Doctoral Student Programme

You will spend up to 36 months working on your doctoral thesis in a truly unique environment where science, technology and innovation meet. You’ll be part of an international community of experts, gaining experience at the forefront of research and engineering.

• Carry out your doctoral research in collaboration with CERN and your home university.
• Contribute to ongoing projects in domains such as applied physics, computing, engineering or related technical fields.
• Present and document your work as part of your academic and research objectives.
• Learn from and work alongside world‑class scientists, engineers and technicians within an international and multidisciplinary team.

• Your field of study is in Applied Physics, Engineering, Computing, or a related area.
• You are motivated to develop your research in a hands‑on, collaborative and innovative environment.
• You enjoy teamwork and learning from others in a collaborative setting.
• Solid theoretical foundation in your research area, combined with an interest in practical applications.
• Curiosity, precision and a proactive attitude towards learning.
• Good communication skills and ability to work effectively in a multicultural team.

Final date to receive applications: 30/06/26 at 23:59 (Geneva time)

• Ideal
  
  Start Date:
  
  01/1/27
• Weekly
  
  Working Hours:
  
  40
• Contract duration (in months): 12 to 36
• Job Flexibility:
  Fully Onsite
• A monthly allowance of 3907 Swiss Francs (tax free).
• 30 days of paid leave per year plus 2 weeks annual closure.
• Coverage by CERN’s comprehensive Health Insurance scheme (the contribution will be automatically deducted from your allowance).
• Family supplement to subsistence allowance, depending on your individual circumstances.
• Travel expenses to Geneva upon joining CERN, depending on your individual circumstances.
• A contract duration for 12 months, renewable up to 3 years, with possibility to spread over a maximum duration of 4 consecutive years to allow you to spend time at the university.

Be sure to meet the eligibility criteria

• You have a good knowledge of English or French.
• Your university must support your participation in the programme. This means that your university should agree that the research you conduct at CERN will contribute to your PhD thesis. Additionally, your field of study should align with CERN’s research areas, including, but not limited to, physics, engineering, computing, and related applied sciences.
• You must be enrolled in a doctoral program in a relevant field such as physics, engineering, computer science, or a related discipline. You should have begun your doctoral studies at the time of application.

You will need these documents to complete your application

• Your CV (English or French)
• Any document you consider relevant to your application
• An academic reference letter (optional)
• An academic transcript (optional)