On September 1^st, 2022, the European Physical Society (EPS) launched its first EPS Citizen Science Competition in the framework of the Surrounded by Science project, an EU-funded project which aims at fostering out-of-school science activities which can increase the interest in science to the general public.

The EPS Citizen Science Competition, which was opened from September 1^st to 30^th, aimed at offering science enthusiasts, with or with no background in physics, the opportunity to participate in two research projects in the fields of High Energy Physics and Gravitational Wave Astronomy to optimize their detectors through the Zooniverse platform, the world’s largest and most popular platform for citizen science projects, that support real researchers to make groundbreaking new discoveries. Additionally, the most successful participants to the competition have been shortlisted for the next phase of the competition, having the possibility to be selected for a visit to CERN or EGO-Virgo facilities.  

During the first phase, the EPS Citizen Science competition counted with more than 350 participants who took part in the experiments New Particle Search at CERN and GWitchHunters. Once the first phase finalized, the 20 participants with the best scores have been shortlisted for the next phase, being eligible for one of the four travel grants to visit the CERN or EGO-Virgo facilities. The selection process of the next phase will take place during November, and the final winners will be announced by the end of November!