Funding

Salary

Program dates

TBA

PhD Scholarship•Switzerland · Geneva

CERN Doctoral Student Programme

CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Application Deadline

Rolling admission

Official Page

The Doctoral Student Programme lets you complete the research for your PhD thesis at CERN, the world’s largest particle-physics laboratory, on the French-Swiss border near Geneva. You stay enrolled at your home university, which must approve the CERN work as counting toward your doctorate, while working alongside CERN teams in one of the lab’s fields — physics, engineering, computing, mathematics and related technical areas. It is a paid, hands-on placement rather than a taught degree: CERN hosts and pays you; your university awards the PhD.

Benefits & funding

  • Monthly net allowance of 3,907 Swiss francs (CHF).
  • Coverage under CERN’s comprehensive health insurance scheme (a contribution is deducted from the allowance).
  • Family supplement depending on personal circumstances.
  • Reimbursement of travel to Geneva on taking up the contract, subject to conditions.
  • 30 days of paid leave per year plus a two-week annual closure.

Eligibility

  • Be a national of a CERN Member State or Associate Member State (see the structured nationality list; ceiling limits can temporarily exclude some nationalities in a given intake).
  • Have started, or be about to start, a doctoral programme at a university.
  • Pursue thesis research in one of CERN’s fields of work (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and related areas), approved by your university as part of your PhD.
  • Have a good knowledge of English or French.

Can you apply?

Worth a closer look

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  • Eligible nationalities

    Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Israel

    + 24 more

    Italy · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · UK · Brazil · Chile · Croatia · Cyprus · India · Ireland · Latvia · Lithuania · Pakistan · Türkiye · Ukraine

    Not in your profile yet

  • Education required

    Master · PhD Enrolled

    Not in your profile yet

Sign in to check eligibility

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

  1. 1
    Prepare a CV and, optionally, an academic reference letter.
  2. 2
    Complete the online application on the CERN careers site when the programme is open (reopening 6 August 2026).
  3. 3
    Take part in a phone or video interview with the hiring manager(s).
  4. 4
    Receive an offer and complete onboarding if selected.

Program timeline

  1. Applications reopen on the CERN careers site.

    6 August 2026

  2. Contract

    initial 6 months, renewable up to 3 years, spread over a maximum of 4 consecutive years.