Students participate in a particular division based on their grade. These include:
The application process and forms are different for each division. The Elementary division application is the shortest and can be filled out after a project has been completed. It does not include any Intel ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair) forms.
The Junior and Senior division applications are essentially the same. These include ISEF forms. The only difference is the category that a project falls under. The Junior division has only Biological and Physical while the Senior division has all the ISEF categories available for selection. Also, there are restrictions on allowable projects in each division.
The next sections describe each division in more detail including any project restrictions. Please read the appropriate section.
The Elementary division has the least amount of paperwork and the most restrictions on the kinds of projects a student can do. Also, a project must fall into one of the following categories selected by the student as part of the registration process.
Projects in this division can be registered after they are completed. In fact, some elementary schools hold their own science fair and send the winners to the Mercers Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF). Check with your school for details. If your school does not have a science fair then you may participate in MSEF without entering any prior science fair competition. Teachers may register their students online and provide the students with the printed applications that they will bring to the fair. Students or parents that register online will print out their own applications and bring them to the fair.
Project restrictions
Elementary division projects may not include any of the following:
Elementary division projects may include any of the following:
Please contact us if you have any questions.
The Junior division is the same as the Senior division so please check out the next section that covers the Senior division. The main differences are project restrictions and a project must fall into one of the following categories selected by the student as part of the registration process.
Projects in this division can be registered after they are completed. Precertification is recommended for any project that may be restricted or that meet the precertification requirement. This includes projects that address humans, animals, deal with hazardous materials or biological materials or cultures.
Junior division projects must have all required ISEF forms completed and signed. All ISEF forms should be brought (not mailed) with you to the fair where they will be handed in. Please keep a COPY of these forms.
We recommend that a student start the application process before they start their project but this is not a requirement. Online applications must be completed by the posted deadline. This includes a detailed research plan and an abstract. The research plan should be completed before the project starts and the abstract should be completed after the project is finished.
Project restrictions
Junior division projects may not include any of the following:
Elementary division projects may include any of the following:
Please contact us if you have any questions.
The Senior division applicants must complete the online registration process and mail in the original ISEF forms by the posted deadline. Keep a COPY of any forms you send us.
We recommend that a student start the application process before they start their project but this is not a requirement. On the other hand, some projects may require precertification. Projects that have not been precertified may be disqualified if they fail to meet the ISEF requirements and restrictions. For example, if a project deals with animals it may require approvals and signatures from a veterinarian. If these are required and not obtained the project will be disqualified. The precertification process helps avoid these problems.
Precertification
The online application for projects requiring precertification must be filled in with sufficient detail prior to the precertification deadline to obtain speedy approval. Applications that are rejected can be resubmitted at any time after suitable changes are made. Experimentation should not start until approval has been given.
Projects that have the proper ISEF paperwork that have not gone through the precertification process can be submitted to the fair. Keep in mind that it is possible that the project will be disqualified if the paperwork is not in order or the project deals with restricted topics. Projects that are done in this fashion should be registered as soon as possible so we can evaluate and approve the project for the fair.
Online applications must be completed by the posted deadline. This includes a detailed research plan and an abstract. The research plan should be completed before the project starts and the abstract should be completed after the project is finished.
Project restrictions
Senior division projects may not include any of the following:
Please contact us if you have any questions.