We are the Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair (EISEF).

Our mission is to inspire Eastern Iowa’s students to pursue careers in science, engineering, and math.

To accomplish our mission, every year we do the following:

• We challenge the students in grades 6–12 to do science projects.

• We support their parents and teachers in guiding their projects.

• We invite them to Cedar Rapids to exhibit their projects and explain what they learned.

• We recognize the deserving students with awards, prizes, and scholarships.

• We send the very best students to the International Science and Engineering Fair, to exhibit their projects alongside the best students from around the world.

• We raise funds and mobilize volunteers and resources to make all this happen.

• We try to have fun doing it, and make it fun for everyone else!

EISEF — the Eastern Iowa Science & Engineering Fair

Location & date — Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids, on March 21, 2026

After that — Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids

Overview about EISEF

• Affiliated with ISEF — the International Science & Engineering Fair

  • Location & date — Columbus, Ohio, May 10–16, 2025

  • Our ISEF ID — USIA01

Iowa state science fair — State Science & Technology Fair of Iowa (SSTFI)

• • Location & date — Ames, March 26th and 27th, 2026

Important Dates

• • When and Where to go on Fair Day, March 21, 2026

  • Calendar of Events — dates for the current EISEF season

  • Future Fair Dates — EISEF, SSTFI, and ISEF dates for the next few years

  • Post-Fair Info — the timeline for the people we’re sending to ISEF in Columbus, Ohio in May

Deadlines

• • Register your project — deadline February 22nd

    • Late registration procedure — if you miss the deadline there is a $25 late fee and you need to reach out to director@eisef.org

  • Award sponsorship — March 1, 2026

Meet our Board of Directors — the people who run the fair.

• • Board meeting location and date — Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W Willman St, Hiawatha or
    videoconference (email meeting@eisef.org for details), 

  • Frequently Asked Questions

  • Contact Us 

    • Student projects — the Safety & Standards committee: src@eisef.org

    • General questions — the EISEF Fair Director: director@eisef.org

Recent EISEF News

• • Subscribe the EISEF Newsletter.

    • If you would like to unsubscribe from the EISEF Newsletter, please send your name and email to promotions@eisef.org

ISEF: Important Updates for 2026

Educator Guide to the International Rules, AI Use Table, and Field Work Safety Plan

In the reorganization of the 2026 International Rules, “guidance” was removed and focus was put on presenting the rules in a standard format to make them more accessible and understandable.  The Society has created a new Educator Guide which provides additional context and explanation of each section of the International Rules with additional resources and further explanation. The Educator Guide is available at this link: https://sspcdn.blob.core.windows.net/files/Documents/SEP/ISEF/2026/Rules/Rules-Educator-Guide.pdf

Society for Science and the Regeneron ISEF Scientific Review Committee have also created a Generative AI Use Table with our guidance on when it is acceptable to use generative AI in the development and execution of a research project and how to properly cite this usage. The table is adapted from an AHA Ad Hoc Committee on AI in History Education. This is a preliminary model and Affiliated fairs may adopt their own, more strict, policies. For now, we are making this table available publicly, and hope that students use it as a resource. In future years, declaration of the use of AI in certain parts of a research project presented at Regeneron ISEF may be required. The AI Use Table is available here: https://sspcdn.blob.core.windows.net/files/Documents/SEP/ISEF/2026/Rules/Generative-AI-Use-Table.pdf , as well as, in the Educator Guide.

Lastly, the Society has published a Field Work Safety Plan. This guide is meant to help students and teachers in developing a safe, environmentally responsible project and should be reviewed along with the research plan prior to experimentation. This guide is based on EPA requirements for scientists collecting air, water, and/or soil samples while working in the field. You can find the Field Work Safety Plan here: https://sspcdn.blob.core.windows.net/files/Documents/SEP/ISEF/2026/Rules/Field-Safety-Work-Plan.pdf

We encourage you to share these guides with your educators and network to be used as references and resources. All can be found on our Rules page here: https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/international-rules/. Please do not hesitate to contact us at SRC@societyforscience.org if you or your students have questions.