Frequently Asked Questions

Can I enter more than one project?
No, you cannot. By ISEF rules you can only enter one project in one ISEF-affiliated regional science fair in any given year. If you enter as part of a team, you cannot enter an individual project in the same year, and vice-versa.
I don't know where to send my forms.
You should check the Contact Us page. Note that the address for certification forms (Dec. 1 deadline) is different from that for the entry forms (Feb. 6 deadline).
It's past the deadline, can I still submit certification forms?
Yes, you can, and we'll endeavor to do the best job we can of responding. But if you wait that long, the likelihood of having time to do your project the right way starts getting harder. So don't wait!
I don't know how to decide whether I need to submit certification?
First, all students need to submit forms 1A, 1B, and the sponsor checklist. These forms may be sent to the registration address if no other forms are required. If any other forms are required, you should send the entire packet to Matt Toth at the address given on the web. If you aren't sure you need the forms, then you can either fill them out and send them to Matt, or you can query him via email with a description of what you want to do. Usually, just sending them in for review is the best approach.
Can I continue a project from a previous year?
Yes, you can, but you should be aware of the ISEF rule that says that all the work judged in a given year must be completed in a continguous period of 12 months in the 18 months prior to ISEF. This rule is sometimes difficult to adhere to in multiyear projects, so you should give it some thought as to how you separate the years of your work.
I did a summer project in a professional lab with a mentor, can I compete with that work?
To the extent that the work is your own, yes, you can. You should be careful to make clear your own role in the project, and the form 1C will be required (filled out by your summer mentor or supervisor). Also, if the project is one that requires ISEF certification, then you should have implemented all the ISEF forms before starting the summer work. If you did not, then your form will have to be signed as "approved after work was performed" by our SRC chair, and you will be required to submit complete (signed and dated) documentation of the review procedures used by the host institution to preapprove your work. Finally, you should be aware of certain restrictions that will never be waived: these include the use of ethidium bromide (for DNA work--completely prohibited for student use, but used in some DNA labs), the completion of any vertebrate work with a plan of exceeding an LD50 dose (50% lethality), and the sacrifice of any vertebrate animals directly by the student (supervised or not).