Participants Information 2024
The 2024 NIRSEF event is a different type of experience for participants, teachers, judges, and NIRSEF administrators alike! Judging will be fully virtual as it has been in the past three years, but this year we are adding an optional in-person Exhibtion prior to the Award Ceremony. Attendance at the Exhbition and Award Ceremony are fully optional and awards will be distributed to schools if participating remotely. Information on this page will supersede any information found on other pages that may not be fully updated for the 2024 Fair.
Please find a complete instructions for 2024 here
Schedule of Events
Previous to the Fair
Please register on the SEFI website and this website (registration link on the appropriate division page) as soon as possible. Once a student is registered, they will receive information about a virtual check-in when they will get instructions about how to access the virtual platform.
Each participant will need to create a page with required information on the CN. This an e-portfolio program used by the state science fair. Instructions can be found at Cn Instructions This should be completed before February 12 (but definitely prior to the Fair)! On the CN site, please make sure to upload pictures of your tri-fold and your quad chart!! Note: No elevator pitch or powerpoint is needed!!
Judging - Saturday, February 24, 2024
Judging will occur "live" with judges coming to each participants virtual booth. As in the past, there will be category ribbon as well as special award judges. All participants are asked to stay at their computer for the entirety of their judging window since another judge could come by at any time. Just as with an in-person fair, students can read or do some other activity while they wait for a judge to come by. Judging time will be as follows:
9am - noon for Senior Division (grades 9 and up) Time can be extended if needed; this announcement will come through the virtual platform.
9am - noon for Junior Division (grades 6-8) Time may be completed early if all judging is completed; an announcement will come through the virutal platform so students know when to log off.
1pm - 3pm for Elementary Division (grades 5 and under)
Exhibition - Tuesday, February 27, 2024 (Optional)
New this year, students have the option of exhibiting their projects for all to see in person. Parents, family, and friends are welcome to come check out all the amazing science fair projects. You do NOT have to participate in the exhibition to come to the award ceremony. Set up starts at 4:30 pm in Jordan Hall of Science. The exhibition will run from 5-6:30 pm.
Awards Ceremony - Tuesday, February 27, 2024
The Awards Ceremony will be on Tuesday, February 27 at 6:30 pm for ALL participants. It will be held on Notre Dame campus at Jordan Hall of Science for participants and their families to attend. This will be live-streamed; a link will be provided to all participants—we encourage you to share it with your family and friends! The broadcast will also be recorded and shared via a link on YouTube.
Prizes and ribbons will be distributed at the live event, but if a student is not able to attend, the ribbons and awards will be sent to their school. These plans were created in order to keep public health a priority and insure health requirements for all are met.
Presentation Requirements
This year all participants are required to complete a Quad chart (example found
here). This was developed by ISEF. This can be completed on a piece of paper or on the computer, but should be on a normal letter size document. This form should be uploaded on the CN so that judges can review it.
If a school fair is completing a traditional tri-fold poster, images of the poster should be uploaded on the CN. Please make sure they are high quality images. You may need to take multiple picture so that each part of the board is clearly visible. During judging, you are encouraged to have your tri-fold poster behind you or next to you and to use it while you are meeting with judges.
If a school fair is completing powerpoint presentations, you may upload single images of slides onto the CN. Please do not upload the entire presentation as it may not open depending on the computer a judge uses to open it. While you are meeting with judges, you may have printed off version of your powerpoint in front of you, but it will not be possible to share a power point presentation through the screen.
Please contact us with any questions you may have.