Beamline for Schools – You can be a scientist!

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!

The BL4S competition bridges secondary education and cutting-edge fundamental research by granting high school students the unique opportunity to experience real particle physics firsthand. Guided directly by scientists, participants gain early insight into the authentic research world while designing an experiment to be executed at a fully functional particle accelerator.

At the heart of the BL4S learning model is collaborative teamwork. Students form teams alongside teachers, requiring them to engage in group discussions, negotiate ideas, and co-author a scientific proposal. Through this process, they learn to formulate hypotheses and utilise scientific tools and software prior to submitting their proposals. Furthermore, as English is the working language of the competition and not the native language for the vast majority of participants, students develop crucial skills in international scientific communication and academic writing.

BL4S also introduces young participants to the global nature of modern science. Students learn to operate within an international environment, whether by collaborating across schools and borders or by engaging directly with researchers via the BL4S National Contact network. By attending dedicated seminars and online sessions, participants learn how to iterate, refine, and adapt their technical proposals to meet the operational criteria of world-class facilities such as CERN, DESY, and ELSA. Ultimately, BL4S equips students with both technical literacy and collaborative soft skills, serving as an invaluable steppingstone for future endeavors in the scientific world.

Who runs the competition?

BL4S is organised by CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, in collaboration with DESY in Hamburg, Germany, and the ELSA accelerator at the University of Bonn. The competition is coordinated by a dedicated team at CERN, including the Head of Education, the programme manager, technical coordinators and support scientists, with additional technical coordinators and scientists based at DESY and ELSA. The competition is also made possible by a large community of volunteers and colleagues from CERN, DESY and ELSA, who contribute their expertise and time to support the programme and its participants.

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!

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 teammates 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 regional contacts or with us. All the details about the structure of the experimental proposal can be found here.

When is the deadline for the proposal submission?

The deadline to submit a proposal for BL4S 2027 is 12 March 2027 at 23:59 CET (Geneva time). Submissions will be open from 1 December 2026. The results will be announced in June 2027.

Watch this video to learn more about BL4S!

Further questions?

Please first read our FAQs. Most questions we receive are already answered there.

See our regional contacts for several countries to get help in your language. Join our BL4S Facebook group and discuss with like-minded students and teachers from all around the world.