Train with CHESS scientists. Learn the fundamentals. Get ready to run your own synchrotron experiment.
Register today for the HEXT 2026 School. Please note: In-person registration is closed, only virtual/remote attendance is available.
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May 19 & 20, 2026 - CHESS/Cornell University
The High Energy X-ray Techniques (HEXT) School is a hands-on training program designed to introduce students, postdocs, and researchers to experimental methods available at synchrotron facilities. Hosted by the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), this two-day training explores how synchrotron techniques—including X-ray scattering, imaging, and spectroscopy—can be used to address research questions across the physical and life sciences.
- Day 1 features lectures from CHESS staff scientists covering the fundamentals of synchrotron X-ray methods, along with an overview of the CHESS facility. - In-person and remote participants
- Day 2 offers in-person participants the opportunity to visit beamlines and perform training experiments, providing a first-hand look at how synchrotron research is conducted. - In-person participants only
The training will also include guidance on developing successful beamtime proposals.
Registration is free. Participants may register to attend Day one (May 19th) remotely via Zoom. (Registration for In-person training is now full)
You can still register to join remotely via Zoom. Check out the sessions on the Workshop Agenda.
Registration for In-person training is now full
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Who should attend
HEXT is ideal for:
- Students
- Postdocs
- Researchers with limited prior synchrotron experience who want a strong, practical starting point
- Anyone preparing to submit (or support) a CHESS proposal for beamtime
No matter your background, HEXT is built to make the material approachable and immediately useful.
What you’ll learn
HEXT focuses on the fundamentals—the concepts that translate across beamlines and facilities—so you can apply what you learn to your specific materials and research questions.
Topics typically include:
- Synchrotrons & X-rays: what they are, what they can do, and why high-energy x-rays matter
- Scattering & diffraction: principles, experiment design, and what your patterns are telling you
- Imaging: how to visualize structure and defects across length scales
- Spectroscopy: probing chemistry and electronic structure at the atomic level
- Proposal writing: how to frame your scientific question and write a competitive beamtime proposal
What makes HEXT different
Learn from the people who run the beamlines
HEXT is taught by CHESS staff scientists who support users every day—so you’ll get practical guidance, real-world examples, and tips that help you avoid common pitfalls.
See the facility and the workflow end-to-end
Participants tour Wilson Synchrotron Laboratory and learn how beamlines operate, how experiments are set up, and how users collaborate with CHESS staff.
Hands-on beamline demonstrations*
HEXT includes guided demonstrations at CHESS beamlines where you’ll experience the full arc of an experiment:
- sample preparation and mounting
- data acquisition strategies
- raw data processing and quality checks
- interpretation and connecting results back to the research question
Outcomes: what you’ll leave with
By the end of the HEXT School, you should be able to:
- Choose synchrotron techniques that match your research goals
- Understand the “moving parts” of a synchrotron experiment and how data are generated
- Communicate effectively with beamline scientists about feasibility and experimental design
- Start planning experiments and prepare to submit a strong proposal for CHESS beamtime
- Join a growing network of early-career synchrotron users and mentors
What past participants say
“This workshop has been extremely beneficial. We are learning everything from x-rays and diffraction, to what these instruments are doing to the materials and how to interpret our results.”
— PhD student participant - 2025
“Sure, we are able to get all of this data, with some pretty graphs, but the workshop is teaching how significant this data is to us… learning about interpretation has been really helpful.”
— PhD student participant - 2025
Register
Spots are limited. If you’re interested in synchrotron methods - or you’re ready to make them part of your thesis research - HEXT is a fast, supportive way to build confidence and competence.
Register today to secure your place.
Questions? Contact: Chris Pollock, CHESS Staff Scientist. email: cjp227@cornell.edu
The HEXT School is designed primarily for students, postdocs, and researchers interested in synchrotron techniques. Participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and food costs.
*Registration for in-person participation is now closed. Register to join remotely via Zoom on May 19th.
