The Treasure Map

Finding a research opportunity can feel like hunting for dark matter: you know it's out there, but you can't see it. 🕵️‍♂️ But unlike dark matter, these opportunities have websites! Here is my curated list of the "Big League" programs and the secret search engines that professional physicists use.

⚠️ Pro Tip: Deadlines for summer programs are usually in December or January! If you are reading this in May, bookmark it for next year.

The "Big League" Summer Schools

These are the prestigious, fully-funded programs. They are competitive, but 100% worth applying to. Even getting rejected is a rite of passage! 😉

  • CERN Summer Student Programme Switzerland

    The Holy Grail. Spend your summer near the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Includes lectures from Nobel laureates and hands-on projects. It's basically Disneyland for physicists.

  • DESY Summer Student Program Germany

    One of the world's leading accelerator centers. Amazing for High Energy Physics (HEP) and photon science. Plus, Hamburg is a cool city.

  • Perimeter Institute (PSI Start) Canada

    If you love theory (strings, quantum gravity, cosmology), this is your destination. They have specific programs for undergraduates that focus on pure theoretical physics.

  • DAAD RISE Germany

    Research Internships in Science and Engineering. This program matches undergraduates from North America, UK, and Ireland with PhD students in Germany for summer projects.

  • ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics) Italy

    Located in Trieste, ICTP is fantastic, especially for students from developing countries. They run many schools and diploma programs throughout the year.

The "Secret" Search Engines

Stop searching "physics jobs" on LinkedIn. Use the tools the pros use.

  • InspireHEP Jobs

    This is the Bible of High Energy Physics.
    How to use it: Go to "Jobs" -> Select "Rank: Student" or "Undergraduate." This is where the real specialized postings live.

  • AAS Job Register

    The American Astronomical Society. If it involves space, stars, or the universe, it's here. Look for "Summer Categories" or "Internships."

  • Hyperspace

    A specialized board for Gravity and Cosmology. It's less pretty than the others, but it lists conferences and positions you won't find anywhere else.

The "Do It Yourself" Method

Don't see a program listed? Make one.

Most research positions are never advertised. They are created because a student sent a polite email to a professor saying, "I love your work on X, can I help?".

Refer to my guide on "The Road to Research" for how to write that email without sweating through your keyboard.

If you think there are other oppurtunities not listed here, I would really appreciate it if you can bring it to my attention through here.