TL;DR
This guide explains how to qualify for Regeneron ISEF, how judging works, and what recent winning projects have in common. You will learn how the affiliated-fair system works, what eligibility and approval rules you need to follow, how projects are evaluated, and how to study previous finalists without simply copying their ideas. First, understand that you cannot apply to ISEF directly. You have to earn your place by qualifying through a Society-affiliated science fair. Want a PhD mentor to help you build a research project from the ground up? Apply to Horizon’s research program.
ISEF at a glance
Here’s a basic overview of Regeneron ISEF and the 2027 competition.
| What | Details |
| Who runs it | Society for Science, with Regeneron as title sponsor |
| Who can compete | Students in grades 9 to 12 or equivalent who meet ISEF’s age and eligibility rules |
| How you get in | Qualify through a Society-affiliated science fair |
| Number of affiliated fairs | 365 in 2026 |
| Finalists | More than 1,700 in 2026 |
| Categories | 22 |
| Total awards | More than $7 million in 2026 |
| Top prize | George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, $100,000 |
| ISEF 2027 dates and location | May 8 to 14, 2027, Los Angeles, California |
Source: Society for Science ISEF pages and the ISEF 2026 Fact Sheet, checked October 2026.
What is Regeneron ISEF?
Regeneron ISEF, or the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, is Society for Science’s international science and engineering competition for high school students. Students in grades 9 through 12 compete in 22 categories, from mathematics and physics to biomedical science, software design, and engineering.
Regeneron became the title sponsor in 2019, while Society for Science continues to run the competition. The fair takes place each May. In 2026, more than 1,700 finalists from more than 60 countries, regions and territories gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, where they competed for more than $7 million in awards and prizes. In 2027, ISEF will take place in Los Angeles from May 8 to 14.
You do not enter ISEF by filling out a global application. Instead, you enter a Society-affiliated science fair in your region and compete for one of the projects that fair is allowed to send to ISEF. That feeder system means the project you take to ISEF has already been selected through one or more levels of science-fair competition.
Society for Science also maintains a searchable database of ISEF abstracts dating from 2014 through 2026. You can filter projects by year, category, country, finalist and winning status, making the database useful when you are trying to understand what ISEF research actually looks like.
Who is eligible for ISEF?
ISEF eligibility is more specific than simply being a high school student. Before you start planning a project, check the current year’s International Rules and the requirements of your affiliated fair.
You must generally meet all of the following requirements:
- You must be in grades 9 through 12, or the equivalent, and must not have reached age 20 on or before May 1 preceding ISEF.
- You must be selected by an ISEF-affiliated fair.
- You may enter only one ISEF-affiliated fair, except when you advance from an affiliated regional fair to an affiliated state or national fair.
- Your project may contain no more than 12 continuous months of research within the applicable ISEF research period.
- A team may have no more than three members.
- The team that competes at ISEF must consist of the same members who competed together at the affiliated fair.
- Projects involving human participants, vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous biological agents or certain other regulated areas may require review and approval before experimentation begins.
- Research conducted at a regulated research institution or industrial setting requires the appropriate documentation, including Form 1C or the applicable current-year form.
- Your project must represent your own portion of the research if it is part of a larger professional research study.
- Demonstrations, literature reviews and projects consisting only of library research are not considered appropriate ISEF projects.
Get approvals before you start your experiment, not after. Society for Science specifically requires students to determine the necessary forms and approvals before experimentation, and missing approvals or paperwork can prevent a project from qualifying.
The rules also allow continuation projects, but a continuation must represent a substantive expansion of the previous work. Simply repeating the same experiment with more data does not automatically qualify as a new research year.
How to qualify for ISEF: step by step
If ISEF is your goal, think about the process backwards from the fair. Your first job is not to design a flashy project. It is to understand which fair can actually take you there.
- Find your ISEF-affiliated fair. Use Society for Science’s affiliated-fair network to identify the fair serving your school or region. The affiliated fair is your entry point to ISEF.
- Check that fair’s rules and deadlines. Affiliated fairs must follow ISEF rules, but they can also have additional requirements, deadlines and selection procedures.
- Choose a research question and category. Start with a question that can actually be investigated with the resources, time and methods available to you.
- Complete the required paperwork and approvals. Your research plan should cover the rationale, question or hypothesis, materials, procedures, safety, data analysis and bibliography. Some projects require SRC or IRB approval before any experimentation begins.
- Do the research and document it carefully. Keep a research log or data book so you can reconstruct what you did, why you did it and how your project changed.
- Compete at your local or regional fair. Your project must first earn a place at the next level.
- Advance through your state’s or country’s affiliated-fair structure where applicable. Not every student goes through exactly the same number of levels.
- If selected for ISEF, complete finalist registration and the required documentation. Finalists submit the required questionnaire and other materials through their affiliated fair and Society for Science.
A typical research timeline might look like this:
| Month | What to do |
| Summer | Explore topics, read existing research and identify a possible question |
| Late summer to fall | Narrow the question, choose a category and complete the research plan |
| Fall | Obtain required approvals before beginning regulated experimentation |
| Fall to winter | Conduct experiments, collect data and refine your methods |
| Winter | Prepare for local or regional fair deadlines |
| Early spring | Compete at the qualifying fair and, if selected, continue through the next level |
| Spring | Complete finalist paperwork if selected for ISEF |
| May | Present and defend your project at Regeneron ISEF |
Source: Society for Science International Rules, Affiliated Fair Network and ISEF registration guidance, checked October 2026. Dates at individual fairs vary.
If you are still deciding whether to begin, read why starting research early can be one of the best decisions you make in high school. Starting earlier gives you more time to read, test ideas, discover problems with your method and improve the question before you reach a qualifying fair.
ISEF categories
ISEF currently has 22 categories. The category you choose matters because it determines the scientific context in which judges evaluate your project and helps determine which expertise is most relevant to judging it. Society for Science recommends thinking about what your project actually studies or builds and what type of judge is best equipped to understand it.
The 22 ISEF categories are:
- Animal Sciences
- Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Biochemistry
- Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cellular and Molecular Biology
- Chemistry
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Embedded Systems
- Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
- Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics
- Environmental Engineering
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Microbiology
- Physics and Astronomy
- Plant Sciences
- Robotics and Intelligent Machines
- Software Design
- Technology Enhances the Arts
- Translational Medical Science
Source: Society for Science, ISEF Categories and Subcategories, checked October 2026.
Your local or regional fair does not necessarily use the exact same category structure. Read your affiliated fair’s category descriptions as well as Society for Science’s ISEF descriptions before submitting your project.
ISEF awards and prizes
ISEF awards are divided into the primary Grand Awards and additional Special Awards presented by participating organizations. In 2026, Society for Science reported more than $7 million in awards, prizes and scholarships.
The following figures are from Society for Science’s current ISEF awards information and the 2026 competition. Award amounts and structures can change, so treat these as 2026 figures rather than permanent ISEF rules.
| Award | Amount | Who wins it |
| George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award | $100,000 | Selected from Grand Award first-place winners |
| Regeneron Young Scientist Awards | $75,000 each, 2 awards | Selected from Grand Award first-place winners |
| Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations | $50,000 | Selected from Grand Award first-place winners |
| F. Thomson Leighton and Bonnie Berger Family Prize for STEM Excellence | $50,000 | Selected from Grand Award first-place winners |
| Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation | $10,000 | Selected from Grand Award first-place winners |
| Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research | $10,000 | Selected from Grand Award first-place winners |
| Best of Category / Grand Award, 1st | $6,000 | First-place project in each category |
| Grand Award, 2nd | $2,400 | Second-place project in each category |
| Grand Award, 3rd | $1,200 | Third-place project in each category |
| Grand Award, 4th | $600 | Fourth-place project in each category |
| Special Awards | Varies | Awards, scholarships, internships and other prizes from 45+ organizations |
Source: Society for Science ISEF Awards and 2026 ISEF awards information, checked October 2026. The Grand Award allocation within categories is proportional to the number of projects entered.
In 2026, the Special Awards program alone distributed more than $6 million, with independent organizations using their own judging panels and criteria. A project therefore does not have to win a Grand Award to receive recognition from an organization with a specific scientific or technical interest.
What do ISEF judges look for?
ISEF’s primary judging process is category, or Grand Award, judging. Special Award organizations conduct separate judging for their own awards. Society for Science describes category judging as the primary process, while professional organizations, universities, government agencies, or companies sponsoring those awards generally conduct Special Award judging.
The official judging criteria are different for science and engineering projects.
| Criterion | Points | What it means in practice |
| Science: Research Question | 10 | Is the purpose clear, focused, relevant to the field, and testable? |
| Science: Design and Methodology | 15 | Are the methods, variables and controls appropriate and complete? |
| Science: Execution, Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation | 20 | Was data collected systematically, analyzed appropriately, and collected in sufficient quantity to support the conclusions? |
| Science: Creativity and Potential Impact | 20 | Does the project show significant creativity and potential impact? |
| Science: Presentation | 35 | 10 points for the poster and 25 for the interview |
| Engineering: Research Problem | 10 | Is there a clearly defined practical problem, solution criteria, and set of constraints? |
| Engineering: Design and Methodology | 15 | Did the student explore alternatives, identify a solution, and develop a prototype or model? |
| Engineering: Execution, Construction and Testing | 20 | Does the prototype work as intended and has it been tested sufficiently? |
| Engineering: Creativity and Potential Impact | 20 | Does the project demonstrate creativity and potential impact? |
| Engineering: Presentation | 35 | 10 points for the poster and 25 for the interview |
Source: Society for Science, Grand Award Judging Criteria, checked October 2026.
The weighting tells you something useful: the interview is not an afterthought. It accounts for 25 of the 35 presentation points, and judges use it to assess your understanding of the science, your interpretation of the results, your limitations and your independence.
Society for Science also explicitly tells judges that the physical display is secondary to the student’s knowledge. Judges are looking for evidence of actual laboratory, field, or theoretical work rather than simply library research or a collection of impressive-looking technology.
That means you should be able to:
- Explain your project in about two minutes. Start with the problem, question, method, and most important result.
- Know your limitations. Being able to explain what your study cannot establish is part of understanding the research.
- Explain every important number on your poster. Know where the number came from, what it means, and why it matters.
- Explain what you would do next. A good research project usually produces another question.
- Be honest about your mentor’s contribution. Judges specifically consider the student’s independence, including work performed in institutional or industrial settings.
- Practice with people outside your field. If you can explain the core idea to a non-specialist without losing scientific accuracy, you are much better prepared for an interview with a judge who does not work in exactly your niche.
What winning ISEF projects have in common
Looking at the 2026 top awards and a sample of first-place projects in the ISEF database reveals a more useful lesson than simply saying that winners are “innovative.” The strongest projects tend to connect a sharply defined research question to a real scientific or engineering problem, then generate evidence that lets the student make a defensible claim. The examples below include the 2026 top award winners and category-winning projects whose abstracts are available through Society for Science’s project database.
They start with a specific problem
Several leading projects begin with a concrete limitation rather than a vague desire to “study” a topic. Lakshmi Agrawal’s chemistry project investigated remediation of the tire-derived pollutants 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone using nanocellulose hydrogels, while Kevin Sun’s materials-science project addressed plastic sorting by developing dissolvable RFID tags. The problem is specific enough that you can identify what you are measuring, changing, or building.
The research question is narrower than the topic
A project may sit inside a huge field, but the experiment itself usually tackles something much smaller. Nikola Veselinov’s mathematics project, for example, did not attempt to solve “complex equations” generally. It established a specific condition under which certain meromorphic equations are not solvable in elementary functions, using ideas from topological Galois theory.
The same pattern appears in software.Aashirya Varma’s CoolSmart AI project asked whether predictive cooling could improve data-center thermal stability compared with reactive cooling under controlled simulated workloads. The abstract identifies specific variables and comparison conditions rather than making the broad claim that AI can make data centers better.
They produce measurable evidence, not just an interesting prototype
The strongest projects generally give judges something concrete to evaluate. CoolSmart AI compared maximum temperature, average temperature, time above a temperature threshold, and cooling usage against a reactive baseline. SILENCE, Evan Morris’s cellular and molecular biology project, tested a closed-loop sonogenetic system under controlled conditions and measured seizure recurrence and seizure rate.
This is exactly what the official judging criteria reward: systematic data collection, appropriate analysis, reproducibility, and enough evidence to support the conclusion.
They build on existing science
Winning projects rarely behave as though the student invented an entire field from scratch. Veselinov’s mathematics work explicitly builds on previous results in topological Galois theory, while Illaria Liedtke’s biomedical project builds on prior evidence about the biocompatibility and biological activity of the engineered material she investigated.
That is an important distinction if you are planning your own project. Original research does not mean ignoring previous research. It means identifying something that remains unanswered and designing a study that adds evidence.
They combine methods when the question requires it
The 2026 winners also show that interdisciplinary work can be powerful when the combination serves the question. Hikaru Kuribayashi’s physics project combined statistical sampling methods with the study of mechanical configurations in origami and linkages. Aakash Manaswi’s animal-sciences project combined machine-learning image analysis with field trials to investigate honeybee health and pest management.
HARMONI, Anusha Arora’s Technology Enhances the Arts project, similarly combined multimodal emotion detection, adaptive music generation, and controlled experiments rather than presenting an AI music tool without testing it.
They show iteration and validation
Strong projects also give you evidence that the student tested whether the proposed approach actually worked. Kevin Sun’s RFID-tag project tested whether the printed tag remained readable and whether the materials could be removed during simulated recycling conditions. The project therefore addressed not only the invention itself but also a practical constraint on whether the invention could work in its intended setting.
The lesson is not that every ISEF project needs a complicated prototype or multiple techniques. The lesson is that your method should challenge your own idea enough to reveal whether it actually works.
These examples also show why you should be careful about the phrase “one-year project.” ISEF evaluates a maximum of 12 continuous months of current research, but a legitimate continuation project can build on earlier years if the new work is a substantive expansion and follows the continuation rules.
Common mistakes that hold ISEF projects back
The most avoidable problems are often procedural or methodological, not a lack of intelligence or expensive equipment.
- Starting experiments before approval. If your project requires SRC, IRB, or another approval, get it before beginning the regulated work.
- Choosing a question that is too broad. “How does pollution affect health?” is a topic, not yet a workable research question.
- Skipping appropriate controls or comparison conditions. Without a meaningful baseline, it can be difficult to tell whether your intervention caused the observed result.
- Collecting data without a clear analysis plan. More numbers do not automatically make a study stronger.
- Packing the poster with text. The poster needs to communicate the project clearly enough to support the interview, not replace it.
- Not understanding your own methods. Judges may ask why you chose a particular method, what its limitations are, and what you would change next time.
Other science competitions to consider
ISEF is not the only route for high school students interested in research. The right competition depends partly on your grade, location, research format, and what you want to demonstrate.
| Competition | Who it’s for | Format | Best for |
| Regeneron ISEF | Grades 9 to 12 or equivalent, through affiliated fairs | Science and engineering projects, individual or teams | Students who want to conduct and defend an original research project |
| Regeneron Science Talent Search | U.S. high school seniors | Individual application including original research report and supporting materials | Seniors presenting independent research through a national application process |
| Junior Science and Humanities Symposium | Eligible U.S. citizens or permanent residents in high school | Regional and national research presentations, including oral and poster competitions | Students who want to present research and compete through the JSHS regional system |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge | U.S. students in grades 6 to 8 | Affiliated-fair nomination followed by national application and competition | Middle school students beginning serious STEM research |
Source: Society for Science, JSHS, official JSHS rules and eligibility pages and ISEF eligibility rules, checked October 2026
Regeneron STS is specifically for high school seniors and has a separate application process. For 2027, applications run through November 5, 2026, and include an original research report, recommendations, essays, and other application components.
JSHS is also different from ISEF. Its regional symposium structure leads to a national symposium, and participants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States or a U.S. territory.
If you are still exploring your options, see the most competitive summer programs for high school students.
How Horizon can help?
A research mentor can help when you have a genuine question but aren’t sure how to turn it into a researchable project. Horizon’s program pairs students one-to-one with PhD scholars who can help you develop the question, think through the methodology, and understand the research process.
Mentorship can support your research development, but it does not automatically qualify a project for ISEF. You still need to follow the rules and selection process of your Society-affiliated fair, including any required approvals and paperwork.
If your research takes place at a regulated research institution or industrial setting, Society for Science requires the appropriate documentation describing the setting and the student’s work.
Frequently asked questions
No. You must first qualify through a Society-affiliated science fair. Each affiliated fair has an allocation of projects it can advance to ISEF, so your first step is finding the fair that serves your school or region.
You have to earn your place through the affiliated-fair system rather than submitting a direct application. In 2026, more than 1,700 finalists reached ISEF after qualifying through 365 affiliated fairs, illustrating how many levels of selection feed into the final competition.
Yes. ISEF includes computational, mathematical, theoretical, software and other projects that do not require a traditional wet laboratory. However, a literature summary or library-research project is not an appropriate substitute for original research.
Yes. Teams can have up to three members, and all members must meet the eligibility requirements. The team that reaches ISEF must be the same team that competed at the affiliated fair, subject to the limited exceptions in the rules.
ISEF participation can provide evidence of substantial research experience, and the Society for Science notes that universities seek ISEF finalists. However, there is no universal admissions outcome from competing at ISEF, so you should treat the competition as one part of your broader academic profile rather than a guaranteed admissions advantage.
Many students work with mentors, particularly when their research uses institutional facilities or specialized methods. Society for Science requires documentation of institutional research and the student’s contribution through the appropriate forms.
Horizon pairs students one-to-one with PhD scholars who can help shape a research question and develop methods. Horizon mentorship does not automatically qualify a project for ISEF, and students still need to satisfy their affiliated fair’s rules and selection requirements.
Go start your ISEF project
If ISEF is something you genuinely want to pursue, start with the part that is easiest to postpone: find your affiliated fair and read its rules this week. Then choose a broad area you care about and turn it into a question that you could actually investigate. You do not need your final project idea on day one. You need a starting question and enough time to improve it.
Apply to Horizon to develop your research with a PhD mentor, or join an info session to learn how it works.
Resources
- Regeneron ISEF 2027 dates and judging information, Society for Science, checked October 2026. Society for Science ISEF pages
- International Rules for Pre-College Science Research, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF International Rules
- Rules for All Projects, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF Rules for All Projects
- Affiliated Fair Network, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF Affiliated Fair Network
- ISEF Categories and Subcategories, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF Categories and Subcategories
- Grand Award Judging Criteria, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF Grand Award Judging Criteria
- Judging at your Fair, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF Judging Guidance
- Awards at Regeneron ISEF, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF Awards
- Regeneron ISEF 2026 Full Awards, Society for Science, checked October 2026. 2026 ISEF Full Awards
- Regeneron ISEF 2026 Special Awards, Society for Science, checked October 2026. 2026 ISEF Special Awards
- Regeneron ISEF 2026 Media Kit, Society for Science, checked October 2026. 2026 ISEF Media Kit
- ISEF Project Database, Society for Science, checked October 2026. ISEF Abstract Search
- Regeneron Science Talent Search Application Requirements, Society for Science, checked October 2026. STS Application Requirements
- Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Rules and Categories, JSHS, checked October 2026. JSHS Rules and Categories
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Eligibility and Important Information, Society for Science, checked October 2026. JIC Eligibility
More from Horizon:
- Horizon Programs
- Why Starting Research Early Is One of the Best Decisions a High School Student Can Ma
- The Most Competitive Summer Programs for High School Students
- 14 Research Programs for Complete Beginners
- 14 Grants for High School Students Research
Image source: Regeneron ISEF