Steps to mentoring students through ISEF eligibility

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

Engage the student in the process as early as possible.   To be eligible for ISEF-related prizes, your students must be participants in the VSSMF, in grades 9-12, submit an individual project (no groups), and follow procedures that ensure their projects are in compliance with National and International regulations if they are sent to represent Vermont at ISEF.   As their mentor, you must set up a local SRC to provide the signatures required on the forms in the student's eligibility package.

 

The eligibility package (especially the research plan) should be filled in and reviewed by the VSSMF-ISEF Scientific Review Committee (SRC) BEFORE any experimentation begins.

 

 

Resources

Complete 2010 Rules Booklet.pdf,

ISEF Rules and Regulations

2010 ISEF Student Handbook.pdf

All Forms for 2010.pdf and all forms explained.

 

Deadlines

FEB 15            VSSMF Individual or School Application due

FEB 15            Draft ISEF Eligibility Package due

MAR 22          Final Abstract due to VSSMF

APR 17           VSSMF at Norwich, corrected ORIGINAL Eligibility Package due

MAY 9-14       San Jose, California

 

Steps to mentoring students through ISEF eligibility

 

11)1)     Create a local Scientific Review Committee to help you ensure the safety of students, to protect test subjects and environments studied, and to limit the liability of the adults who assist with the projects.  It should consist of at least one biomedical professional (such as the school nurse or a local dentist or physician), yourself, and one other professional with any additional expertise required (such as someone familiar with animal care practices if the  student project deals with animal test subjects, for example).  

 

 

 

1) 

 

2)    Make sure the local SRC understands what is required of the student(s),  as well as any pertinent federal regulations.

 

Complete 2010 Rules Booklet.pdf

ISEF Rules and Regulations

 

3)     Get useful documents and the specific forms your students will need to make their ISEF eligibility packets.  

           

2010 ISEF Student Handbook.pdf

All Forms for 2010.pdf and all forms explained

 

4)    With your local SRC, make sure the students have an eligible Research Plan that meets all ISEF requirements.

 

When reviewing research plans, members are urged to use their best professional judgment coupled with good common sense. Members should counsel  and instruct students and help them correct violations whenever possible.  SRCs should pay special attention to the following items:

    a) evidence of proper supervision

    b) use of appropriate research techniques

    c) completed forms, signatures and dates

    d) evidence of search for alternatives to animal use

    e) humane treatment of animals

     f) compliance with rules and laws governing proper care and housing of animals

    g) compliance with rules regarding potentially hazardous biological agents

    h) compliance with rules and procedures for handling hazardous materials and equipment

     i) documentation of substantial expansion of continuing projects

     j) compliance with ISEF Ethics Statement.

 

 

         The SRC should deliberate, resulting in one of the following decisions:

    a) Approval: The approved forms should be returned to students as soon as possible, so that they can begin experimentation. 

 

    b) Disapproval: Provide the student with a list of reasons for disapproval and suggestions for changes needed for approval. If suitable

          corrections are made, the revised project forms should be re-reviewed.

 

          Projects that are not allowed: Some projects are unethical, inhumane or have an unacceptable high risk and should not be done by pre-college students.  Examples would be projects designed to kill vertebrate animals, toxicity studies using vertebrate animals, improper treatment of  animals, proposed use of potentially hazardous biological agents at home, and lack of appropriate supervision.

 

The SRC should notify the student and sponsor promptly and provide them with a complete list of reasons the project may not be done.

 

 

5)      Make sure their packet is readable (preferably typed or neatly printed), especially make sure they have readable email addresses.  We will email comments directly to them and Cc you.

 

6)     Make sure they have filled everything out properly, particularly having the correct forms and signatures.  The VSSMF-ISEF SRC will also make sure  everything is complete and correct during our review.  We will email comments directly to them and Cc you if changes need to be made to their packets.

 

7)    Send the packet to us as an image file in an e-mail (pinkhamc@norwich.edu) by FEB 15, 2010. 

         or mail a COPY of your completed eligibility package to:

                   SRC, c/o Dr. Carlos Pinkham, Biology Department, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, VT 05663.

 

        Keep the originals with the original signatures, they will be altered as recommended by the SRC and collected at Registration at the VSSMF.

 

8)     Bring your corrected  ISEF eligibility package with all ORIGINAL signatures and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Vermont State Science and Mathematics Fair.  Your corrected package will be collected at Registration and reviewed for completeness.  If you are one of the two finalists chosen to go to ISEF, this application will be promptly mailed to ISEF.   If you are not a finalist, your original package will be mailed back to you in the SASE.  All packets will be reviewed the morning of the fair by a special panel to be sure the student has complied with the  changes recommended by the SRC (or has indicated why such changes are not necessary).  Failure to do so will eliminate that student from consideration for the trip to ISEF, no changes will be allowed after packets are collected.  That student will still be eligible for all the other ISEF-related prizes.

 

9)      If the student is one of the two ISEF finalists.  The original packet will have to be FedEx’ed to ISEF Saturday evening.  Thus it must be ready to go.   Please be sure you have a copy of the eligilbility package as well as the original just in case the student is a winner and ISEF has questions about the  original that we mailed in.