The Program enables PPPL to provide "scientific outreach" to a broad range of US colleges and universities in various areas of plasma science and technology. It routinely supports approximately 25 US colleges and universities every year. Our goal is to impact as many projects as possible. As a DOE National Laboratory, the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab maintains an experienced staff of scientists, engineers, and technicians that the Offsite University Research Program can provide to US colleges and universities to augment and leverage their research activities. College and university research projects particulary benefit from PPPL's professional engineering staff to provide engineering and design for their experiments.
The Program has provided engineering support to university programs with a tradition in plasma science education and research such as Columbia, Wisconsin, University of Maryland, and UCLA. However, the OSUR Program also looks for projects at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), and other minority focused educational programs to assist. In addition, it provides undergraduate plasma experimental facilities to small colleges for education. It also offers engineering supports to many small experimental programs. PPPL scientists provide theoretical support to many universities projects: 10-15. The university and college projects emphasize the training of students and therefore, a large number of students are assisted by the Program (~ 50 every year). Furthermore, the PPPL staff, the university and college research staffs, and students publish approximately 15 – 20 publications per year as a result of the support given. There are also invited talks at meetings on the supported research.
The Program now has its own high-speed visible camera to loan out to the US college and university projects to observe plasma tilting and the equilibrium structure.
Previously the Program found new university projects through personal contact with PPPL staff. In addition, OFES personnel also inform university projects of the Program. At the APS meeting, the Program participants seek out new university projects. These communication methods will be continued, but this website will also serve as a communication link to perspective college and university projects seeking assistance from the Program.
