To all GIS 2025 contestants: Thank you!

Wow! The 2025 Genes in Space application period concluded on April 14th, and we are overwhelmed by this year's turnout. Our team is already hard at work reviewing exceptionally creative ideas, and we are deeply grateful to all of the students who took the time to contribute to this year's submissions. Thank you!

This year's contest received 759 applications from 1009 students and had its broadest reach yet, with a record 263 schools represented across 41 states and territories! In addition to the hard-working students, we would like to recognize all of the teachers who introduced their students to space biology through this contest. Your time supporting students' research questions, explaining experimental design principles, and conducting biotechnology lab activities is greatly appreciated!

Choosing a single winning experiment from such a talented pool will be a significant undertaking, but we are excited to continue evaluating these impressive proposals. The ingenuity displayed has been inspiring, and our team looks forward to the next two weeks of review. As the final selection process continues, we are eager to announce how we will be recognizing your hard work in the coming weeks.

During the first week of May, we will reveal the recipients of our Constellation Awards (schools with the highest participation), our Semifinalists (the top 30 submissions who are still in contention for the grand prize), and our Junior Scientist Awards (our leading middle school proposals that showed exceptional creativity). Stay tuned for these announcements!

Ad astra,

The Genes in Space Team