CERN openlab Summer Student Programme

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. Using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments, they study the basic constituents of matter - fundamental particles that are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives physicists clues about how particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. Find out more on http://home.cern.

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organization

Take part in CERN’s openlab Summer Student Programme! 

During two full months corresponding to 9 weeks (June-August 2019), CERN openlab summer students will work on an advanced IT project and will be given a series of IT lectures specially prepared for them by experts at CERN and other institutes. The students also have the opportunity to attend the main CERN Summer student programme lectures, if they wish. Visits to the accelerators and experimental areas are part of the programme, as well as visits to external companies. A short report and a presentation on your work and project at CERN will be expected at the end of your stay.

For more information on the CERN openlab Summer Student Programme, please visit https://openlab.cern/education.

One of CERN’s key missions is education. Our professionals very much enjoy sharing their knowledge and expertise with students who are committed and passionate about their chosen field. There’s no better way to learn than on-the-job. And when that job happens to be in a world-famous research organisation and centre of scientific excellence, it’s even better.

This is what some of the CERN openlab 2018 Summer Students had to say about their experience:

 “A program that provides excellent international experience and exposure to particle physics and related research fields.”

“Incredibly unique and special opportunity to learn new skills, collaborate in large teams, and meet people in your field from around the world. Truly an amazing experience which I will recommend to others.”

“It has definitely been one of the most exciting experiences in my life. My experience here will undoubtedly prove to be extremely useful in my future career, be it academic or professional. I will never forget and greatly treasure the time spent here working with my supervisor, fellow summer students and colleagues.”

“An amazing, challenging, cheerful, horizon-opening programme! Thanks for everything!” The CERN openlab summer-student programme offers a combination of experiences you cannot find anywhere else.”

“I met 40 funny and talented students from all over the world, made contacts with major ICT companies, and worked on a fascinating and challenging project. It was an intense summer!”

In order to qualify for a place on the programme you will need to meet the following requirements:

• You are a Bachelor or Master student (not PhD) with a strong computing profile and will have completed, by summer 2019, at least three years of full-time studies at university level.
• You will remain registered as a student during your stay at CERN. If you expect to graduate during European summer 2019 (as of May), you are also eligible to apply.
•  You have not worked at CERN before with any other status (Technical Student, Trainee, User or other status) for more than 3 months.
•  You have a good knowledge of English; knowledge of French would be an advantage.

Candidates of all nationalities are welcome to apply for this Summer Student Programme.

CERN would very much like to benefit from your expertise, commitment and passion. 

In return, CERN will provide you with:

• A contract of association of 9 weeks to work on an advanced IT project.
• An extensive IT lecture programme, students will also be able to attend the CERN generic summer student lecture programme if they wish.
• A 90 CHF per calendar day (net of tax) subsistence allowance to cover the cost of accommodation and meals in the Geneva area for a single person for the whole contract duration.
• A travel allowance on a lump sum basis paid at the end of your stay to help you with the cost of travel between Geneva and your residence at the time of the selection committee.
• Coverage by CERN’s comprehensive Health Insurance scheme (contribution is already deducted from the daily allowance).
• Assistance to find accommodation on the CERN site or nearby.

Possible arrival dates:

Monday 17 June, 24 June and 1 July 2019.

This is how you can apply:

You will need the following documents to complete your application (please make sure to name the documents accordingly e.g. CV, motivation letter, academic transcript, reference letter):

• A CV in either English or French.
• A copy of your most recent academic transcript giving an overview of your marks (if you download it from your university portal please make sure there is no protection so that we can open it).
• At least one reference letter (dated less than 12 months), preferably 2.

Please make sure you have all the documents requested to hand when you start your application on our career portal as they cannot be added after its completion (only reference letters can be submitted afterwards). Please note that all the documents you upload will remain attached to your Smartrecruiters profile. You do not need to upload them again for other applications you might submit.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation e-mail which contains a link. If you have not yet uploaded your reference letters when applying, you should  forward this link to at least one referee, so that they can upload their recommendation letter. Please note that this must be done before the application deadline (31 January 2019).

A few tips…

Ensure your CV is complete with all skills and experience that make you stand out as a candidate.

Be as clear and specific as possible in the application fields “Education” and “Experience” in order to increase your chances of being selected. Also include in this section all the specific skills (programming languages, hardware, databases etc.) that you have acquired and support your application. 

And last but not least, make good use of the ‘Motivation’ section to tell us why you’re a great candidate for CERN!

Selection procedure

Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria and have completed their application before the deadline will pass to the next step of the selection process. The final results of the selection procedure will be communicated to the candidates by mid-April.