Colorado State Science Fair, Inc.
Display & Safety Guidelines

Attention Finalists and Teachers: These are the items that the Display & Safety Committee will be reviewing ALL projects for, after they have been set up on Thursday of the CSEF. Please review this list of restrictions and plan accordingly. If an exhibit does not pass inspection, a Special Display Restrictions Form will be required. Remember, this is not intended to hinder your project during judging, this is required by CSEF for other students' and the publics' safety. Thank you for complying.

Physical Exhibit:

  1. Height, from floor to top, does not exceed 108 inches (274 cm).
  2. Width, from side to side, does not exceed 48 inches (122 cm).
  3. Depth, from front to back, does not exceed 30 inches (76 cm).
  4. Exhibit is NOT attached to the table or to the wall.

Research Notebook:

  1. Signed CSEF Abstract form
  2. Student Checklist Form 1A
  3. Research Plan
  4. Signed Approval Form(s) 1B
  5. Signed Checklist for Adult Sponsor Form 1
  6. All other pertinent Intel ISEF forms follow Form 1

Items NOT Allowed in the Display of the Project:

  1. Living organisms, including plants
  2. Taxidermy specimens or parts
  3. Preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals
  4. Human or animal food
  5. Human or animal parts or body fluids (For Example.: blood, urine, etc.)
  6. Plant materials (living, dead or preserved) that are in their raw, unprocessed, or non-manufactured state (Exception: manufactured construction materials used in building the project or display)
  7. All chemicals including water (Exceptions: water integral to an enclosed apparatus or water supplied by CSEF)
  8. All hazardous substances or devices (For Example: poisons, drugs, firearms, weapons, ammunition, reloading devices, class III and class IV lasers, etc.)
  9. Dry ice or other sublimating solids
  10. Sharp items (For Example: syringes, needles, pipettes, knives, etc.)
  11. Flames or highly flammable materials
  12. Batteries with open-top cells
  13. Awards, medals, business cards, flags, endorsements and/or acknowledgments (graphic or written) unless the item(s) are an integral part of the project
  14. Active Internet or e-mail connections as part of displaying or operating the project at CSEF
  15. Prior years' written material or visual depictions on the vertical display board (Exception: the project title may mention which year the project is in)
  16. Glass or glass objects unless deemed by the Display & Safety Committee to be an integral and necessary part of the project (Exceptions: glass that is an integral part of a commercial product such as a computer screen)
  17. Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the Scientific Review Committee, the Display & Safety Committee or CSEF (For Example: large vacuum tubes or dangerous ray-generating devices, empty tanks that previously contained combustible liquids or gases, pressurized tanks, etc.)

Items Allowed in the Display of the Project, BUT with the Restrictions Indicated:

  1. Soil, sand, rock and/or waste samples if permanently encased in a slab of acrylic
  2. Finalist's information such as postal, web and e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and fax numbers are allowed, but discouraged by CSEF (none of these items are allowed for persons other than the Finalist)
  3. Any apparatus with unshielded belts, pulleys, chains, or moving parts with tension or pinch points if for display only and not operated.
  4. Any apparatus producing temperatures that will cause physical burns if adequately insulated
  5. Class II lasers if:
    1. The output energy is <1 mW and is operated only by the Finalist.
    2. Operated only during Display & Safety inspection and during judging.
    3. Labeled with a sign reading Laser Radiation: Do Not Look into Beam.
    4. Enclosed in protective housing that prevents physical and visual access to beam.
    5. Disconnected when not operating.

Photography Rules:

Photographs and/or visual depictions ARE allowed IF:

  1. They are not deemed offensive or inappropriate by the Scientific Review Committee, the Display & Safety Committee or CSEF. This includes, but is not limited to, visually offensive photographs or visual depictions of invertebrate or vertebrate animals (including humans). The decision by any one of the above mentioned groups is final.
  2. They are not photographs or other visual presentations depicting vertebrate animals in surgical techniques, dissections, necropsies, or other lab procedures. These types of photos may be put into the research notebook.
  3. Credit lines of their origins ("Photograph taken by . . ." or "Image taken from . . ") are attached to the display board near the appropriate image or photo. If all photographs are from the same source, one credit prominently displayed is sufficient.
  4. They are from the Internet, magazines, newspapers, journals, etc. and credit lines are attached to the display board near the appropriate image or photo. If all photographs are from the same source, one credit prominently displayed is sufficient.
  5. They are photographs or visual depictions of the Finalist.
  6. They are photographs of human subjects for which signed consent forms are at the project. Human Subjects Form 4 or an equivalent photograph release signed by the human subject must be included in the paperwork.

Copyright Colorado State Science Fair, Inc. All rights reserved.
Last modified 10/15/07