Science and Engineering Fair Rules, Regulations & Guidelines
Participation at the Regional level implies you accept EDISON FAIRS INC. REGULATIONS. See www.edisonfairs.org to review.
The Thomas Alva Edison Kiwanis Regional Science and Engineering Fair follows the rules of the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) and abides by the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair (Florida SSEF) Rules Supplement to the Regeneron ISEF Rules.
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 Regional, State, and International Fairs, 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. TAERSIF 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 Edison Fairs Program the following year. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify for competition in the State Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) of Florida and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF). The Florida Foundation for Future Scientists, Inc. (FFFS) and Society for Science & the Public (SSP) reserves the right to revoke recognition of a project subsequently found to have been fraudulent.
International Rules for Pre-college Science Research: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs
The International Rules for Pre-college Science Research: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs are published annually to support students doing independent research safely. The International Rules are the official rules of the Regeneron ISEF and students competing at Society-affiliated science fairs.
The purpose of these rules is to:
- protect the rights and welfare of the student researcher
- protect the rights and welfare of the human participant
- ensure adherence to federal regulations
- ensure use of safe laboratory practices
- protect the environment
- determine eligibility for competition in the Regeneron ISEF 2024
Additional resources have been provided to support students conducting research under the special circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. These resources are dated but still relevant. We have also highlighted some project ideas in a Research@ Home section on our site.
Florida State Science and Engineering Fair Rules Supplement
All of the RULES, REGULATIONS, and PROCEDURES of the Regeneron ISEF are in effect at each affiliated regional science fair and at the SSEF of Florida. In addition, the following SSEF Rules must be followed. Regional and local fairs may also adopt more restrictive rules.
The SSEF Rules Supplement to the Regeneron ISEF Rules & Guidelines is available from the SSEF of Florida website in the "Resources" section under "Rules/Forms." Familiarity with the rules is critical for student researchers that wish to compete at Regional and State levels of competition.
More information about fair rules & guidelines is available from our website: www.edisonfairs.org or by emailing us at src@edisonfairs.org.
About Us
“Rich in history. Full of promise for the Future.”
The Thomas A. Edison Regional Science and Inventor Fairs (TAERSIF) Steering Committee works year-round to organize Regional STEM Events that annually host over 1,200 local students at regional competitions and engage nearly 30,000 students in research projects at the school level. Over the years, our Edison Fairs program has grown into the largest pre-collegiate STEM competition program in Southwest Florida and includes three signature events: Thomas Alva Edison Kiwanis Regional Science & Engineering Fair, Thomas A. Edison Festival of Light Regional Inventors Fair, and Elementary Science Expo.
TAERSIF is a sanctioned event of the Edison Festival of Light, as well as three affiliations: the Flroida State Science and Engineering Fair (Florida SSEF); Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF); and The Henry Ford U.S. National Invention Convention. Special recognition has been acknowledged for one of the original sponsors with title recognition as follows:
The Thomas A. Edison Regional Science and Inventors Fairs presented by SONY Electronics
The Regional Fairs and underwriting of student expenses for the Fairs is possible because of the support from the Fort Myers Kiwanis Club, Lee County and Charlotte County Public Schools, Florida Gulf Coast University, The Edison Festival of Light, The Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Hodges University, Florida Southwestern State College, Edison Innovators Association , Imagine Solutions Conference, Caloosa Bromeliad Society, The Imaginarium Science Center, Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Caloosa Veterinary Medical Society, Florida Power and Light, Edison Pageant of Light, Sony Electronics, Imagine Solutions Conference, the Scientist Society of Southwest Florida, Lee Memorial Health Systems, the Lee County Medical Society and numerous private donors and volunteers.
Our competitions showcase students from Charlotte, Lee, and Collier Counties who will become our future scientists, technology experts, engineers, mathematicians, and entrepreneurs. The regional program celebrates achievement by elementary, middle, and high school students supported by their parents, teachers, and schools.
The TAERSIF Steering Committee
The TAERSIF Steering Committee is comprised of representatives from Southwest Florida educational institutions as well as public and private organizations and businesses. All parties are interested in promoting a sound education in the sciences, technologies, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields while instilling a working knowledge of each person’s intrinsic right to benefit from his or her creative, problem solving, and critical thinking skills through application of the scientific, inventive and entrepreneurial processes.
Florida Gulf Coast University, the Kiwanis Club of Fort Myers, the School Districts of Lee and Charlotte Counties, and 501(c)(3)’s such as The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and the Edison Festival of Light serve as fiscal administrators, each in specific areas of the annual program. An endowment fund managed by the Southwest Florida Community Foundation was established in 2001 to provide a more stable source of future funding of the Regional Fairs. For more information on how you can contribute, check out our Sponsors Page.
More information about our organization and STEM programs is available from our website: www.edisonfairs.org.
67th Annual Thomas Alva Edison Kiwanis Regional Science & Engineering Fair
NO OPEN HOUSE ON 2/17/2024. BOTH FAIRS ARE TAKING PLACE ON THE MAIN FLOOR. DUE TO OVERLAPPING EVENTS, DISRUPTIONS OF AN OPEN HOUSE WOULD EFFECT ONE EVENT OR THE OTHER AT ANY TIME DURING THE JUDGING HOURS AND INVENTORS AWARDS PROGRAM. A VIRTUAL SHOWCASE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC VIEWING. See Below.
Project materials will be open to the public via the zFairs' Showcase between February 28th and June 3rd.
CLICK HERE to view projects from this year's Regional Science Fair. (Coming Soon!)
Note: Click on the project panel to access project materials.
BONUS FEATURE
CLICK HERE to view inventions from this year's Regional Inventors Fair. (Coming Soon!)
Press release information can be found on our Edison Fairs website: https://edisonfairs.org/.
What to Expect During the Fair
General Judging:
Special Awards Judging:
Grand Rounds Judging:
Animal Sciences (ANIM)
Study of animals and animal life, including their structure, function, life history, interactions, classification, and evolution.
Behavioral & Social Sciences (BEHA)
The science or study of the thought processes and behavior of humans and other animals in their interactions with the environment studied through observational and experimental methods.
Biomedical & Health Sciences (BMED)
This category focuses on studies specifically designed to address issues of human health and disease.
Cellular/Molecular Biology & BioChemistry (CMBI)
The Cellular / Molecular portion of this category studies the structure, function, intracellular pathways, and formation of cells. Studies involve understanding life and cellular processes specifically at the molecular level.
The Biochemical portion of this category studies the chemical basis of processes occurring in living organisms, including the processes by which these substances enter into, or are formed in, the organisms and react with each other and the environment.
Chemistry (CHEM)
The science of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter.
Earth & Environmental Sciences (EAEV)
Any studies involving the environment and its effect on organisms/systems. This includes investigations of biological processes such as growth and life span, as well as studies of Earth systems and their evolution.
Engineering (ENMS)
Studies that focus on the science and engineering that involve movement or structure. The movement can be by the apparatus or the movement can affect the apparatus.
The study of the characteristics and uses of various materials with improvements to their design which may add to their advanced engineering performance.
Studies involving electrical systems in which information is conveyed via signals and waveforms for purposes of enhancing communications, control and/or sensing.
Environmental Engineering (ENEV)
Studies that engineer or develop processes and infrastructure to solve environmental problems in the supply of water, the disposal of waste, or the control of pollution.
Intelligent Machines, Robotics & Systems Software (IMRS)
Studies in which the use of machine intelligence is paramount to reducing the reliance on human intervention.
The study or development of software, information processes or methodologies to demonstrate, analyze, or control a process/solution.
Mathematics & Computational Sciences (MACO)
Mathematics, Computational Biology, and Bioinformatics
The study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. The deductive study of numbers, geometry, and various abstract constructs, or structures.
Studies that primarily focus on the discipline and techniques of computer science and mathematics as they relate to biological systems. This includes the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavior, and social systems.
Microbiology (MICR)
The study of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and pathogens.
Physics & Astronomy (PHYS)
Physics is the science of matter and energy and of interactions between the two. Astronomy is the study of anything in the universe beyond the Earth.
Plant Sciences (PLNT)
Study of plant life, including their structure and function, life history, growth, interactions with other plants and animals, classification, and evolution.
Judging Criteria
The following evaluation criteria are used for judging at regional science fair. As shown below, science and engineering have different criteria, each with five sections as well as suggested scoring for each section. Each section includes key items to consider for evaluation both before and after the interview.
Students are encouraged to design their posters in a clear and informative manner to allow pre-interview evaluation and to enable the interview to become an in-depth discussion. Judges should examine the student notebook and, if present, any special forms such as Form 1C (Regulated Research Institution/Industrial Setting) and Form 7 (Continuation of Projects). Considerable emphasis is placed on two areas: Creativity and Presentation, especially in the Interview section, and are discussed in more detail below.
Creativity: A creative project demonstrates imagination and inventiveness. Such projects often offer different perspectives that open up new possibilities or new alternatives. Judges should place emphasis on research outcomes in evaluating creativity.
Presentation/Interview: The interview provides the opportunity to interact with the finalists and evaluate their understanding of the project’s basic science, interpretation and limitations of the results and conclusions.
- If the project was done at a research or industrial facility, the judge should determine the degree of independence of the finalist in conducting the project, which is documented on Form 1C.
- If the project was completed at home or in a school laboratory, the judge should determine if the finalist received any mentoring or professional guidance.
- If the project is a multi-year effort, the interview should focus ONLY on the current year’s work. Judges should review the project’s abstract and Form 7 (ISEF Continuation Projects) to clarify what progress was completed this year.
- Please note that both team and individual projects are judged together, and projects should be judged only on the basis of their quality. However, all team members should demonstrate significant contributions to and an understanding of the project.
Judging Criteria for Science Projects
I. Research Question (10 pts)
___ clear and focused purpose
___ identifies contribution to field of study
___ testable using scientific methods
II. Design and Methodology (15 pts)
___ well designed plan and data collection methods
___ variables and controls defined, appropriate and complete
III. Execution: Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation (20 pts)
___ systematic data collection and analysis
___ reproducibility of results
___ appropriate application of mathematical and statistical methods
___ sufficient data collected to support interpretation and conclusions
IV. Creativity (20 pts)
___ project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the above criteria
V. Presentation (35 pts)
a. Poster (10 pts)
___ logical organization of material
___ clarity of graphics and legends
___ supporting documentation displayed
b. Video and/or Interview (25 pts)
___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions
___ understanding of basic science relevant to project
___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions
_ degree of independence in conducting project
___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics
___ quality of ideas for further research
___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members
Judging Criteria for Engineering Projects
I. Research Problem (10 pts)
___ description of a practical need or problem to be solved
___ definition of criteria for proposed solution
___ explanation of constraints
II. Design and Methodology (15 pts)
___ exploration of alternatives to answer need or problem
___ identification of a solution
___ development of a prototype/model
III. Execution: Construction and Testing(20 pts)
___ prototype demonstrates intended design
___ prototype has been tested in multiple conditions/trials
___ prototype demonstrates engineering skill and completeness
IV. Creativity (20 pts)
___ project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the above criteria
V. Presentation (35 pts)
a. Poster (10 pts)
___logical organization of material
___clarity of graphics and legends
___ supporting documentation displayed
b. Video and/or Interview (25 pts)
___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions
___ understanding of basic science relevant to project
___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions
___ degree of independence in conducting project
___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics
___ quality of ideas for further research
___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members