Each summer, CERN openlab runs a nine-week programme for bachelor’s and master’s students specialising in subjects related to computer science. These students work on cutting-edge projects with our collaborators, gaining hands-on experience with the latest computing technologies.
CERN is the birthplace of the World Wide Web. The laboratory hosts ground-breaking experiments and is at the heart of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). It is an environment like no other, where dizzying computing challenges abound!
By joining the CERN openlab summer student programme, you will work with some of the latest hardware and software technologies and see how advanced computing tools are used in high-energy physics. Students will also participate in a series of lectures prepared for them by computing experts at CERN, in addition to the main lecture series for CERN summer students. Visits to the accelerators and experimental areas are also included in the programme.
Who can apply?
Are you a B.Sc. or M.Sc. student in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or physics? Do you have a strong computing profile? Will you have completed at least three years of full-time studies at university level by next June? Would you be interested in working on an advanced computing project for nine weeks during the period June-August? If the answer to these questions is yes, you should apply to the CERN openlab summer student programme!
How and when to apply?
The call for applications for the 2025 CERN openlab summer student programme is now open. You can apply until the 26th of January 2025 (00:00 CET time). Find more information on how to apply here.
The following documents should be included in the application:
- CV
- Recommendation letter(s) by university supervisor(s)
- Motivation letter with an indication of the preferred area of work
- Academic transcripts for the current year
All required documents must be submitted with your application. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
Replies to applicants will be sent out by late March/early April 2025.
What else is there to know?
Students participating in the programme work on projects related to specific computing topics, each with a dedicated CERN supervisor. At the end of their nine weeks working with CERN, students produce a report and present their work in a short public presentation. Reports on previous summer-student projects can be found here.
A stipend is provided to cover students' living costs while staying at CERN. Full details on this — and all eligibility criteria — can be found on the CERN careers website and the summer student programme website.
Click here to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the CERN openlab summer student programme.
