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Ireland could become an associate member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research next year, which would open doors for Irish citizens, academics and businesses.
Ireland has taken another step on the path to CERN membership, as the organisation has agreed to send a taskforce next year.
This taskforce will assess Ireland’s application and produce a report on Ireland’s fulfilment of the criteria to become an associate member. It is hoped that the organisation will make a final decision in June 2024.
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the biggest scientific research centres in the world, bringing together around 18,000 researchers. It is also the organisation behind the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
Ireland is one of only three EU countries that is not a member with CERN – a fact that the country’s academics have been speaking out against for years.
Membership to CERN would let Irish citizens apply for jobs with the research centre, while Irish academics could apply for CERN research projects. It would also let companies in Ireland bid for contracts with the research centre.
Full membership to CERN would cost roughly €13.5m annually, but associate membership is expected to cost around €1.9m per year for an initial period of five years. Ireland confirmed its decision to apply for CERN membership last month.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris, TD, said membership with CERN has been long awaited and will be “transformative for the research community”.
“We already have a very strong physics community in Ireland who are ready to participate in this highly respected international collaboration,” Harris said.
“CERN’s primary mission is to understand the fundamental nature of the universe. The full inclusion of Irish scientists, researchers and engineers in that mission is justly deserved and has been long anticipated both here in Ireland and abroad.”
Harris said membership would also give Irish citizens access to CERN training schemes, which include masters and PhD programmes, apprenticeships, a graduate engineering training scheme, technical training experience and internships for computer scientists and engineers.
“These skills would be developed far beyond what is possible in Ireland and are in industry-relevant areas such as electronics, photonics, materials, energy systems and software,” Harris said.
“The benefits of Ireland’s membership of CERN are immeasurable and I look forward to welcoming CERN’s taskforce in due course.”
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