NIRSEF 2026
Judging for NIRSEF 2026 will take place in-person on Saturday, February 28 and the Award Ceremony will be Monday, March 2.
Please review the details below carefully, as there are important updates to this year’s format:
Judging
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Innovation Park
1400 E. Angela Ave., South Bend, IN
(on the edge of the Notre Dame campus, across the street from Compton Ice Arena)
Free parking in the back of the building
The turnaround times for set-up and pick-up are VERY short. Please have your students be swift in setting up and taking down their boards.
Judging Times
-
Elementary (grades 3 through 5)
-
Set up - 8:30 AM EST
Judging - 9:00 to 10:30
Pick up - 10:30 to 10:50
-
-
Junior (grades 6 through 8)
-
Set up - 10:45 AM EST
Judging - 11:15 to 12:45
Pick up - 12:45 to 1:00
-
-
Senior (grades 9 through 12)
-
Set up - 1:00 PM EST
Judging 1:15 to 4:15
Pick up at 4:15
-
Only judges and designated school chaperones are allowed in the building during judging. If you are early for set-up, pick-up, or waiting for your student, we recommend Eddy Commons or the Duncan Student Center as a place to wait. There is no lobby or waiting room area for parents or teachers at Innovation Park.
As a reminder: All projects in all divisions must have a Tri-Fold board. Computer presentations are not an option since we are now in-person. Those wishing to bring a computer must also have a tri-fold board, and know that electrical power availability can not be guaranteed, and you will be responsible for the safety and security of the computer.
Awards Ceremony & Exhibition
Monday, March 2, 2026
Jordan Hall of Science at The University of Notre Dame
Optional Exhibition (Open to the Public): 5:00 PM EST
- The Expo is optional and not required for NIRSEF participants.
- Set up will be from 4:00 - 5:00. Everyone is welcome to view and discuss student's projects from 5:00 - 6:00.
Awards Ceremony: 6:30 PM EST
- The Award Ceremony will be held right after the Expo in the same building (Jordan Hall of Science).
- You do not have to be present to recieve your award, arrangements will be made to get awards to students who are not present.
We can’t wait to welcome our young scientists and engineers back to campus to share their amazing work!
Students in grades 3-12 from Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Porter, St. Joseph, and Starke counties who are selected by judges at their local school fair to advance to the regional level are eligible to attend the Northern Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair (NIRSEF). To participate, a teacher must register their school and select their project to move on from the local school fair to NIRSEF. If your school does not have a fair, or if you are home-schooled, please contact us for information on how to register.
The goal of NIRSEF is to expose young minds to the world of science while providing a positive environment where they can experiment, create, and explore under the guidance and support of their parents and teachers. Students choose a project topic from a variety of categories and are given the freedom and independence to design a project that suits their interests. The science fair offers an opportunity for children from elementary school through high school to explore the possibilities of hands-on scientific inquiry.
All of the forms that are needed can be found here. Please contact us with questions.
