How to Complete Your ISEF Forms: A Step-by-Step Guide

Competing at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is a valuable endeavor for high school students worldwide. But before you can present your research, you need to complete your ISEF forms accurately. This guide walks you through the process so you can spend less time on paperwork and more on your project.

Why ISEF Forms Matter

Now that you've qualified for ISEF, you need to complete the forms that document that your project adheres to the competition's rules, along with the ethical standards, safety regulations, and laws that apply to your research. They're how the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) confirm your project is compliant, so getting them right directly affects whether your project is approved.

The single most important thing to know: most forms must be completed and signed before any research takes place. Only a few, Forms 1C, 5B, 7, and your abstract, are completed after your research is done. Signature dates should reflect when approval or consent was actually given, and all dates use MM/DD/YY format. Starting your experiment before you have the required approvals can disqualify your project, so build the paperwork timeline into your plan from the very beginning.

How to Complete Your ISEF Forms

Step 1: Gather Your Information

Before filling anything out, gather everything related to your project: your research plan, any institutional approvals, and your safety information. Certain project types require additional forms, so identify those early rather than scrambling later. Having it all on hand streamlines the whole process.

You should have some paperwork from your regional science fair, which will help at this stage.

Step 2: Identify the Forms You Need

ISEF requires different forms depending on your project. The current forms are:

• Form 1: Checklist for Adult Sponsor/Safety Assessment

• Form 1A: Student Checklist/Research Plan

• Form 1B: Approval Form

• Form 1C: Regulated Research Institution/Industrial Setting Form (completed after research)

• Form 2A: Student Support Disclosure Form

• Form 2B: Qualified Scientist Form

• Form 2C: Regulated Research Institution Form

• Form 3: Risk Assessment Form

• Form 4: Human Participants Form

• Form 5A: Vertebrate Animal Form (research at school, home, or a field site)

• Form 5B: Vertebrate Animal Form (research at a Regulated Research Institution)

• Form 6A: Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Form

• Form 6B: Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form

• Form 7: Continuation Projects Form

The easiest way to work out exactly which forms apply to your project is the official ISEF Rules Wizard, and you should always confirm the current requirements on the official ISEF Forms page, since forms are updated annually.

Step 3: The Core Forms Every Project Needs

A few ISEF forms apply to essentially every project.

Form 1 is completed by your adult sponsor, who assesses your project's risks and confirms it meets safety and ethical standards.

Form 1A is your own checklist and research plan, detailing your project summary, designated supervisor, and school information.

Form 1B is the approval form, requiring signatures from the student, a parent or guardian, and a school administrator, so gather all of them before submitting.

Form 2A, the newer Student Support Disclosure Form, documents any assistance you received, part of ISEF's emphasis on scientific integrity.

Step 4: Forms for Projects With a Scientist or Institution

If your project involves potentially hazardous materials or procedures, a qualified scientist must oversee it, documented on Form 2B, which records their qualifications and supervision. If you conduct research at a regulated research institution, you'll also need Form 2C.

If you work with ScienceFair, you get personalized guidance from a past science fair winner who can help you with your research and support you with these forms.

Step 5: Forms for Specialized Research

Depending on your subject, you may need one or more of these:

• Form 3 (Risk Assessment) documents any hazardous materials, devices, or procedures and the precautions you'll take.

• Form 4 (Human Participants) is required for any project involving people, covering informed consent, surveys or questionnaires, and IRB approval.

• Forms 5A and 5B cover vertebrate animal research, 5A for work at school, home, or a field site, and 5B for a regulated research institution, and both require details on the animals' care and treatment.

• Form 6A covers potentially hazardous biological agents, documenting the agents, risk level, and safety precautions, while Form 6B covers human or vertebrate animal tissue, documenting the source, collection methods, and associated risks. Each of these carries serious ethical requirements, so be thorough and follow every guideline.

Step 6: Continuation Projects

If your project is a continuation of a previous ISEF project, complete Form 7. It's one of the forms done after your research, and it requires a summary of your earlier work, its results and conclusions, and a clear explanation of how this year's project builds on it. Highlight what's genuinely new, since continuation projects are expected to show meaningful progression, not repetition.

Step 7: Review and Submit

Before submitting, review every form carefully. Missing or incorrect information is one of the most common causes of approval delays. Once you're confident everything is complete and correctly dated, submit your forms to your fair's SRC or IRB as required. With that done, you can focus on ensuring that your project is award-worthy.

Get Your Forms and Project Right the First Time

ISEF's paperwork can feel daunting, and a single missed approval can stall an otherwise brilliant project. That's one of the many places where expert guidance pays off. Every coach on our team is a past science fair winner who has navigated these exact forms, and alongside our Ivy League research mentors, they'll help you get the paperwork right and build a project worthy of the ISEF stage.

Ready to take the next step? Schedule a call with our academic advisor.