Junior Projects (6th–8th grade)
EISEF doesn’t require you to use the forms described on this page, except for the EISEF Signature Page. However you still must perform your experiment in a safe and ethical manner, using the ISEF rules as guidelines.
Senior Projects (9th–12th grade)
The Eastern Iowa Science & Engineering Fair (EISEF) Senior age group is an affiliate of the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF). Senior projects must follow all of ISEF’s rules. You must complete and sign the required ISEF forms at the required time, before your begin your experiment for some forms, after for others. The purpose of the forms is to ensure that you perform your experiment in a safe and ethical manner. Follow the instructions below to determine which forms you must fill out.
The ISEF forms document what you will do (or did) in the course of your research project. They are designed to provide the information that people need to review your project and ensure that you will comply with ISEF’s rules and with any laws and regulations that apply to it. You should fill out most of the forms and get them signed before you start your research; only Forms 1C, 7, and the Abstract are done after the research. The dates of the signatures reflect when the approval or consent is given.
We encourage you to use the Intel ISEF Rules Wizard to be sure you are on the right track. This “wizard” asks a series of questions about your planned project, then gives you a list of the forms you’ll need to complete.
If you have questions about which forms are required for your project then check the ISEF Rules for All Projects and the Checklist for Adult Sponsor for additional guidance.
If you need help on how to do an Experiment and the resulting Exhibit then visit the For Students and Teachers page.
Forms Table
The table below lists all the forms that EISEF requires, describes each one, and tells when you have to fill it out and get it signed. The background colors show groups of related forms:
| (gold) | Required for all junior and senior projects |
| (blue) | Required for all senior projects |
| (green) | Required for certain senior projects |
You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the PDF items. It’s available for free download from Adobe.
Most of ISEF’s PDF forms are designed so that you can fill them out in the Acrobat Reader. For example, if you click on a checkbox, it will alternate between checked and unchecked; if you click on a text field, a cursor appears and you can type there. (You have to fill out the date and signature lines by hand.) Please do this, instead of filling them out by hand, because it will make your paperwork easier for us to read. You can save most of the filled-out forms to disk. You’ll still have to print them out, sign them, scan them, and upload them to EISEF by February 26, 2024.
This table is adapted from the ISEF Overview of Forms and Dates page and
the Central Savannah River Area Regional Science & Engineering Fair Science Fair Forms page.
| Form title and link | Description and directions | When to fill out |
|---|---|---|
| Student Registration Form — Required for all projects, both Senior and Junior | Follow this link to register your project. We use the data you give us to help run EISEF. | After experiment is complete |
| Abstract — This ISEF form is required only if you go on to the ISEF. Any format is acceptable at EISEF. | All Senior projects must write an abstract; you write it after you finish your project to summarize what you did. You may use the ISEF PDF form or any other suitable format. It can be as brief as a paragraph or two. The date signed is the date when you certify that the statements are correct. If you become an ISEF finalist you must use ISEF’s on-line system. | After experiment is complete |
| Form 1: Checklist for Adult Sponsor / Safety Assessment Form — Required for all Senior projects | You fill out the checklist so that your adult sponsor can review what information (and therefore which forms) you must provide. The date signed is the date that your sponsor first reviews the project plan. | Before experiment begins |
| Form 1A: Student Checklist / Research Plan — Required for all Senior projects | On this page, you outline what the project is about.
You need to make the following Items especially clear:
| Before experiment begins |
| Form 1B: Approval Form — Required for all Senior projects |
These people (or committees) must sign and date this form to show that they approve or consent to this project. The table shows when they must sign and date it:
| Before experiment begins |
| Form 1C: Regulated Research Institutional / Industrial Setting Form | This form explains what you actually did and is signed after the project is completed. This form is only needed if the research was done at a research institution (university lab, for example) or in an industrial setting. | After experiment is complete |
| Form 2: Qualified Scientist Form | On this page, the scientist explains what will be done to oversee this project. The date signed indicates the date that they approve this project (before experimentation takes place). | Before experiment begins |
| Form 3: Risk Assessment Form | Required for projects using hazardous chemicals, activities or devices or regulated substances. Must be completed prior to student experimentation. | Before experiment begins |
| Form 4: Human Participants Form and Human Informed Consent Form | You fill out the Human Participants Form to explain to the IRB how the safety and well being of your test subjects will be ensured. The IRB reviews the project, checks the risk level, and each member signs with the date they approve this project. This review and the date signed must be before any experimentation takes place.
You will use copies of the Human Informed Consent Form to explain very completely to the research subject and their parent (guardian) exactly what will happen to the subject in the project. You must give questionnaires, sample tests, and so on to the IRB and to the parent/guardian. If they approve, they sign with the date that they approve. (Before the experiment begins). The subjects must also sign and date the form when they give permission for you to display their photo. | Before experiment begins |
| Form 5: Vertebrate Animal (Form 5A) (Form 5B) | Form 5A: You fill out this form when you conduct your experiment in a Non-Regulated Research Site such as home or school; it describes how you will house and care for the animals. The SRC reviews this document and determines the level of supervision required for the study and signs and dates BEFORE experimentation begins. The veterinarian and/or designated supervisor fills out the bottom of the form (and signs and dates it) when they approve this project with these housing conditions. (Before experimentation begins.)
Form 5B: The Qualified Scientist fills out this form when the research is conducted at a Regulated Research Institution and describes the study. They must attach a copy of the IACUC approval (not a letter from the Qualified Scientist or Principal Investigator). If any animal falls ill, loses weight unexpectedly, or dies during your the experiment, then the Qualified Scientist, Designated Supervisor, or a veterinarian must investigate the cause and document the results in a letter. You must attach this letter to the form. | Before experiment begins |
| Form 6A: Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Form | You must fill out this form if your research involves microorganisms, DNA and fresh tissue, blood and body fluids. The SRC/IACUC/IBC/RAC must sign the form before experimentation. Your designated supervisor must complete another section; when you arrive at EISEF, our SRC will complete other sections of your form. | Before experiment begins |
| Form 6B: Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form | You fill out this form to explain where you will get the tissue for your experiment. The tissue provider signs in the appropriate boxes to certify the safety, acquisition, etc. The SRC must sign to show they approve the use of this tissue and the date (before experimentation) that they approve. If you will use an established cell line or other exempt tissue (as described in the rules), you can explain that on this page; no signatures are needed in this case. | Before experiment begins |
| Continuation/Research Progression Projects Form (7) | If this year’s project is in a similar area of research as one you did earlier, then this year’s project is a continuation. If the project is a continuation, explain on Form 7 as completely as possible how the project differs from the previous project because only a new and different research project is allowed. (It can be based on previous project, but must be new and different research.) You sign and date the form when you certify that this information is correct. | After experiment is complete |