each year. Please note the program is up for renewal beyond summer of 2022 and thus funding will only be confirmed in early 2023.