Deadline:
April 10, 2025
Location(s)
Germany Online
DESY in Hamburg
Overview
BEAMLINE FOR SCHOOLS is an official competition powered by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland. It is open for all high-school students around the world.
Did you ever wonder what it is like to be a scientist? The Beamline for Schools (BL4S) competition is your chance to experience it. High-school students from all around the world can join the adventure. Jump into the world of particle physics and think of a simple and creative experiment!
Details
The competition invites teams of high-school students to propose a scientific experiment that they want to perform at a particle accelerator. The two teams that prepare the best proposals will win a trip to a particle accelerator facility to perform their experiments at a fully-equipped beamline. Because of the maintenance of CERN's accelerators since the end of 2018, the winning experiments in 2021 will run at DESY in Hamburg, Germany. There are additional prizes for a shortlist of teams and certificates for all participants.
This is an ideal opportunity to expose today’s cutting-edge physics to tomorrow’s scientists. The Beamline for Schools competition began in 2014 to celebrate CERN’s 60th Anniversary and had already some successful runs.
Which experiments can be proposed?
Your team is free to propose any experiment that involves the use of the beamline available for the competition. When you first meet with your team mates and you decide to take part in Beamline for Schools, you are not expected to know much about particle physics, particle accelerators, or particle detectors.
The starting points to conceive an experiment are (1) understanding what particle physics experiments with accelerators look like and (2) finding an idea that is interesting for your team.
Keep in mind that your experiment should not cause any safety concerns. The technical feasibility will be an important criterion for the selection of the winning proposals. We know that judging which experiments are safe and feasible, may be difficult for you. Refer to our Beam & Detectors document for further information. Moreover, get in touch with one of our national contacts or with us.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Who is eligible?
The competition is open to teams of high-school students from all around the world. The winning teams are invited to a particle physics accelerator to run their experiment. Participating teams must consist of at least five students and at least one adult team coach. Teams may consist of students from a single school or a number of schools from different countries. At most, nine students and two coaches per winning team will be invited to a particle accelerator (incl. travel, accommodation, and meals). Take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Is it possible for students under the age of 16 to participate in the competition?
Yes, but... For the participation to the competition there is no age limit. Students under the age of 16 can be members of a team and will receive certificates. The only limitation is that in case the team wins, only students that are at least 16 years old in September can be invited.
Which experiments can be proposed?
Your team is totally free with respect to the experiment that you propose as long as it does not rise any safety concerns. The technical feasibility will be an important criterion for the selection of the winners. We know that judging what is feasible and what is not may be difficult for you. Refer to this support document for information.
Dates
Deadline: April 10, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
Experiment Proposal Prizes BL4S 2025
All participants
All participants will receive a digital certificate of participation in the BL4S 2025 competition.
3 winning teams
Two winning teams will be invited to spend approx. two weeks at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, to conduct their proposed experiments. One winning team will be invited to conduct its experiment at DESY in Hamburg, Germany, for a similar duration. BL4S will cover the full costs of the winners' stay at CERN or DESY, including travel, accommodation at CERN or DESY, and meals. Before their arrival, the winning teams will have the unique opportunity to work together with scientists to optimise their proposed experiment.
Up to 50 shortlisted teams
Beside the winning teams, up to 50 teams will be shortlisted, that is, included in a list of best experiment proposals. These teams will receive special prizes that may include a portable particle detector for their school and BL4S T-shirts for each team member.
3 best video awards
The teams submitting the 3 best video proposals of their experiment will receive a special award that may include a portable particle detector for their school and a BL4S T-shirt for each member.
15 best outreach awards
In 2025, the organisers of the “Stars Shine For Everyone” (SSVI) project will award optical telescopes to the BL4S teams submitting the 15 best outreach proposals. Would your team like to win one of these telescopes? If yes, check out the outreach proposal prizes!
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
