General Presentation

TH institutes are extended workshops intended to structure the TH visitor programme around topical themes. The ultimate aim is to make the best use of our resources and to share them with the community. We are also happy to coordinate our activities with those of other Institutes, Universities, or Research Centers whenever possible. The Institutes host programmes in HEP and related areas. While the organizers can be from anywhere outside CERN, there should be at least one local staff member in the organizing committee of the programme. This guarantees a smooth interaction with the CERN administration. The programme is financed out of our existing Visitors budget, and receives a significant fraction of that budget. Note that other visitors may apply to come to TH at the same time as institutes, however please be aware that office space may be limited during institute periods, and priority is usually given to institute participants.

Duration

Institutes usually last between one and a few weeks, although other durations can be considered, especially if in conjunction with other conferences or meetings taking place at CERN.

Practical Aspects and Financial Support

The Institutes are hosted by the CERN Theory Department, which provides full logistical and administrative support, so that no fees have to be paid by participants. CERN-TH offers seminar rooms, rooms for informal discussions and, depending on availability, office space for the participants. Moreover, CERN-TH can offer a subsistence allowance to a selected number of participants (but does not cover travel expenses). Convenient lodging for the participants is usually arranged in the CERN hostel, or nearby hotels. Our secretaries can help with the hostel reservation.

Scientific panel and application deadlines

The selection of proposed programs is made by TH, in some cases together also with external advisors. Some of the key organizers may be supported as Paid Scientific Associates (with a salary rather than the per diem usuallly given to visitors). Accordingly it is beneficial for applications to be timed with the CERN-wide deadlines for the Paid Scientific Associates, usually in March and September.

Applications

Applications to hold an Institute in TH should be sent to th.institute@cern.ch.

The application should include:

• Name, subject of the proposal.
• Proposal: 2-3 page summary of the scientific case and timeliness, and proposed duration.
• Main organizers, including the local staff. It should be guaranteed that at least one of the main organizers will always be present for the length of the programme (in addition to the CERN staff member). In order to promote gender equality it is strongly recommended that the organizing committee has at least one female member.
• Key participants. The success of such a programme, specially in conjunction with our Visitors program, depends on the participation of a number of key people. If they are not present for the full duration, they should be interspersed during the program.
• An estimate of the total requested number of weeks of subsistence allowance to be distributed among the participants.
• Information about whether there will be a workshop as part of the programme.
• Other planned activities, and if possible, also concurrent activities within CERN that could lead to constructive interaction.