Regeneron ISEF Awards

Scholarship Sponsored by Society for Science

Applicable to: Society for Science–affiliated fairs and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2026

Purpose
- Safeguard the rights and wellbeing of student researchers
- Protect human research participants
- Ensure the health and welfare of vertebrate animals used in research
- Promote responsible environmental stewardship
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal regulations
- Encourage safe laboratory practices
- Establish criteria for eligibility to compete at Regeneron ISEF

Eligibility and Limitations

1. Allocation of entries
- Each ISEF-affiliated fair may send the number of projects to ISEF specified in its affiliation agreement.

2. Selection and basic student requirements
- Students must be chosen by an ISEF-affiliated fair and satisfy both of the following:
a. Be in grades 9–12 (or the equivalent), and
b. Not have turned 20 years old on or before May 1 preceding ISEF.

3. Language requirement
- English is ISEF’s official language. Project display boards and abstracts must be submitted in English.

4. One project per student; research time limits
- A student may enter only one project. That project may include no more than 12 months of continuous research and may not include work conducted before January 2025.

5. Team size and continuity
- Teams are limited to a maximum of three members. Any team advancing to ISEF must consist of the same original members who competed at the ISEF-affiliated fair, and every member must meet ISEF eligibility requirements.

6. Competition limits across fairs
- A student may participate in only one ISEF-affiliated fair, except when advancing from an affiliated regional fair to a state or national fair that is also affiliated with ISEF.

7. Unsuitable project types
- Projects that are demonstrations, literature reviews, library research, purely informational exhibits, or explanatory models are not recommended and are generally inappropriate for ISEF competition.

8. Use of Artificial Intelligence
- AI tools may be used as a resource but must be properly cited and acknowledged. All materials presented at the fair must be the researcher’s own wording.

9. Categories
- All fields of science and engineering are eligible at ISEF. Projects compete within one of 22 categories (including subcategories). Consult the full list of categories and definitions.

10. Projects connected to larger studies
- A student’s project may be a segment of a broader professional research study, but the portion presented must represent only the student’s own work.