One of the main purposes of the regional science fair competition is to bring together students from throughout the region whose projects/papers were selected as the best from their particular schools. Through a science fair project, students obtain a glimpse of the scientific method. They learn what it is like to think like a scientist, to investigate and experiment in an area of their interest. Since only the very best projects are selected for regional competition and since many people view these projects, proper procedures and rules are necessary. It is very important that a student is properly supervised, that his/her project is performed and exhibited safely, and that humane procedures are followed, especially when higher animals are used in a research project. Consequently, please follow the rules as listed. The "Planning a Good Science Fair Project" and "The Scientific Method" pages were modified from and are courtesy of the Flint (Michigan) Area Regional Science Fair booklet.
The general rules and regulations for the Junior/Senior High Division are listed further on. Specific rules that need to be adhered to are available at the Intel ISEF website www.sciserv.org/isef. Rules and regulations for the Elementary Division are slightly different than the Junior/Senior High Division, and are also listed further on. The proper forms must be completed prior to beginning the science project to ensure student safety and proper procedure.
Participants: Any boy or girl in grades 3-12 of a public, private, parochial or home school is eligible to participate in the research project and exhibit competition. Students in grades 7-12 are also eligible to compete in the research paper competition. Students in grades 3-6 typically compete in a local school fair before earning the opportunity to be certified for regional competition. In grades 7-12 some schools have a local fair, but many simply send those students interested in doing a project and/or paper directly to the regional fair. All students/schools must register according to deadlines.
Repetition of Previous Year's Work: A project shown in the previous regional science fair may not be re-entered without substantial expansion and development.
RSEF Junior/Senior High Division – ONLINE REGISTRATIONS ARE HIGHLY PREFERRED! Project and Paper Registrations: Student registration forms are available to be completed online or available online in PDF format to download after the school is signed up; be sure to print or photocopy a copy (before submission) for backup. Complete the correct registration form and return it to your advisor/teacher to send to the Regional Science Fair Office. When registrations are completed online, educators should send a copy of the registration or include a list of the registrants along with payment. A copy should be kept as well by the educator along with the original form kept by the student. For online registration, remember to PRINT AND KEEP a copy for your files! SC/SW MN Regional Science & Engineering Fair Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009. RSEF Elementary Division – ONLINE PROJECT REGISTRATIONS ARE HIGHLY PREFERRED! Project Registrations: Student registration forms are available to be completed online or available online in PDF format to download after the school is signed up; be sure to print or photocopy a copy (before submission) for backup. SC/SW MN Regional Science & Engineering Fair Date for the Elementary Divsion: May 2, 2009. 
Registrations either completed online or by hard copy are due by the deadline of Friday, January 9, 2009. Payments for registration are due Friday, January 16, 2009. To participate in both the project and paper competitions, two forms will need to be completed along with fees for both competitions. Registration fees for either the paper or project competition is $15 per student per entry. If a student chooses to register for both the paper and project competition, there will be a $15 registration fee for each competition or $30 total. If there are additional team members, each member needs to also pay the $15 fee for each competition. No late research paper registrations will be accepted after Friday, January 9, 2009. Remember to send three copies of the research paper in. For those registering by hard copy, send the three research paper copies with the registration and postmarked no later than January 9, 2009. No late research papers will be allowed. Late project registrations and payments will be charged an additional $5 per person. Late registrations may or may not be listed in the fair booklet. Any project registration with payment not made by Friday, January 16, 2009 may also be accessed a $5 late fee. No project registrations will be accepted after Friday, January 23, 2009.
Complete the correct registration form and give a copy to your advisor/teacher to keep for his/her files. Teacher/advisor supervision is strongly advised for online project registrations. If registrations are completed online, teachers/advisors should send a copy of the registration, but should also keep a form for themselves. For online registration, remember to PRINT AND KEEP a copy for your files! Registrations either completed online or by hard copy are due by the deadline of Monday, March 23, 2009. Payments for registration are due Monday, March 30, 2009. The registration fee for project competition is $15 per student. If there are additional team members, each member needs to also pay the $15 fee. Late registrations may or may not be listed in the fair booklet. Late projects for the Elementary Division may or may not be accepted into the regional fair. Give us a call at 507-389-2849 if you or your school has conflicts. Any project registration payment not made by Wednesday, March 19, 2008 may be accessed a $5 late fee. No project registrations will be accepted after Wednesday, April 1, 2009.
[PDF] Elementary Fair MSU Campus Map (546 KiB)
