The Complete ISEF Paperwork Checklist (Forms, Approvals, Permits and When You Need Them)

The ISEF forms document and record what will (or did) happen in a project — they’re used by Scientific Review Committees (SRCs) and ISEF to confirm rules, safety and legal compliance. All required forms should be completed before experimentation when prior approval is required.

The canonical ISEF forms (what they are and when you need each)

Form 1 — Checklist for Adult Sponsor / Safety Assessment Form

Required for all projects. Completed by the adult sponsor (teacher or mentor) in coordination with the student. Confirms the sponsor has reviewed the Student Checklist and Research Plan and assessed safety. It is also the step where additional required approvals are identified. Completed before the project proceeds.

Form 1A — Student Checklist / Research Plan

Required for all students. Outlines what the project is about and carries the detailed Research Plan.

Form 1A also records the date experimentation begins. That date must fall after all required approval signatures. This is what makes the paperwork a dated record of sequence rather than a description of the project — do not complete this line until the approvals are in hand.

Form 1B — Approval Form

Required for every project. Each team member must submit their own Form 1B.

The sections apply differently. The student and parent acknowledgment must be signed before experimentation for all projects. The prior-approval section applies only to projects requiring SRC or IRB review before experimentation — human participants, vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous biological agents, and tissue. The final section is signed by the SRC after experimentation to certify the project for competition.

Whether your project falls into a prior-approval category is determined by your adult sponsor’s review on Form 1, not by your own assessment.

Form 2A — Student Support Disclosure Form

Required for every project. This form is new relative to older guidance and is frequently missed by students working from outdated checklists.

Form 2B — Qualified Scientist Form

(Previously numbered Form 2.)

A Qualified Scientist is required for all studies involving Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) potentially hazardous biological agents and DEA-controlled substances, and is also required for many human participant studies and many vertebrate animal studies. The QS documents their credentials, training, and the oversight they will provide.

The requirement is triggered by the project, not chosen by the student. Because the human-participant and vertebrate-animal triggers are case-by-case, check the category rules or the Rules Wizard rather than assuming it does not apply.

Form 2C — Regulated Research Institution Form

(Previously numbered Form 1C.)

Required if work was conducted or mentored, either virtually or on site, at a regulated research institution, industrial setting, or any work site other than home, school, or field at any point during the current project year.

Two things distinguish this form: it is completed after research, and at ISEF both pages must be displayed vertically at the project booth.

Form 3 — Risk Assessment Form

Required for projects involving hazardous chemicals, activities, or devices. Documents risk mitigation, training, protective equipment, disposal, and supervision. Completed before experimentation.

Form 4 — Human Participants Form

Required for research involving human participants, along with documented informed consent and assent where participants are minors. Society publishes a Sample Informed Consent Statement to use as a model.

Note the display restriction: completed consent and assent forms must not be at the project display or anywhere in the exhibit hall at ISEF. A blank sample may be kept in the logbook or research notebook.

Form 5A / 5B — Vertebrate Animal Forms

5A covers vertebrate animal work at school, home, or a field site. 5B covers work at a regulated research institution and documents institutional animal care oversight. Form 5B is completed after research.

Form 6A — Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents (PHBA) Form

Required for projects involving biological agents including bacteria, viruses, cultured cells, and microbiology. Covers risk assessment, biosafety level, containment and disposal, and QS oversight where applicable.

Form 6B — Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form

Required when tissues, body fluids, or primary human or animal cells are used, including fixed or preserved material. Documents source, consent, handling, and biosafety controls.

Form 7 — Continuation Projects Form

Required for any project in a similar area of research to the student’s previous work. Completed after research. At ISEF, Form 7 must be displayed at the project booth. See the continuation section below for what counts and what does not.

Supporting documents

• Research Plan / Project Summary — instructions accompany Form 1A. Must include rationale; research question, hypothesis, engineering goals, and expected outcomes; materials; procedures; risk and safety; data analysis; and bibliography. It should be completed before experimentation, and it determines which forms your project requires.
• Research Plan Addendum — any changes to the original plan must be documented here. After initial IRB or SRC approval, proposed changes to Form 1A or the Research Plan must be re-approved before experimentation resumes.
• Abstract — written after experimentation. Maximum 250 words, one page, describing the current year’s work and the research conducted by the student rather than by supervising adults.
• Project data book and research paper — not required by ISEF but strongly recommended for judging. Some regional and local fairs do require them.

If a mentor was involved, the Research Plan must delineate which parts of the project were done by the student and which by the mentor.

Key prerequisites, approvals, and permits (when your project needs extra paperwork)

These are the administrative approvals and external permits that often accompany or are required in addition to ISEF forms:

1. SRC (Scientific Review Committee) review / IRB approval
   • Any project involving human participants, vertebrate animals, or PHBAs may require prior SRC/IRB approval — documented on Form 1B and other applicable forms. The SRC is the local affiliated fair’s review committee; ISEF SRC is the final arbiter for ISEF participation.
2. Institutional approvals (IACUC / IBC / Institutional Biosafety Committee / IRB)
   • If research is performed at a regulated institution (college, hospital) or uses animals/tissues/PHBAs, you’ll likely need institutional committee approvals and documentation (IACUC for animals, IRB for human subjects, IBC for recombinant/BSL work). Use Form 1C and 5B as appropriate.
3. Qualified Scientist oversight
   • Projects that involve BSL-2 agents, certain chemicals, or controlled substances require a Qualified Scientist (QS) who signs Form 2 and supervises/assesses safety. ISEF rules define when a QS is mandatory.
4. DEA / controlled-substance licenses
   • If your project requires handling DEA-controlled drugs/substances, institutional DEA authorizations and QS oversight are required (and such projects may be barred or tightly restricted). Check institutional policy and Form 2 guidance.
5. Field collection / wildlife / plant permits
   • For field studies that collect animals, plants, or biological samples, you may need state or federal collection permits (wildlife agencies, US Fish & Wildlife, state DNRs), site access permissions (landowner, park permits), and documentation for transport/possession. ISEF rules require legal/ethical compliance for specimen collection.
6. Biosafety level limits & prohibited work
   • Students may not perform BSL-3/BSL-4 work. BSL-2 work often requires a QS and institutional facility; the Rules and Forms explain permitted biosafety levels and containment requirements. Use Form 6A / Form 2 and the Rules booklet for details.
7. Human subject informed consent / parental permission / assent
   • Documented informed consent from participants (or parental permission for minors) is required; IRB/SRC may require specific consent language. Use Form 4 and the sample informed consent provided by ISEF.
8. Hazardous chemicals / devices / radiation
   • Projects involving hazardous chemicals, lasers, compressed gas, high voltage, radioactive sources, or other dangerous devices must follow the Hazardous Chemicals & Devices rules, complete risk assessments, and may require institutional approvals or local permits. Form 3 (risk assessment) and Display & Safety rules apply.
9. School / district approval and display requirements
   • Many schools/districts require additional permission for off-campus research, lab access, or hazardous work. Display & Safety rules also place limits on what can be exhibited at ISEF — check both your affiliated fair and ISEF display rules early.
10. Your affiliated fair’s own rules. Affiliated fairs may impose additional restrictions or requirements beyond the International Rules, and knowledge of those requirements is the responsibility of the student and adult sponsor. This matters most for display dimensions, see below.

Display and safety: the requirements that apply on setup day

Everything above clears before the fair. Display and Safety is inspected in person, after scientific review has already passed.

Maximum project size at ISEF: depth 76 cm, width 122 cm, height 240 cm floor to top. All project materials and support mechanisms — including table covers and poster-support hardware — must fit within these dimensions. Fair-provided tables do not exceed 36 inches (91 cm), and if a table is used it becomes part of the project and counts toward the limit. Nothing may be attached to or leaning on the rear curtain.

Affiliated fairs are often stricter. Some regional and state fairs cap height well below ISEF’s limit or require everything to sit on the tabletop with nothing on the floor. Build to your regional fair’s dimensions first — that is the fair you have to win before ISEF’s rules ever apply to you.

Must be displayed vertically at the booth: the original stamped or embossed Official Abstract and Certification, the ISEF Project Set-up Approval Form (issued on site), Form 2C where applicable, and Form 7 where applicable.

Must be available at the booth but not displayed: Forms 1, 1A, 1B, 2B, the Research Plan, and any photo/video release forms.

Must not be present at all: completed informed consent and assent forms for human participants.

A wording trap: the term “abstract” may not be used as a title or reference anywhere on the display except as part of displaying the official stamped abstract. Leave an 8½ × 11 blank space on the board for it rather than printing your own version.

Image and graphic credits. Every graphic created by the finalist must be individually cited with the software used and the year — for example, “Graph created by Finalist using [software], [year].” Graphics not created by the finalist must be individually cited, APA preferred, with a URL or DOI if obtained online. This applies even when the license does not require attribution. AI-generated graphics are acceptable but must be cited as AI-created with the date and the AI used; AI-modified graphics require a citation for the original as well. These rules apply equally to digital displays such as slides, code, and simulations. Photographs of anyone other than the finalist require a signed release available on request.

Not allowed at the booth: personal items or packaging stored in or around the booth including under the table; commercial logos, institutional crests, trademarks, and flags unless integral to the project and approved; references to a supporting institution or mentor except in an acknowledgement section of the poster or in official paperwork; published research papers outside a closed lab notebook; future-work plans referencing a mentor, institution, conference, or pending publication; any reference to patent status; items for distribution such as flash drives, brochures, business cards, or food; awards or medals, except ISEF medals worn by the finalist; postal, web, email, or social media addresses, QR codes, and phone or fax numbers; and active internet or email connections without advance written approval.

Safety prohibitions at the booth: biological materials living, dead, or preserved other than commercially available ones — including living organisms and plants, taxidermy, preserved animals, human or animal food, and human or animal parts or body fluids. All chemicals including water; no liquids at all. Soil, sand, rock, cement, and waste samples; poisons; drugs; firearms, weapons, ammunition; granules and powders; grease, oil, and sublimating solids such as dry ice; sharps including syringes, needles, and pipettes; glass; flames and highly flammable materials; batteries with open-top or wet cells or packs over 100 watt-hours; drones and flight-capable apparatus unless the propulsion power source is removed; inadequately insulated apparatus capable of dangerous temperatures; and unshielded belts, pulleys, chains, or pinch points. Distracting sounds, lights, or odors are also disallowed. If a prohibited item is central to your project, document it with photographs or video instead.

Electrical. Power is 120 or 220 volt AC, single phase, 60 Hz. Devices must be protectively enclosed in non-combustible material with external non-current-carrying metal parts grounded. Energized wiring, switches, and metal parts require insulation and over-current protection and must be inaccessible to anyone but the finalist. No exposed live circuits over 36 volts. An insulating grommet is required where any wire enters an enclosure, and there must be a clearly visible on/off switch. Decorative lighting is discouraged; where used it must be low-voltage LED generating no heat, and incandescent and fluorescent bulbs are prohibited. Power must be disconnected when the student is away from the booth.

Lasers. Only Class 1, 2, 3A, and 3R lasers may be used or displayed. Handheld lasers are not permitted, beams may not pass through magnifying optics, and lasers must carry manufacturer labels showing power output. Unlabeled lasers are not permitted and unsafe use results in confiscation without warning.

After inspection, nothing changes. Any modification, addition, or attempt to restore removed items or language after Display & Safety and SRC approval is prohibited. Inspections are documented photographically, and finalists who breach the signed set-up agreement may fail to qualify or forfeit awards.

Timeline and when each form must be completed

• Before any experimentation: Form 1 (Adult Sponsor), Form 1A (Student Checklist/Research Plan) — always; and Form 1B (Approval) before experimenting if project involves humans, vertebrates, PHBAs, campus/regulatory settings. The ISEF Overview of Forms & Dates emphasizes completing required forms prior to starting research when prior approval is required.
• During/after research: Risk assessments, continuation forms (Form 7) for multi-year projects, and documentation of final methods/results to present to SRC/ISEF as requested.

How to get IRB reviews done so you can start experiments

STEP 1 — Define the Project Clearly: Write a short proposal including:

• Research question
• Methodology
• Who the participants are (age, number, etc.)
• Any risks
• How data will be kept private
• Consent/assent plans

STEP 2 — Fill Out Required ISEF Forms: Most human-subject submissions need:

• Form 4: Human Participants Form
• Form 1A: Student Checklist
• Form 1B: Approval Form
• Form 2: Qualified Scientist Form (if there is more than minimal risk)
• Form 3: Risk Assessment Form (if applicable)
• Participant-facing materials:
  • Consent/assent form
  • Survey questions / interview script
  • Recruitment plan (how students will be chosen)

STEP 3 — Submit to Your Local IRB: This depends on the school:

Case A: The high school has an IRB

• Submit your paperwork to the school’s IRB coordinator (usually the science fair coordinator).
• They review and approve/reject or request changes.

Case B: The school does not have an IRB
Options:

1. Use the IRB of a nearby district/school
Many ISEF-affiliated regions let students use their IRB.
2. Use the regional fair’s Scientific Review Committee (SRC)
Some regional fairs allow SRC to perform IRB-equivalent review.
3. County-level STEM office IRB

AI use

AI may be used as a project resource but must be cited and properly acknowledged. Students may not use generative AI to write the research plan, abstract, or poster, or to create citations. All materials presented must be in the researcher’s own words. The ethics statement treats fraudulent data, plagiarism, and inappropriate use of AI as grounds for a project to fail to qualify.

Final notes & legal-safety reminders

• Always follow the “prior approval before experimentation” rule: if forms or the Rules indicate prior SRC/IRB approval is required, do not start testing until approvals and signatures are obtained — failing this can disqualify a project.
• When in doubt, consult your affiliated fair’s SRC and the ISEF Rules FAQ or email the SRC help address listed on the ISEF site — they will clarify which forms apply to your exact project.

Future Forward Labs supports students through every step of their science fairs and competitions journey — from developing their project idea to securing permits, conducting experiments, and preparing for final presentations. Start by filling the form below 👇