Definitions of Terms

To assist students, teachers, and mentors in understanding the terms used in the Metro Richmond Science Fair Rules & Regulations, the following set of definitions is provided:

Adult Sponsor - A teacher or mentor who sponsors a student for the Fair, who oversees the project, and is responsible for project safety and compliance with Fair rules.

Common Laboratory Animal - Animals specifically bred and raised for laboratory experimentation which include rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and rabbits.

Controlled Substances - Any substance controlled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or Food and Drug Administration by issuance of a certificate to user or not permitted by law to minors.

Designated Supervisor- An adult who has been properly trained in the techniques and procedures to be used in the investigation, has been approved by the Qualified Scientist (if applicable) and who will directly supervise the student during the experiment.

Informed Consent - An agreement signed by the human subject, and/or a parent/guardian, stating that the proposed research and any possible risks have been explained and understood prior to participation in an experiment.

Institutional Laboratory - A formal, established laboratory within an academic, corporate, medical, or government setting.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) – A committee of professionals at an affiliated fair or research institution that reviews research plans and consent forms to evaluate potential physical or psychological risk of research involving human subjects.

Interview - Student's contact with the team of judges on Fair day, giving the student exhibitor the opportunity to explain the research and answer questions.

Non-human Vertebrate Animal - Any live, vertebrate animals, mammalian embryos and fetuses, bird eggs within three days of hatching, or any other vertebrate animals at hatching. This does not include humans.

Pathogenic Agent - Any microorganism known to cause disease, or could potentially cause disease, in living organisms.

Practice of Medicine or Veterinary Medicine -Administering any substance or diagnosing ailments or injuries or prescribing any treatment for any human or vertebrate animal. (Not allowed by students.)

Qualified Scientist - An individual who possesses an earned doctoral/professional degree in science or medicine, and who has a working knowledge of the techniques to be used by the student in the Research Plan. An individual with a master's degree with equivalent experience and/or expertise is acceptable when approved by the Scientific Review Committee.

Recombinant DNA - As defined by the NIH, recombinant DNA molecules are either:

1. Molecules which are constructed outside living cells by joining natural or synthetic DNA segments to DNA molecules that can replicate in a living cell or,
2. DNA molecules that result from the replication of those described in 1.

Research Plan/Proposal – A description of the proposed experiment, presented on Form 1A, which includes the question being addressed, the hypothesis, a description of the proposed methods or procedures, and the bibliography. The Research Plan must be approved by the Adult Sponsor (and any applicable review boards) prior to experimentation.

Sacrifice - Conscious termination of life through humane, painless death by approved methods.

Science Fair Exhibit - A visual display of a research project, usually done on a 3-section exhibit board. The project notebook, which includes the research paper, required forms, raw data and any other pertinent information, should be considered part of the display.

Scientific Review Committee (SRC) - A committee of professionals who review all submitted Research Plans before experimentation to ensure compliance with science fair rules as noted in Part B of the Fair rules. The SRC also reviews all submitted projects shortly before competition in the Fair.

Tissue - Substances considered as tissue include body fluids, blood, blood products, teeth, meat or meat by-products, established cell lines, any animal or human tissue obtained from an institution, biomedical scientist, biological supply house or other commercial source, and/or from any experimental procedure.

Vertebrate Animal - Any live, non-human vertebrate animals, mammalian embryos and fetuses, bird or reptile eggs within three days of hatching, or any other vertebrate animals at hatching or birth.