Eligibility and Rules

Before entering TNJSF, review the competition rules and eligibility requirements carefully. The information below explains the requirements for each competition division and the general eligibility criteria for participation.

General Eligibility
  • Students may enter the TNJSF if they are full-time students (grades 9–12) attending a public, private, parochial, charter, or home school located in one of the following New Jersey counties: Bergen (except BCA), Essex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union or Warren.
  • Note: Students in all programs at the Bergen County Academies should enter BCA’s own ISEF-affiliated fair.
  • For home-schooled students, the home address must be in one of the counties listed above. Please identify the schools to which state reports are submitted.
  • Every project must have an Adult Sponsor. Your Adult Sponsor may be a teacher, parent or guardian, or another mentor.
  • Each student may enter only one project. That project may include no more than 12 months of continuous research and may not include research performed before January 2026.
Additional RED Eligibility
  • Team projects may have only two members, and both students must attend a school within the TNJSF territory.
  • If one team member attends a school outside of the North Jersey territory, then we will consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis. The team leader (who must be in the North Jersey region) should email a request to the Fair Director of the applicable fair. The request must be submitted at least 1 week before the applicable Registration Deadline to be considered.
  • Students may enter only one ISEF-affiliated fair during a given school year.
  • Artificial Intelligence may be used as a project resource but must be properly cited and acknowledged. All materials presented must be in the student's own words.
  • A research project may be part of a larger study performed by professional scientists; however, the project presented at TNJSF must represent only the student's own work. The Research Plan must clearly distinguish the student's work from that of mentors or other researchers.
  • Projects that are literature reviews, library research, informational projects, demonstrations, and/or explanation models are not eligible for the Research and Engineering Design Division. Students with these types of projects may instead qualify for the Topic Presentation Division.
Additional Topic Presentation Eligibility
  • Your topic can be anything you are interested in exploring in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM).
  • Topic Presentations must be the work of an individual student. Group projects are not allowed.
  • A Topic Presentation should be a review of the current knowledge about your topic. Experiments, data collection, and models are not allowed.
  • You must use at least five different sources of information for your presentation.
  • All information in your topic description, abstract, and poster must be written in your own words. TNJSF will check submissions for plagiarism and AI-generated content. If you use someone else’s exact words, you must place them in quotation marks and properly cite the source.
Note: Schools may participate in both the Research and Engineering Design Division and the Topic Presentation Division. Each school is limited to a combined total of 15 entries across both divisions. Read the School and Sponsor Entry Limits page for more information.
Vertebrate Animal Research
Students considering a project that involves vertebrate animals in ANY way, either directly or indirectly, have a higher level of responsibility and must ensure that they comply with all ISEF rules. Students should download the ISEF Rules and Guidelines and carefully review the Vertebrate Animals Rules. Students who are not prepared to take on this responsibility should choose a different area of research.
Important: Terra North Jersey STEM Fair does NOT accept vertebrate animal projects that are subject to ISEF Vertebrate Animal Rules specific to research conducted at a Regulated Research Institution (RRI).
This fair also does NOT accept projects using tissues, organoids, or body fluids obtained from vertebrate animals that were euthanized as part of ANY study performed at an RRI. Review the information below for details about the types of projects that may participate in the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair.
Note: The use of publicly available datasets involving vertebrate animal or tissue studies is exempt from these rules.
TNJSF SRC Vertebrate Animal Rules
Terra North Jersey STEM Fair will accept only vertebrate animal projects that comply with the ISEF Vertebrate Animal Rules for projects conducted at School/Home/Field, regardless of where the work is performed.
Vertebrate Animal Projects as Defined by the TNJSF SRC
A vertebrate animal study is a scientific research project involving the use of vertebrate animals, either directly or indirectly. Under ISEF rules, vertebrate animals include all nonhuman vertebrates, including fish, at hatching or birth; live nonhuman mammalian embryos or fetuses; tadpoles; bird and reptile eggs beginning 72 hours before hatching; zebrafish past 168 hours post-fertilization; and cephalopods.
School/Home/Field Vertebrate Animal Rules
  • Research may involve only agricultural, behavioral, observational, or supplemental nutritional studies on animals.
  • Research may involve only non-invasive and non-intrusive methods that do not negatively affect an animal’s health or well-being.
  • Projects must comply with all applicable ISEF Vertebrate Animal Rules.
  • Work performed at a school, home, or field location must be reviewed and approved by the TNJSF SRC before experimentation begins.
  • If the work is performed at an RRI, it must be part of an IACUC-approved study that complies with School/Home/Field rules. Prior approval from the TNJSF SRC is recommended but not required.
Projects Conducted at a Regulated Research Institution That Will Not Be Accepted
The TNJSF SRC will NOT accept projects that are subject to ISEF Vertebrate Animal Rules specific to research conducted at an RRI, including, but not limited to:
  • Research in which animals experience more than momentary or slight pain or distress that must be relieved using IACUC-approved anesthetics, analgesics, and/or tranquilizers.
  • Research involving food or fluid restriction exceeding 18 hours.
  • Research involving nutritional deficiency.
  • Research involving substances or drugs with unknown effects.
  • Research in which animals are euthanized for tissue removal and/or pathological analysis.
Under TNJSF SRC policy, a student who worked on ANY part of an institution’s vertebrate animal study that falls into any of these categories and/or involved euthanized animals is subject to this restriction. This applies regardless of whether the student handled the animals directly and includes projects involving tissue analysis, data collection, and/or data analysis.
TNJSF SRC Vertebrate Tissue and Body Fluids Rules
Terra North Jersey STEM Fair will accept only certain types of studies involving fresh or frozen tissue, blood, or body fluids obtained from humans and/or vertebrates under the ISEF Tissue and Body Fluid Rules. These restrictions also apply to projects involving data collection and/or data analysis of tissue or body fluids from studies performed at an RRI.
Vertebrate Tissue and Body Fluid Projects Allowed by the TNJSF SRC
  • Research involving established human and/or mammalian cell lines and tissue culture collections registered with a certified cell bank, such as ATCC, ECACC, or JCRB.
  • A project involving a student researcher using their own body fluids, provided the fluids are not cultured.
Rules and Requirements
  • Projects must comply with the applicable sections of the ISEF Tissue and Body Fluid Rules.
  • Work performed at a school, home, or field location must be reviewed and approved by the TNJSF SRC before experimentation begins.
  • If the work is performed at an RRI, it must take place in a laboratory approved by the institution’s IBC for the appropriate biosafety level. Prior approval from the TNJSF SRC is recommended but not required.
  • Students must upload all safety training documentation to the Terra entry system for work performed at BSL-1 or BSL-2.
Exempt Vertebrate Studies Allowed by the TNJSF SRC
  • Studies involving deceased vertebrate organisms obtained from the field, including necropsy and forensic projects.
  • Fresh or frozen meat and meat by-products obtained from food stores, restaurants, or packing houses, as well as eggs or pasteurized milk.
  • Hair, hooves, nails, and feathers.
  • Teeth that have been sterilized to kill any blood-borne pathogens that may be present.
  • Fossilized tissue or archaeological specimens.
  • Prepared fixed tissue obtained from a biological supply company.
How to Seek Prior Approval from the TNJSF SRC
Students planning vertebrate animal, tissue, or body fluid research should follow the prior approval process below before beginning their work.
  • Submit your entry with all required documentation through the Terra Entry System.
  • If your project requires prior approval from the TNJSF SRC before the new software release, email a prior approval request and your Research Plan to the TNJSF Scientific Review Committee for feedback and instructions.
  • Prior approval submissions must include a ISEF Regulated Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (2C)Form 2C with all questions answered, especially those concerning the student’s role in the research.
  • The Research Plan must clearly distinguish the work and procedures performed by the mentor from those performed by the student.
  • Once your entry is complete in the Terra Entry System, you must request prior approval through the system.
If Prior Approval Is Not Obtained
Students must enter the fair through the normal application process by the applicable Entry Deadline. See the Student Deadlines page for details.
The entry must be complete, and an SRC review must be requested through the Terra Entry System by the applicable deadline.
Warning: If prior approval is not obtained, the student assumes the risk that the TNJSF SRC may disqualify the project after the work has already been completed.
TNJSF SRC Human Participants Policy
Students considering a project that involves human participants must ensure they are in compliance with all ISEF rules. Most projects require review and approval by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before experimentation begins. Students, Adult Sponsors, and Mentors should download the ISEF Rules and Guidelines and read the Human Participant Rules carefully. Studies that are not explicitly exempt in the ISEF rules MUST have prior review and approval from an IRB. Read below for additional requirements from the TNJSF SRC.
TNJSF SRC Human Participant Rules
Terra North Jersey STEM Fair has additional requirements for research involving Human Participants.
ALL projects must have written Informed Consent for all participants, regardless of where the work is performed. This includes:
  • Written Minor Assent and written parental permission for minor participants (less than 18 years of age).
  • Written Informed Consent for participants 18 years or older.
Projects performed at school or at home MUST be reviewed and approved by the TNJSF SRC before experimentation begins.
  • Projects must be reviewed and approved by an IRB before requesting prior approval from the TNJSF SRC.
  • The TNJSF SRC can provide a mental health professional for the school's IRB if the school does not have one.
  • All required information/documentation must be submitted in the Terra Entry System by the Prior Approval deadline (see below).
Projects conducted at a Regulated Research Institution (RRI) must be approved by the institution's IRB.
  • Prior approval from the TNJSF SRC is recommended, but not required.
  • Note that compliance with the RRI's rules for human participants is necessary, but may not be sufficient to satisfy stricter ISEF and/or Terra North Jersey STEM Fair rules.
Institutional Review Board Requirements
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee that must evaluate the potential physical and/or psychological risk of research involving humans. All proposed human research must be reviewed and approved by an IRB before experimentation begins. This includes review of any surveys or questionnaires to be used in a project.
An IRB must consist of a minimum of 3 members:
  1. An educator (not the teacher that is serving as the Adult Sponsor or Mentor).
  2. A school administrator (preferably principal or vice principal).
  3. A medical or mental health professional that is knowledgeable about and capable of evaluating the physical and/or psychological risk involved in a given study.
IRB members are responsible for:
  • Thoroughly reviewing the student's Research Plan.
  • Assessing the risk to participants from the proposed study.
  • Determining what type of adult supervision is required and when.
  • Evaluating the Human Informed Consent Form for accuracy and full disclosure.
  • Requesting revisions to the methodology to reduce risk to participants.
  • Making a final determination of whether to approve the project or deem it inappropriate for student research.
A member of the IRB must submit all required information from the IRB review in the Terra Entry System for review and approval by the TNJSF SRC.
To Seek Prior Approval from the TNJSF SRC
  • Submit your entry with all required documentation via the Terra Entry System by the Prior Approval deadline (see Student Deadlines). If you plan to start work before September 15th, please email a prior approval request with your Research Plan and IRB approval documentation to the TNJSF Scientific Review Committee for feedback and instructions.
  • Submissions for prior approval must include a Mentor Report with all questions answered, especially regarding the student role in the research. It is also critical that the Research Plan clearly delineates the work/procedures performed by the mentor and those performed by the student.
  • Once your entry is complete in the Terra Entry System, you must request prior approval in the system.
Student Work at an RRI Without Prior Approval from the TNJSF SRC
  • Students must enter the fair via normal procedures by the applicable Entry Deadline (see Student Deadlines). The entry must be complete and an SRC review must be requested through Terra Entry System by this deadline.
Warning: You are taking the risk that the TNJSF SRC might disqualify the project after you have completed the work.
Display and Safety Requirements
General Rules
  • Make sure your project display complies with all ISEF Safety Regulations.
  • ISEF rules prohibit use of an internet connection as part of displaying or operating the project. Violating this rule is grounds for disqualification.
  • Body text should be a minimum of 24 pt. Your poster should be readable from 5 ft away. References and captions can be 20 pt.
  • APA format is preferred for citations and references.
Display Size and Type

Students must adhere to the requirements for the type of display assigned to their category.

Display Requirements for All Projects
Must Have Must NOT Have
  • Student’s name.
  • All figures, diagrams, pictures, and tables that represent work done solely by the student must each be clearly labeled “Produced by the student.”
  • Figures, diagrams, pictures, and data obtained from publications or the internet are allowed only in the Background section of the poster.
  • Published materials must be labeled using the same font size as the caption.
  • Figures from publications should be labeled “Published data by (citation),” with the complete reference in the Bibliography.
  • Figures from the internet should be labeled “Published data from (main website URL),” with the complete URL in the Bibliography.
  • The student’s age, grade, or school must not appear on the poster or be verbally disclosed.
  • Awards, publications, or patents obtained by the student must not appear on the poster or be verbally disclosed.
  • Footnotes or QR codes are not acceptable for labeling background figures, diagrams, pictures, or data that were published or completed by others.
Display Requirements for Projects with Assistance from an RRI or Professional Scientist/Engineer

These requirements apply to both onsite and remote mentoring.

Must Have Must NOT Have
  • If the work was performed outside the student’s school or home, a clear label must appear below the project title stating: “Work performed at a Regulated Research Institution.”
  • If the work was performed at school or home with guidance from a remote mentor, a clear label must appear below the project title stating: “Work performed with guidance from a Remote Mentor.”
  • Contributions to the rationale, goals, or hypothesis by the mentor or other members of the research team that appear in the Background section must be properly cited.
  • Text citations should be labeled “(communicated by Mentor).”
  • Figures, diagrams, and pictures in the Background section must be labeled “Work done by Mentor” using the same font size as the caption.
  • All projects receiving assistance from an RRI or professional scientist must include a separate section describing the role of the mentor and others on the research team.
  • This section must appear before the student’s Methods section and must use the heading “Role of the Mentor.”
  • The Bibliography must include the statement: “I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of:” followed by the full names of everyone who provided assistance.
  • The name of the institution or company must not appear on the poster or be verbally disclosed, including in acknowledgements.
  • Failure to cite contributions by the mentor or other scientists is an ethics violation.
  • Contributions by the mentor or others on the research team may not appear anywhere on the poster except in the Background or Role of the Mentor sections.
  • The names of the mentor or other members of the research team may not appear anywhere else on the poster and should not be verbally discussed.
  • The institution or company must not be included in the acknowledgement.
Display Requirements for Continuation Projects
Must Have Must NOT Have
Any work completed in a prior year should be presented only in the Background section and must be clearly labeled as prior work. Prior work presented outside the Background section of the poster is not allowed. This is grounds for disqualification.
Display Rules
  • Posters must have enough support to stand on their own on the table. We recommend using a tri-fold project display board.
  • Maximum display size is 48" wide × 30" deep, with a maximum height of 78" from the table.
  • Laptops are not allowed.
  • Cite the sources of all information included on the poster.
  • Include a complete list of all references used.
Do Not Include Any of the Following on Your Poster
  • The student’s age, grade, or school
  • Any prior awards or recognitions received by the student
  • The names of the parent, guardian, or Adult Sponsor
  • Photographs of people