Abstract :
Despite a lot of experimental and theoretical progress the question of the r-process site and the origin of the heavy elements in nature remains one of the biggest open questions in nuclear astrophysics. I discuss the need for experimental nuclear data and review recent progress made at rare isotope beam facilities. In particular, I summarize some recent experiments performed at the NSCL Coupled Cyclotron Facility at MSU with beams of r-process nuclei, including the measurement of the half-life of 78Ni.
