How to join or host ?
How to join
If you are a student or teacher in one of the countries listed here, you are lucky: there is an organization in your country that organizes a local competition to select the national team. Take part, do your best, and become a member of your national team at the IYPT!
If your country is not on that list, this means that the IYPT currently has no active Member Organization (IMO) in your country. Some countries have participated in the past but later withdrew, while others have never participated in the IYPT.
To participate with a team from such a country, several important conditions must be fulfilled:
- organize a team of five students;
- find an experienced IYPT participant who can endorse the team and take on the role of team leader;
- establish or identify an organization that can apply for recognition as an IYPT Member Organization (IMO), responsible for organizing the national selection and representing the country within the IYPT.
The IYPT requires a new team to be supported by an Endorser who has already participated in at least one of the five most recent IYPTs as an observer, team member, team leader, or juror. The Endorser must take on the role of team leader of the team nominated by the IMO Candidate.
The Endorser and the organization applying for IMO status must ensure that the team is adequately prepared for the IYPT. The current rules for new team participation also require the team to prepare at least nine solutions to the current IYPT Problems for review before the competition. The Executive Committee then decides whether the team will participate in the main Competition or as a guest team.
The Endorser should contact the IYPT organizers as early as possible to check the current conditions and deadlines for applying for IMO status and registering a new team. Please note that registration deadlines are several months before the competition.
A new country will often first participate by sending an observer to an IYPT. The following year, the observer may return with a team and help introduce the IYPT in their country. Another option is to cooperate with an experienced IYPT participant from another country, for example a former participant or team leader who now studies or works abroad.
According to the current IYPT Statutes, the members of an IYPT team must be eligible to represent their country under the applicable IYPT rules. The current Statutes define the IMO as a legal entity representing the IYPT in its respective country and give recognized IMOs the exclusive right to register a team from their country.
Please understand that assembling a team, finding an Endorser, establishing an IMO, preparing for the IYPT and solving the problems, and securing the necessary travel budget require many months of work. We are happy to provide advice and support to new teams. If you would like assistance or advice on forming a new IYPT team, please contact us.
About IMOs
An IYPT Member Organization (IMO) is a legal entity recognized by the IYPT to represent the IYPT and organize the national selection in its country. Only one IMO can be recognized per country.
An organization wishing to become an IMO must submit a written application to the Board through an authorized representative. The application must be supported by a person who has participated in an IYPT within the last five years as an observer, team leader, team member, or juror.
The Board defines the registration process and evaluates whether the applicant provides a fair opportunity for students in the country to qualify for the IYPT team. If the application is approved by the Board, a simple majority at the IOC meeting is sufficient for admission.
An IMO has the exclusive right to register a team from its country for the IYPT.
IMO status is granted for a maximum period of five years. An IMO also loses its status if it fails to send a team to two consecutive IYPTs. A new application must therefore be submitted when the IMO status expires.
IMO Application Form
Please use the following form to apply for recognition as an IYPT Member Organization (IMO).
The application should be submitted in accordance with Article 7 of the Statutes of the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT). The current Statutes specify the requirements and procedure for IMO applications.
Please make sure that the application is complete and contains all required signatures before submitting it.
How to Host
If you are interested in hosting a future IYPT, please consult the official guidance for potential hosts:
