Laboratory for Nuclear Science

Introduction to LNS

 

Welcome to the Laboratory for Nuclear Science! LNS was established in 1946 to provide support for basic research by faculty and research staff members in the fields of nuclear and high energy physics. These activities include those at the MIT-Bates Research and Engineering Center (Middleton, MA) and the Center for Theoretical Physics (Building 6).

There are two websites that have very useful information for those new to LNS and/or MIT:
LNS website: https://web.mit.edu/lns
MIT website for new employees: https://hr.mit.edu/new-employees

A short introduction to LNS is provided here. Please use the LNS website for further details, necessary forms, important links to other information, etc. Your supervisor and/or mentor will also be a good source of information.

LNS Organization

LNS is organized into research groups with central support services, as noted in the diagram.

 

LNS Groups diagram

 

While the MIT website has links to all sorts of helpful information, local expertise within LNS may be able to help you more effectively. The LNS Director and Associate Director (offices in LNS Headquarters, 26-505) serve as points of contact between LNS researchers, MIT administration, and the funding agencies; in particular, all research proposals are submitted through the LNS administration. Please contact the LNS Director or Associate Director if you have any administrative questions.

Central support services include:

  • Headquarters (26-505):
    • Keys; authorization for ID card access to the Lourie Common Room (26-502)
    • Phones
    • Room schedules and access for the LNS Conference Room (26-528) and Kolker Room (26-414) (video conferencing capability in both rooms)
    • LNS website maintenance
  • General Services (26-516):
    • Local Human Resources
    • Lab vehicles – borrowing and maintenance
    • Shuttle to Bates, including campus mail
    • Space reconfiguration and minor renovations
    • Local EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) support
    • Travel support and reconciliation
    • Pickups and deliveries
  • Fiscal Office (26-519/529):
    • Proposal preparation assistance: budgets, paperwork, proposal submission to MIT RAS (Research Administration Services)
    • Subaward assistance
    • Budget projections and reconciliations for all LNS accounts
    • Review of requisitions for appropriateness
    • Invoice collection, match to purchase order, send to MIT Accounts Payable
    • Documentation collection for all credit card purchases
    • Entries into personnel salary distribution system, including vacation days
  • Research Computing Services (24-030):
    • Research-related computer support, including specialized software packages such as COMSOL
    • Access to subMIT, a server that handles submission of jobs to the MIT-Bates High Performance Research Computing Facility (HPRCF) and other distributed computing resources
    • Printer repairs, Printer paper and toner - Ask your group's administrative assistant

Services Centers:

In addition to Research Computing Services, LNS operates two service centers on a pay-as-you-go basis: the MIT Central Machine Shop and the and the HPRCF. Please see the LNS Associate Director for further information.

MIT-Bates Research and Engineering Center

Originally a national nuclear physics user facility, Bates is now a multi-purpose laboratory with a talented technical staff. The US Department of Energy provides some base funding for engineering and technical support for the early stages of nuclear physics projects. Bates also hosts accelerators under development. For further information, please contact the Bates Director or Associate Director at 617-253-9200.

April 14, 2020