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Welcome to CASPEN

The Cosmology and Astroparticle Student and Postdoc Exchange Network
Particle collision

About us

CASPEN (the “Cosmoparticle and Astroparticle Student and Postdoc Exchange Network”) is a rolling programme which aims to foster scientific advances on topics of mutual interest, by offering opportunities for collaboration.

PhD Students and postdocs from any CASPEN institution can apply to visit one of the others (see below for a full list of institituions) for a period of between three days and two weeks. As well as generating scientific opportunities, the programme is also intended to foster professional development for these students and postdocs. To read about the outcomes from past CASPEN visits, please click below.
Record of visits
A view of Durham Cathedral from the River Wear

CASPEN visits should either instigate or deepen collaborative research, normally with an interdisciplinary angle and on topics which are related to cosmology, astronomy and particle physics.  Topics in the past have resulted in papers ranging across large scale structure and the cosmic microwave background, particle physics and astrophysics of dark matter and neutrinos, high energy cosmic ray and gamma ray physics, and theoretical and observational studies of galaxy formation.

Applying to the programme

All students and postdocs working in a relevant field are encouraged to apply. There are no set deadlines as this is a rolling program, apply as soon as you know your travel dates. Allocation of funds will be made by the relevant budget holder at the host institution, and is expected to be straight-forward and rapid in well-justified cases.  The work can be based on an existing program or a new idea.

To apply, first identify a potential collaborator from a host institution and agree on a specific work plan and potential dates for a visit. Although the application procedure is not onerous, applicants are expected to identify a concrete proposal for a period between 3 days and approximately 2 weeks. A visit may then be proposed using this form.

Apply now
Enhance links between institutions with interests in cosmoparticle and astroparticle physics
Support PhD students and postdocs to develop new ideas and ventures
Connect research programmes to foster international collaboration
Create new directions for interdisciplinary research

Participating Institutions

Institutions that take part in the scheme

Oskar Klein Centre, Sweden

Stockholm University & Royal Institute for Technology (KTR)
Exterior view of the Oskar Klein Centre

Cosmoparticle Initiative

UCL & Mullard Space Science Laboratory, London (Image of UCL © Science at UCL blog)
Photo of University College London

Centre for Cosmology & AstroParticle Physics

Ohio State University, USA
Exterior view of the Centre for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics in Ohio State University

Centre for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute

New York, USA
View of the roof top garden atop the Flatiron Institute building in New York

Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

Stanford University, California, USA
View of the Kavli Institute building in Stanford, California

Institute for Computational Cosmology

Durham University, UK
Ogden Centre

Arrange a CASPEN visit ->

 

Contact Us

Follow the links below

Durham University Science Site

CASPEN Network Administrator
Lorraine Oram

Network Lead
Andrew Pontzen

 

Institute for Computational Cosmology

The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics

Durham University

South Road

Durham University

DH1 3LE

Tel: 0191 3343744