
competitions
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Present on a science topic of your choice
What is ISEF about?
ISEF is the world's oldest and most prestigious pre-college science fair. In your ISEF (international science and engineering fair) you will come up with an innovation in one of the 21 ISEF categories to compete for a cash prize that can go up to $75,000.
Projects addressing significant real-world problems are the ones that stand out. These are some subjects and challenges that inspired recent ISEF winners:
better, more sustainable electric cars,
more cost-effective way to extract hydrogen from water for use in energy production,
faster and cheaper ways to manufacture vaccines for viral infections such as Covid-19.
ISEF is the most well-known science competition and becoming a finalist or winner of ISEF can put you way ahead of other college applicants.
You can read about the ISEF competition on its website here.
What work is involved?
First, you will need to win an affiliated science fair in your region. A full list is available here. These fairs will take place typically between January and March.
The winners of the local fairs will proceed to compete in the USA in May 2024.
The qualifying local fairs have a fairly low acceptance rate in the US (2-5%), but this number varies across the globe.
For the ISEF submission, you will be asked to come up with a new innovation, or a product that improves upon an existing solution to make it more environmentally friendly, more cost-effective, better in terms of UX etc.
You will need to spend around 3-6 months preparing the project. Your work will involve:
narrowing down to an issue that is both pressing and truly worth solving in terms of environmental, social, scientific or technological point of view,
conduct your research, which should involve experimentation, data analysis as well as your own designs,
prepare a concise poster presentation about your proposed solution.
Am I eligible?
Any student in grade 9-12 under age of 20 is eligible. You can team up with up to two other students. Your work should be based on research conducted over no more than 12 months of continuous work.
How will my work be assessed?
ISEF judges will grade each project out of a 100 points. The criteria consist of:
Originality and creativity (30 pts)
Fidelity to the process (30 pts)
The scientific method for experiments
The engineering goal for products
Thorough research and goal completion (15 pts)
Skills used to complete the project (15 pts)
Clarity and evidence of proper understanding of the topic (10 pts)
You can review the ISEF judging guidelines for specific questions the judges consider while looking at your project.
When can I apply?
Check when your local ISEF fair will take place. Typically this would be between January and March 2024 (in the US) but could be on another time in your region.
How will

help
We will guide you every step of the way:
Ideation: you will brainstorm and discuss your research ideas with your Ariton mentor.
Expert technical training: you will work closely with your Ariton mentor to learn about different techniques relevant to your research, including data analysis methods, computer programming and any other technical skills you might need to complete your research.
Mentorship: an experienced Ariton consultant with years of academic research and innovation experience will be working with you on a weekly basis. Our mentors previously published research papers in international journals, headed complex projects for international corporations and led teams to successfully compete in the science competitions.
Coaching sessions: from ideation to support in experiment design, to extensive draft reviews, your Ariton mentor will be with you every step of the way.
Project management: there is a lot of work involved in completing ISEF research proposal, and it will be your Ariton mentor's priority to ensure you stay on track.
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