For students and early career researchers interested in furthering their knowledge of galactic chemical evolution.

The origin of the elements and how they have shaped our Universe is an important field of research, but one that requires input from a broad range of subfields, from nuclear astrophysics to galactic chemical evolution.

The BRIDGCE School 2026 being run by University of Herts Physics Students is designed to give students interested in this area of research a foundation in these subfields and how they are interconnected.

During this two-day school, students will attend sessions delivered by leading researchers from the UK and EU. You will be guided through how nuclear reaction rates are measured, how this informs our models of stellar nucleosynthesis, and finally how predicted stellar yields then shape our understanding of galaxy evolution.

These sessions will include talks about the fundamentals of each area as well as hands-on activities using chemical evolution models. Students will leave the school with a deeper understanding of the fields related to the study of the origin of the elements as well as experience running simulations used in actual research.

This school is organised in conjunction with BRIDGCE, a UK-based network that aims to connect researchers involved in the different areas of chemical evolution. This network consists of more than 80 active researchers across over 20 institutes.

The BRIDGCE School 2026 is a continuation of previous well-received schools run by the BRIDGCE network in conjunction with the BRIDGCE Annual Meeting each year. https://www.bridgce.ac.uk/

More info on BRIDGCE 2026:

https://sites.google.com/view/bridgce-herts-2026/the-school

DEADLINE- The registration deadline is June 5th.

Accommodation:

We have a limited availability on-campus accommodation at either the De Havilland or College Lane campuses @University of Hertfordshire. These rooms are single ensuites but only De Havilland rooms come with a fridge. College Lane rooms do not have a fridge but contain slightly larger beds and the accommodation is newer. Unfortunately, no catering will be available on either campus. All rooms will cost £65.00 + VAT per night.

Please note, the school will likely take place on the College Lane campus, while the De Havilland campus is a 1 mile walk away. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm this until closer to the time.

We will try our best to facilitate rooms based on your preference but please understand that it might not be possible in all cases.

Some help with accommodation costs for PhD students may be possible through GRADnet TBC.

Note: Details from online registration forms will be shared with the following organisers from University of Hertfordshire:

Alice Ferreira: a.ferreira@herts.ac.uk

Ashley Coombs: a.coombs2@herts.ac.uk

Description supplied by the event organiser.