BIPM - SIM UTC Summer School

Date and venue

• 7-9 May 2025
• CENAM, Queretaro Mexico

Overview

This workshop, jointly organized by CENAM, SIM, BIPM, and kindly sponsored by the IEEE UFFC Society, will cover key topics through tutorial lectures with an emphasis on Q&A in UTC, hands-on training sessions with analysis tools, and laboratory demonstrations. Participants will gain practical experience in GNSS receiver operation and calibration, and in clock data analysis, generation of time scales, and time transfer techniques relevant to UTC(k) operations.

The objective of this workshop is to support institutes to improve their national standard time and their contributions to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through participation in BIPM Circular T and by increasing knowledge in time and frequency.

The workshop is planned for 3 days. The content of the training is tailored for skill development and knowledge sharing. It is scheduled in a way to help newcomers (engineers/scientists/technical staff) of time laboratories to get the complete knowledge to maintain their national time scale starting from analysing the clock data, making an averaged ensemble of time scale, steering the time scale, and GNSS time transfer techniques.

The programme is planned that the participant shall get the complete knowledge about the subject and the hands-on training on the related aspects of UTC(k) generation using GNSS receivers and links. The workshop will use a combination of tutorials, hands-on work with analysis tools, as well as laboratory demonstration to help students develop expertise in understanding the basics as well an in-depth technical knowledge in UTC and UTC(k).

Programme highlights

Provisional program

Tutorials and presentation sessions:

• UTC and its computation and its traceability
• UTC(k) and its realization and national distribution
• NTP dissemination services and automated monitoring
• Clock comparisons using GNSS
• Basics of time and frequency analysis
• Future outlook, optical clocks, combs and timescales
• SIM RMO best practices and innovative solutions.

Laboratory Demonstrations/hands-on learning:

• GNSS receiver set up and calibration
• Guided learning using BIPM e-learning tools: “Clock data analysis and visualization and clock data jumps”
• Guided learning using BIPM e-learning tools: “Processing of CGGTTS data”
• NIST TMAS v.2 SIM time measurement service boxes

Target audience

The school is intended for engineers, scientists, and technical staff at time laboratories who are new to, or actively participating in, UTC operations and who are responsible for maintaining national time scales.

Registration

Registration Information:

• Registration for this event is open to professionals working in timekeeping and related fields, with no registration fee.
• The school is limited to 30 participants. Priority will be given to applicants from SIM regional metrology organizations.
• Travel Support: Travel assistance may be available for students with demonstrated financial need and relevance to their current role in timekeeping at their institution.

Application Process:

• Supervisor Approval: Before registering, applicants must ensure that they have received approval from their supervisor or the relevant authority at their organization.
• Online application form to be filled in (see above).
• After submission, applications will be reviewed for registration to the school and for financial support based on eligibility criteria, with priority given to those from SIM regional metrology organizations.

Questions of comments can be directed to tara.fortier(a)bipm.org and/or cortiz(a)cenam.mx.