A year before discovering the Higgs boson, aka “God”, particle, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) established its own arts residency. Formed in 2011, the Collide@CERN program pairs artists with CERN physicists in Geneva to collaborate on art and research projects, banking on the idea that artistic experimentation and theoretical physicists are both ultimately concerned with the same thing: "both are ways to explore our existence – what it is to be human and our place in the universe,” according to program director Ariane Koek. The first collaboration between artist Julius von Bismarck and theoretical physicist James Wells was so fruitful that CERN developed Accelerate@CERN in 2013, which enables a country to set up and sponsor a specific "Research Stay" within CERN’s labs. Now, Austria is looking for an architect to work at CERN.

What does this entail? For one month of pure research, an architect will be paired with a CERN physicist – to work, think, and ideate together. The focus is on experimentation and imagination, so the Stay has no set outcome. CERN is already home to some of the world’s largest and most complex structures, testament to the supreme engineering and design reaches of humanity's desire to understand our universe’s (and humanity's) origins. Seems like a natural and incredible place for an architect to learn, share, and be inspired.

Some details on the Research Stay:

• You must be an architect born or living in Austria
• The “fixed bursary” includes a 5,000 CHF (approximately 5,418 USD) stipend, funded by the Department of Arts in the Federal Chancellery of Austria
• Application deadline is February 23

For more information and to apply, click here.