Tips for Forms & Projects:

Abstracts: CSEF Finalists MUST use the CSEF Abstract form and NOT the ISEF Official Abstract Form. Abstracts should be written in past tense and should include the objective(s) of the study, the general procedure(s) used, the result(s) of the study and the significance of the result(s). The abstract should not include acknowledgements (such as referencing mentors or laboratories involved in the project). Read more information on writing abstracts.

Checklist (1): The Checklist for Adult Sponsors form is to be used by the Adult Sponsor when reviewing students' research plans and seeing that the proper approvals are acquired BEFORE research on the project begins. This means it should be signed and dated BEFORE research begins - attesting to the fact that the Adult Sponsor has indeed done his/her job in guiding the student researcher in getting the proper approvals.

Student Checklist (1A): When completing #6 (Start Date), please remember that we are looking for the date that the student began his/her laboratory and/or data collection work - not when the background research began. The actual start date and the projected start date can be the same, or the actual start date can be months from the projected start date, just so long as all approvals have been acquired BEFORE the ACTUAL research start date. Also, on #7, remember that field work is data collection that is done away from the school, home and/or research institute (i.e.: collection of data at different stream sites around the state, collection of surveys at sites such as businesses and/or schools other than the student researcher's, observations done in public places, etc.). If there is field work done, we need a list of all of those sites and addresses if possible (general locations if not).

Research Plan: This information MUST be TYPED. When writing the research plan, please have students clearly identify each of the four points needed in the plan: Question Being Addressed; Hypothesis/Problem/Engineering Goal(s); Procedures/Methods; and Bibliography. This will aid in the review of the research plans and cut down on the need for clarification in many cases. Please see Page 31 of the ISEF Rulebook for more details on what should be addressed if using human subjects, vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous biological agents and/or hazardous chemicals, activities & devices.

Approval Form (1B): All approval signatures for #1 and #2 (if applicable) MUST be acquired BEFORE a student can begin his/her laboratory/data collection work. Please note that the Adult Sponsor no longer signs this form. He/She is required to sign the Adult Sponsor Checklist for approval.

Registered Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (1C): This is the only form that is required to be completed AFTER experimentation has been completed. Please pay particular attention to the signature box- if the student did the research at the institution, then that institution must have given their approval if it involves human subjects, vertebrate animals or potentially hazardous biological agents. For example, Colorado State University has its own Regulatory Compliance Board and if a student were to go there to do a research project with a professor (or anyone else), the student's research must be approved by this board and the CSU board overrides any decision a school IRB may have made regarding the study, as the school has no jurisdiction at CSU.

• Live, non-human vertebrate mammalian embryos for fetuses,
• Bird and reptile eggs within three days (72 hours) of hatching; and
• All other non-human vertebrates at hatching or birth.

Vertebrate Animal research projects are categorized into two categories, those that can be done at a non-regulated site and those that must be done at a regulated research institution. Vertebrate Animal studies may be conducted at a non-regulated research site (home, school, farm, ranch, in the field, etc.) ONLY if each of the following applies:

• The research involves behavioral, observational or supplemental nutritional studies on animals AND
• The research involves only noninvasive and non-intrusive methods that do not negatively affect an animal's health or well-being.

All other studies using vertebrate animals must be conducted at a regulated research institution.

If there are unexpected deaths in either the experimental or control groups, the cause of the death must be investigated. If the experimental procedure is responsible for the deaths, the experiment must be immediately terminated. A death rate of 30% or greater in any group or subgroup is not permitted and the project will fail to qualify for competition.

Research Projects at Non-Regulated Sites

The SRC must decide what type of supervision the project requires:

• A designated Supervisor is not required for a Vertebrate Animal study when it involves animals in their natural environment where there is no interaction between the experimenter and the subject animals. Otherwise, a Designated Supervisor is required to be responsible for the quality of care and handling of the animals in the project.
• A Veterinarian is not required for all Vertebrate Animal studies, but is recommended for experiments that involve supplemental nutrition and/or activities that would not be ordinarily encountered in the animal's daily life.
• A Qualified Scientist is not required for all Vertebrate Animal studies, but may be suggested by the SRC.

Form 5A must be filled out by the researcher for each different type of animal being used and includes the number of animals being used in the study, the housing and husbandry to be provided, and what will happen to the animals after experimentation.

Research Projects at Regulated Research Institutes

Form 5B must be filled out by the Qualified Scientist or the Principle Investigator at the regulated research institution. A copy of the regulated research institution IACUC approval letter must be attached to this form. The Qualified Scientist must describe the USDA Pain Category that the research falls under. The local SRC must also review the project to certify that the research complies with ISEF rules. This review should happen before experimentation begins.

Proper euthanasia at the end of experimentation for tissue removal and/or pathological analysis is permitted. Only the Qualified Scientist or an institutional representative may perform the euthanasia.

The following types of studies on vertebrate animals are prohibited:

• All induced toxicity studies, such as those using alcohol, acid rain, insecticide, herbicide, heavy metal, etc.;
• Behavioral experiments involving operant conditioning with adverse stimuli, mother/infant separation or induced helplessness;
• Studies of pain; and
• Predator/prey experiments.

• Organism is cultured in a plastic Petri dish and sealed.
• Experiment involves only procedures in which the Petri dish remains sealed throughout the experiment.
• The sealed Petri dish is disposed of in the appropriate manner under the supervision of the Designated Supervisor.

If a culture is opened for identification, sub-culturing or isolation, it must be treated as a BSL-2 study and involve BSL-2 laboratory procedures.

The following types of tissue do not need to be treated as potentially hazardous biological agents:

• Plant tissue
• Established cell and tissue cultures (i.e.: those obtained from the American Type Culture Collection); the source and catalog number of the cultures should be identified in the Research Plan Attachment
• Meat or meat by-products 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 slides