News & updates
ISEF news & updates
Season announcements, deadlines, results, and guidance for students preparing for the International Science and Engineering Fair.
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Your School Is Part of the ISEF Route (2027): Sponsor Signatures, Lab Access and Nomination Caps
Three things in an ISEF season are not yours to supply: a sponsor signature before any research, physical access, and on several China routes the nomination itself.
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ISEF Creativity & Potential Impact (2027): How the 20-Point Criterion Is Actually Scored
Creativity is worth 20 of 100 Grand Award points, but the official wording scores it inside your question, method and execution – not in a paragraph added at the end.
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ISEF Engineering Projects (2027): How to Turn a Working Prototype into Evidence Judges Can Score
A prototype that switches on is not a result. How to write a numeric spec, choose a baseline, build a test rig and log failures so your build becomes scoreable evidence.
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Paid ISEF Research Programs (2027): Eight Questions to Ask Before You Sign, and Four Promises That Cannot Be True
August is selling season for ISEF research programs. Eight questions to ask before you sign, four promises no provider can keep, and the ownership line judges test.
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ISEF Entry Routes (2027): Why There Is No Direct Entry, and Which Official Route Applies to You
Nobody applies to the ISEF final directly. A route map of the affiliated-fair system, the four mainland-China selection routes named for 2026-27, and how to find yours.
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Does an Expensive ISEF Project Score Better? What the 100-Point Rubric Actually Pays For
There is no budget line anywhere on the ISEF Grand Award rubric. Here is where money genuinely moves score, where it buys nothing at all, and how China-based students should spend it.
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The ISEF Calendar Collision (2026-27): Running a Project Alongside IB, AP and A-Level
ISEF finals sit in May — the same month AP exams are administered and the IB May session runs. Here is the month-by-month collision map, and the three tasks to front-load before they hit.
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ISEF Runs in English (2027): A Scientific-Writing Guide for China-Based Students
ISEF is conducted in English and 35 of the 100 Grand Award points sit under Presentation. Five documents carry your project in English — and the failure modes are predictable and fixable.
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Grade 9, 10 or 11? When China-Based Students Should Actually Start an ISEF Project (2027)
ISEF is open to grades 9-12, but the useful window is narrower than the eligible one. What each starting grade realistically buys you — and the Grade 12 timing trap.
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How to Study Past ISEF Projects Like a Judge (2027): Using the Abstracts Database Without Copying
The official ISEF Projects Database holds abstracts back to 2014. A four-search protocol for calibrating your scope and category — and the line between inspiration and appropriation.