Frequently Asked Questions¶

About the program¶

Do I need to know physics to apply? No. We start from scratch on the physics side. Curiosity is the only prerequisite.

Do I need to know how to code? No. We'll teach you the Python you need as we go. If you've never written a line of code before, you're in the right place. If you have some experience, you'll be able to go further with the extension exercises.

How many students will be in the program? There will be 13 participants, working in five teams on five Belle II projects.

Will I get a certificate? Yes — all participants who complete the week receive a certificate of completion at Friday's celebration.

Logistics¶

What should I bring? See Before You Arrive for the full list. Short answer: not much — we provide the computers.

Is there a program fee? No. There is no program fee.

Is on-campus housing available? No. On-campus housing is not available through EPIC. Participants and families should arrange and book their own lodging if they need to stay in Oxford.

Where should participants, families, or visitors stay? See Before You Arrive for hotel areas and starting points. EPIC does not require a specific hotel.

Where can students eat? The lunch break is 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Students can eat on campus or nearby; participants staying in Oxford should also plan for evening meals and snacks. See Before You Arrive for suggestions.

Where should visitors park? Visitors parking on campus need a university visitor permit or paid metered parking during enforcement hours. See Before You Arrive and the official Ole Miss visitor parking page.

How does the stipend or travel reimbursement work? Participants receive a $1,200 lump-sum subsistence payment at the conclusion of the program. Travel support of up to $500 is available upon request in addition to the stipend. Payment processing depends on whether you are a University of Mississippi student. See Before You Arrive.

Can I bring my own laptop? Yes, but you don't need to. We'll provide Chromebooks for all sessions. If you bring your own, make sure Chrome is installed.

Is there a dress code? No. Wear what's comfortable. The building is air-conditioned, so a light layer is useful.

What happens if I can't make it one day? If you are sick or cannot attend, contact the organizers as soon as you know. We'll help you catch up where we can, but stipend support is based on program participation requirements, so absences may affect payment.

Computing¶

I've never used GitHub before. Will that be a problem? Not at all. We walk through everything from scratch on Monday. By the end of the week you'll have used it every day.

What if Jupyter is slow or has errors? Let a TA or instructor know. We will use Jupyter during the program and can troubleshoot quickly.

Can I keep working on the notebooks after the program? Absolutely — the repository will stay public and your fork will remain on GitHub. Everything you do during the week is yours to keep.

Will the notebooks work on my home computer? Yes, with a little setup. We will add finalized notebook setup instructions once the notebook repository is ready.

The science¶

Are the datasets real? It depends on the part of the program. The NOvA/DUNE neutrino notebooks use toy Monte Carlo generated to mimic the main features of long-baseline oscillation data. The Belle II team projects use real Belle II data prepared for educational analysis.

Is the physics real? Yes. The physics phenomena — neutrino oscillations, CP violation — are real and well-established. The oscillation parameters you'll measure are consistent with the published values from real experiments.

What is the NOvA/DUNE/Belle II experiment? See the Physics Background pages for an introduction, or visit the official experiment sites: NOvA, DUNE, and Belle II.

Still have a question? Email us at [TBD contact email].