The CHESS User meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday June 2, 2026.
Theme: Accelerating Innovation
Through this year's theme, we aim to illustrate CHESS’s distinctive role within the broader light source community. We will highlight the creative, flexible, and cutting edge experimental approaches developed through close collaboration between our Staff Scientists and Users, as well as CHESS’s distinct model as a high‑energy synchrotron light source integrated directly within a university. This setting enables inherent innovation at CHESS, as we engage with the next generation of researchers from Cornell and campuses across higher education. Through talks and updates from our scientific community, we aim to showcase and celebrate the qualities that make CHESS a truly unique institution.
Updates from CHESS:
CHESS leadership, along with program directors and staff, will provide updates on the latest developments within our specific User programs, Wilson Lab as whole, and its surrounding ecosystem.
User Science Talks:
We are extending invitations to experts from diverse scientific domains to share insights into their research, and how the specific research environment provided by CHESS, and collaboration with our Scientists and Staff, has enabled their approaches.
Student Paper Prize:
Every year, we recognize the best publication by a student published during the past year with the CHESS Student Paper Award. The award includes an invited presentation at the User Meeting. Please consider nominating an outstanding student for the Student Paper Award.
- Eligibility:
- The paper must have been published between March 31, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
- Papers must have appeared online within that time window.
- The paper must be based in part on data collected at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source.
- The research must have been substantially completed when the first author on the paper was a graduate or undergraduate student
- Nominations must include:
- Nomination letter: An email summarizing the impact and importance of the research published in the paper. For papers with multiple authors, the nomination should explain the role of the student in planning the experiments, the measurements, and the data analysis.
- Student Curriculum Vitae
- Link to the published paper
- To Submit: Please send the above documents to the CHESS User Office with the headline "2026 Student Paper Prize Nomination"
- Updated Deadline: All nominations are due by Friday May 15, 2026.
Virtual Poster Session:
We encourage you to present your research at CHESS by presenting a poster during our virtual poster session. During your registration, if you would like to present, please provide your poster's Title and Abstract. More details on the format and process are to be finalized, and specific instructions will be shared with participants as we approach the event. Submissions are due by Wednesday May 20, 2026.
Special Viewing Opportunity:
While the 2026 CHESS User Meeting is virtual, our Users are welcome to join us in the Physical Sciences Building at Cornell Univserity for the event. Please note that no transportation arrangements, funding, food, refreshments, or handouts will be provided, but we are delighted to offer a space for gathering and viewing the talks.