The Italian Summer Students Program at Fermilab and other US Laboratories: 40 years of education in particle physics and technology

¹ Ohio State University, Columbus OH
² University and INFN Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo, 3, I-56127, Pisa, Italy
³ Fermilab, PO Box 500, Batavia IL 60510-5011

^* e-mail: barzi.1@osu.edu
^** e-mail: giorgio.bellettini@pi.infn.it
^*** e-mail: simone.donati@pi.infn.it
^**** e-mail: marcom@fnal.gov

Published online: 7 October 2025

Abstract

Since 1983 the Italian groups collaborating with Fermilab (US) have been running a 2-month summer training program for Master students. While in the first year the program involved only 4 physics students, in the following years it was extended to engineering students. Many students have extended their collaboration with Fermilab with their Master Thesis and PhD. The program has involved more than 600 Italian students from more than 20 Italian universities. Each intern is supervised by a Fermilab Mentor responsible for the training program. Training programs spanned from Tevatron, CMS, Muon (g-2), Mu2e and SBN (MicroBooNE, Icarus, and SBND) and DUNE design and data analysis, development of particle detectors, design of electronic and accelerator components, development of infrastructures and software for tera-data handling, quantum computing and research on superconductive elements and accelerating cavities. In 2015 the University of Pisa included the program within its own educational programs. Summer Students are enrolled at the University of Pisa for the duration of the internship and at the end of the internship they write summary reports on their achievements. After positive evaluation by a University of Pisa Examining Board, interns are acknowledged 6 ECTS credits for their Diploma Supplement. The program was paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it resumed in 2022. From 2022 to 2024, a total of 60 students participated in the nine-week training at Fermilab. We are currently organizing the 2025 program. This paper provides an overview of the program, which can serve as a model for other interested laboratories.