Rules

1. Any 7th through 12th grade student who has not attained the age of 21 in a public, private or parochial school in the metropolitan Omaha area may enter a project in the Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair/National Junior Academy of Sciences (MSEF/NJAS).

2. MSEF accepts either individual or team projects. An individual or team may enter only one project and it must the personal work of that individual or the members of the team.  Refer to rule 13 for additional rules and regulations relating to team projects.1. Any 7th through 12th grade student who has not attained the age of 21 in a public, private or parochial school in the metropolitan Omaha area may enter a project in the Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair/National Junior Academy of Sciences (MSEF/NJAS).

3. All MSEF/NJAS project entries are expected to comply with entry rules of the Greater Nebraska Science and Engineering Fair (GNSEF), available at each area high school science department.  This includes a RESEARCH PLAN (Form 1A or Form 1A-Team) and Approval Form (Form 1B).  These forms are attached.  The GNSEF or your Safety Review Committee (SRC) MUST receive all Research Plans and Forms 1A and 1B for GNSEF projects BEFORE experimental research begins!  

4. Any projects involving live vertebrate animals or human subjects must comply with GNSEF life research rules.  Projects doing research involving DNA, tissue, pathogenic agents or controlled substances require additional forms, which may be downloaded from the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) web site athttp://www.societyforscience.org/isef/ or e-mail Dave Dow at mailto:daveDDow@prep.creighton.edu.

5. Entries must include your Registration Form and Research Plan, Approval Forms (Form 1A or 1A-Team and 1B), eight (8) abstract copies and your registration fee.  These must be received in complete form by ,Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Forms or additional information may be obtained by writing MSEF/NJAS or by contacting Dave Dow, 402-393-1190 or e-mail at mailto:DDow@prep.creighton.edu  or the MSEF site http://www.msefomaha.org/

6. Registration fee is  $12.00, which is not refundable for any reason.  Forms and registration fee MUST be received by February 1, 2012.  Applications received after this date will not be accepted.

7. An awards ceremony will be held at the  Lauritzen Gardens at 3:00 p.m., March 17, 2012.  All entrants and their families and friends are urged to attend. Parents and friends are encouraged to come to the free 3:00 p.m. awards ceremony. 

8. Categories of Projects:  Each contestant's project must be classified into one of the following categories on the registration form:

Category selection is the responsibility of the student and teacher.  Category criteria are the same as used by the ISEF.  A description of the type of projects included in each category is available from MSEF/NJAS on request and is included in the teacher packet.  The fair director may switch a project entry to a different category to be consistent with our interpretation of category descriptions and to allow similar types of projects to be judged together.  On the day of the fair, if the judges feel that a particular project is miss-classified, it may be transferred to a more appropriate category with the approval of the judging teams involved and the fair director.

9. Judging will be done as equitably as possible within the specific procedures announced to the entrants.  Entrants must be present for judging to be eligible for awards.

10.  Projects will be rated according to the following criteria:

11. All participants will receive a certificate.  Superior projects will be awarded a plaque, trophy or other honor for the participant.

12. Other specific rules:

A. Project Display Project exhibit size is limited to 76 centimeters deep (front to back), 122 centimeters wide (side to side), and 274 centimeters high (floor to top).

B. Technical Rules

1. No plants, chemicals (including water unless supplied by MSEF/NJAS), live animals, flames, flammable materials, or other potentially hazardous or unsafe materials are permitted at the fair.  See checklist on next page.

2. Except for certain basic supplies (e.g.  tables, 110 volt power supply link-up, etc.), all materials, including extension cords, should be supplied by and the projects must be set up by the participant. The entrant is responsible for the cost of such materials and supplies and their protection and care.  The MSEF/NJAS assumes no responsibility for loss of or damage to projects.

3. All technical rules of the current International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)  will be followed whenever applicable, except as noted in the preceding rules.

13. Team Projects:

Team projects compete in a separate “Team” category against all other Team projects. Teams may have either two or three members.  A Team Project cannot be converted to an individual project.  A new member may not be added to a continuing Team Project, but two original team members may continue their research if the third member no longer participates.

Each team should appoint a team leader to coordinate the work and act as spokesperson.  However, each member of the team should be able to serve as spokesperson, be fully involved with the project, and be familiar with all aspects of the project.  The final work should reflect the coordinated efforts of all team members and will be evaluated using the same rules and judging criteria as individual projects.  Each team member must individually submit an MSEF/NJAS Registration Form and Form 1B.  However, team members must jointly submit the Checklist for Adult Sponsor, one Research Plan (1A) – Team, one abstract, one response to the item that outlines each person’s tasks on Research Plan (1A) - Team, and other required forms.  Full names of all team members must appear on the abstract and other forms