HEARTS@CERN 2025 user campaign - Submit your beam time application

19 Nov 2025, 18:00 → 8 Dec 2025, 00:00 Europe/Zurich

CERN

Welcome to the HEARTS@CERN 2025 beam time application form! Please find the necessary information on access modalities and conditions directly below. Click on the "Register" button below to fill out your beam time application. The deadline for applications is July 20th 2025.

The HEARTS project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101082402, through the Space Work Programme of the European Commission. HEARTS (High-Energy Accelerators for Radiation Testing and Shielding) is aiming to establish two new high-energy heavy ion radiation testing facilities for space applications, one at CERN in Switzerland and the other at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Germany.

In the context of the project and in line with its Knowledge Transfer activities, CERN has implemented a high-energy heavy ion facility with attractive capabilities and performances (the “HEARTS@CERN” facility) for space electronics testing. 

! Disclaimer ! This form is meant to collect beam time applications from external users willing to access HEARTS@CERN facility during 2025 ion run to perform R&D activities for industrial or societal applications. Further ion runs in the future cannot be guaranteed at this stage, hence only self-contained test campaign proposals will be accepted. Due to the limited beam time and expected high demand, no guarantee for beam time at CERN in 2025 can be made to all applicants at this stage. Your application will be evaluated against predefined selection criteria and the outcome will be communicated by end of August, 2025. Users submitting their applications through this form accept the general conditions described below.

Beam time dates:

November 19th - December 7th, 2025.

Beam properties:

The HEARTS@CERN facility provides very high energy lead ions. More information on the facility parameters and typical beam properties can be found here. These properties are provided for reference, and are not guaranteed; in case of updates these will be communicated. Requests outside of the typical beam properties can be considered and discussed on a case-by-case basis if achievable and requested well in advance.

Beam time offer (hours):

Depending on the planning, we can offer up to 150h of commercial beam time during the 2025 HEARTS@CERN run. A standard shift consists of 8h of beam time; subject to availability confirmation, we can offer slots ranging from 1 to 7 shifts (i.e. from a minimum of 8h to a maximum of 56h).

Price:

The cost of the beam time is 3,500 CHF/hour for a minimum of eight hours (i.e. 28 kCHF per 8h shift). Note that facility access, beam parameter changes, etc. are included in this time. Only beamtime effectively delivered will be charged.

Warranties:

All access activities shall be enabled by CERN on an “as-is” basis, without any guarantee of success or stringent planning or deliverable commitments.

 Liability:

CERN does not accept any liability related to Access and activities associated thereto. External users shall be liable for loss or damage caused to CERN’s infrastructure as a result of their activities.

Support:

CERN provides administrative and technical support to prepare for and conclude the activities. CERN can also provide storage during the test setup phase and/or in the event that activation cooldown of the irradiated equipment is required. If specifically requested, confidentiality of test equipment can be ensured. CERN will not accept any liability related to activities carried out during the test campaign. 

The user is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from CERN and for transporting any equipment or material that they need. CERN can however provide guidance and support in the process.

Test outcome:

Upon completion of the activities, CERN will provide a dosimetry report with details of the beam properties (energy, LET, fluence) and test conditions (energy degrader in use, beam size, timing). 

Access and use of CERN facilities:

As CERN’s scientific programme has priority, CERN reserves the right to reschedule part or all of the external users’ activities at its discretion without any liability.

Any user must ensure that its employees using CERN facilities have followed the CERN specific safety and technical trainings deemed necessary by CERN for the proper use of HEARTS@CERN.

Further information detailing liability, warranties, access, intellectual property, confidentiality, etc. will be set out in a dedicated service agreement to be signed between CERN and any selected user of HEARTS@CERN.

Proposal eligibility:

The following restrictions in the acceptability of the proposals apply:

• Only non-military applications
• Only devices and test equipment non-generating safety issues
• Only test campaigns that can be fully achieved within the 2025 ion run (i.e. not requiring more than 56h of beamtime). 

Selection criteria:

All submissions with non-military applications are considered and evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Applications from anywhere around the world are welcomed with a preference for CERN/EU member states.

• Suitability of the HEARTS@CERN facility to meet the needs of the request,

• The specific need for a high-energy beam to carry out the proposed test.

• The potential direct and indirect societal impacts (environmental, humanitarian, scientific) of the final product proposed by the user,

• Impact potential on industrial competitiveness (test added value for the product)
• Impact potential for CERN (as potential future user of the improved product)

• The level of foreseen (partial) dissemination of results. Dissemination is not obligatory. 

 

More information can be provided on request by contacting us through hearts.project@cern.ch.