EUCYS 2026 Kiel, Germany
The 37th edition of the EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) will take place from 22 to 27 September 2026 in Kiel (Germany). Together with Brest (France) and Split (Croatia), Kiel is implementing Science Comes to Town, the new EU-funded flagship initiative supporting a small group of 3 to 6 cities to co-organise and host a joint 1-year programme of activities around science, highlighting the contribution of science to society and the results of R&I projects supported by national/regional/EU funds, including the Horizon Europe programme.
EUCYS 2026 is an international science fair that will bring together in Kiel around 150 brilliant young scientists, aged 14 to 20, from almost 40 countries. The participants will present their scientific projects to an esteemed jury, to the general public and to their peers, with whom they will be able to exchange ideas and learn from each other. The exhibition space will be open to families, schools and the general public free of charge. EUCYS 2026 is organised by the European Commission together with Kiel University.
More information
Aims of the EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS)
The EU Contest for Young Scientists gives students the opportunity to
- compete with the best of their peers at European level
- meet other young scientists with similar skills and interests
- get guidance from some of the most prominent scientists in Europe
It highlights the best of European scientific student achievements and attracts widespread media interest.
EUCYS is an initiative of the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme that seeks to strengthen the efforts made in each participating country to highlight scientific student achievements and attract young people to careers in innovation, science, research and technology, and since 2026 it is part of the wider programme of the initiative ‘Science Comes to Town’.
How to participate
EUCYS is a competition for young European scientists aged between 14 and 20, who have won first prize at their national science competition with a project in any field of science.
Each year, organisers of participating National Contests are invited to nominate the first prize winning teams from the national contest to EUCYS, where students compete at European level for prizes and prestigious awards.
Projects can be composed by individuals or teams of up to 3 participants. Each country may submit up to 3 projects, with a maximum of 6 contestants per country in total.
Contestants are asked to provide a short video, a written project and a poster suitable for display at a public exhibition during the contest. Contestants will also be required to answer questions from members of the scientific jury.
Award criteria
The criteria used to assess projects are as follows
- originality and creativity in the identification of and the approach to the basic problem
- skill, care and thoroughness in designing and carrying out the study
- following through of the study from conception to conclusion
- reasoning and clarity in the interpretation of the results
- quality of written presentation and ability to discuss the project with the jury members
A jury of 20 - 25 international scientists, innovators, researchers, industry experts, is appointed by the European Commission to judge the competing projects. Jury members carry out this important work as individuals and not as representatives of an institution or country. The evaluate the projects adhering to the rules of the contest laid down by the Commission.
Prizes
The contestants compete for core prizes on the basis of a written description of their work, their exhibited material and the interviews with the Contest Jury. In addition to this, the Jury awards a limited number of special donated prizes, offering winners the opportunity to benefit from the specific experiences (visits, internships, etc.) linked to the prize.
The European Commission is very grateful to the organisations that donate these prestigious generous prizes to the contest.
The decision of the jury is final.
Core Prizes
The Core Prizes are the main cash prizes awarded by the European Commission at the contest. In the case of a team winning such a prize, the amount is shared equally between the members of the team. There are four categories of Core Prizes:
- Four 1st Prizes worth €7,000 each
- Four 2nd Prizes worth €5,000 each
- Four 3rd Prizes worth €3,500 each
- Special Jury Prize for youth €2,500
Honorary Prizes associated with the First Prizes Awards
These prizes are restricted to EU members and Associated and Neighbourhood Countries.
- Stockholm International Youth Science
Seminar (SIYSS) - London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF)
Special Donated Prizes
The Special Donated Prizes are offered to contestants who, according to the EUCYS Jury, would benefit from the specific experience that these prizes offer. They are mostly study visits to leading scientific organisations, including to all members of EIROForum and others.