High School Information

The Alaska Science & Engineering Fair (ASEF) is open to all Alaska-resident high school students (grades 9-12). Students may be asked to prove their Alaska residency.

ASEF is affiliated with the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and follows its rules and regulations.

SRC Approval Required for Some High School Projects

All students are required to have the appropriate paperwork filled out and signed BEFORE experimentation begins. Some high school projects require Scientific Review Committee (SRC) approval to ensure project eligibility. For example, a project using human tissue or hazardous materials requires advance approval and a specific ISEF form. Use the the ISEF Rules Wizard  to determine the required forms and signatures for your project. Your teacher or adult sponsor should contact us at src@alaskasciencefair.org with any questions about which forms/signatures are needed. 

Rules and Guidelines

High School projects for the Alaska Science & Engineering Fair (ASEF) must follow the rules of the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF):

• ISEF Rules – The published ISEF Rules.

The following resource helps you understand and follow the rules:

• ISEF Rules Wizard – Use the ISEF Rules Wizard to determine the required forms and signatures for your project.

It also helps to know what the judges are looking for in your project:

• Judging Guidelines and Evaluation Rubric for the Alaska Fair

Further resources:

• The Society for Science ISEF website
• How to write an ISEF abstract
• Your teacher or adult sponsor may contact us at src@alaskasciencefair.org with any questions about which forms/signatures are needed.

Abstract Contest

High School projects are required to write an abstract for the project portfolio. Since the abstract will use the ISEF abstract entry form and will be uploaded to ZFairs, it will be entered automatically in the ASEF Abstract Contest.

Required Forms & ISEF Rules Wizard

The Alaska Science and Engineering Fair does not provide any Alaska-specific forms. Instead, we use the forms provided by the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). 

Use the ISEF Rules Wizard to determine the required forms and signatures for your project. All ISEF forms can be found on the ISEF Forms Webpage. 

Related Science Competitions

Are you doing a water- or biotech-related project? You may be able to enter your high school project in more than one competition. Enter your project in the Alaska Science and Engineering Fair and also:

• For water-related projects, enter the competition for the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP).
• For biotech-related projects, see the Biotechnology Institute BioGENEius Challenges.

Safety First! All projects will be inspected for safety prior to setup on the day of the fair.

Prepare for your project’s safety check! Please view the Safety Inspector Training slide show (1.3MB PDF) for important safety information.

You can use items such as glass tubing, vinegar, and soil during your research, but do not bring them to the science fair. Instead, take pictures and include the pictures on your display.

Displays may not contain the following: Live animals, live or dried plants, food materials (NO EXCEPTIONS!), soil, solutions, chemicals, household products, water, dry ice or other sublimating solids, drugs or drug lookalikes, microorganisms, algae, mold, bacteria, protists, preserved animal parts (teeth, fingernails, feathers, hair, and bones may be allowed if preserved and sealed in plastic), or photos of animals in surgical or lab procedures.

Remember: The display is a visual representation, not a working experiment. Items that are not allowed will be removed.

Objects like these belong in a picture on your display board.

Do not bring them to the science fair.