2015 Intel ISEF-affiliated
Science Fair Forms
Forms???
• Required by the Society for Science and the Public and
Intel ISEF for all projects competing in any affiliated
fairs (i.e. FWRSEF, EMTSEF)
• Ensure safety and ethics of experimental practices
• 2014-2015 forms can be found on the SSP website:
https://student.societyforscience.org/forms
• If you need more details into any of the rules, use the
2015 Intel ISEF handbook:
member.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=398
General Overview
• ALL PROJECTS require Forms 1, 1A, 1B, and a
Research Plan
• Most TAMS projects fill out Forms 1C, 2, and 3
• Specific forms are required for certain projects
• For a project dealing with:
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Human Subjects: Form 4
Vertebrate Animals: Form 5B
Biological Agents: Form 6A
Tissues: Forms 6A and 6B
Continued Projects: Form 7
Form 1: Checklist for Adult Sponsor
• Your adult sponsor is the PROFESSOR you are working
with, not TAMS admin!
• Check all boxes that apply to your project. This indicates
all necessary forms for your project.
• Forms Wizard (lets you know what forms to use):
https://apps2.societyforscience.org/wizard/index.asp
• When deciding on a title, it is best to not change it once
forms have been filled out
Form 1A: Student Checklist
• A complete address is required for school as well as
research locations (i.e. the TAMS school address is
1167 Union Circle, Suite 202, Denton, TX 76203)
• Be sure that start and end dates do not exceed a
12-month period! End date is recommended to be
set at late February
Form 1B: Approval
• Make sure you and your parent sign this form
before your start date!
• Section 2 a/b required only if working with
humans, vertebrates, and/or potentially hazardous
biological agents
Research Plan
• Follow instructions for the research plan exactly; be
sure to use present or future tense, as forms are
approved before experimentation
• Do not forget data analysis!
• If your project involves human subjects, vertebrate
animals, potentially hazardous biological agents,
and/or hazardous chemicals/devices, be sure to include
safety information (can be copied over from respective
forms). You must include this information about risk
and safety.
Form 1C: Regulated Research
Institution/Industrial Setting
• Required if you conducted your research in a
research lab (most of TAMS)
• Supervising Adult is the one working alongside you
in the project: typically graduate student
• The supervising adult CAN be your professor if your
professor is the one working DIRECTLY with you (i.e.
watching/ directly supervising as you experiment)
Form 2: Qualified Scientist
• Required only if you worked with human subjects,
vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous
biological agents, and/or DEA-controlled
substances
• Qualified Scientist is your professor
• Designated Supervisor works alongside (probably
graduate student)
• Be sure that the experience/training section is completed
for both!
Form 3: Risk Assessment
• Required if using hazardous chemicals/devices and
microorganisms exempt from preapproval
• i.e. DEA-controlled substances, prescription drugs,
alcohol/tobacco, hazardous
chemicals/devices/activities, radiation
• All chemicals are considered hazardous!
• Be sure to list source, quantities, and concentrations of
all chemicals!!
Form 3 (cont’d.)
• For chemicals, use MSDS to assess risk, safety, and
disposal procedures
• Attach all relevant MSDS forms!
Form 3 (cont’d.)
• There are some studies that are exempt from prior SRC
review that require Form 3!
• Studies involving protists, archae and similar
microorganisms
• Research using manure for composting, fuel
production, or other non-culturing experiments
• Studies using commercially available color change
coliform water test kits
• Studies involving decomposition of vertebrate
organisms (forensic studies)
Form 4: Human Participants
• Projects involving intervention or interaction with human
participants AND/OR collection of identifiable private
information require completion of Form 4
• You do not need Form 4 if:
• Product Testing with no health hazards or personal
data collected
• Behavioral Testing in unrestricted public settings
• Studies using certified de-identified/anonymous data
Form 4 (cont’d): Human Consent Form
• Projects must be reviewed and approved BEFORE
experimentation
• Informed consent form must be completed by
participants
• Participants 18 or older give informed consent
• Participants under 18 must give assent and their
parents may be required to give permission
Form 5B: Vertebrate Animals
• What is a vertebrate animal? According to ISEF:
• Live, nonhuman vertebrate mammalian embryos or
fetuses
• Bird and reptile eggs within 3 days of hatching
• All other nonhuman vertebrates (including fish) at
hatching or birth
• Zebrafish embryos 7+ days (168+ hours) post
fertilization
• If there are no interaction with animals,
manipulation of the environment, or all federal
wildlife regulations are followed, then this form is
not required
Form 5B (cont’d.)
• SOME STUDIES ARE PROHIBITED!
• Induced toxicity studies involving known toxic
substances that could impair health or destroy life
• Behavioral experiments with
• Conditioning using aversive stimuli
• Mother/infant separation
• Induced/learned helplessness
• Studies of pain
• Predator/vertebrate prey experiments
Form 5B (cont’d.)
• Research lab/project must be approved by IACUC:
attach letter from IACUC with forms
• Professor completes the form
• Local SRC should review project before
experimentation
• Experimentation must follow ISEF guidelines
Form 6A: Potentially
Biologically Hazardous Agents
• Required for both microorganisms/rDNA/blood
products AND tissues.
• Have either your graduate student OR professor fill it
out. MUST be signed before experimentation.
Form 6A (cont’d.)
• Studies must have prior approval by SRC/IACUC/IBC
• Most studies are prohibited in a home environment
• Studies intended to genetically engineer bacteria with multiple
antibiotic resistance are prohibited
• Lab studies utilizing MRSA, VRE and KPC must be conducted in a
Regulated Research Institution under documented IBC review and
approval
YOU ARE EXEMPT FOR STUDIES:
• Studies using baker’s and brewer’s yeast (except rDNA studies)
• Studies using Lactobacillus, B. thurgensis, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, oileating bacteria, and algae-eating bacteria in natural environment. Not
exempt if cultured in a petri dish environment
• Studies of mold growth on food items if experiment terminated at first
sign of mold
• FORM 3 is still required
Form 6B: Human and
Vertebrate Animal Tissues
• If you are dealing with tissues, you must fill out form 6A AND 6B.
• Fixed tissue does NOT need form 6B.
• Need form only for:
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Fresh/frozen tissue
Primary cell cultures
Human and other primate established cell lines and tissue cultures
Blood and blood products
Body fluids
• Exempt Studies:
• Plant tissue
• Plant and non-primate established cell lines and tissue culture collections (e.g., obtained from
the American Type Culture Collection). The source and/or catalog number of the cultures must
be identifi ed in the Research Plan.
• Fresh or frozen meat, meat by-products, pasteurized milk or eggs obtained from food stores,
restaurants, or packing houses
• Hair
• Teeth that have been sterilized to kill any blood- borne pathogen that may be present
• Fossilized tissue or archeological specimens.
• Prepared fixed tissue
Form 6B (cont’d.)
• If animal is euthanized solely for student project –
vertebrate animal study which requires IACUC
approval
• If animal is euthanized for a purpose other than
student project – tissue study
• Classification as BSL 1 or 2 based on source of tissue
and possibility of containing infectious agents
• All studies with human or wild animal blood are BSL 2.
Studies with domestic animal blood are BSL 1.
• Studies with human body fluids which can be
associated with a person must have IRB approval
Form 7 (Continuation)
• Continuing your project is great—it shows consistency;
however, your project must be significantly different
from last year’s, and only data collected within the
second year should be used as the bulk of your results.
• Attach last year’s abstract AND research plan and the
year before that’s abstract only.
Abstract
• Hard word limit is set at 250 words.
• Form: http://member.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=24
• The purpose of your abstract is to give the reader an overall idea of how you
conducted your project/ your findings/application of these results.
TIPS:
• First sentence can begin with problem/issue to solve. Can have brief
hypothesis.
• LIFE SCI: It is best to go over your procedures/methods briefly. The main focus
of your abstract should be your results, conclusion, future apps. If you have
space, you can be a little more specific about your results.
• ENGINEERING: It is ok to talk more about your methods and procedures, focus
on future apps as well.
• Always have good grammar/spelling, can look up abstracts in your field for
samples
Good luck with forms!