Virtual Fair FAQ

How will the virtual fair work?

You will submit your plan, forms, etc., as always. You will also submit a presentation file for use in your virtual judging interviews. During each interview, you will use that file as a basis for your discussion with the judges. The file (which must be powerpoint or pdf) will be approved in advance by the Display and Safety Committee, and must abide by all rules that would be applicable in the on-site fair.

Can I submit a video?

You cannot submit a video as your presentation file. However, if you need to use a short (2 minute maximum) demo video to demonstrate a device or otherwise describe your project, you may do so. This will also be approved in advance.

If I cannot do my project in 2021, can I enter in 2022?

Any components of your project which you do not work on for 2021 may be used in 2022, if they are subsequently completed. If you enter preliminary work in 2021 and then continue the work in 2022, this would be regarded as a continuation project. Therefore, if you plan to do this, it is very important that you submit a Project Summary Form prior to the 2021 fair. The purpose of the Project Summary, as stated in the ISEF rules, is to describe the work actually performed in your project (as opposed to the Research Plan, which describes what you PLAN to do). The format of this summary is identical to the Research Plan, and therefore it should use the NJRSF Research Plan Form. However, and this is very important, it should be uploaded (after your work is complete) as an attachment to your SRC paperwork for 2021, not as the Research Plan itself. You will then refer to that doccument when you subsequently submit your form 7 in 2022, to describe what is new about your 2022 work. Note also that your Project Summary cannot introduce any NEW work that was not previously approved, if that work is of a nature that requires preapproval. It is used only to clarify the situation if you OMIT work that you initially planned to complete.

What ISEF forms should I use

YOU MUST USE THE 2021 ISEF FORMS. We will be enforcing this rule for 2021.

What is the difference between IRB and SRC approval?

The IRB is an Institutional Review Board that normally is part of the research group or school where the work is performed. The SRC is the Scientific Review Committee of the NJRSF. The approval of an IRB is required before commencement of experimental work when the project involves human subjects (with very limited exceptions outlined in the ISEF rules). That approval, though, is ultimately subject to the approval of our SRC. In cases where schools have sufficient experience, in our view, we will authorize a local SRC to perform the required preapproval for projects that require it (just as ISEF authorizes the NJRSF to preapprove such projects), but the project must be approved by the NJRSF SRC prior to competition. Likewise, the ISEF SRC must approve a project submitted for ISEF, despite the fact that they let us perform the initial assessment. In a case where we have doubts about the eligibility of a project, we will involve the ISEF SRC members to advise our decision, and we expect any local SRC to do likewise with us, if they have any questions. If you are working at a registered research institution (RRI), with a standing IRB, then in the vast majority of cases, the NJRSF SRC will accept their approval. However, with onsite internships shut down for 2020-21, that is unlikely to be your situation this year. The fundamental relationship is that the IRB approval, which is only required for projects involving human subjects, PRECEDES the SRC approval. And ultimately it is the SRC approval that is necessary to participate in an ISEF-affiliated fair. If you are not working at an RRI, then the IRB should be formed at your school (noting the ISEF requirements as to membership, which include the fact that the sponsor and/or mentor of a given project cannot be a member of the IRB approving the project). Those IRB members will sign your form 4. After that form, along with your other paperwork, is submitted to the NJRSF, our SRC must approve the project prior to competition. Due to this multi-tiered approval process, we recommend that the SRC approval be obtained as well, prior to experimentation.