Rules & Guidelines

The following rules and guidelines were developed to ensure the safety and well-being of pre-college students involved in research and promote the practice of safe and ethical experimentation. These rules and guidelines are derived from the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and follow federal regulations governing research.

NOTE: Some of the rules and regulations that govern competition for the 2009 NYCSEF events differ from those used for Intel ISEF. Questions about the NYCSEF rules and guidelines should be forwarded to NYCSEF staff.

IMPORTANT - Changes & Modifications for 2008-2009

The following are the major changes and modifications to the rules and guidelines for the 2009 NYCSEF. It is recommended that students and associated adults review the appropriate rules and guidelines as it relates to the specific research project.

• For ALL PROJECTS – NYCSEF forms and research paper deadlines have been combined. Complete application materials must be received by January 7, 2009.
• For projects involving Human Subjects – Ingestion, tasting, smelling, application of a substance or exposure to ANY materials other than those encountered routinely in DAILY LIFE by the subject is considered more than minimal risk and require Informed Consent and a Qualified Scientist. See page 14.
• For projects involving Vertebrate Animals – Research projects classified as USDA Pain Categories A or B are permitted only with proper training and certification. Research projects classified as USDA Pain Category C are permitted only with proper training and certification AND must be conducted in a Regulated Research Institution. Research projects classified as USDA Pain Category D or E are PROHIBITED from entry into NYCSEF. See page 19.
• For projects involving Non-Inquiry Based Research – Projects in engineering, mathematics, computer science and other theoretical research will be reviewed using the criteria outlined in pages 8 and 9. Projects failing to meet these criteria may fail to qualify for competition.

You will need a PDF viewer like Adobe Reader to read these forms.

• Complete Rules and Guidelines for 2009 NYCSEF (pg 1-27) [PDF]
• NYCSEF Categories and Subcategories (pg 3) [PDF]
• NYCSEF Display Rules and Guidelines (pg 4-6) [PDF]
• Information for ALL PROJECTS (pg 7-10) [PDF]
• Roles and Responsibilities of Students and Adults (pg 11-12) [PDF]
• Rules about research involving:
  • Human Subjects (pg 13-16) [PDF]
  • Vertebrate Animals (pg 17-20) [PDF]
  • Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents (pg 21-24) [PDF]
  • Hazardous Chemicals, Activities or Devices (pg 25-27) [PDF]

Have a question about NYCSEF Rules and Guidelines? You may be able to find the answer on our FAQs page.