2015 Intel ISEF-affiliated Science Fair Forms

Forms???• Required by the Society for Science and the Public

and Intel ISEF for all projects competing in any affiliated fairs (i.e. FWRSEF, EMTSEF)

• Ensure safety and ethics of experimental practices

• 2014-2015 forms can be found on the SSP website:https://student.societyforscience.org/forms

• If you need more details into any of the rules, use the 2015 Intel ISEF handbook: member.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=398

General Overview• ALL PROJECTS require Forms 1, 1A, 1B, and a Research Plan• Most TAMS projects fill out Forms 1C, 2, and 3• Specific forms are required for certain

projects• For a project dealing with:

• Human Subjects: Form 4 • Vertebrate Animals: Form 5B • Biological Agents: Form 6A • Tissues: Forms 6A and 6B • Continued Projects: Form 7

Form 1: Checklist for Adult Sponsor• Your adult sponsor is the PROFESSOR you are

working with, not TAMS admin!

• Check all boxes that apply to your project. This indicates all necessary forms for your project.

• Forms Wizard (lets you know what forms to use): https://apps2.societyforscience.org/wizard/index.asp

• When deciding on a title, it is best to not change it once forms have been filled out

Form 1A: Student Checklist• A complete address is required for school

as well as research locations (i.e. the TAMS school address is 1167 Union Circle, Suite 202, Denton, TX 76203)

• Be sure that start and end dates do not exceed a 12-month period! End date is recommended to be set at late February

Form 1B: Approval• Make sure you and your parent sign this

form before your start date!

• Section 2 a/b required only if working with humans, vertebrates, and/or potentially hazardous biological agents

Research Plan• Follow instructions for the research plan exactly;

be sure to use present or future tense, as forms are approved before experimentation

• Do not forget data analysis!

• If your project involves human subjects, vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous biological agents, and/or hazardous chemicals/devices, be sure to include safety information (can be copied over from respective forms). You must include this information about risk and safety.

Form 1C: Regulated Research Institution/Industrial Setting• Required if you conducted your research

in a research lab (most of TAMS)

• Supervising Adult is the one working alongside you in the project: typically graduate student• The supervising adult CAN be your professor

if your professor is the one working DIRECTLY with you (i.e. watching/ directly supervising as you experiment)

Form 2: Qualified Scientist• Required only if you worked with human subjects, vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous biological agents, and/or DEA-controlled substances• Qualified Scientist is your professor• Designated Supervisor works alongside

(probably graduate student)• Be sure that the experience/training section is

completed for both!

Form 3: Risk Assessment• Required if using hazardous

chemicals/devices and microorganisms exempt from preapproval• i.e. DEA-controlled substances, prescription

drugs, alcohol/tobacco, hazardous chemicals/devices/activities, radiation

• All chemicals are considered hazardous!• Be sure to list source, quantities, and

concentrations of all chemicals!!

Form 3 (cont’d.)

• For chemicals, use MSDS to assess risk, safety, and disposal procedures

• Attach all relevant MSDS forms!

Form 3 (cont’d.)

• There are some studies that are exempt from prior SRC review that require Form 3!

• Studies involving protists, archae and similar microorganisms• Research using manure for composting, fuel

production, or other non-culturing experiments • Studies using commercially available color

change coliform water test kits• Studies involving decomposition of vertebrate

organisms (forensic studies)

Form 4: Human Participants• Projects involving intervention or interaction with

human participants AND/OR collection of identifiable private information require completion of Form 4

• You do not need Form 4 if:• Product Testing with no health hazards or

personal data collected• Behavioral Testing in unrestricted public

settings• Studies using certified de-identified/anonymous

data

Form 4 (cont’d): Human Consent Form

• Projects must be reviewed and approved BEFORE experimentation• Informed consent form must be completed

by participants

• Participants 18 or older give informed consent

• Participants under 18 must give assent and their parents may be required to give permission

Form 5B: Vertebrate Animals • What is a vertebrate animal? According to ISEF:

• Live, nonhuman vertebrate mammalian embryos or fetuses• Bird and reptile eggs within 3 days of hatching• All other nonhuman vertebrates (including fish) at

hatching or birth• Zebrafish embryos 7+ days (168+ hours) post

fertilization

• If there are no interaction with animals, manipulation of the environment, or all federal wildlife regulations are followed, then this form is not required

Form 5B (cont’d.)• SOME STUDIES ARE PROHIBITED!• Induced toxicity studies involving known

toxic substances that could impair health or destroy life• Behavioral experiments with• Conditioning using aversive stimuli• Mother/infant separation• Induced/learned helplessness• Studies of pain• Predator/vertebrate prey experiments

Form 5B (cont’d.)• Research lab/project must be approved

by IACUC: attach letter from IACUC with forms

• Professor completes the form

• Local SRC should review project before experimentation

• Experimentation must follow ISEF guidelines

Form 6A: Potentially Biologically Hazardous Agents• Required for both

microorganisms/rDNA/blood products AND tissues.

• Have either your graduate student OR professor fill it out. MUST be signed before experimentation.

Form 6A (cont’d.)• Studies must have prior approval by SRC/IACUC/IBC• Most studies are prohibited in a home environment• Studies intended to genetically engineer bacteria with multiple

antibiotic resistance are prohibited• Lab studies utilizing MRSA, VRE and KPC must be conducted in a

Regulated Research Institution under documented IBC review and approval

YOU ARE EXEMPT FOR STUDIES:• Studies using baker’s and brewer’s yeast (except rDNA studies)• Studies using Lactobacillus, B. thurgensis, nitrogen-fixing bacteria,

oil-eating bacteria, and algae-eating bacteria in natural environment. Not exempt if cultured in a petri dish environment

• Studies of mold growth on food items if experiment terminated at first sign of mold

• FORM 3 is still required

Form 6B: Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissues• If you are dealing with tissues, you must fill out form 6A AND 6B.• Fixed tissue does NOT need form 6B.• Need form only for:

• Fresh/frozen tissue• Primary cell cultures• Human and other primate established cell lines and tissue cultures• Blood and blood products• Body fluids

• Exempt Studies:• Plant tissue• Plant and non-primate established cell lines and tissue culture collections (e.g.,

obtained from the American Type Culture Collection). The source and/or catalog number of the cultures must be identifi ed in the Research Plan.

• Fresh or frozen meat, meat by-products, pasteurized milk or eggs obtained from food stores, restaurants, or packing houses

• Hair• Teeth that have been sterilized to kill any blood- borne pathogen that may be present• Fossilized tissue or archeological specimens.• Prepared fixed tissue

Form 6B (cont’d.)• If animal is euthanized solely for student project –

vertebrate animal study which requires IACUC approval• If animal is euthanized for a purpose other than

student project – tissue study

• Classification as BSL 1 or 2 based on source of tissue and possibility of containing infectious agents• All studies with human or wild animal blood are BSL

2. Studies with domestic animal blood are BSL 1.• Studies with human body fluids which can be

associated with a person must have IRB approval

Form 7 (Continuation)• Continuing your project is great—it shows

consistency; however, your project must be significantly different from last year’s, and only data collected within the second year should be used as the bulk of your results.

• Attach last year’s abstract AND research plan and the year before that’s abstract only.

Abstract• Hard word limit is set at 250 words.• Form: http://member.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=24• The purpose of your abstract is to give the reader an overall

idea of how you conducted your project/ your findings/application of these results.

TIPS:• First sentence can begin with problem/issue to solve. Can have

brief hypothesis. • LIFE SCI: It is best to go over your procedures/methods briefly.

The main focus of your abstract should be your results, conclusion, future apps. If you have space, you can be a little more specific about your results.

• ENGINEERING: It is ok to talk more about your methods and procedures, focus on future apps as well.

• Always have good grammar/spelling, can look up abstracts in your field for samples

Good luck with forms!