General Info

Projects - Safety & Display Guidelines

Project Presenters - Additional Guidelines from ISEF

Science Buddies - ideas for science fair projects and other resources

7 Dippity - ideas for science fair projects

ISEF Categories

ISEF/SRC Forms

Science Fair Project Ideas from the Acoustical Soc. of America

Current Categories for Projects You will be required to assign your project to one of the following categories: Animal Sciences Behavioral & Social Sciences Biochemistry Cellular & Molecular Biology Chemistry Computer Science Earth and Planetary Science Energy & Transportation Engineering: Materials & BioEng. Engineering: Electrical & Mechanical Environmental Management Environmental Science & Analysis Mathematical Sciences Medicine & Health Sciences Microbiology Physics & Astronomy Plant Sciences

Junior High Paper guidelines and presentations are based on the Senior High guidelines, at the National JSHS site:

Please read the National Paper Guidelines

Oral Presentation Guidelines You must bring 6-10 copies of your Abstract to hand out to judges. Also bring copies of all your registration forms/information with you to the Symposium. PRESENTATION LENGTH - You will have 12 minutes for your presentation, followed by 6 minutes for questions from the judges. The room moderator will signal you when you have one minute left and stop you at the end of 12 minutes. CALLBACKS - Some students will be called back for an additional 5 minute Q & A with the judges about their presentation. Call backs are a method for judges to gather more information before making their final decisions. You do NOT need to receive a call back to win. Aids to presentation. No written handouts, other than Abstracts are permitted. Research apparatus may be used if it is integral to the presentation and only if it is hand-held. You are the expert. No one in the audience knows as much about your research investigation as you. Therefore, remember to explain your research in enough detail so the audience will understand what you did, how you did it, and what you learned. Whenever possible, avoid jargon or unnecessary terminology. If it is essential to use specialized terms, remember to explain the specialized term briefly. Give your audience enough time to understand what you are trying to convey. Graphs, tables and other representation help explain your results. Keep them simple and uncluttered. Focus on important information; for example, remember to name the variables on both axes of a graph, and state the significance of the position and shape of the graph line. Deliver your presentation at a comfortable pace. It helps to practice your presentation before a non-specialized audience. Practice will help you perfect the presentation and the timing. Do listen to the advice of your non-specialized audience but also get help from a teacher or other advisor as needed.