General Information

What’s New for 2023:

  • The 2023 Science & Engineering Fair of Houston will be in person at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
  • Students will need a physical display board.
  • All Schools and students should begin their registration no later than December 1, 2022.
  • All Schools/Districts advancing projects to SEFH must finalize their online registration and have students confirm their categories and submit their projects to the SRC through Scieenteer on or before January 20, 2023.
  • The Judge Criteria Sheet has been modified to match the one used by ISEF.
  • The categories for 2023 have been updated to reflect a better alignment to TXSEF and ISEF Categories.
    Changes to SEFH categories may be found using the following link: #Project-Categories

Individual and team projects:

  • Students may conduct a science project individually or in teams (max 3 students/team.) Students participating on a team must compete at their appropriate division, either senior (9-12) or junior (6-8).
  • Team members must all compete within the same division and shall not be separated to compete in different divisions.
  • Students from different school districts may not join to form teams.

Display & Safety

Please review the full text of the Display & Safety rules in the International Rules & Guidelines to ensure
compliance with the display regulations including:

  • Maximum size of the project
  • Forms required to be displayed
  • Photograph/Image Display Requirements and
  • Items/materials not allowed on display or at your project booth.
  1. Acknowledgments on the project display are no longer prohibited; in alignment with the ISEF ethics statement, students may recognize those that have supported their work in a section on the display.
  2. Student-created logos are to be properly credited within the photograph/image display requirements but are no longer restricted to one instance on the display.

Guidelines for your Physical Display

  • Important information should be readable from about 10 feet away. The suggested smallest font on your physical poster is 18 pt.
  • Title is short and draws interest.
  • Word count of about 300 to 800 words.
  • Text is clear and to the point.
  • Use of bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read.
  • Effective use of graphics, color, and fonts.

ISEF Rules Quick Reference: Forms Check

  1. Hazardous Materials, Activities, Devices: Risk Assessment Form (3)
    1. Chemicals, poison, acid, petroleum products, paint, glue, fertilizer, etc.
    2. Power tools, knives, sharp or dangerous objects, machinery
    3. Fire, heat, oven, burner, radiation, electricity, flammable materials/substances
    4. Any other potentially dangerous situation or activity
    5. Exempt Micro-Biology, E-coli k12, algae, bio-fuel, bio-fuel cells, etc.
    6. Projects that involve human participant testing of any project involving student-designed inventions, prototypes, or consumer products
  2. Human Participant Study: Human Participant Form (4) (IRB Pre-Approval)
    1. Surveys, tests, opinion studies, etc.
    2. Tasting, smelling, exercise, etc.
    3. Medical procedures, blood sugar, blood pressure, DNA kit, etc.
    4. Using other people to test a product you created or purchased
    5. Any research involving humans (including yourself) as test subjects
  3. Vertebrate Animal Study: Vertebrate Form (5A) or (5B) (SRC Pre-Approval)
    1. Involves any vertebrate animal (dog, cat, fish, chicken, birds, reptiles, etc.)
  4. Biological Agents (microbiology): Hazardous Biological Agents Form (6A) (SRC Pre-Approval)
    1. Culturing bacteria, mold, or other microorganisms (can’t be done at home)
    2. E-Coli K-12 does NOT NEED this form, but must be done in a lab
  5. Vertebrate Tissue: Biological Agents Form (6A) & Tissue Form (6B) (SRC Pre-Approval)
    1. Blood, blood products (from vertebrate animals or humans)
    2. Saliva/other bodily fluids (from vertebrate animals or humans)
    3. Cell or Tissue (from vertebrate animals or humans)
  6. Research Done outside home, school, or field or with significant contribution from a mentor
    other than the teacher (including virtual assistance by a mentor): Regulated Research/Industrial
    Form (1C)

    1. Place of business or commercial/private property (stores, churches, offices, facilities,
      gyms, hair salons, etc.)
    2. Industrial Location (welding shops, machine shops, mechanic shops, etc.)
    3. School or University other than the one you attend
  7. Continuation Project: Continuation Form (7)
    1. Project related to the previous year’s research

Dates and Schedule for 2023:

SEFH 2023 Schedule:

SEPTEMBER 2022

JANUARY 2023

  • Project Finalization and Advancement to SEFH – January 20, 2023, 5:00 PM
  • SEFH SRC Review Begins – January 21, 2023
  • SRC Finalization, all projects must be cleared to compete at SEFH no later than January 30, 2023, by 5:00 PM.

FEBRUARY 2023

  • Project Check-in, all projects must check in at the GRB between 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM, February 10, 2023
  • Judging Begins – February 11, 2023
  • Awards Ceremony – February 18, 2023
    • University of Houston – Houston Room
    • 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Project Deadlines:

  • All registration is to be completed online through Scienteer.
  • Follow the online steps (Fair Administrator role), select your winners and finalize before the deadline of January 20, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
  • Make sure all winners are selected before finalizing.
  • School finalization can not be undone.
  • All students advancing to SEFH MUST BE finalized by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 20, 2023.

Late entries will not be accepted at Student Check-In.

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT:
January 20, 2023, 5:00 PM

WRITING CONTEST:
January 20, 2023, 5:00 PM

POSTER CONTEST:
January 20, 2023, 5:00 PM

Directions and Parking for 2023:

ADDRESS:

George R. Brown Convention Center,
Hall A,
1001 Avenida De Las Americas,
Houston, TX 77010


COVID-19 Policies and Recommendations: 

SEFH 2023 is currently planned as an in-person event scheduled for Saturday, February 11, 2023.

Following guidance from the CDC regarding K12 learning and local health official recommendations for large events in Harris County, SEFH has adopted the following policies and recommendations for all participants:

  1. SEFH recommends all participants who are eligible and able to be safely vaccinated do so. Information about COVID-19 vaccination in Texas is available at: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine/
  2. SEFH leadership will continue to monitor local health conditions and will make additional modifications to fair plan as required. We will keep all participants informed of COVID-19 policies and recommendations.

For additional information about these policies, please contact info@SEFHouston.org