2027 Changes from Previous Rules & Procedures

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Project Application 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 couple important details:

  • Existing per-teacher project limits remain unchanged.
  • If a submitted project is later withdrawn, another project cannot be substituted in its place.

Clarification: Project Changes After Initial Review

The fundamental subject and scope of a project may not be substantially changed after the initial SRC review. Students are expected to submit a thoughtful and accurate project description that reflects the work they intend to conduct. Minor adjustments or refinements may be permitted; however, changing the project into a substantially different study or research area may require a new review and approval. The SRC reserves the right to reject substantial changes or determine that a new project application is required.

SRC pre-approval logic; was edited for clarity

ALL students who have previously participated in our fair or any other ISEF-affiliated fair must submit their project and file a Form 7 by the SRC pre-approval deadline. SRC, not the student(s), will determine whether or not the project is a continuation of previous work.

Project Notebook/Logbook: Digital Notebook requirement clarified

Digital notebooks: Bring a printed summary of your process, data, and results. Download the complete notebook to your device before arriving—do not rely on South Hall Wi-Fi. Have your complete notebook available for judges or SRC reviewers if needed.

Reminder: All participants must document their process and results in a project notebook or logbook (digital or paper accepted), which must be brought on both Check-in Day and Judging Day. Without one on Check-In Day, your project will be marked “Not in Compliance” and your name badge held until Judging Day. Judges will evaluate all projects, but students without a lab notebook on Judging Day are not eligible for awards.

ISEF Form 2A Student Support Disclosure Form

SCVSEFA will use ISEF’s 2A Student Support Disclosure Form instead of the Assistance Disclosure Form.

Frequent Rule Violations

  • No culturing bacteria at home.
  • 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 SRC/IRB pre-approval by the SRC.

Highlights of Important changes to the ISEF 2026-2027 International Rules for Pre-Collegiate Research

Details at ISEF website.

ELIGIBILITY/LIMITATIONS

Page 3, #8:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used as a resource but must be cited and given proper acknowledgment. A student is expected to do independent work and all materials presented must be in the researcher’s own words. A student may not use generative AI to write the research plan, abstract, poster or to create citations (it is known to hallucinate and falsify references).

Under Documentation and Approval, #1: 

  • Student researchers must have a Research Plan that includes:
    • a. Rationale
    • b. Research Question/Hypothesis(es), Engineering Goal(s), Expected Outcomes
    • c. List of Materials
    • d. Procedures
    • e. Risk and Safety
    • f. Data Analysis
    • g. Bibliography
HUMAN PARTICIPANT RULES

Under Prohibited Studies, #1b was edited to include #1d:
Students are prohibited from disclosing research data from their study and/or from providing advice, diagnostic or medical information to participants without direct supervision and involvement of a medical professional.

Under Rules, #2c:
For studies involving minors, if the study includes a survey, the survey must be attached to the consent form as part of the written parental permission process and parental permission obtained prior to the minor accessing the survey. 

Under Rules, #6: 
Written parental permission must include a copy of the survey and be obtained prior to a minor accessing the online survey. 

VERTEBRATE ANIMAL RULES

Under Prohibited Studies, #4b was added.
b. For agricultural/aquacultural projects raised for food see “After Experimentation/Euthanasia” section.

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS BIOLOGICAL AGENTS (PHBA) RULES

Under Prohibited Studies, #5 was edited to clarify the prion rule:
All studies involving the use of prions or commercially available purified prion-like proteins are prohibited. This includes studies working with amyloid-beta (Ab), tau, alpha-synuclein, transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43kDa, amyloid fibrils, and Huntingtin protein. Studies involving plasmids that contain genes encoding prion-like proteins are also prohibited.

Under Prohibited Studies, #8 was edited: 
Students are prohibited from collecting water samples during a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB). Qualified personnel may collect the water samples and provide the student with the samples for testing. All water testing must be done in a BSL-2 lab, under BSL-2 conditions. 

Under Rules, #8 was edited for clarity:
Studies involving animal models that have been bred to express prion-like proteins, including but not limited to C. elegans and Drosophila, are permissible in a BSL-1 laboratory, if the studies are behavioral only and do not involve lysing or dissection of cells or purification of proteins. Work involving the lysis of cells or cell lines and/or purification of prion-like proteins must be conducted in a BSL-2 laboratory, under BSL-2 conditions.

Under Projects Involving Unknown Microorganisms:
a. was deleted as it was a repetition of b.

Under Exempt Studies (no SRC pre-approval required):
Studies involving Lactobacillus, Bacillus thuringiensis, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (excluding cyanobacteria), oil-eating bacteria, and algae-eating bacteria introduced into their natural environment (not exempt if cultured in a petri dish environment)

TISSUE & BODY FLUID RULES

Under Rules, #7 was re-arranged for clarity:

  • 7. Studies involving blood and/or blood products:
    • a. If involving human blood, research must be considered BSL-2 and done under the supervision of a Qualified Scientist. If only the blood of the student researcher, it is exempt from this requirement.
    • b. If involving wild animal blood, research must be considered BSL-2 and done under the supervision of a Qualified Scientist.
    • c. If involving domestic animal blood, the study may be considered a BSL-1 study.
    • d. All blood must be handled in accordance with OSHA and APHIS standards and guidelines. Any tissue or instruments with the potential of containing blood-borne pathogens (e.g. blood, blood products, tissues that release blood when compressed, blood contaminated instruments) must be properly disposed of after experimentation. Studies of human body fluids, where the sample can be identified with a specific person, must have IRB review and approval, and informed consent.

Under Exempt Tissues, b. and d. were edited for clarity:

  • b. Plant and vertebrate non-primate established cell lines and tissue culture collections (e.g., obtained from the American Type Culture Collection). The source and/or catalog number of the cultures must be identified in the Research Plan/Project Summary and on forms 6A and 6B Form 3.
  • d. Collection and/or study without culturing of eggs, pasteurized milk or fresh/frozen meat and meat by-products obtained from food stores, restaurants, or packing houses. and eggs or pasteurized milk
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS, ACTIVITIES, OR DEVICES RULES

Under Chemicals, #2 was edited:
Projects involving chemicals that are listed as carcinogenic, teratogenic, or reproductive system damaging on the SDS must be conducted at an RRI or in a restricted access fume hood outside of the regular classroom (i.e. school lab). The qualified scientist and direct supervisor must have training in the usage, safe handling, and disposal of the chemicals.

Under DEA Controlled Substances, #2 was edited to remove marijuana, as its federal designation changed.

FORMS

All form headers were edited for clarity and consistency.

Student Support Disclosure Form (2A)
This is a new form that is required for all projects. It can be filled out before or after experimentation by the finalist.

Qualified Scientist Form (2B)
Renumbered to be 2B
• Question 5 was added – Please describe your anticipated role in this project and the duration of your support.

Regulated Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (2C)
Renumbered to be 2C
• Question 2b was added – What was the duration of your support of this student project?

Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form (6B)
Checkboxes were added to question 1 to provide more tissue options.

Human Participants Form (4)
SCVSEFA has its own IRB; leave the bottom portion of form 4 blank for our use.