CERN Science Gateway is a place to explore CERN and science through authentic, innovative and inspirational experiences. It is CERN’s new education and outreach centre, where we take visitors on a unique journey building on the physical proximity to CERN, its accelerators, detectors, facilities and people.  

Through immersive multimedia exhibits, hands-on lab workshops, science shows, events that blend science and culture, innovation-prototyping workshops and tours of authentic CERN places – all guided by CERN people – visitors of all ages and backgrounds can engage in the discoveries, the science and the technologies of CERN.  

Our vision is for a world where science and learning are part and parcel of everyone’s life. Our younger visitors may leave inspired to explore a career in science and technology. We hope that all visitors will feel empowered to make sense of the science that shapes their lives.  

This vision is housed in an iconic building designed by the world-renowned Renzo Piano Building Workshop, with support from Brodbeck-Roulet architectes associés. 

An iconic building  

Inspired by the diversity and curiosity that are intrinsic to CERN, the building encompasses multiple elements, embedded in a green forest.  

Five different spaces host three exhibitions, two hands-on labs, an auditorium, a shop and a restaurant, all connected by a 6-metre-high bridge that spans the main road in front of CERN. Two suspended tubes mirror the cutting-edge technology of the CERN accelerator complex. Raw shapes and forms, and exposed concrete celebrate CERN’s industrial character. 

The building symbolises the inseparable link between science and society, with sustainability at its core. Almost 4000 square metres of solar panels provide energy to the Science Gateway and other CERN buildings. A forest of over 400 trees and 13 000 shrubs provides a habitat for animals and plants. When in operation, the building is carbon-neutral.  

These days, hadron therapy is a term appearing more and more frequently in the news and media. It has become part of the vocabulary that scientists use to talk about the latest advancements, bringing new hope in cancer treatment.

The ENLIGHT- European Network for Light Ion Hadron Therapy - programme offers immeasurable value, both from a training perspective and from the opportunity to join the ENLIGHT network of experts and experienced practitioners. There are three types of trainings available, ranging from introductory training to internship opportunities. The program is aimed at research students around the world studying particle therapy, who are in their final years of undergraduate studies or beyond. Depending on their education level, students can follow and benefit from one or more training cycles offered at CERN and/or other research and clinical facilities involved with the ENLIGHT network. 

Our aspirations:

• to provide young researchers in particle therapy with an opportunity for high-level multidisciplinary education and training with the involvement of leading experts in the field;
• to establish a worldwide network of young scientists engaged in information and knowledge sharing, and reaching out to emerging countries globally;
• to reinforce the hadron therapy field with qualified experts who can further develop and diffuse the therapeutic techniques worldwide;
• to demonstrate how fundamental research can be linked with and provide viable solutions to critical issues like cancer for the benefit of society.

At CERN, we are dedicated to scientific research and we work to create a world where high-quality, scientific education is universally available. We are pleased to share our knowledge with educators world-wide via CERN’s Teacher Programmes. The Programmes are intended for high school science teachers, and offered on-site at CERN to promote the teaching of modern physics. The National Teacher Programmes are brief (up to 1 week) but intensive at the same time. The programmes include lectures from CERN scientists, hands-on activities and dedicated sessions as to how teachers can bring physics and CERN’s expertise into the school classroom. Subject to the availability of lectures speaking the same language, the Programmes are offered in the participants’ national language for maximum comprehension.

Since the beginning of the Programme in 1998, about 11’500 high school teachers were trained at CERN. Every year, around 40 national courses take place in 21 languages.

The costs of all scientific, administrative and technical support for the Programmes, such as scientific content and provision of national language facilitators, lecturers and guides, as well as all necessary infrastructure are paid by CERN. However, CERN does not cover the costs of travel and other necessities, which often represent a barrier for teachers to attend a Programme. 

The ATLAS PhD Grant Scheme encourages young, talented and motivated PhD students in particle physics, research and computing for physics. The scheme offers students a unique opportunity to enhance their studies in a world-class research environment under the supervision and training of ATLAS collaboration experts.

How it started:

Fabiola Gianotti and Peter Jenni, former ATLAS spokespersons, received in 2013 the Fundamental Physics Special Breakthrough Prize for their leadership role in the discovery of the Higgs boson. They donated their share of the Prizemoney towards creating a Grant scheme, for which the first students were selected in 2014.

The Grant:

Selected candidates receive a stipend to spend one year at CERN followed by one year at their host institute. Students work as research physicists within the ATLAS collaboration, as part of the work required to obtain their PhDs. During their time at CERN, students receive daily supervision from ATLAS scientists.

Our objectives:

• to offer a unique educational opportunity to outstanding students to meet and work with world-class specialists at ATLAS;
• to fuel the spirit of scientific curiosity and take the students one step closer to their own scientific discoveries;
• to engage home universities and ensure they guide their students successfully to a PhD degree;
• to strengthen scientific collaboration across the world and bring home institutes, ATLAS and CERN closer together