Hey everyone! I recently submitted my application for the CERN Technical Studentship (25-1) and would love some insights or advice. I’m a Computer Science student with research experience at Harvard (LLM inference optimization), JuliaHealth (GPU-accelerated medical imaging), and NIH (biomarker identification for lung cancer). I've also been involved in various AI and ML projects, with a strong foundation in Python, TensorFlow, and other relevant tools. My background includes awards from hackathons and Olympiads, and I’m eager to contribute to CERN's research environment.

Would anyone who’s been through this process or is familiar with CERN applications have tips on standing out or preparing for next steps? Thanks!

Is it generally possible to give people or professors from your university a tour of CERN? Or what other possibilities are there?

Hi so, if you live on the French side of the boarder is it fairly easy to travel back and forth? Do u need to pass through a lengthy boarder control process each time you pass between France and Switzerland? Or could I literally just cycle or get the bus between them no problem?

HI everyone so I submitted an application a while ago and did not submit a reference letter at that time, and almost a week ago I submitted the reference letter from my professor, till now I haven't gotten any response, I visited my application, it doesn't show the "In review" either it is showing it as a "new" application, the deadline for the submission was 4th November, what should I do? should I contact the HR?
Edit: last time I applied I got a rejection email within a day or two as they said that I am ineligible as the ceiling has been passed.

Hello. I have a question regarding the Technical Student program application process.

After submitting my application, I received a confirmation email with an option to “Access my application”, which leads to SmartRecruiters, where it seems possible to edit documents. Can I upload an updated CV before the application deadline through this option, and would it be reflected in the application system or the candidate pool?

However, the program’s job posting mentions, "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)".

Anyone know if it’s okay and possible to do that?

I got the rejection within two days after applying the job for the post of procurement officer. As per the job description i could match all eligibilty for that job. I have 5+ years of experience in procurement department as manager in a health sector.

Hello all,

I recently went through the process of applying to the CERN doctoral programme. I found the experience to be quite stressful, with long stretches of time without communication from CERN, not knowing what stage I was at and whether I was still under consideration. Therefore I felt I should detail my experience below, as I could not find much information about the process online and I wished that someone had made a post like this one for me to provide some reassurance.

Before Applying

Before you apply to the programme, you should know that you cannot apply by yourself. You need a university to essentially "sponsor" you, as CERN cannot give out degrees on its own. You will then need a supervisor at this university to help you with the application process, and who will be able to advise you in a general capacity as you complete your PhD (e.g. writing your thesis, completing your viva etc.). Therefore they should be knowlegeable in at least the general area of whatever project you do at CERN. All of this is probably easiest if you speak to academics at the university you are currently attending (assuming you intend to go straight into a PhD from your Master's). In my case I instead applied to a different university than my current one, which meant I had to go through their entire application process and get accepted there first, which was all a bit of a hassle.

Initial Application

Once you have a university sponsor, you can apply. Make sure you check the date that the application window closes well in advance, and also double check the latest date that they say they'll make their final decision as this may conflict with your university's term dates. In my country, universities start their academic years in September, but CERN said they wouldn't get back until the end of October, so I needed to defer the start of my PhD so I could avoid paying tuition fees before I had a guaranteed place. Also make sure that your references can provide their written statements before the closing date.

I won't go into detail about what makes a good application or a personal statement as there are much better places to learn about that than from me, but make sure you emphasise your enthusiasm for physics and what makes CERN so special to you.

The Application Timeline

I applied for the 2024 window, with an application deadline of the 29th of July. I will now provide a timeline for when I heard back about each stage:

• July the 23rd: I submit my application after long discussions with my supervisor. I receive an automated email thanking me for my application and providing some basic information about what happens next.
• July the 28th: I receive an email inviting me to an asynchronous video interview, with a link provided.
• August the 1st: I submit my responses to the interview. Naturally this felt uncomfortable as there is no-one on the other end of the call to speak to, and you are not given any chances to rerecord your answers if you make a mistake. However I was only asked two things, and they were very standard PhD interview questions that you can nail with some basic preparation. I did not receive a confirmation email this time for completing this step.
• September the 17th: I receive an email from a research group at CERN inviting me for a conversation. This is where things stop being as fixed so these dates will vary for you. My understanding is that HR takes a while to process all the applications, and then the research groups got access to them in mid-September, and then they picked out ones that they liked.
• September the 18th: I receive an email from a different research group, again inviting me to interview. Same as the first group, I email them back and arrange a time to interview
• October the 31st: I receive the final outcome of my application.

The Research Group Interviews

If you receive any invitations to interview, make sure you look up the researchers beforehand to become familiar with their work. I wasn't told in my second invitation what the project they were offering actually was, so it's good to get an idea of what you're getting into. Also make sure that you revise some of the basic physics concepts around your subject matter, just to make sure you don't make any silly mistakes in the interview.

It's also a good idea to refresh your knowledge on any coding languages you've listed on your CV. I overwhelmingly used Python in the past, but I used some C++ in a few undergraduate projects so I included it on my application. As a result I was very caught out when I was asked to do a C++ coding exercise in my interview when I hadn't used it in over a year and couldn't remember anything (so please spare yourself the embarrassment that I felt!).

Overall I feel that this stage is also a matter of luck. Unless you somehow already know groups at CERN before applying, you don't know who will pick you out for interview, and how your skillset compares to other applicants. I was asked in both interviews whether I had experience in machine learning, which in my case I had rarely needed to use before, which I think definitely hurt my chances.

Conclusion

To summarise, make sure you're familiar with the dates that everything needs to be in by, demonstrate your enthusiasm for physics and CERN at every step, stay brushed up on basic physics concepts and the specifics that you've listed on your CV and you have a decent chance! It also helps to have done relevant summer internships, especially in an academic setting, so to have that extra bit of experience with coding languages.

I was unfortunately not successful with my application, and I don't think my university will let me reapply next time, so I will instead look to universities within my country to pursue my PhD. However, given I got as far as I did I hope this advice/breakdown is at least somewhat helpful for you! As I have only applied once, I do not know whether this is the general experience of most applicants, so please do post in the replies whether your experience was different to mine.

I wish you the best of luck with your application, you've got this!

We made a group to talk about everything related to the CERN Technical Studentship and more. If you just received an offer or are current technical student, I'd like to invite you. Please drop me a message so that I can add you to the group.

Hi everyone!

I've just started my degree in physics and I'm planning to pursue my career in particle physics. I've recently learned about the CERN summer camp and I'm really interested in applying for it next year.

Could anyone share tips or advice on how to strengthen my application and increase my chances of being selected? Any insights on what the selection committee looks for would mean a lot to me.

Thank you! 🙂❤️

Title says it all! Sometimes on the weekends the cafeteria is just wiped by dinner time and I don’t totally feel like taking the tram somewhere. Uber eats (and I assume other delivery services) run here, so the question is do they know how to deliver to CERN? Is there a general place people send delivery drivers to?

Thanks!

Hi so a while ago I posted in here about the technical studentship program for applied physics. I applied for the 2025-1 application, but I was shortlisted for a zoom interview back in September even though the 2025-1 applications haven't closed yet.

I was then told I was one of the top three candidates and that I'd hear back in around a week for the final decision. I haven't heard back yet and it's now the end of October.

I was wondering if maybe they've brought me into the 2024-3 application process since I got shortlisted and got an interview so early. If so when is the outcome of the 2024-3 applications to be released. I read somewhere that it was end of October so that would mean it could be any day now.

However I'm still in the 2025-1 application listed when I actually go on and look at my application, which means of course that I might not find out till February. I'm just confused why I got shortlisted so early, was told that I would hear back in a week, and then nothings come through.

Is it worth emailing the supervisor I had the zoom interview with or would that look unprofessional?

Any information or advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Update: I sent the supervisor a very professional email, just asking about if there's any further update, bit of a long shot but worth a try haha

Can I apply with a master in particle physics for the doctoral student programme? There is written that you should not be speciliased in particle physics?

I'm currently working on a project where I required to use cern data analysis framework 'root'. I'm done with installation and now really appreciate if I get some resources to start with it. (I'm using a windows machine)

hey, if you are fulltime cern employee studying phd at geneva university, can you let me know? i would like to ask you a few questions in DMs..... :-)

I am currently in the process of applying for the CERN Technical Student Program in Mechanical Engineering, and I would greatly appreciate your help with writing my motivation letter.

Specifically, I am looking for guidance on how to effectively convey my passion for mechanical engineering, my relevant experiences, and my enthusiasm for contributing to CERN’s groundbreaking research. If you have any tips, or if you could share examples or structure that could help strengthen my application, I would be extremely grateful.

Thank you in advance for your support

Hi everyone, I have posted regarding this topic previously so I wanted a bit of direction. I was looking to work in CERN in their HPC usecases and I know that you have to submit an online application to their portal and then the potential supervisors selects from a pool of applicants. If anyone have gone with this process, I would like to know their experience. Do I have to contact the supervisor in advance for the selection process for PhD? 🌟

Two years ago, I applied for CERN’s internship programme and decided to have a little fun by making a standard model themed CV! At that time, I just liked the idea and didn’t think much about whether it’d be professional or not.

Thought I’d share it here. Hope it brings a smile :) (I was not selected for the program)

I am applyting for the technical studentship. In the application for it is specified that the reference letter should be from a professor of my current university. The reference I've got is from a PhD researcher, so not an actual associate professor. Will be enough?

Hi! I am a fellow at CERN. I was looking for family doctors, but everyone I contacted told me that they do not allow new patients. What should I do in this case? It sounds inadequate to go every time to emergency...

Hey guys, some people said last week that we would get answers for the technical studentships this week. Well, I haven't gotten the acceptance nor an email saying I wouldn't get in.
Is anyone in the same situation?

Hi , i have done all i could to make my cv look as good as possible to apply to cern but i am still concerned about it (I am a president of a society , student representative , worked over the summer in a lab with 2 papers to be published and an intern in a research on nuclear steel) If anyone have experience there and could review some stuff/ give me some advice on how to apply that would be an immense help

My partner is going to be working on Atlas stuff for a month. I would love to send him a love letter or homesick package. Is getting mail at the hostel on site relatively easy?

Hi everyone,

I'm considering applying to the Doctoral Student Programme at CERN, which has associated an allowance of 3868 CHF per month. Since Switzerland in general is known to be quite expensive, I wanted to ask if this salary is generally enough to live comfortably there.

Also, does anyone know if there are any additional payments or sources of income associated with this position (e.g., extra duties, grants, etc.)? Any advice on managing living costs or experiences from current/former students would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi I just a small question, for anyone who works at CERN, is this a valid cern email ID? "procurement@cernhome.org"

Im a spanish guy working in Geneve, are there any Spaniards (or not spaniards) who would like to make plans around here?

I'm considering visiting CERN with my girlfriend but it would be just us so we can't book for the 12 people group. From what I understood there is a quite small exhibition that is free and it's easier to access, however I don't know if just that is worth the trip. Is there a way to get like a tour or something more without booking? And if it's just that exhibition, is there something around CERN that is visitable in one day (minus the time spent at the exhibition)? Thank you in advance

I am a student from Ukraine, currently studying in university. Throughout my studies in college and university, life has taken a turn that has left me without any practical experience or hands-on knowledge. I haven't had the opportunity to participate in any courses, workshops, or clubs at the university—nothing at all. Unfortunately, even my summer internships provided me with no practical knowledge, as the people there simply didn't have the opportunity to teach me.

Given this situation, what are my chances of securing an internship in electrical engineering at CERN?