Opportunities

Short-Term PhD Studentships

MCnet offers paid short-term research placements for PhD students, typically lasting around three months. In some cases, part-time arrangements over a longer period may also be possible. Students retain their home-institution affiliation throughout.

Each project has a preferred host site, and students are normally expected to spend the duration of the placement at the host institute in order to benefit fully from close collaboration with the project supervisors and the local research environment. The programme is designed to support short-term research visits within the MCnet network, and applicants should therefore plan to relocate to the host site for the duration of the project. Exceptions may be considered in specific circumstances.

These placements provide an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience with Monte Carlo event generators and related software tools, in close collaboration with developers and researchers across the MCnet network and the LHC Physics Centre at CERN.

Funding for these studentships is provided by CERN and is aligned with the local PhD stipend rate at the host site. Support for relocation expenses may be available subject to circumstances.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit the following materials:

  • a short CV
  • a statement of interest describing motivation and relevant experience
  • one letter of recommendation from their PhD supervisor

Applications should be sent directly to the supervisors listed in the individual project descriptions:

For general enquiries, please contact the MCnet spokespeople.

Next application deadline: TBC

Proposing a Project

Proposals for future studentship projects are welcome from any member of the wider MCnet community, including collaborators from projects not directly affiliated with MCnet and experimental physicists, ideally in collaboration with a Monte Carlo developer.

Proposals can be submitted at any time using this online form. Submissions are typically reviewed by the MCnet Collaboration Board twice a year, with projects selected for support in consultation with the LPCC management.