Synopsys Championship 2020 is Going Virtual!

After much discussion and in an abundance of caution, rather than cancel the Synopsys Championship 2020 because of health concerns for our volunteers and participants, we are planning to do all of the judging via videoconferencing between students and judging teams.

A message to students with Accepted projects and their teachers is being sent today. Details will be forthcoming tomorrow. Check your email for updates, which will also be posted on this web page: https://science-fair.org/2020-synopsys-championship-teleconference/.

Category Judge registration is now open for the 2023 Synopsys Championship Science & Engineering Fair on March 9, 2023! Category Judges must be present in person from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM in South Hall, San Jose Convention Center. Both returning and new judges must register here.

We need and welcome judges in all fields of study. We are looking for scientists, computer scientists, engineers and others who enjoy talking to enthusiastic young people about scientific inquiry and engineering challenges. Category Judges should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or in education (with a concentration in a technical field). See the Category Judging page for details.

Judges are still needed in all fields on Fair Day, March 9. Parents and others are encouraged to register as a Category Judge as soon as possible before the March 1^st deadline. Parents are not assigned to judge their children’s or their friend’s projects. Judges must be present from Noon to 6 PM on March 9 at South Hall, San Jose Convention Center. Both returning and new judges must register here. Category Judges should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or in education (with a concentration in a technical field). See the Category Judging page for details.

We are looking for scientists, computer scientists, engineers and others who enjoy talking to enthusiastic young people about scientific inquiry and engineering challenges. Questions? Email judging@science-fair.org.

The 2020 Regeneron Science Talent Search application is due on November 13th at 8 PM EST. In addition to ISEF and the Broadcom MASTERS competitions, the Society for Science & the Public also produces Regeneron STS, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious competition for high school seniors.

The competition recognizes 300 student scholars and their schools each year and invites 40 finalists to Washington, D.C. to participate in judging, display their work to the public, and meet with scientists and government leaders. Each year, Regeneron STS scholars and finalists compete for $3.1 million in awards. 

To see if your application is Accepted, please click Check Project Status on this page. Follow a link to the page for your teacher/sponsor. If your application is “Received,” it is waiting for review by the SRC. If it is “Incomplete,” it needs more information or additional form(s). If you haven’t received an email about what’s missing, contact Fair Administration via the Contact page and include your Project Code and/or Project Number.

While the final application deadline for SRC pre-approval is November 22, you can get an early start on your project by applying before October 22 or November 5. Then your project will be reviewed at an early meeting of the SRC and may be pre-approved even before the final deadline. Reminder: SRC pre-approval is strongly recommended for projects that involve hazardous chemicals, activities, and devices or regulated substances. It is also required for projects that will test a device or software app on human subjects.

Project reviews are ongoing. Some of our SRC volunteers will take a break during the holidays, so response time to your questions may be a bit slower than usual. Thank you in advance for your patience.

• Newly-submitted applications will appear as “Received” at Check Project Status after the administrators check for all the required forms until the SRC starts a review.
• Projects that are “Pending” are in the hands of a reviewer.
• Projects which require SRC pre-approval must wait until they are “Accepted” before experimentation or data collection starts. 
• If your project status is “Incomplete,” you or your teacher/sponsor may have received email outlining what is missing or incorrect. Please respond to the email and we will answer as time permits between now and January 2.

If your project needs pre-approval by the Scientific Review Committee, be sure to apply with all your Required Forms by 11:59pm on November 22nd. (What’s most frequently missing? the research plan!)

Pre-approval is required for projects that involve:

    * humans (surveys, questionnaires, testing of engineering prototypes and apps)

    * vertebrate animals (everything from fish to your pet dog, cat or goat),

    * potentially hazardous biological agents (bacteria and fungi), rDNA, human or vertebrate animal tissue,

       Students may not culture bacteria and fungi (grow on agar plates or in flasks containing media) at home.

Pre-approval is also required for continuation projects that build on your earlier science fair project.

Pre-approval projects often need one or more Additional Forms. Check the ISEF Rules Wizard and watch for an email from your SRC reviewer about any missing form(s) or with questions about your project.  You may not start work (experimentation) until your project is approved.

Two sessions specifically geared to help teachers fill out the Synopsys Championship paperwork will be held virtually on Wednesday, Nov 9 at 5pm & Thursday, Nov 10 at 6pm. It is strongly recommended for teachers who are new or relatively new to the Championship.
    Students attending a school that doesn’t have a sponsoring teacher may have a parent or other qualified adult sponsor their project. These sponsors are required to attend one of these sessions and there will be opportunities to ask questions.
    These workshops will focus on how to fill out the forms correctly, especially projects that require SRC pre-approval, the importance of dates, and meeting Minimum Quality Requirements. It is strongly recommended that you take time to review the ISEF Rules and Guidelines (https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/international-rules/) BEFORE joining either session. A Zoom link will be provided and/or you can contact us for the link.

Two question and answer sessions will be held virtually on Oct 20 & Nov 7 at 6:30pm. A Zoom link will be provided and/or contact us for the link. It is recommended that new students, teachers, as well as sponsors who will supervise a PSP (privately-sponsored project), join in to ask questions and get answers. The PPT will give you an overview of how to get started, do’s and don’ts and timelines for the 2023 Synopsys Championship. It is strongly recommended that you listen to the narrated slides BEFORE joining either of the Q n A.