A continuing problem in the demographics of the U.S. astronomical community is the scarcity of high-quality young solar physicists. The average age of solar astronomers is among the highest of any astronomical discipline, and this problem is aggravated by the dearth of U.S. academic institutions that actively support solar research. The Principal Investigator (PI) seeks to alleviate this problem through a two-week, NATO Advanced Study Institute summer course in Scotland. This course would bring together experts in various subdisciplines of solar physics to teach graduate students the important advances in techniques in concepts in their fields. Detailed notes from the course would be written by the astronomers, and would be made available to the students and other interested parties. Some 80% of the expenses for this course will be paid by the NATO ASI. However, owing to certain restrictions on the international distribution of students in ASI courses, the PI is requesting additional support for travel from the NSF. It is hoped that this summer course will alleviate the scarcity of young solar astronomers in the U.S. and will help highlight the demographic problem in this discipline that has existed for at least two decades.
