BIPM UTC Summer School

Date and Venue

• 9-11 September 2025
• BIPM, Sèvres France

Overview

This school, sponsored by the BIPM and the IEEE UFFC Society, will cover key topics through tutorial lectures emphasizing Q&A sessions, along with hands-on training using analysis tools developed in the CCTF CBKT program. Participants will gain practical experience in GNSS receiver operation and calibration, clock data analysis, time scale generation, and time transfer techniques relevant to UTC(k) operations and contributions to UTC.

The objective of this workshop is to support institutes in enhancing their national standard time realization, and strengthening their contributions to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through participation in BIPM Circular T / Key Comparison CCTF-K001.UTC. The training will provide both foundational and in-depth technical knowledge necessary for UTC participation.

The school is planned as a three-day program, designed for skill development and knowledge sharing. The content is structured to help newcomers—including engineers, scientists, and technical staff at national time laboratories—gain the expertise required to maintain their national time scale. This includes analysing clock data, creating an averaged ensemble time scale, steering the time scale, applying GNSS time transfer techniques, and submitting data to the BIPM.

BIPM products that provide access to UTC and enable the monitoring of transmitted data quality will also be presented. Additionally, participants are invited to share their technical solutions for the realization and automation of UTC(k) when these may be of interest to others, particularly when automation tools can be shared.

Programme highlights

Tutorials:

• UTC basics: global timekeeping, applications and outlook
• GNSS receiver: experimental set up, data collection and processing
• How to contribute to Circular T
• UTC algorithms and statistics
• UTC(k) laboratory best practices and innovative solutions
• Time and frequency analysis

Hand-on learning:

• GNSS receiver set up and data collection, and more.
• Clock comparison with CGGTTS
• Clock Data Analysis, visualizations
• Clock data compliance with BIPM formats
• Time scale algorithms and applications

Target audience

We invite applications from personnel involved in Time Scale or GNSS Time Transfer activities at UTC(k) laboratories or possible new UTC(k) time laboratories.

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 40 participants. Priority will be given to active staff involved in Time Scale or GNSS Time Transfer activities at UTC(k) laboratories.
• 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.