NYSSEF Eligibility
- Students grades 9 - 12 must be enrolled in a public, private, parochial, or homeschool in the state of New York to be eligible.
- A TEACHER or SCHOOL OFFICIAL must attend NYSSEF ISEF Round 2 (parents are NOT allowed to serve as chaperones). If a student advances to ISEF through NYSSEF the student MUST be accompanied by a SCIENCE EDUCATOR of the High School of the FINALIST!! No EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE!!
- Up to 10 projects per school can participate in NYSSEF 2025. A SCHOOL DISTRICT MATH, SCIENCE, OR RESEARCH chaperone is required to attend the Regeneron ISEF 2025 with their student.
- Each student may enter only one project that covers research completed over a maximum of 12 continuous months between January 2024 and March 202
- All students must register online at https://ny-nyssef.zfairs.com/ to complete the INITIAL registration process. If registering as a team, ALL members of the team should complete the initial NYSSEF ISEF application AND NYSSEF ISEF registration, being careful that the project information entered for all team members is IDENTICAL (including school name (s), liaison name & liaison contact information). Student(s) will receive a registration confirmation via the https://ny-nyssef.zfairs.com/ website, after submission.
If experiencing a technical difficulty, teachers/liaisons only should e-mail nyssef@gmail.com.
Registration
- All students must register at https://ny-nyssef.zfairs.com/ to complete the INITIAL registration process after the teacher registers. If registering as a team, ALL members of the team should complete the initial NYSSEF ISEF application AND application form.
- After the closing of online registration on January 24, 2025, 5 PM, liaisons can review all student participants. Liaisons have until January 24, 2025, at 5 p.m. to submit student application forms and payments. NO changes will be accommodated after this date.
- NYSSEF Payment - Payment must be received by January 24, 2025. The payment form, student application forms, and payment form must be received by January 24, 2025. The participation fee per student (not per project) is $200/student. See below for more payment details.
Please note: Failure to provide payment by January 24, 2025, at 5:00 PM will result in disqualification. Payments must be MAILED and RECEIVED by January 24, 2025, by 5:00 PM. In the event of a disqualification, no refunds will be issued. If a payment check is returned, there will be a $30 fee.
Please do not ask for signature requests on overnight/Fed Ex/UPS deliveries; packages requiring signature will be returned to sender and students will be disqualified for non-payment.
Mail to: New York State Science and Engineering Fair
Attn: Robert Hildebrand, Treasurer
P. O. Box 605
Valley Stream, NY 11582
**ALL CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO NYSSEF, INC. **
Animal Sciences
This category includes all aspects of animals and animal life, animal life cycles, and animal interactions with one another or with their environment. Examples of investigations included in this category would involve the study of the structure, physiology, development, and classification of animals, animal ecology, animal husbandry, entomology, ichthyology, ornithology, and herpetology, as well as the study of animals at the cellular and molecular level which would include cytology, histology, and cellular physiology.
Behavioral and Social Sciences
The science or study of the thought processes and behavior of humans and other animals in their interactions with the environment studied through observational and experimental methods.
Biochemistry
The study of the chemical basis of processes occurring in living organisms, including the processes by which these substances enter into, or are formed in, the organisms and react with each other and the environment.
Biomedical and Health Sciences
This category focuses on studies specifically designed to address issues of human health and disease. It includes studies on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention or epidemiology of disease and other damage to the human body or mental systems. Includes studies of normal functioning and may investigate internal as well as external factors such as feedback mechanisms, stress or environmental impact on human health and disease.
Biomedical Engineering
Projects that involve the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes including diagnosis, monitoring and therapy. Prominent biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants, common imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, regenerative tissue growth, pharmaceutical drugs and therapeutic biologicals.
Cellular and Molecular Biology
This is an interdisciplinary field that studies the structure, function, intracellular pathways, and formation of cells. Studies involve understanding life and cellular processes specifically at the molecular level.
Chemistry
Studies exploring the science of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter not involving biochemical systems.
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Studies that primarily focus on the discipline and techniques of computer science and mathematics as they relate to biological systems. This includes the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavior, and social systems.
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Studies of the environment and its effect on organisms/systems, including investigations of biological processes such as growth and life span, as well as studies of Earth systems and their evolution.
Embedded Systems
Studies involving electrical systems in which information is conveyed via signals and waveforms for purposes of enhancing communications, control and/or sensing.
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
Studies/processes involving the production and/or storage of energy.
Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics
Studies that focus on the science and engineering that involve movement or structure. The movement will be a result of forces; the structure will be stable due to the equilibrium of forces.
Environmental Engineering
Studies that engineer or develop processes and infrastructure to solve environmental problems in the supply of water, the disposal of waste, or the control of pollution.
Materials Science
The study of the integration of various materials forms in systems, devices, and components that rely on their unique and specific properties. It involves their synthesis and processing in the form of nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanolayered structures, to coatings and laminates, to bulk monolithic, single-/poly-crystalline, glassy, soft/hard solid, composite, and cellular structures. It also involves measurements of various properties and characterization of the structure across length scales, in addition to multi-scale modeling and computations for process-structure and structure-property correlations.
Mathematics
The study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. The deductive study of numbers, geometry, and various abstract constructs, or structures.
Microbiology
The study of micro-organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, prokaryotes, and simple eukaryotes as well as antimicrobial and antibiotic substances.
Physics and Astronomy
Physics is the science of matter and energy and of interactions between the two. Astronomy is the study of anything in the universe beyond the Earth.
Plant Sciences
Studies of plants and how they live, including structure, physiology, development, and classification. Includes plant cultivation, development, ecology, genetics and plant breeding, pathology, physiology, systematics and evolution.
Robotics and Intelligent Machines
Studies in which the use of machine intelligence is paramount to reducing the reliance on human intervention.
Systems Software
The study or development of software, information processes or methodologies to demonstrate, analyze, or control a process/solution.
Translational Medical Science
Projects that aim to improve human health and longevity by translating novel discoveries in the biomedical sciences into effective activities and tools for clinical and public health use. Bi-directional in concept, projects can be those developed through basic research moving toward clinical testing (bench-to-bedside) or projects that provide feedback about the applications of new treatments and how they can be improved (bedside-to-bench).