Ireland’s application for associate membership at CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, has been accepted in principle, with the affiliation expected to begin in 2026. As one of the few European countries without membership, this decision marks a long-awaited step forward for Irish scientists and engineers.
CERN, an intergovernmental organisation based in Geneva on the France-Switzerland border, operates the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Its goals are to explore the fundamental nature of the universe through cutting-edge physics research, advanced accelerator facilities, and global collaboration all while promoting open science for societal benefit. There are currently 24 member states and 10 associate members. With associate membership, Ireland will contribute €1.9 million annually for five years, granting its researchers access to CERN’s scientific programmes. Irish citizens will also become eligible for staff positions and fellowships, while Irish businesses will be able to compete in CERN’s procurement programs.
While many academics and industry professionals had advocated for CERN membership for decades, government interest remained minimal until recent years. However, one student-led movement in Trinity College Dublin may have been instrumental in finally tipping the scales.
Leading this campaign was Michael Mitchell, a former theoretical physics student and current PhD student at Trinity. In 2019, during his second year of undergraduate studies, Mitchell founded the Theoretical Physics Student Association (TPSA), a student-run organisation dedicated to enhancing the academic success of theoretical physics students. The campaign for CERN membership began with a petition that garnered over 200 signatures, demonstrating the undeniable appetite and consensus among academics for membership.
When asked why he focused on this particular issue, Mitchell explained that he saw it as “achievable.” He recognised the years of advocacy by academics and realised that what it was missing was a “final push over the line” to get policymakers on board. Though the campaign faced some criticism from students who believed advocacy should focus on PhD wages, Mitchell remained firm in his belief that CERN membership was an attainable goal. He also highlighted the relatively modest cost of membership, pointing out that the €1.9 million annual contribution is equivalent to just six bike sheds, referencing the government’s €336,000 expenditure on a single bike shed at Leinster House.
The student-led movement was relentless. TPSA members frequently attended Dáil sessions whenever CERN-related questions were raised. They also engaged directly with the Department of Enterprise as well as influential politicians, including TD James Lawless and Senator Malcolm Byrne. Lawless, with his background in mathematics and high-performance computing, was particularly supportive, understanding the membership’s significance from both an economic and academic perspective. Ireland has faced a major ongoing issue of “brain drain” – the emigration of highly skilled scientists and engineers due to limited domestic opportunities and Lawless recognized that this has strongly affected both Irish scientists and students . He stated that “If there is someone in Ireland studying one of the fields that is researched in CERN and they are interested in advancing their research, they’ll want to connect with CERN and be able to use the facilities there. Some of our best and brightest have gone to the UK or France to study, because they know they’ll have access to CERN over there that they haven’t had here.”
One of the campaign’s defining moments came through a chance encounter with Trinity College Dublin’s Provost, Linda Doyle. Mitchell seized the opportunity to convey the importance of CERN membership, prompting Provost Doyle to organise a gathering at the Provost’s House. The event brought together politicians, civil servants, academics, and students for an in-depth discussion of Ireland’s potential membership. Mitchell emphasised the significance of this meeting, stating that he was “not sure it would have happened without that meeting.”
Though Irish researchers have had limited contributions to CERN projects in the past, their participation has still been highly impactful. University College Dublin (UCD), which hosts Ireland’s only experimental particle physics research group, played a role in the discovery of the Higgs boson, which later won a Nobel Prize. UCD physicists have also been exploring applications of CERN-developed technology in Irish hospitals.
The benefits of CERN membership go beyond research. CERN is committed to open science, with initiatives in open access, open data, open-source software and hardware, and digital preservation. The organisation’s influence on global knowledge-sharing is exemplified by the invention of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in 1989.
UCD particle physicist, Professor Ronan McNulty, emphasised the significance of the decision, stating, “Access to CERN is access to knowledge – having the Irish scientific and engineering community collaborating at the premier scientific laboratory in the world will enrich our society with the latest scientific ideas and technology.”
As Ireland prepares to officially join CERN, the move is not just a win for scientists but for students, engineers, and businesses alike. Mitchell sees the decision to join as a ‘ a leap of faith by our leaders within the talent in the country.’ The journey to the membership underscores the power of student advocacy and the impact of persistent, well-directed efforts. With access to one of the world’s leading scientific institutions, Ireland now stands on the precipice of new opportunities—ones that will shape the future of scientific research and innovation in the country for generations to come.
