From the announcement to the CEDAR newsletter:
Applications are now open for the 2026 Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) Summer School at the school website: https://amisr.com/school
The 2026 ISR summer school will include a mandatory virtual session (via Zoom) on July 9, 2026 followed by the in-person school at Boston University July 20-25, 2026. The school’s goal is to train students in the theory and concepts of incoherent scatter radar and allows for hands-on opportunities to design and run experiments at ISR facilities. This year’s school will focus on mid-latitude/subauroral observations using the Millstone Hill ISR, operated by MIT Haystack Observatory as a part of the NSF-supported Millstone Hill Geospace Facility. ISRs are the most powerful ground-based tools for ionospheric remote sensing with high temporal and altitudinal resolution. ISR data sets include measurements of electron density, electron and ion temperatures, and plasma drifts, with the possibility of further derived parameters.
The main objectives of the school are:
1. Provide a "hands-on" learning experience in small groups
2. Promote team-work and collaborative skills
3. Encourage substantial interactions with instructors
4. Give students the training necessary to begin incorporating ISR into their research
At the school, students will learn:
• How the ionosphere forms and why it is important.
• The physical principles of incoherent scatter radar.
• The mathematical principles of radar signal processing.
• How to design and run an ISR experiment.
• How to extract and visualize data from the Madrigal database.
• How ISR complements and adds insight to other observations.
We encourage graduate/advanced undergraduate students to apply for the school. Those candidates who are selected for the 2026 ISR summer school and are enrolled at U.S. universities/institutions will receive travel support and accommodation to attend this event. Self-funded students from institutions outside the United States may also apply; however, they will not receive travel support if selected.
The deadline for application submission is March 19, 2026. Notice of acceptance will be sent to participants by March 27, 2026.
The ISR summer school is funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Geosciences Directorate and is organized by the University of Central Florida.
For more information about the school, please visit https://amisr.com/school or contact Andrey Krywonos: krywonos@ucf.edu
ISR summer school organizing committee: Andrey Krywonos, Phil Erickson, Roger Varney, Asti Bhatt, Pablo Reyes, Josh Semeter, Craig Heinselman