Science Fair Rules Page

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

The 54th Cumberland Plateau Regional Science and Engineering Fair, affiliated with Science Service and sponsored by Tennessee Tech University will be held April 4 - 5, 2008, at the Roaden University Center and Derryberry Auditorium on TTU campus.

ELIGIBILITY: All students attending a public, private, parochial, or home school within our region, whose projects have received an award or honorable mention in a school fair, are eligible to enter a science project in the Regional Fair. All high school students are eligible to enter projects, whether or not they have received an award from a school fair. Students whose schools did not have a school fair are also eligible. The region consists of the following counties: Bledsoe, Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Scott, Smith, Van Buren, Warren, and White. A student may enter only one project. All ISEF rules must be followed. Teachers and sponsors may advise students, but all work must be done by the student. Winners will be chosen without regard to gender, race, or national origin.

LOCAL FAIRS: Each school should schedule a local Science Fair and select winners who may compete in the Regional Fair. It is possible that judges can be supplied from members of the TTU faculty. Since registration forms for the Regional Fair must be received by March 31, local fairs should be held by March 1 to allow sufficient time to process registration forms for winners interested in participating in the Regional Fair. March 3-7 is the TTU Spring Break and faculty are not usually available as judges during that time.

CATEGORIES: The exhibits are to be classified as (1) Biological,(2) Mathematical, or (3) Physical. For purposes of judging, the Biological Category includes Biochemistry, Botany, Medicine and Health, Microbiology, Zoology, and Behavioral and Social Sciences; the Mathematical Category includes Mathematics and Computer Science; the Physical Category includes Chemistry, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering, and Physics. Others, such as Environmental Studies will be classified according to data and procedures used.

TEAM PROJECTS: Team Projects in the Senior Division compete in a separate “Team” category against all other Team Projects. Teams may have up to three members. Team membership cannot be changed during a given research year including converting from an individual project or vice versa. Each team should appoint a team leader to coordinate the work and act as spokesperson. However, each member of the team should be able to serve as spokesperson, be fully involved with the project, and be familiar with all aspects of the project. The final work should reflect the coordinated efforts of all team members and will be evaluated using the same rules and judging criteria as individual projects. Each team member must have an ISEF Approval Form (1B) and must jointly submit all other necessary forms. Full names of all team members must appear on the abstract and forms.

DIVISIONS: There are three divisions: Intermediate, Junior, and Senior. The Intermediate Division includes grades 4, 5 and 6; the Junior Division, grades 7, 8 and 9; and the Senior Division, grades 10, 11 and 12. A student in grade 9 may choose to exhibit in the Senior Division (see registration form). Students in the Intermediate Division may enter individual or group projects, where the group may include any number of students. Students in the Junior and Senior Divisions may enter individual or team projects, where the team may have a maximum of three (3) members. In the Senior Division, team projects are in competition with one another (separate from the biological, mathematical, or physical categories). Team and group projects at other levels compete against individual projects.

REQUIRED FORMS(www.sciserv.org/isef/document/): Certain forms in the Rules manual should accompany each project and be displayed with it. Please do not send them to the Director. All projects should include a Checklist for Adult Sponsor (1), Student Checklist (1A), and Approval Form (1B), which should be signed and dated prior to the start of the research. All Senior projects should have a research plan and an abstract. Other forms may be needed, based on the student’s research (see the Rules Book at www.sciserv.org/isef/document/). Projects that do not have the required forms may be allowed to enter and to compete for local awards. However, no project can be considered for a Grand Award unless the forms are completed, signed, and dated prior to the start of the project, and a project may be disqualified for rules violations which could have been identified and corrected by appropriate approvals. Should there be violations in a project, every effort will be made to notify the student prior to judging. Some violations are “correctable.” Students may correct these types of violations prior to 8:30 AM on April 5, and continue in the competition. Other violations are not correctable, and may result in the project being disqualified.

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 biosafety 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 (inculding simple tests for germs and bacteria) is encouraged to contact Dr. Goss of the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) (www.tntech.edu/scifair/SrcIrb) for guidance before experimentation is begun. Some additional paperwork is required for such projects.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS: Experiments involving live vertebrate animals, including human beings, require some additional certification prior to beginning the project and continued intensive supervision during the project. Certification forms for such projects must be mailed to The Scientific Review Committee (www.tntech.edu/scifair/SrcIrb) Chairperson well in advance of the project’s start. These forms are included in the set of Rules of the International Science and Engineering Fair (www.sciserv.org/isef/document/) .

PROHIBITED ITEMS: Projects which could be hazardous when on public display are prohibited. Living organisms, taxidermy specimens or parts, preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals, human or animal food, human or animal parts or body fluids, laboratory or household chemicals including water, poisons, drugs, controlled substances, hazardous substances or devices, dry ice or other sublimating solids, sharp items, flames or highly flammable display materials, and batteries with open-top cells are not allowed at the project. Photographs or other visual presentations depicting vertebrate animals in surgical techniques, dissections, necropsies, other lab techniques, improper handling methods, improper housing conditions, etc., are not allowed. Active Internet or email connections as part of displaying or operating the project at the Intel ISEF are prohibited. Only photographs of the exhibitor or the exhibitor’s family members are allowed. All photos should be acknowledged. For a complete list of theISEF Display and Safety Regulations see page 6 of the International Rules (www.sciserv.org/isef/document/).

REGISTRATION: Each project entered in the fair must be registered. This allows exhibit locations and space allocations to be made in advance, and enables Science Fair workers, exhibitors and their parents to find and set-up projects quickly. Projects not registered may not be allowed to enter. The registration form (which may be reproduced) should be completed for each student entry and must be received in our office no later than March 31. Please make sure that the student knows who will be registering the project, so that only one form per student/project is submitted.

SIZE LIMITATION AND POWER AVAILABILITY: Exhibits must be confined to a space of 76 cm (front to back) by 122 cm (side to side) by 274 cm high including table. Electric power can be supplied (120 volts AC). Neither gas nor running water can be provided.

SETUP AND REMOVAL: The Roaden University Center will be open for exhibitors to set up their projects on Friday, April 4 from 3:30 to 8:00 PM. Early set-up is necessary to allow the Violations Committee and Scientific Review Committee to qualify each exhibit prior to the judging. Exhibits must be ready for judging by 8:30 AM Saturday, April 5. No one, other than Science Fair staff, judges, and student exhibitors, will be allowed on the first and second floors of the building between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The fair will be open to the public on Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. All exhibits should remain on display until 5:00 PM. All projects must be removed by 6:00 PM on Saturday 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.

JUDGING INTERVIEWS: All students entering projects in the Senior Division are expected to be present with their projects from 9:00 AM until 12:00 Noon on Saturday for interviews by the judges. This will give the judges opportunity to evaluate how thoroughly the student understands the research presented and the underlying science. Senior projects may be exhibited if the student cannot be present during judging. However, except for very unusual circumstances, no project will be considered for a Grand Award if the student is not present for the judging interview.Students in Junior and Intermediate Divisions may stay with their projects during judging if they wish, but are not required to do so.

GRAND AWARDS: The two Grand Award winners of the Senior Division will each be awarded scholarships of $3000.00 for the freshman year at Tennessee Technological University. They will each receive an expense-paid trip as exhibitors to the 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, Georgia, May 11-17, 2008. If a team project receives a Grand Award, the team members will possibly divide a scholarship of $3000.00 for the freshman year at Tennessee Tech. The team members will each receive an expense-paid trip as exhibitors to the International Fair.

In addition to the two Grand Award winners, there will be one or two Grand Reserve Awards made in the Senior Division. Subject to the availability of funds, these winners will receive individual scholarships of $1500.00 for the freshman year at Tennessee Tech. These Grand Reserve Award Winners may attend the International Fair as student observers, but not as exhibitors. Subject to the availability of funds, their expenses to the International Fair may be entirely or partially paid.

An award of $100.00 will be made to the school of the teacher of each Grand Award winner. This award is to be used by the teacher, at his or her discretion, for school, classroom or laboratory equipment or supplies to enhance the science and pre-engineering programs of the school.

Cash prizes and ribbons will be awarded in each of the three categories (Biological, Mathematical, and Physical) of each of the three divisions (Intermediate, Junior, and Senior).

AWARDS CEREMONY: The Awards Ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 PM Saturday in Derryberry Hall Auditorium. No winners will be announced prior to the Awards Ceremony. Winners of the Grand/Grand Reserve awards, or their representatives, must be present in order to receive their prize. Because this is a special event, we request that Senior participants wear business dress to the ceremony. The press release to the newspapers is accompanied by pictures. Grand/Grand Reserve winners and the winner of the Marvin Tidwell Award (Junior Division) should plan to stay for photographs with their projects following the ceremony.

SPECIAL AWARDS: Professional societies, commercial firms, military branches, and other government agencies offer various special awards. An award for the teachers of the Grand Prize winners will also be presented.

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

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