2025 Changes from Previous Rules & Procedures

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Application Fees Updated

The application fee is $40 for individual projects and $50 for team projects.

  • Fees are waived for Title One schools. The teacher gives the voucher code to qualified students.
  • Some fees are batched and paid via a single check by the school. If you fall into this category then ask your teacher for the Voucher Code. In the spring, we provide a list of total projects/fees to the teacher/school.
  • Students/families who are in need of financial assistance may request a fee waiver by contacting the Fair Manager. In this case, please submit a letter signed by the parent or teacher.

SRC/IRB Pre-Approval Deadline

All projects that need SRC/IRB pre-approval MUST submit their application before Nov 13, 2024, which is 1 week earlier than last year.

FINAL Deadline for ALL Applications

Applications for the 2025 Synopsys Championship MUST be submitted by Jan 10, 2025, which is more than 1 week earlier than last year.

Field of Study for Food Science/Engineering removed

The SCVSEFA Board and Category Judging Committee have decided to discontinue Food Science and Engineering as a Field of Study in 2025. Introduced in 2024 for middle schools, this field received few project submissions and did not significantly contribute to the fair. Additionally, recruiting judges with expertise in this area has been challenging. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Frequent Rule Violations

  • All studies involving the use of prions or prion-like proteins are prohibited.
  • Students who are developing an app or have an engineering project that builds a device that needs to be tested may do so only if they follow all the rules for human participants. This includes reporting health (mental, physical and environmental) issues. These projects need pre-approval by the SRC.  

Highlights of Important changes to the ISEF 2024-2025 International Rules for Pre-Collegiate Research

Details at ISEF website.

ETHICS STATEMENT MODIFIED

Under Integrity, modified to include the use of AI and to state that a project may only represent one year of work.

The project should reflect independent research done by the student(s) and presented in their own words with proper citation, most particularly if artificial intelligence is used. The project may only represent one year of work and must not include fraudulent data, plagiarism or inappropriate use of AI in presenting work that is not their own.

HUMAN PARTICIPANT RULES

Under Rules, 6.c. the word advice was added.

Students are prohibited from providing advice, 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.

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS BIOLOGICAL AGENTS (PHBA) RULES

Under Rules for All Studies, number 13 was added

  • All local, state and national laws and permit requirements must be followed regarding the transport and use of microorganisms such as, but not limited to citrus greening or tobacco mossaic, etc

In C. Additional Rules for Projects with Tissues and Body Fluids, including Blood and Blood Products, Rule 7 modified to exempt the student researcher

  • 7. All studies involving human or wild animal blood or blood products, except those that only involve blood from student researcher(s) should be at a minimum a BSL-2 study done under the supervision of a Qualified Scientist.

In Exempt Studies (No SRC pre-approval required), Rule f. modified to clarify E. Coli strain

  • f. Studies involving E. coli K-12 (OP-50 used solely as a food source for C. elegans)

ISEF’S HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS, ACTIVITIES or DEVICES RULES

Section B on Prescription Drugs was rewritten to clarify differences between prescription drugs and controlled substances.

In the US, the FDA tightly regulates the issuance of prescription drugs including non-controlled medications. State laws further regulate the use of prescription drugs, and it is unlawful for any person to knowingly or intentionally possess a non controlled medication unless it was obtained directly from a valid prescription or order of a practitioner while acting in the course of their professional practice. It is also unlawful to use a prescription for persons or purposes outside of the original intent of the prescription or for the person it was originally prescribed for. All applicable federal, state and country laws must be followed.

  • 1. Students are prohibited from the use of prescription drugs in their study outside the authority of a practitioner or researcher that has obtained the non-controlled medication with appropriate approvals and is using the medication for the purpose for which it was prescribed.
  • 2. Exemptions include research and educational products purchased that are considered research grade and not pharmaceutical grade, therefore not for human consumption.
  • 3. In the case of prescription drugs administered to vertebrate animals, this may only be done under a veterinarian’s supervision and with prescriptions provided for this specified purpose.

Designated Supervisor

All instances of Designated Supervisor (DS) was modified to Direct Supervisor (DS).

FORMS

Abstract & Certification for All Projects at ISEF

Added clarifying language to Completing the Abstract section:
The abstract must be written in your own words and will be run through a plagiarism checker. It is recommended that it include the following:

A. purpose of the experiment
B. procedure/methodology used
C. most important/significant results you found
D. conclusions/research applications

Student Checklist (1A)
If multiple schools, list of the team leader or list all schools

Research Plan/Project Summary Instructions
List of materials

Regulated Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (1C)
Reformatted to fit on one page by condensing questions and including Yes/No check boxes.

Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk Assessment Form 6A
Added under Section 1: Project Assessment the word strain

Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form (6B)
Under 3: Added If human tissues were used, attach a copy of IRB approval. And the word de-identified was added to the first check-box in the signature box.

Continuation/Research Progression Projects Form (7)
Second sentence at the top regarding the need for an additional form for previous year and earlier projects was deleted.

Human Participants Form (4)
A must that your IRB does not have a Conflict of Interest.