Beamline for Schools (BL4S) is a physics competition for high school students from all around the world organised by CERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Geneva, Switzerland, in collaboration with DESY, the German Electron Synchrotron, in Hamburg, Germany and the ELSA accelerator at the University of Bonn in Germany. Teams of high school students are invited to propose an experiment that they want to perform at the beamline of a particle accelerator. The teams that submit the best proposals win a trip to one of these laboratories to perform their experiments at a fully equipped beamline.

Educational & Scientific Purpose: BL4S exists solely to promote STEM education, scientific literacy, and international collaboration among secondary school students. The initiative carries no commercial objectives and serves purely academic and public-benefit goals.

Looking back to Beamline for Schools 2026
On 13 March 2026, the application period closed. We have received a new record number of 712 proposals (508 in 2025). The proposals came from around 4501 (3,653 in 2025) students living in 89 different countries. Approximately 38% of participants were female. Right now, a large number of experts are evaluating the proposals. The winners will be announced in June. This year, both CERN and DESY will invite two teams each and one team will be invited to the ELSA facility at the University of Bonn, Germany. These five winning teams will perform their experiments in August.
All participants who have submitted an eligible proposal will receive a participation certificate. Additional prizes will be awarded to the shortlisted teams as well as the teams that have submitted the best videos and outreach proposals.

How to take part in BL4S?
The next opportunity to take part in BL4S by submitting a proposal is now.

Exclusive online events
We heartily invite the teams around the world to attend a series of online events!

Support this project

We are incredibly grateful to all our donors and supporters, without whose contributions the Beamline for Schools competition could not take place.

If you want to support this project, which is funded through philanthropic donations, you can contribute through the CERN and Society Foundation, which enables individuals, companies and entities to connect CERN’s science with society. Donate now: Beamline for Schools – CERN & Society website.

Free Access & Open Science: Participation in the competition is completely free of charge for all eligible students, teachers, and schools worldwide. In alignment with CERN’s commitment to Open Science, all educational resources, software tools, and experimental results generated through the program are published and made freely accessible to the public.

Absence of Commercial Intent: The project generates no revenue or financial profit, charges no registration or handling fees, and seeks no commercial exploitation of its outcomes. All financial and material resources allocated to BL4S are dedicated exclusively to student mentorship, educational activities, and the full coverage of travel, accommodation, and experimental equipment grants for participating teams.