At CERN, US scientists work with an international community to answer the biggest questions in particle physics: the study of fundamental particles and forces.
CERN is an international laboratory for particle physics research. The laboratory provides the infrastructure and resources for autonomous experiments.
The United States was awarded CERN observer status in 1997 for significant in-kind contributions to CERN's accelerator complex. The US-CERN collaboration is governed by international cooperation agreements, which are prepared and agreed upon jointly by the US Government agencies and CERN.