Expanding our Horizons

This school focuses on the future of particle colliders, exploring the core scientific motivations and the ways in which evolving accelerator and detector technologies can be exploited to address fundamental science questions. Designed for advanced PhD students and early-career post-docs in experimental and theoretical particle physics, the program is tailored for those interested in Physics, Experiments, and Detectors (PED) who aspire to contribute to these global efforts. Participants will gain the technical insight and strategic vision needed to bridge the gap between theoretical goals and experimental execution, preparing them for a career in characterizing the fundamental nature of matter and revealing underlying physics.

The electron-positron Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee), recommended by the European Strategy Group as CERN’s preferred flagship option, serves as a primary case study for these PED challenges. Operating at the Z, W, Higgs, and top quark thresholds, it aims to provide unprecedented precision to test the Standard Model and search for new physics. This long-term vision includes a ~100 TeV FCC-hh in the same tunnel following the completion of FCC-ee operations. The other major collider planned to be built is the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States which offers significant synergies with the proposed FCC-ee program at CERN. By examining these machines alongside other proposed options like the Muon Collider, students will learn how accelerator and detector technologies and machine-detector interfaces are critical to the success of the next generation of high-energy physics. 

Applications for the school are being accepted. We invite interested candidates to apply as soon as possible as seats are limited. Selection of candidates will be made on the basis of the submitted application. Partial financial support is available for a limited number of candidates. Please also have a supporting letter sent to the organizing committee to complete the online application. Applications must be completed and submitted by May 15, 2026 to be considered for financial support.