Rules and Guidelines 

Eligibility

The DC STEM Fair is open to all students in grades 6 through 12 in the District of Columbia who attend public, public charter, private, parochial, and home schools.
Projects will be divided into two divisions:

• Junior Division: Middle school competition for students in grades 6 through 8
• Senior Division: High school competition for students in grades 9 through 12

Rules and Guidelines

The DC STEM Fair is an affiliate of the Intel International Science Fair (ISEF) and is therefore governed by the same rules and guidelines (including the proper completion of paperwork). The components for completing a STEM Fair project can be found here »

ALL projects entered in the Senior Division must include the following forms:

• Student Checklist Form (1A)
• Research Plan and Approval Form (1B)
• Checklist for Adult Sponsor Form
• Abstract Form

Additional forms may be required depending on the nature and scope of the project chosen.  To find out what additional forms may be required, please complete the ISEF Rules Wizard. 

Please note that all ISEF forms should be reviewed and then approved by a qualified person (mentor, teacher, scientist, etc.) PRIOR to experimentation!

For more specific details regarding rules and guidelines, visit Intel ISEF.

Judging at the DC STEM Fair

Category Judging

Every project in each category will be judged by a minimum of three judges whose average score will determine the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner of each category.

Special Award Judging

Some organizations (e.g., colleges, universities, and local businesses) will be on hand to award special awards and prizes to projects that meet their specific criteria. This is in addition to the DC STEM Fair category judging.

Grand Award Judging

Each 1st place category winner will automatically be entered into a final round of judging to determine which project will receive the Grand Prize Award. A final panel of judges will determine the Grand Prize winners. There will be a Grand Prize Winner for both the Junior (grades 6-8) and Senior (grades 9-12) Divisions.

The Grand Prize winner in the Senior Division will represent the District of Columbia at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, AZ in May 2013. All expenses will be paid for by the DC STEM Fair.

All category, special award, and grand award winners will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony at the conclusion of the Fair.

The judging rubric that will be used to score every project can be viewed and downloaded from the Resources page.

Categories

Students may submit individual or team projects (Note: the maximum number of students that may compete as a team is three) in any of the following categories, whose descriptions have been adapted from the Intel ISEF Handbook:

1. Animal Sciences

Study of animal behavior, classification, development, pathology, taxonomy; animal ecology, animal genetics, animal husbandry, circadian rhythms, cytology, entomology, herpetology, histology, ichthyology, ornithology, paleontology, physiology, studies of invertebrates, etc.

2. Behavioral and Social Sciences

Human behavior, social and community relationships; anthropology, archaeology, circadian rhythms, educational testing, ethnology, learning, linguistics, perception, psychology, sociology, urban issues, etc.

3. Biochemistry

Chemistry of life processes; enzymes, food chemistry, hormones, metabolism, molecular biology, molecular genetics, photosynthesis, protein chemistry, etc.

4. Cellular and Molecular Biology

Study of the molecular basis of cellular function and processes, including replication, transcription, and translation. 

5. Chemistry

Study of nature and composition of matter and laws governing it; fuels; inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry (other than biochemistry), physical chemistry; materials, metallurgy, pesticides, plastics, soil chemistry, etc.

6. Computer Science

Study and development of computer hardware; programming languages; networking and communications; robotics control systems; simulations/virtual reality or computations science (including data structures, encryption, coding and information theory); algorithms, artificial intelligence, data bases, graphics, software engineering, etc.

7. Earth and Planetary Science

Climatology, geography, geology, geophysics, meteorology, mineralogy, oceanography, paleontology, physiography, seismology, speleology, tectonics, etc.

8. Engineering

Electrical & Mechanical: Computer engineering, controls, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robot mechanics, solar electric generation, thermodynamics, etc.; Energy & Transport: Aerodynamics, aerospace and aeronautical engineering, alternative fuels, automotive & marine vehicle development, fossil fuel energy, heating & refrigeration, renewable energies, solar heating, wind energy, etc.; Materials & Bioengineering: Acoustics, bioengineering, civil & construction engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, ergonomics, industrial engineering & processing, material science, etc.

9. Environmental Sciences and Management

Air pollution and air quality, bioremediation (i.e., oil spill cleanup, etc.), ecology, ecosystems management, environmental engineering, land resource management, forestry, recycling, waste management, soil contamination and soil quality, water pollution and water quality, etc.

10. Mathematical Sciences

Science of numbers and their operations; algorithms, development of formal logical systems or various numerical and algebraic computations and the application of these principles; algebra, calculus, complex analysis, geometry, number theory, probability, statistics, etc.

11. Medicine and Health Sciences

Study of diseases and health of humans; allergies, cellular & molecular biology, dermatology, dentistry, epidemiology, genetics, immunology, nutrition, ophthalmology, pathology, pediatrics, pharmacology, physiology, sanitation, speech and hearing, etc.

12. Microbiology

Biology of microorganisms; antibiotics/microbials, bacterial genetics, bacteriology, fungi, molds, protozoology, virology, yeast, etc.

13. Physics and Astronomy

Theories, principles and laws governing energy and the effect of energy on matter; acoustics; atoms, molecules, nuclear, plasma, solids; biophysics; fluid and gas dynamics; instrumentation and electronics; magnetism; optics, lasers, masers; particle, quantum mechanics; semiconductors, solid state, superconductivity, thermodynamics; theoretical or computational astronomy, planetary science, etc.

14. Plant Sciences

Study of plant life; agriculture/agronomy, algae, circadian rhythms, ecology, forestry, horticulture, hydroponics, plant evolution, plant genetics, plant pathology, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, etc.

15. Team Category

Participants in this category may complete a project in any of the above disciplines. Team projects should reflect a level of complexity and quantity of work that is indicative of a group effort. A maximum of three students per team is allowed.

Deadlines

The deadline for students to submit their projects is Tuesday, February 22, 2013.  Please note, students competing in the Senior Division (grades 9-12) must also submit an Abstract form.  Failure to submit this form by the registration deadline will result in forfeiture from the Fair. 

To register a project, visit the Student Project Registration page.