The EU-funded Horizon 2020 programme has two main strategic objectives: to strengthen the scientific and technological base of European industry and to encourage its international competitiveness, while promoting research that supports EU policies.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions ITN: INTENSE

The INTENSE training network is a collaboration of leading laboratories, companies and universities working in the field of experimental particle physics. Within the network, young scientists are trained in a variety of aspects related to development and operation of innovative detectors for research programmes on the physics of neutrinos.

INTENSE is a European training network that promotes the collaboration among European and US researchers involved in important particle physics research projects at the high intensity frontier.

Among them, the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) programme at Fermilab will clarify the anomalies in neutrino spectra observed at accelerators and nuclear reactors, and resolve the long-standing hypothesis of sterile neutrinos, which interact with other particle only through the oscillation with known neutrinos. The SBN program includes the detectors MicroBooNE, ICARUS and SBND, which all exploit liquid Argon Time-Projection Chambers (LAr-TPC) detectors. 

The same powerful detector technology will be used by the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a long-baseline programme for neutrino oscillations which will address the fundamental subject of violation of the symmetry between particles and antiparticle.  

In the road to the construction of the huge detector for DUNE, two large LArTPCs, ProtoDUNE-SinglePhase and ProtoDUNE-Double-Phase have been constructed and operated at CERN, and will continue to provide the ground for research, development and optimization of neutrino detectors.

INTENSE includes also programmes for the study of violation of lepton-flavour conservation in experiments testing muon to electron transitions: Mu2e at Fermilab, Meg II and Mu3e at PSI.  

INTENSE researchers have provided leading contributions and will take leading roles in detectors commissioning, data taking and analysis. These endeavours foster the development of cutting-edge technologies with spin-offs outside particle physics.

INTENSE Website:
https://home.cern/science/experiments/cern-neutrino-platform, http://itnintense.df.unipi.it/

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's and the EU's mission. 

Welcome to the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions

As a recent graduate from university or advanced technical institute, you’re no doubt looking for the chance to make your mark. Here it is: we seek lively and inquiring minds with a heightened sense of curiosity to take part in projects of advanced development work, in a broad range of applied sciences and engineering fields.

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions train young researchers, building the careers of tomorrow’s leaders in research and industry.

What could be a better boost for your career than becoming an Early Career Stage Researcher in an Innovative Training Networks project within the framework of the prestigious Marie Sklodowska-Curie programmes?

The objective of the CERN project will be to complete the research and development program for LAr TPC detectors for neutrino experiments, in the continued ProtoDUNE programme. In addition, CERN participates in the operation and analysis of data collected by ICARUS detector and SBN programme. 

More specifically, the position will focus on development and test of read-out structures and electronics for ionisation signal and for scintillation light produced in LAr detectors. 

The successful applicant will be employed at CERN as an Early Stage Researcher in the framework of the Innovative Training Network INTENSE:  https://home.cern/science/experiments/cern-neutrino-platform, http://itnintense.df.unipi.it/

In order to qualify for a place in the project you will need to meet the following requirements:

At the time of recruitment: 

• be in possession of a university degree (MSc) allowing you to embark on a doctorate (candidates who are currently studying for their MSc may apply if they will finish before December 2022, however, the INTENSE contract cannot begin until the MSc is completed) 
• be in your first 4 years of your full-time research career (after obtaining your degree (MSc))
• must NOT hold a PhD yet
• must not have held a contract with CERN (eg. Project Associate, USER, Student) for more than 12 months in the last 36 months and more than 50% of presence (counted from the day of recruitment, which is assumed to be 01.02.2023). 
• Candidates of any nationality can apply.
• Proficiency in English is required.
• Technical qualifications: master degree in physics, applied physics or in electronics/nuclear engineering.  Experience with particle/radiation detectors, with programming and design/simulation/data analysis tools (e.g., C++, VHDL, MatLab, ROOT) is an asset. 

The positions offers:

• An employment contract for 6 months.
• The stipend granted by the EU is EUR 3270 brut + EUR 600 mobility + country coefficient factor if applicable. The allowance which may be increased depending on the hosting organization.
• In accordance with the European Commission’s allowances for ITNs, a training allowance covers training activities, conference attendance, etc.

This is how you can apply:

You will need the following documents to complete your application:

• A CV
• A copy of the last (highest) qualification
• Two letters of recommendation to give as broad as possible overview of your academic and/or professional achievements
• In addition, contact details of 2 academic or professional references (name, position, e-mail, telephone and indicating the relationship with the applicant)
•  Interviews will be held as soon as possible after the closing date and will include a video interview
• The employment contract will start as of February 2023

Closing date: Monday 12 December 2022