The Review Boards

The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) is a group of qualified people who review projects which are entered into the Fair to make sure that the ISEF rules are followed. If a student is conducting research in one of the restricted areas of study (pathogens, vertebrates, etc.) then he/she must submit a Research Plan to the SRC for approval BEFORE beginning the experiment.

The SRC reviews each project for the following:

  1. evidence of literature search
  2. proper supervision
  3. use of appropriate research procedure
  4. completed forms, signatures, & dates
  5. evidence of consideration of alternatives to vertebrate use
  6. proper treatment of animals
  7. compliance with rules concerning animal and human research, potentially hazardous biological agents, controlled substances and hazardous substances and devices
  8. documentation of significant changes in continuation projects
  9. documentation of substantial expansion for continuation projects
  10. compliance with the ISEF ethics statement

All projects are reviewed by the MRSF SRC when they are submitted for entry into the Fair. If the ISEF rules have not been followed then the project will be disqualified.


The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee which reviews any projects which involve human subjects. Students planning on using human subjects in any way in their project must submit a Research Plan to the IRB for review and approval BEFORE beginning their research. This includes students who plan to use surveys or questionnaires in their project, as well as students who are observing public behavior or using themselves as a subject.

The IRB will determine the level of risk that is involved in the project. The IRB may require that a Qualified Scientist oversee the experiment if it feels that the subjects could be endangered in any way. The IRB may also reject the Research Plan until the proposed research is revised.

Middle Schools may have their own combined SRC/IRB within the school as long as the committee has been properly trained by the Fair SRC/IRB.

For more information concerning the Scientific Review Committee and the Institutional Review Board and how they are involved in the science fair process, see the Intel ISEF rules on the Roles and Responsibilities of Students & Adults.


Review Boards at a Regulated Research Institution

Student research projects dealing with human subjects, vertebrate animals or potentially hazardous biological agents which are conducted in a regulated research institution must be reviewed and approved, in writing, by an institutional regulatory board (IRB/IACUC/IBC or RAC) BEFORE the student may start any experiment. A copy of this approval must be attached to the Regulated Research Institution Form (Form 1C).

Regulated Research Institutions, such as V.C.U. or the University of Richmond, as well as many corporate research facilities, have their own review boards. In the case of Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents that are determined by a student or teacher to be a Biosafety Level 2, the final risk assessment and biosafety level assignment must be done by a review board at that institution. If no approval body exists at the regulated site, the Fair SRC must review the project and assign the biosafety level before the student begins experimentation.