How do I assure my students of entry into the South Central Regional Fair?

Science teachers in the South Central Region should e-mail Jody Strand by October 1st, 2008, to indicate their intent to enter students in this year's fair. The forms for regional entry are available here and require Microsoft Word:

• Regional Form (Group Projects)
• Regional Form (Individual Projects)

You should also download the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Rulebook and then the 13 pages of ISEF forms.  You may elect to use the ISEF Form Wizard with your students. When given the necessary information it will assign the appropriate forms needed for entry. The following four pages must be copied and handed out to all students entering your local science fair regardless of the project:

• Checklist for Adult Sponsor
• Student Checklist (1A)
• Research Plan Attachment
• Approval Form (1B)

Collect the completed forms and mail them to: 
          Jody Strand, Assistant Director, SCSDSEF
          Dakota Wesleyan University
          1200 University Avenue
          Mitchell, South Dakota, 57301

Our last deadline for submission is November 1st, 2008. Under normal circumstances, most forms will be returned with our approval within 4 weeks. (Note that students who are working in groups need to have the team leader fill out the Student Checklist (1A) - Team.) Once the forms are back in your hands, it is time for your students to begin their science projects.

We recommend that you hold your local fairs during DWU’s spring break or on Tuesdays/Thursdays in February that way we can provide judges. Click on Scheduling Local Fairs for more. Register your winners for the Regional Fair by March 9th, 2009, and bring them to the South Central Regional Fair no later than 8 a.m. on March 24, 2009.   A complete list of all Deadlines is available on this site.

What Purpose is Served by the Forms?

The ISEF treats all student scientists, from grade 6 on up, as if they were doing research as adults. Working scientists can have their labs closed down if they abuse people or animals and the same is true of science fairs. To avoid that fate we must insist upon:

The Checklist: Any ethical or safety concerns are to be indicated here. In doubtful cases, call or e-mail us for help. 

The Research Plan: It is to be filled out in detail before the research begins. Since winning projects require months of work, the best plans will be completed before the end of the first school term but whatever the time frame, the plan must be filled out in detail for it may be scrutinized by the Regional Fair's Science Review Committee (SRC).

The Approval Form: We must have the signature of a parent or guardian. Projects involving the use of::

• Human subjects must have their research plans accompanied by the Human Subjects Form. These plans will be examined by the fair's Institutional Review Board (IRB).  
  

• Backboned animal projects must have their research plans accompanied by the Nonhuman Vertebrate Animal Form, and the Designated Supervisor Form.
  
• Human or animal tissue must have their research plans accompanied by the Human and Animal Tissue Form.
  
• Hazardous substances or devices must have their research plans accompanied by a Designated Supervisor Form.

The Research Plan Attachment: The project should be described in a lucidly written paragraph, preferably typed. Vaguely worded lines in pencil will result in the plan being returned for clarification. Engineering projects do not need statements of hypotheses. Research-oriented projects do. The bibliography is essential. 

Are There Additional Forms?