There are project application limits for high schools, middle schools, teachers and non-RRI organizations. If necessary, participating schools decide how to limit applications in order to meet these limits.
See the Who Can Sponsor page about Parent sponsored projects.
SCHOOL LIMITS:
The 2027 project limit for each school will be based on the number of projects it submitted to the 2026 Fair. Schools that submitted more than 10 projects in 2026 will have their 2027 limit reduced by 7%. Each school will receive its specific 2027 project limit before applications open.
A few important details:
- Existing per-teacher project limits remain unchanged.
- If a submitted project is later withdrawn, another project cannot be substituted in its place.
- If your school did not participate in 2026, the 2027 project limit is 10.
TEACHER LIMITS:
TEACHER APPLICATION LIMITS are determined by the number of scientific category award-winning projects a teacher sponsored the previous year. See the 2026 list of winning projects. Sponsored awards do not count in the total.
| # projects that won category awards in prior year | # sponsored projects allowed this year |
|---|---|
| 0 | 4 (also applies to new teachers) |
| 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 8 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 or more | 12 |
Teacher limits were modified in 2020:
- 4 project applications for teachers with 0-1 category award-winning projects
- 8 project applications for teachers with 2 or 3 category award-winning projects
Research Class or Science Club?
A teacher supervising a high school Research Class or Science Club (or equivalent) may request additional project application slots from the SRC here. Each high school may request extra slots for either one research class or one science club—not both. The sponsoring teacher must submit a list of approved students participating in the Research Class or Science Club. Excel format is preferred. The deadline to submit a request is September 28, 2026, the day applications open.
RESEARCH CLASS LIMIT: Upon request, a high school research class may receive up to 36 additional project application slots. The class must be held during regular school hours, and only one research class per school is eligible to submit a request. Submit your request here.
SCIENCE CLUB OR EQUIVALENT LIMIT: Upon request, a high school science club or equivalent may receive up to 20 additional project application slots. This is for schools with no research class where a teacher provides active oversight and meets with students after school once or twice a week. Submit your request here.
