- 2023 will be an In-Person Fair
- Forms needed for Fair Check-in Day & Judging Day
- Application Limits for Teachers/Schools
- “Special Awards” are now “Sponsored Awards”
- Top Awards are now “Grand Awards”
- ISEF’s “Private” laboratories Rules
- ISEF’s Human Participants Rules
- ISEF’s Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents (PHBA) Rules
- ISEF’s ALL Projects Involving Hazardous Chemicals, Activities and Devices Rules
2023 will be an In-Person Fair
Participation in the fair will require all attendees to be in an N95/KN95 mask, and at least as much precaution as government rules dictate. If you forget one, an N95 mask will be available for pickup at the entrance of South Hall, San Jose Convention Center and hand sanitizer will be available onsite.
Forms needed for Fair Check-In Day
In addition to Form 1C for RRI projects and Continuation Form 7, if required, bring printed copies of these application forms to Fair Check-In Day:
- Form 1B from your application
- Forms 6A or 6B (if your project required them)
- Informed Consent Forms (if your project required them)
- Compliance Checklist
- Project Notebook (optional for Middle School)
- Research Plan
- Signed Ethics Statement
*Do NOT bring signed ICFs on Judging Day.
Application Limits for Teachers/Schools
It was welcome news that students and teachers could start the year together in the classrooms and labs. SRC looks forward to a resurgence of great projects for the 2023 Championship. At the same time, we will monitor compliance with pre-COVID limits on the number of applications by teachers and schools and restrictions on parent-supported projects.
“Special Awards” are now “Sponsored Awards”
We would like to make you aware of a name change. What was previously “Special Awards” will now be “Sponsored Awards”, which better describes their nature. We hope this will ease student anxiety over not having interviews with these judges, who have narrow criteria unlikely to match most projects.
Championship Top Awards are now “Grand Awards”
These include Grand Prize awards for high school and Castro Family and Isabelle Stone Awards for middle school.
Highlights of Important changes to the ISEF 2022-2023 International Rules for Pre-Collegiate Research
Details at ISEF website.
ALL Projects
• Added a section to address “private” laboratories and how to manage approvals.
Independent or private laboratories, such as those established to support student researchers do not meet the requirements of oversight or committee infrastructure to be considered Regulated Research Institutions (RRI). Therefore, such laboratories should be considered the same as high school laboratories as it pertains to the International Rules and the types of projects able to be conducted in this setting. For purposes of documentation, such facilities may complete the Regulated Research Institution/Industrial Setting Form 1C to address the adult supervision and conditions of research.
Human Participant Rules
• Rule 6 modified to address diagnostic applications in the prohibition of
practicing medicine.
Students are prohibited from providing diagnostic or medical information to participants
without direct supervision and involvement of a medical professional. This includes
publishing diagnostic apps on public websites or app stores without appropriate FDA
approvals.
• Rule 9 modified to better clarify online survey procedures.
a. Studies that involve the use of minors in conducting online surveys must have Informed Consent and the parent/guardian of the minor must provide written parental permission before the survey may be given to the minor. The procedures used to obtain parental permission must be described in the Research Plan.
b. In order to protect the confidentiality of the participants, it is extremely important that IP addresses, as well as the data provided, be safeguarded. Precautions must be delineated in the Research Plan.
Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents (PHBA) Rules
Exempt Studies (no SRC pre-approval required)
• Clarified two exemptions involving microbial fuel cells and baker’s yeast.
- The following types of studies are exempt from prior SRC review, but require a Risk Assessment Form 3: Studies with microbial fuel cells in which the device is sealed during experimentation and disposed of properly at the conclusion of the study
- The following types of studies involve BSL-1 organisms and are exempt from prior SRC review and require no additional forms: Studies involving fermentation of baker’s yeast and brewer’s yeast, except in rDNA studies
Hazardous Chemicals, Activities or Devices Rules
Rules for ALL Projects Involving Hazardous Chemicals, Activities and Devices
• Prescription Drugs section rewritten to more tightly control the use of prescription drugs per current law. Details here.
