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The Adult Sponsor

An Adult Sponsor may be a teacher, parent, university professor, or scientist in whose lab the student is working. This individual must have a solid background in science and should have close contact with the student during the course of the project.

The Adult Sponsor is ultimately responsible not only for the health and safety of the student conducting the research, but also for the humans or animals used as subjects. The Adult Sponsor must review the student’s Research Plan (1A) to make sure that: a) experimentation is done within local, state and federal laws and these International Rules; and b) that forms are completed by other adults involved in approving or supervising any part of the experiment; and c) that criteria for the qualified scientist adhere to those set forth in the Operational Guidelines..

The Adult Sponsor must be familiar with the regulations that govern potentially dangerous research as they apply to a specific student project. These may include chemical and equipment usage, experimental techniques, research involving human or nonhuman animals, and cell cultures, microorganisms, or animal tissues. The issues must be discussed with the student when completing the Research Plan (1A). Some experiments involve procedures or materials that are regulated by state and federal laws. If not thoroughly familiar with the regulations, the Adult Sponsor should help the student enlist the aid of a Qualified Scientist.

The Adult Sponsor is responsible for ensuring the student’s research is eligible for entry in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

The Qualified Scientist

A Qualified Scientist should possess an earned doctoral/professional degree in the biomedical sciences. However, a master’s degree with equivalent experience and/or expertise in the student's area of research is acceptable when approved by a Scientific Review Committee (SRC). The Qualified Scientist must be thoroughly familiar with the local, state, and federal regulations that govern the student’s area of research.

The Qualified Scientist and the Adult Sponsor may be the same person, if that person is qualified as outlined above.

A student may work with a Qualified Scientist in another city or state. In this case, the student must work locally with a Designated Supervisor (see below) who has been trained in the techniques the student will use.

The Designated Supervisor

The Designated Supervisor is an adult who supervises a student’s experiment. In the case of hazardous substances or devices, a Designated Supervisor is directly responsible for overseeing student experimentation. A Qualified Scientist may or may not be necessary. The Designated Supervisor need not have an advanced degree, but should be thoroughly familiar with the student’s project, and must be trained in the student’s area of research. The Adult Sponsor may act as the Designated Supervisor.

If a student is experimenting with live vertebrates and the animals are in a situation where their behavior or habitat is influenced by humans, the Designated Supervisor must be knowledgeable about the humane care and handling of the animals. If the Designated Supervisor is not knowledgeable, the Adult Sponsor must ensure that the student enlists the help of an Animal Care Supervisor.

The Animal Care Supervisor

The Animal Care Supervisor is required for all nonhuman vertebrate animal projects and must be familiar with the proper care and handling of research animals used in the project. The Qualified Scientist or Designated Supervisor or animal care professional usually serves as the Animal Care Supervisor.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB)

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee that, according to federal law, must evaluate the potential physical or psychological risk of research involving human subjects. All proposed human research must be reviewed and approved by an IRB before experimentation begins. This includes any surveys or questionnaires to be used in a project.

An IRB at the school or ISEF Affiliated Fair level must consist of a minimum of three members. Additional members are recommended to avoid conflict of interest. The IRB should include:

1. a science teacher
2. a school administrator
3. and one of the following: a psychologist, psychiatrist, medical doctor, physician's assistant or registered nurse

Due to the federal regulations requiring local community involvement, an IRB should be established at the school level to deal with human research projects. If it is impossible to establish an IRB at each school, the teacher/school should contact the ISEF-Affiliated Fair Director for assistance in evaluating human research prior to experimentation.

The Affiliated Fair Scientific Review Committee (SRC)

An SRC must consist of a minimum of three persons.  Additional members are recommended to avoid conflict of interest. The SRC must include:

1. a biomedical scientist (Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., or D.O.)
2. a science teacher
3. at least one other member

1. If the student lives in a rural area and does not have access to a degreed biomedical scientist, the student or SRC must enlist the services of someone from another geographic area. The Rules and necessary forms should be sent to that person so he or she is familiar with the procedures.
2. One of the SRC members must be familiar with proper animal care procedures when animal research is involved.
3. Local SRC's may be formed to assist an ISEF Affiliated Fair SRC in reviewing and approving projects. The operation and composition of the local SRC's must fully comply with these International Rules.
4. Neither the Adult Sponsor, parents, nor the Qualified Scientist who oversees a specific project is permitted to serve on the SRC or IRB reviewing that project. Consequently, neither the Adult Sponsor nor the Qualified Scientist may sign the SRC portion of Approval Form (1B). This eliminates conflict of interest.

A Scientific Review Committee (SRC) examines projects for the following:

1. evidence of library search
2. evidence of proper supervision
3. use of accepted research techniques
4. completed forms, signatures and dates
5. humane treatment of animals
6. compliance with rules and laws governing human and animal research
7. appropriate use of recombinant DNA, pathogenic organisms, controlled substances, tissues and hazardous substances and devices
8. appropriate documents and substantial expansion for continuation projects

The SRC follows this three-step process:

1. BEFORE EXPERIMENTATION, the SRC reviews and approves experimental procedures for projects involving human subjects, nonhuman vertebrates, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, recombinant DNA, and human/animal tissue to make sure they comply with the Rules and any pertinent laws. Human studies reviewed and approved by a properly constituted IRB do not have to be reviewed by the SRC until ISEF-Affiliated Fair competition.
2. AFTER EXPERIMENTATION AND SHORTLY BEFORE THE ISEF-AFFILIATED FAIR, the SRC reviews and approves those same projects to make sure that students followed the approved Research Plan (1A) and the Rules.
3. AFTER EXPERIMENTATION AND SHORTLY BEFORE THE ISEF-AFFILIATED FAIR, the SRC also reviews all remaining projects to make sure students followed the applicable Rules.

The ISEF Scientific Review Committee (ISEF SRC)

A Scientific Review Committee exists at the Intel ISEF level.  The ISEF SRC reviews the forms and the Research Plan for all projects.

The ISEF SRC, like an ISEF Affiliated Fair SRC, is made up of a group of adults knowledgeable about regulations concerning experimentation in restricted areas. The ISEF SRC reviews and approves the Checklist for Adult Sponsor, Abstract, Research Plan (1A), and Approval Form (1B) in addition to all other required forms for students who enter the Intel ISEF. They also identify problems local fairs may be having and work with fair directors and teachers to resolve them.

If a fair director or ISEF Affiliated Fair SRC member has any questions concerning the process, feel free to contact Science Service or a member of the ISEF SRC. The ISEF SRC is the final authority on projects that are eligible to compete in the Intel ISEF. In some cases, the ISEF SRC may have questions about particular projects. Usually, after students explain their procedures and research to the ISEF SRC, a simple corrective measure is prescribed (e.g., contacting the Designated Supervisor to confirm a detail, or rewriting an abstract for purposes of clarification).

It is important that students retain all original signed forms. Even though copies may have been sent with registration papers, students should bring original signed forms to the Intel ISEF in case an SRC interview is necessary.  Do not send original forms to Science Service.

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