Rules and Registration

Please choose a Quick Link from the information menu on the left.

Thank you for your volunteer interest form. You should expect a confirmation soon, and an email or phone call about a month before the fair.

Lunch to be determined

We provide you with lunch on whichever day(s) you volunteer.

• Wednesday March 13: Sign up here.
• Thursday March 14: You will select one of several available lunches after you arrive at the Convention Center.

Judging?

If you said you were available for project review and are a person with Biological Science or Bioinformatics background, please consider volunteering as a judge at the fair. To do this go to the Judges page of this website (info & signup at  http://science-fair.org/judges-3/

Questions?

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns at fairmanager@science-fair.org.

Teacher (or other Adult Sponsor)

Normally an Adult Sponsor is a student’s teacher. This individual must have a solid background in science and should have close contact with the student during the course of the project.

The Adult Sponsor is responsible for working with the student to evaluate any possible risks involved in order to ensure the health and safety of the student conducting the research and the humans and/or animals involved in the study. The Adult Sponsor must review the student’s Student Checklist (1A) and Research Plan to certify that that: a) experimentation is within local, state, and Federal laws and ISEF rules; b) forms are completed by other required adults; and c) criteria for the Qualified Scientist adhere to those set forth below.

The Adult Sponsor must be familiar with the regulations that govern potentially dangerous research as they apply to a specific student project. These may include chemical and equipment usage, experimental techniques, research involving human and/or vertebrate animals, and cell cultures, microorganisms, or animal tissues. Regulations must be discussed with the student when completing the Research Plan. Some experiments involve procedures or materials that are regulated by state, federal or non-U.S. national laws. If not thoroughly familiar with the regulations, the Adult Sponsor should help the student enlist the aid of a Qualified Scientist.

The Adult Sponsor is responsible for ensuring the student’s research is eligible for entry in the Synopsys Championship and that the student carries out experimentation safely. The responsibility for student safety shifts to a qualified scientist or designated supervisor if such forms are submitted.

Designated Supervisor

The Designated Supervisor is an adult who is directly responsible for overseeing student experimentation. The Designated Supervisor need not have an advanced degree, but must be thoroughly familiar with the student’s project, and must be trained in the student’s area of research. The Adult Sponsor may act as the Designated Supervisor.

The Qualified Scientist

A Qualified Scientist should have earned a doctoral/professional degree in a scientific discipline that relates to the student’s area of research. A PhD, MD or a master’s degree with additional experience and expertise in the student’s area of research is acceptable when approved by a Scientific Review Committee (SRC). The Qualified Scientist must be thoroughly familiar with local, state, and federal regulations that govern the student’s area of research.

The Qualified Scientist and the Adult Sponsor may be the same person, if that person is qualified as described above. A student may work with a Qualified Scientist in a city, state or country that is not where the student resides. In this case, the student must work locally with a Designated Supervisor (see above) who has been trained in the techniques to be applied by the student.

Related ISEF web page: Roles and Responsibilities of Students and Adults

The Student Researcher

The student researcher is responsible for all aspects of the research project including enlisting the aid of any required supervisory adults (Adult Sponsor, Qualified Scientist, etc.), obtaining necessary approvals (SRC, IRB, etc.), following the Rules & Guidelines of the Synopsys Championship, and performing the experimentation, engineering, data analysis, etc.

Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition. This includes plagiarism, forgery, use or presentation of other researcher’s work as one’s own, and fabrication of data. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify for competition in the Synopsys Championship and ISEF. Both the Society for Science & the Public and SCVSEFA reserve the right to revoke recognition of a project subsequently found to have been fraudulent.  Students who have their projects removed from competition for fraud or misconduct may not enter the Synopsys Championship the following year.

1. Inexpensive display boards and other display aids are available at most office and art supply stores.
2. Use type families and colored backgrounds to associate groups of information throughout your display. Remember that black or dark type is easiest to read and that judges do notice spelling and grammar.
3. Your title should be big, easy to read, and capture the spirit of your research. You can use two titles if you wish, a scientific one on top and one for the lay audience below it.
4. Possible sections for your board might include: Introduction, Background/Research, Hypothesis, Experimental Design, Data, Data Interpretation, Conclusion/Discussion, Further Research.
5. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Photographs and drawings are good display tools: they help your audience understand your research and are eye-catching aids for your display. Remember you need written consent (Form 4) if you use a photograph of anyone other than yourself.
6. Proper attribution is required for all photos, graphics, graphs, diagrams, images, and other visuals. Citations must be clear and professional. Please refer to How to Cite Photos, Graphics, Graphs & Online Images on Your Project Display Board for guidance.
7. Use the largest possible visuals and type. Important text should be legible from at least three feet away. Use font sizes of at least 24 points on your display board.
8. Use brief statements. Aim to have three to five bulleted statements, each 10 to 20 words per section.
9. Tables of numerical data have a place—but maybe it’s in the notebook rather than on the display board. Use graphs or charts instead of tables wherever possible.
10. Label the units of measurement used on each chart axis (e.g., “Centimeters of Rain,” “Years,” “Number of Ladybugs”). Use metric (SI) measurements and scientific names if possible.
11. Caption your graphs and charts and indicate trends, conclusions drawn, etc.
12. Project Board should not to exceed 15 inches (38 cm) deep, front to back; 48 inches (122 cm) wide, side to side; and 5 ft (150 cm) high above the table top. Display materials must fit on the table in front of your board. This space is approx. 15″ x 24″. Display boards of 3-4 ft height (vs 5 ft) are recommended for readability by the judges.

First and Foremost

ANY PROJECT IN VIOLATION OF SCVSEFA, ISEF OR CALIFORNIA EDUCATION RULES AND REGULATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Avoid Science Fair Projects That Are Unlikely to be Accepted

1. Effect of colored light, music, or talking on plant growth (OK at middle school if variables included)
2. Crystal growth (OK at middle school if variables included)
3. Effect of cola, coffee, etc. on teeth (OK at middle school if variables included)
4. Strength/absorbency of paper towels (discouraged because seen often)
5. Most consumer product testing of the “Which is best?” type (OK grades 6–8 only)
6. Astrology projects
7. Maze running (unless there are variables and controls)
8. Any project that boils down to simple preferences
9. Optical Illusions
10. Planaria worm regeneration (unless project has variables and >10/group)
11. Detergents vs. Stains (OK at middle school if variables included).
12. Basic solar collectors or ovens (OK if engineering design variables included)
13. Acid rain projects (To be considered, thorough research into the composition of acid rain and a scientifically accurate simulation of it would be necessary.)
14. Basic flight testing, e.g., planes, rockets (OK if variables are included)
15. Battery life comparisons (plug-in and run-down type)
16. Any project involving the distillation of alcohol. (NOT PERMITTED)
17. Pyramid power
18. Color choices of goldfish, etc.
19. Basic chromatography (OK at middle school if variables are included)
20. Wing, fin shape comparison (OK if mass is taken into consideration)

Avoid Projects that Lack a Measurable Endpoint

Results should be expressed in units of growth, size, mass, speed, time, volume, frequency, replication rate, chemical product analysis, etc.

Avoid Overly-Common Projects

The following projects may meet all requirements but often do not win awards because they are too commonly encountered by judges. With frequently done projects, acceptance may be granted if they have an original twist with exceptional thoroughness and solid scientific method.

1. Comparison of plant growth in different fertilizers
2. Rusting of nails in different pH solutions
3. Comparison of strength in different bridge designs
4. Strength of paper towels

Projects Taken from the Internet

Projects taken directly from the Internet are considered plagiarism, and may be disqualified. Judges may identify projects similar to examples posted on the Internet and they will be ranked low for creativity. Examples of projects from sites such as www.sciencebuddies.org are good sources of inspiration, but the idea for your project should be original.

Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition. This includes plagiarism, forgery, use or presentation of other researcher’s work as one’s own and fabrication of data. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify for competition in the Synopsys Championship and subsequent affiliated fairs. SCVSEFA reserves the right to revoke recognition of a project subsequently found to have been fraudulent. Students who have their projects removed from competition for fraud or misconduct may not enter the Synopsys Championship the following year.

Check Project Status

After submitting and paying for their applications, students are responsible for tracking project status using the “Check Project Status” button above. Projects are listed by teacher and Project Number. If payment was successful, the Project Code will appear in the “Payment Submitted” line at the top of the Synopsys Championship Project Status page. Status updates will follow SRC review, which may take 2–4 weeks. If a project isn’t listed, please contact the fair administrators.

Project Status Definitions

Application Accepted
Everything is complete and approved. You may begin your project.

Application Received / Awaiting Review for Completeness
Your application is submitted and waiting for SRC to review for completeness.

Waiting for SRC/IRB Review
Your application is submitted and waiting for SRC to review for completeness.

Application Incomplete / See Your Teacher
An email has been sent to the student and teacher with details. Common reasons it is incomplete:

• Quality issues: Procedures do not meet Minimum Quality Requirements. Resubmit your improved procedures as an email reply to the note sent by the Scientific Review Committee.
• Forms issues: Missing or incorrect forms—correct as specified and monitor your status until listed as “Accepted.”

Project Not Qualified
Project cannot be approved due to major safety hazards, rules violations that can not be corrected, missed SRC pre-approval deadlines, or an ineligible Field of Study.

Project Withdrawn
Withdrawn by the student or teacher.

No Show
A project that was accepted but not presented at the Synopsys Championship.

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:

• 30 project applications for each middle school
• 30 project applications for each high school

NON-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION LIMIT:

• 30 project applications

TEACHER APPLICATION LIMITS are determined by the number of scientific category award-winning projects a teacher sponsored the previous year. See the 2025 list of winning projects. Sponsored awards do not count in the total.

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 deadline to submit a request is September 29, 2025, 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.