SummaryThe South Central/Southwest Minnesota Regional Science & Engineering Fair Program is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) Program. Rules are set-forth by Intel ISEF that we must follow. These rules are summarized below.
Most projects require a minimum of paperwork; however, students who have a project "experimenting" with humans, vertebrate animals, recombinant DNA, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, tissue research, and/or hazardous substances or devices, grades 7-12, must complete the appropriate Intel ISEF Certification Forms. The forms must be completed "prior" to the onset of experimentation.
If you are a student that has a project with experimentation of humans, your school must have an IRB Committee. If experimenting with vertebrate animals, your school must have a SRC Committee.
If you have a Scientific Review Committee (SRC) or IRB at your local school, you do NOT need to forward the Certification Forms to the Regional Science Fair's SRC/IRB Committee for "prior" approval. You do need to send a copy of the form to the regional office by the registration deadline of Friday, January 9, 2009. The appropriate forms must be with the project the day of the fair for approval by regional fair's SRC/IRB Committee.
The Society for Science & the Public requires all affiliated fairs to appoint a Scientific Review Committee (SRC) of at least three people. The SRC must include one biomedical scientist (Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., or D.O.), one science educator, and one other member. One member must be familiar with proper animal care procedures when animal research is involved. The SRC must review and approve projects involving restricted areas of research before experimentation is started.
Minnesota State University has a Scientific Review Committee/Institutional Review Board (SRC/IRB). The purpose of this committee is to check student projects for compliance with the Intel ISEF and regional fair rules. The committee for the 2006-2007 year is Mr. Bix Baker, Dr. Roger Nelson, Mr. Gary Klimmek, Dr. Bill Bessler and Dr. Penny Knoblich.
If your school does not have a local SRC/IRB Committee, you need to forward the forms to Minnesota State University, Mankato prior to beginning your research.
The Junior/Senior High Division is required to follow all Intel International Science & Engineering Fair rules. Go to the Society for Science and the Public link below. (As a regional Intel ISEF affiliated fair, we have agreed upon not providing the rules & regulations online, rather, we have agreed to provide the link to the information.)
