Science Fair Parent's Page

54th ANNUAL
CUMBERLAND PLATEAU REGIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR
TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE
April 4-5, 2008

NEW INFORMATION: Please see the attached web site, www.sciencebuddies.org, for free science fair ideas, answers, and tools for students in grades K-12.

We are pleased that your son or daughter is planning to do a Science Fair Project this year. We will be holding our Regional Fair on April 4-5, 2008, and will be inviting all students whose projects win any award, including honorable mention, at their School Science Fair to enter their projects in our fair.

While almost all projects done by elementary and middle school children are perfectly safe, we are concerned that a few students may plan to do projects that are unsafe, either to themselves or other human subjects, or could involve mistreatment of live animals. These situations can be identified and corrected by review and approval before the project is begun.

Experimentation with potentially hazardous biological agents, even BSL-1 organisms, is prohibited in a home environment. However, speciments can be collected at home as long as they are immediately transported to a laboratory with the appropriate level of biosafely containment. This research may be conducted in a BSL-1 or higher laboratory and it must be supervised by a Qualified Scientist or a trained Designated Supervisor. The student must be properly trained in standard microbiological practices. Any parent, teacher, and/or student who is planning a project involving microorganisms (including simple tests for germs and bacteria) is encouraged to contact the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) for guidance before experimentation is begun. Extensive paperwork is required for such projects.

The required forms are: Checklist for Adult Sponsor (1), Checklist for Students (1A), and Approval Form (1B). Use form (4) if the project involves human subjects and (5) if it involves animals. Intermediate and junior projects (grades 4-9) do not require a research plan or an abstract. All forms are available at http://www.sciserv.org/isef/document/.

We have a Scientific Review Committee (SRC) to review project safety and animal projects, and an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to review projects involving human subjects (including questionnaires). Any member of these would be happy to answer questions and discuss the safety of your project. If SRC approval is needed, please mail or fax the completed forms to Dr. Goss. The committee will review them and return them to you. Since forms are to be signed before experimentation begins, please allow sufficient time for the approval.

If your child enters a project in our Regional Fair, we request that these forms be displayed with the project. While we will allow projects to be entered and to compete for awards without these forms, a project may be disqualified for rules violations which could have been identified and corrected by appropriate approvals. Please remember that only pictures of the student and his/her immediate family are allowed on the display.

If your child’s project wins an award at the School Fair, his/her teacher will provide a Registration Form to enter our Regional Fair. A Registration Form that can be submitted on-line is available at Registration. A Registration Form that can be mailed or faxed is also available. All registration forms must be received by March March 31, 2008.

For more information about our fair see the Rules page and for general information about science fairs see ((http://www.sciserv.org/isef/document/)

Registration will take place on the first floor of the Roaden University Center on Friday, April 4 from 3:30 to 8:00 PM. Please remember that you are not allowed to park in front of the building. It is a fire lane and you will be subject to a ticket if your car is left unattended.

Exhibits MUST be confined to a space of 76 cm (front to back) by 122 cm (side to side) by 274 cm high including the table. Electric power can be supplied (125 volts AC). Neither gas nor running water can be provided.

Each project MUST be preregistered so that the checking in of projects can be streamlined. Projects not preregistered will NOT be allowed to enter. Send ONLY the Registration Form to the Director. All other paperwork is to be displayed with the project. You can submit your registration form on-line at www.tntech.edu/scifair/.

Senior exhibitors MUST be present for interviews with the judges to qualify for the top four prizes. Judging will begin at 9:00 AM and may last as long as 3 hours. Senior exhibitors are expected to wear business dress to the awards ceremony. Winners of the Grand/Grand Reserve awards MUST be present in order to receive their prize.

An exhibitor at any level may remain with their project for interviews with the judges; however, parents will not be allowed to remain in the building.

The fair will be open to the public on Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. All exhibits should remain on display during that time. All projects must be removed between 5:00 and 6:00 PM on Saturday, April 5, or they will be discarded. Although reasonable precautions will be taken to safeguard the exhibits, the Science Fair Committee, the cooperating groups, and the sponsors of the fair assume no responsibility for the loss or damage to any property.

Each exhibitor will receive a Certificate of Participation and each winner will receive a special award.

The Awards Ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 PM Saturday in Derryberry Hall Auditorium.

For more information call Mike Redding at (931) 372-3135 or Gloria Julian at (931) 372- 3483.

Contact Information:

Dr. Michael Redding, Director
phone:(931) 372-3135 FAX:(931)372-6351
email: science_fair@tntech.edu

Ms. Gloria Julian, Associate Director
TTU Box 5051 Cookeville, TN 38505
phone:(931) 372-3483 FAX:(931) 372-6351
email: science_fair@tntech.edu