What if I have already done my project?
If your project is already completed you still need to complete the ISEF paperwork to document your approvals and safe procedures.
When you are ready to register your project and/or research paper for the regional fair (TCRSF) go to the TCRSF registration site at
https://tcrsf.zfairs.com
What if I have not yet started my project – or am near the beginning of it?
We have a great couple of resources to help you get started!
We highly recommend our
Project in 5 Steps
page – and perhaps even a short video series by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Institute of Technology
“How To Do A Science Project.”
This shows a step by step approach to doing a project.
Get some ideas, do some background research, then get permission from your parent and teacher or adult sponsor to do the experiment/project.
If you plan to use humans (even just for a survey, or observations, or to test an invention you may have created),
or if you plan to use vertebrate animals, or microorganisms, or tissues, blood, or body fluids, or hazardous chemicals or devices,
then you will need to have a few extra forms to fill out to show you had proper adult permission and supervision and proper
safety protocols when doing your research. If those do not apply to your project, then once you have secured the permission
of your parent and teacher/adult sponsor, you can get to work! If one or more of those do apply to your project,
please contact your
school IRB for proper pre-approval and/or TCRSF’s SRC approval by sending your
research plan
to src@tcrsf.net.
For a fillable template of a research plan, visit our registration site at
https://tcrsf.zfairs.com
and click on the 'Fair' menu item then select the 'ISEF Forms' sub menu item.
How much is the entry fee for the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair?
The fee is $20 per person for a research paper and $25 per person for a project.
For team projects and papers, the fee is per person,
NOT per project or paper entered so each person in the team will owe an entry fee.
If a project requires electricity and signs up for electricity, that charge is $10, but is per project.
Therefore a team project that requires electricity will pay $60 for a two person team or $85 for a three person team.
An individual that enters both a paper and a project and does not need electricity would owe $45.
When are extra forms required?
All projects (including middle school projects) that use human subjects, vertebrate animals,
human or animal tissues, potentially hazardous biological agents (blood, tissues, body fluids,
cultures, bacteria, mold, fungus, virus, slime molds, and so on), power equipment, or other hazards, or those who do some or all of their project at an industrial
setting or a regulated research lab including at a hospital, industrial setting, college, tech school, university, or
other research facility, must use the required additional forms for that type of project.
Can I enter the Twin Cities fair directly if my school does not have a science fair?
Yes. However, if your school does not have an IRB (Internal Review Board) that has not pre-approved
your project research plan, then you may have to have your project approved by the TCRSF’s SRC.
If in doubt, email your complete research plan to src@tcrsf.net with your name and grade (6-12).
Can I enter both a project and a research paper on the same work, or must they be different?
Yes. You may enter BOTH a project AND a research paper and they may be identical: based on the same research, experiment, and results.
Can I enter more than one project or more than one research paper in one year?
Or can I do both an individual project or paper and be a part of a team project or paper in one year?
No. You may enter only one project and only one paper.
The paper and the project may be the same or they may be different.
A project or paper that starts as a team project must remain a team project or paper for the entire year.
A project or paper that starts as an individual project must remain an individual project or paper for the entire year.
When is the next Twin Cities Regional Science Fair?
The date and location of the next fair is shown on the home page
Which fair do I enter? St Paul, Twin Cities, or Western Suburbs?
Please see our Affiliations page for this answer.
We will assign you to the correct fair based on your school.
Where do I get my abstract form?
For a fillable template of an abstract form, visit our registration site at
https://tcrsf.zfairs.com
and click on the 'Fair' menu item then select the 'ISEF Forms' sub menu item.
Look at the bottom of the page for the text "2022-AbstractForm21-Categories.pdf".
If you need more information or clarification – ASK!
You can always
Contact Us
– Send an email –
including your name, grade (6-12), and what school you attend –
with your question and we will get back to you.
More FAQ questions will be added. Send us your suggestions!