Co-funding for European researchers
Since CERN's international fellowship programme began in the 1960s it has been providing excellent career development possibilities for research in the areas of science and technology. An EU-funded project, COFUND-CERN-2010 (Cofunding of the CERN Fellowship Programme 2010), is CERN's second COFUND grant. Highest rank applicants receive three-year contracts and can be recruited from various areas. These include particle physics, theoretical particle physics, information technology, data acquisition and controls technologies, magnet technology, radio frequency technology, electrical engineering, electronics, cryogenics, and dissemination of scientific results and technology transfer. In order to apply, candidates must have a PhD or a minimum of 4 years and maximum of 10 years of experience. All nationalities may apply. The group of selected fellows comprised nationals from 13 EU Member States as well as scientists and engineers from Canada, Russia, Switzerland and Taiwan. COFUND fellows were given the opportunity to spend up to 12 months of the fellowship at a university, research institute or an industrial company outside CERN while working on a topic still related to the original work at CERN. The COFUND fellow stays under full CERN employment during this time. Spending time away from CERN builds international cooperation. During the last year of the Grant Agreement CERN assessed its COFUND grants. Follow-up mechanisms were created to keep in contact with the COFUND fellows. Posters and flyers have been produced for distribution at recruitment fairs to promote COFUND at CERN. Additionally, there is a video that features three COFUND fellows at different stages in their COFUND contracts.
Keywords
CERN, fellowship programme, science and technology, COFUND-CERN-2010, Cofunding
