Rules

Any student enrolled in grades 6-12 in any public, private, or home-school in the Mid-Columbia region of Washington is eligible to enter his/her original project that has not been displayed in previous Regional Fairs.  MCSF does not allow team projects. Counseling and guidance will be provided upon request.

Exhibit Requirements

A tabletop space 122cm (48″) wide by 76cm (30″) deep is provided; 274cm (9′) to the ceiling may be used.  The display must be safely constructed so spectators will not be exposed to faulty construction or electrical wiring.  Dangerous chemicals, explosives, open flames, microbial cultures and fungi, animals or plants are not allowed and will be removed.  We recommend the use of colored photographs of such items.  Spectator-oriented controls may be part of the display if clearly labeled.  All items should be firmly attached to prevent theft.  The Fair Association cannot assume liability for loss or damage to exhibit. See the Project Display Information and Rules page for more detailed information about your project display.

Rules for ALL projects in grades 6-12

EXHIBITORS WHO DO NOT MEET THESE REGULATIONS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE (Note: earlier deadlines apply for projects requiring SRC/IRB approvals).

THERE WILL BE A $5.00 ENTRY FEE PER STUDENT. We ask that teachers collect payment from their students and submit one check or PO for their class at the registration desk on Fair Day. Individual students may pay by check or in cash on Fair Day.

  1. All projects in grades 6-12 must comply with the RULES of the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. MCSF does NOT allow team projects.
  2. Honesty is expected during every phase of the project.  Your science project must be your own work. In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) may NOT be used to design your experiment, write any part of your project, or create your display.  Your project must not include fraudulent data, plagiarism, or inappropriate use of AI.
  3. Information involving state and federal regulations, controlled and hazardous substances, lasers, recombinant DNA, pathogens, animal and human research, gasohol, and tissue samples can be found in the Rule Book on the Regeneron ISEF website.
  4. STEM Wizard will be used as the interface for completing project registration and uploading project forms, research plans, and abstracts.  Access STEM Wizard via the Mid-Columbia STEM Wizard website: https://mcsf.stemwizard.com/ . See the MCSF Student Registration Guide for directions on how to register for a STEM Wizard student account.
  5. Your Research plan and all forms must be uploaded to STEM Wizard by Feb. 19, 2025. March 4  is the deadline to complete research plan and forms revisions. Experimentation may continue until the abstract deadline of March 10.
  6. After your experiment is complete, submit a copy of your Abstract on STEM Wizard of the research- including objective (purpose), hypothesis, procedure, results( data), conclusions, reflections or applications- using not more than 250 words.
  7. A written REPORT and DISPLAY BOARD based on the scientific method and a JOURNAL are required.
  8. BEFORE RESEARCH BEGINS – Adult Sponsor Checklist (Form 1), Student Checklist (Form 1A) which includes the student’s Research Plan, and Approval Form 1B MUST be signed before experimentation begins, and submitted on STEM Wizard. You can download these forms from STEM Wizard or access them at this link.
  9. BEFORE RESEARCH BEGINS – All research involving live vertebrate animals, human participants (including yourself), recombinant DNA, human or animal tissue, pathogenic agents, and controlled substances must be reviewed and approved by the Scientific Review Committee.  Check with your adult sponsor or step through the ISEF “Rules Wizard”  for the proper forms. (Students will complete the ISEF Rules Wizard the first time they enter the Files and Forms milestone in their STEM Wizard account.) February 11, 2025 is the last date to submit these forms to the SRC or IRB. See the SRC/IRB page for more details about the types of projects that require approval before experimentation, and contact the SRC or IRB if you have any questions.
  10. After competing at your Regional Fair, projects may not be changed for WSSEF or ISEF. You may collect additional data using the SAME methodology that was approved by your regional fair and/or update your project display with additional data analysis. See the video below from ISEF explaining this rule:

For more information concerning rules or general science fair questions, contact:

Fair Director: Joyce Stark
Sunnyside High School, Sunnyside, WA 98944
(509) 837-2601
director@midcolumbiasciencefair.org

For questions about SRC or IRB review, contact:

MCSF SRC Chair: Theresa Alvarez-Ziegler, Sunnyside HS, Sunnyside WA
src@midcolumbiasciencefair.org

MCSF IRB Chair: Robin Driver, Eisenhower HS, Yakima WA
509-830-7296
irb@midcolumbiasciencefair.org