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RULES and REGULATIONS 2012
 

1. Students in Grades 7-OAC under 21 years of age, attending school in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Counties are eligible.

2. The Science Fair Committee reserves the right to restrict entries to those that meet acceptable standards of merit in the respective categories.

3. Exhibits are divided into categories within each of 3 divisions.

Categories                                  Divisions

Biotechnology
Physical Science                       Junior (Grades 7 & 8)
Life Science                               Intermediate (Grades 9 & 10)
Engineering                                Senior (Grades 11 - OAC)
Computing
Earth & Environmental Sciences

If the participation in a category is heavy, the Committee may decide to create a new category to maximize the number of students who can compete. If participation in a category is low, some categories may be combined. If in doubt about your category, consult with your science teacher or the Chief Judge. If in the opinion of the Chief Judge an entry has been placed in the wrong category, the exhibit will be moved to another category or withdrawn from the fair.
 

4. A project entered in a previous Rideau-St. Lawrence Science Fair is ineligible unless in the opinion of the Chief Judge, it has been significantly improved or modified. Documentation of the specific changes is required.

5. No more than 2 students may enter a joint project.

6. Exhibits must be designed and assembled by the students although advice may be obtained from any source. There is no limit to the equipment that may be bought or borrowed, but the exhibit will be evaluated only on the quality of the work done by the student. All assistance must be acknowledged.

7. DISPLAY SIZE. Oversize exhibits are not eligible. All exhibits including accessories must be confined to a table or floor space not to exceed 0.8 m (30 inches) front to back, 1.2m (48 inches) side to side, and 3.5m (12 feet) from the floor. Outlets for water, steam, compressed air or gas will not be available. Electricity will be provided. Please bring your own extension cord. Entrants hoping to attend the Canada Wide Science Fair should be aware that the Rideau St. Lawrence Science Fair Committee will pay shipping costs for a maximum size of 30 kg per project.

8. Experiments and displays with zebra mussels or live vertebrate animals are prohibited at the fair by federal regulations. If the project involves live animals, the regulations of the Youth Science Foundation Animal Care Committee must be followed. See the Application Form for whom to contact.

9. Dangerous chemicals, flames, or explosives must not be exhibited. Mechanical devices must meet minimum safety standards and electrical devices must meet the minimum standards of the Ontario Electrical Code. Safety defects, as determined by the Safety Inspector, must be corrected or the exhibit withdrawn. Micro-organisms, including fungi, must be displayed in extremely well sealed plastic petrie dishes or other suitable plastic containers.

10. New 2012- Ingestion:

• Projects involving ingestion of food or drink, defined as consumption through eating or drinking, are considered Significant Risk when they involve:
  1. articles not manufactured, sold or represented as food or drink for human beings;
  2. foods that contain additives exceeding the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) normally associated with those foods;
  3. foods not considered to be basic or everyday foods and for which health benefits are claimed.

• Projects involving ingestion of licensed Natural Health Products and Energy Drinks are not permitted at the Canada Wide Science Fair or similar YSC events. These products are identified by a Health Canada Natural Product Number NPN) or Exemption Number (EN), and are listed in the Health Canada Natural Health Product Database.3

• Projects that involve the consumption of alcohol are not permitted at the Canada Wide Science Fair or similar YSC events.

• Significant Risk Ingestion projects are allowed only if carried out under professional supervision at a laboratory with its own internal Ethics Review Committee, such as a university or hospital laboratory.

11. New 2012-If your project requires people to fill out a survey/opinion form, or involves humans in any part of the experiment, you must complete the Human Participation part of the entry forms. Any project arriving at the fair without having submitted the proper forms will not be considered for the Canada Wide Science Fair.

12. To be eligible, an exhibit must be set up by the date and time specified by the Science Fair Committee, and must be left on display until the closing of the fair. While efforts will be made to prevent damage to the exhibits or injury to the participants or others, neither the Science Fair Committee, the sponsoring organization nor co-operating groups can assume liability for loss, damage or injury.

13. The Science Fair Committee reserves the right not to award any prizes in any category or division, and the right to disqualify any exhibit for any infraction of the rules.

14. Entry forms must be received by the date specified on the form. If the number of entries exceeds the space available, a quota system will be applied to even out participation among schools.

15. Contestants must be present during judging. If, in the opinion of the Chief Judge, any exhibitor is causing any undue delay in judging, that exhibit will be disqualified.

16. Judges may require any finalist to operate the exhibit and may interview as many finalists as they choose. Decisions of the Chief Judge are final.

17. A typed or neatly written project synopsis (summary) is required before an exhibit will be registered.

18. Students must exhibit the same project that was entered on the application form.

19. Judging will be based on the following criteria: scientific thought, originality, understanding, presentation and aesthetics.

20. A Registration Fee of $10.00 per project must be submitted with the registration.

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