The North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair (NCSEF) is a statewide platform for students across North Carolina to showcase their scientific research and innovation. Hosted by the NC Science Fair Foundation, it encourages students to pursue STEM research and compete from the local level up to state, with a path onward to national and international competition, including the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
This guide covers how the fair works, how to qualify, and how to build a project that stands out.
How NCSEF Works
NCSEF is the state-level fair, reached by first competing at a local or regional science fair. North Carolina is divided into regions, each running its own fair, and top projects advance from there to the state competition in Raleigh.
Fairs are organized into divisions by grade level, and at every stage you present your research through a display and an oral presentation to judges, experts in their fields, who evaluate your methodology, results, conclusions, and presentation.
The fair spans a wide range of categories, from engineering and the biological and physical sciences to behavioral sciences, mathematics, and computer science, so nearly any scientific interest has a home.
North Carolina's Regional Science Fairs
North Carolina is divided into nine regions, each running its own fair, and winners advance toward the state fair in Raleigh. Find your region by county below, then confirm current dates, deadlines, and details on NCSEF's page.
Fairs marked with an asterisk (*) are directly ISEF-affiliated.
Region | Fair | Territory (counties) |
|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Lenoir, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington | |
Region 2 | Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Sampson, Wayne | |
Region 3A | Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wilson | |
Region 3B* | Students at the NC School of Science and Mathematics (statewide) | |
Region 4 | Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland | |
Region 5 | Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin | |
Region 6* | Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union | |
Region 7 | Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, McDowell, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey | |
Region 8 | Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania | |
Region 9 | Statewide (virtual) | |
State* | Statewide |
How to Qualify for NCSEF
The path to NCSEF depends a little on your level, but the shape is the same. Middle schoolers compete at a local or regional fair, then follow the guidelines for project approval, Scientific Review Committee (SRC) approval, and registration to advance to the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovator Challenge.
High schoolers likewise compete regionally and complete the requirements for project details, display boards, videos, and review to qualify for the state fair. If your project involves human participants, vertebrate animals, or hazardous materials, you'll need SRC review before you begin experimenting, so build that into your timeline early.
Building a Standout Project
Success at NCSEF comes down to a blend of scientific rigor and clear communication. Start your research early, so you have time for thorough data collection, analysis, and refinement, and choose the category that best fits your project.
Aim for genuine originality with a topic or approach that adds something to its field, and highlight the real-world impact of your work by showing how it could be applied. Keep your project feasible for the time and resources you have, follow the scientific method or engineering design process rigorously, and observe all safety protocols throughout.
Then build a poster that communicates your methodology, findings, and conclusions clearly, and rehearse your presentation until you can deliver it confidently and handle the judges' questions with ease. Familiarize yourself with the judging criteria: execution, creativity, and presentation are the three most weighted items.
Beyond NCSEF: Advancing to ISEF
Top projects at NCSEF can advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world's largest pre-college science competition.
To advance, you'll need to meet the eligibility criteria, follow all competition rules, ethical and safety guidelines, fill in the forms, and refine your project so it's ready to represent North Carolina at a higher level. Read our guide on what to do after you qualify for ISEF.
Compete With Winners in Your Corner
That regional-to-state-to-ISEF climb is a long one, and the students who make it rarely do it alone. At ScienceFair, you'll work with coaches who have competed in and won science fairs themselves, backed by research mentors from Ivy League and other top universities, to sharpen your question, deepen your research, and walk into judging ready for anything.
Ready to make your run at NCSEF? Schedule a call with our academic advisor.
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