FAIR ELIGIBILITY

All students less than 20 years old who attend school in Charlotte or Lee Counties in Grades 6–12 are eligible to enter the Thomas Alva Edison Kiwanis Regional Science & Engineering Fair (if they have not competed in any other Intel ISEF-affiliated fair in the same school year).

Students who attend home school programs in Charlotte or Lee Counties are eligible to enter, even if they participate in online classes from other locales. Students who attend school in Charlotte or Lee Counties, and who complete their projects at a Registered Research Institution in another locale are also eligible to enter. Since 2010, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates has served host to our region’s Home School Science Fair. Contact the Edison & Ford Winter Estates (239-334-7419) for more information.

A student may participate in only one project per event.

Individual entries—A student may enter one project per eligible Fair.
Team entries—A team of two or three students may enter one team project per eligible Fair.

All projects will be judged for scientific merit using the same criteria regardless of the number of individuals preparing the project.

Best Practice for Student Researchers and Inventors

DISCLAIMER: Use of a Non-School Research Site or Regulated Research Institute

The student researcher is responsible for all aspects of the research project including enlisting the aid of any required supervisory adults (Adult Sponsor, Qualified Scientist, etc.), obtaining necessary approvals (SRC, IRB, etc.), following the Rules & Guidelines of the Edison Fairs and subsequent competitions (State Science Fair, International Science Fair, etc.), and performing the experimentation, engineering, data analysis, etc.. High school students participating in Regional Science and Engineering Fair should list their Teacher/Adult Sponsor as their sponsoring high school teacher. Additionally, the Regulated Research Institute project supervisor should be listed as the mentor or qualified scientist.

Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition. This includes plagiarism, forgery, use or presentation of other researcher’s work as one’s own, and fabrication of data. TAERSIF reserves the right to revoke recognition of a project subsequently found to have been fraudulent. Students who have their projects removed from competition for fraud or misconduct may not enter the Edison Fairs Program the following year. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify for competition in the State Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) of Florida and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF). The Florida Foundation for Future Scientists, Inc. (FFFS) and Society for Science & the Public (SSP) reserves the right to revoke recognition of a project subsequently found to have been fraudulent.