Fifteen students from around the world will spend a week at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, on the A&A Excursion to CERN 2027. The programme focuses on astroparticle physics and cosmology. Participants attend lectures, visit experiments such as the Antimatter Factory, build a simple particle detector and work on a small research project.
Accommodation, meals, local transport and all activities are covered, and each participant can get a travel grant of up to US$1,250. It’s open to high school and undergraduate students worldwide, including Africa, and there’s no application fee. The deadline is 27 December 2026.
Good to know: the programme is organised and funded by the A&A Academic Office, a private education provider in Hamburg, Germany, working with contact people at CERN. It isn’t one of CERN’s own student programmes.
At a Glance
| Organiser | A&A Academic Office (A&A Masterclass), Germany |
| Where | CERN, Geneva, Switzerland |
| Dates | 13–19 June 2027 (Sunday to Saturday) |
| Places | 15, with 5 reserved for A&A Masterclass alumni |
| Who can apply | High school students, school leavers starting university in 2027, and bachelor’s students. Master’s students may apply with a strong case. |
| Funding | Hostel, meals, local transport and activities covered, plus a travel grant of up to US$1,250 |
| Application fee | None |
| Deadline | 27 December 2026, 23:59 CET |
What Happens During the Week
- Daily lectures on the Standard Model, cosmic rays, dark matter, antimatter, neutrinos and the early universe
- Site visits such as the Antimatter Factory, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer control centre, the CERN Data Centre and the CLOUD experiment, and, if the schedule allows, a large LHC experiment
- Hands-on workshops where you build and operate a simple particle detector and analyse real data
- Informal sessions with CERN physicists, engineers and doctoral students
- A group research project presented on the last day
- A free afternoon in Geneva with a guided walk
The final list of visits depends on CERN’s operating schedule and access rules.
Benefits
- Accommodation at the CERN Hostel on the Meyrin site
- Meals in CERN restaurants and shared dinners
- Local transport and all programme activities
- A travel grant of up to US$1,250 for an economy trip to Geneva and back. It’s reimbursed against receipts after the programme, but if you can’t pay in advance, the organisers can book your journey for you.
- A certificate of participation
- A visa invitation letter for selected participants who need one
Not covered: visa fees and health insurance valid in Switzerland, which is required.
Eligibility
- Open to students from any country.
- You must be one of:
- a high school student
- a school leaver starting university in 2027
- an undergraduate (bachelor’s) student
Master’s students can apply if they explain clearly how the week would benefit them.
- A real interest in physics and astronomy, ideally with some experience of working on a scientific question yourself.
- No particle physics background is needed. The lectures start from school physics and mathematics.
- You don’t need to have taken the A&A Masterclass. Ten of the fifteen places are open to everyone.
- Good English, since all sessions are in English.
- You must be able to attend the whole week, from 13 to 19 June 2027.
- A valid passport or national ID card, which you need to enter CERN.
How to Apply
- Prepare three PDFs: your CV, a motivation letter (one to two pages in English) and your latest transcript or school report. You can add certificates from olympiads, competitions or courses as one optional PDF.
- Complete the online form. It takes about 20 minutes and can’t be saved halfway, so write your answers first. It asks you to describe your own research project or projects, up to 5,000 characters.
- Submit before 27 December 2026, 23:59 CET.
- Shortlisted applicants have a 20-minute online interview in early January 2027. Decisions follow in mid-January.
Apply for the A&A Excursion to CERN 2027 (official form) · Official programme page
Tips for African Applicants
- Write a specific motivation letter. The organisers say a personal, specific letter says more than a long list of achievements. Describe a question that fascinates you, such as dark matter or the early universe, and what you’ve done to explore it.
- Show hands-on science. Science fair projects, olympiads such as the Nigerian or South African physics olympiads, astronomy clubs and self-study all count.
- Plan your Schengen visa early. Selected participants get invitation letters between February and May 2027. Visa fees aren’t covered, so budget for them.
- Ask for travel booking if you need it. If paying for a flight upfront is hard, you can ask the A&A Academic Office to book it for you.
