What is the Science Fair All About? The North Central Science Day is a program of the Junior Academy of The Ohio Academy of Science and aims to promote science awareness and encourages science innovation in North Central Ohio students. This Science Fair season the District Science Day will be hosted by The Ohio State University at Marion in the Alber Student Center.
Each year participants compete for >40 special awards, Ohio State Marion Scholarships, and B-WISER institute scholarships. Students that participate in the North Central District Science Day (grades 5-12) compete for advancement to the next stage, State Science Day. For eligibility and more detailed information please navigate to the link below.
Dr. Qudsia Tahmina Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering College of Engineering The Ohio State University 1459 Mt. Vernon Avenue Marion, Ohio 43302 Email: tahmina.1@osu.edu
All students competing at North Central District Science Day are expected to conform to the Science Day Standards of The Ohio Academy of Science. These standards can be downloaded as a pdf file:
Incorporated in these rules are the rules of the Society for Science and the Public that govern the International Science & Engineering Fair. These are available as a pdf file:
To help a student determine which rules apply to a project and what forms are needed, the Society for Science & the Public has developed a Rules Wizard.
The following must be included with registration materials for all projects:
Consent and Release Form
Form 1: Checklist for Adult Sponsor
Form 1A: Student Checklist
Form 1B: Approval Form
Additional Forms required for Special Projects:
Below are the descriptions of the requirements for each of these additional forms (All these forms are located in the 2019 Forms Packet).
Registered Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (Form 1C)
If research is conducted in a registered research institution (e.g., universities, medical centers, NIH, etc.) or industrial setting, the following must be completed by the scientist supervising the student research:
Qualified Scientist Form (Form 2)
A Qualified Scientist is required to supervise projects involving potentially hazardous biological agents and controlled substances. A Qualified Scientist is required to supervise some projects involving nonhuman vertebrate animals, and human subject studies with more than minimal risk. The Qualified Scientist must sign the following form prior to the start of student experimentation.
Risk Assessment Form (Form 3)
This form is required for all projects using hazardous chemicals, activities or devices or regulated substances. A Designated Supervisor or Qualified Scientist must sign the form prior to the start of experimentation.
Human Participants Form (Form 4)
For all research involving humans, including projects involving surveys, the following form is required. Approval by an Institutional Review Board is required before experimentation. The Adult Sponsor, Qualified Scientist, or Designated Supervisor cannot serve on the Institutional Review Board.
Human Informed Consent Form
If your project requires informed consent of participants, then you need to complete this form.
Vertebrate Animal Forms (Forms 5A and 5B)
If your project will not be conducted at a regulated research institution, use form 5A. Your project must receive prior approval by a Scientific Review Committee, who will determine whether your project requires supervision by a Veterinarian, a Designated Supervisor, and/or a Qualified Scientist.
Research conducted at a registered research institution must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at the institution. Form 5B needs to be signed by a Qualified Scientist or the Principal Investigator of the research project, and by the IACUC chair or coordinator. A copy of the IACUC approval must be attached.
Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk Assessment Form (Form 6A)
Form 6A is required for all research involving microorganisms, rDNA and fresh tissue, blood and body fluids. Approval by a Scientific Review Committee is required before experimentation. The SRC must conduct a risk assessment and determine the appropriate biosafety level for the biological agents used in the research. Approval of a Qualified Scientist or a Designated Supervisor is required before experimentation.
Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form (Form 6B)
Form 6B is required for all projects using fresh tissue, primary cell cultures, blood, blood products and body fluids. Students using any of these tissues must also complete form 6A. Approval of a Designated Supervisor or Qualified Scientist is required before experimentation.
Continuation Projects Form (Form 7)
If a project is a continuation in the same field of study as a previous year's project, then this form must be submitted.
The North Central District is made up of
Crawford County Knox County Marion County Morrow County Union County Wyandot County In Delaware County:
Buckeye Valley School District
Delaware City Schools
Delaware Christian & St. Mary's Schools, Delaware
Olentangy School District
Village Academy
The Alber Student Center will be open at 8:00 a.m. on March 25. Space numbers will be posted the day before District Science Day, and can also be checked in the lobby of the Alber Student Center. Students should set up their projects in the assigned space in the gymnasium by 8:45 a.m., when the judging will begin.
District Science Day and special award judging will run from 9:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Students should remain with their projects until everyone has been released to lunch.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Traditionally the awards ceremony begins at 2:00 pm in the Morrill Hall auditorium, however, due to the decreased number of participants it is possible that we will start the awards ceremony as early as 1:00 pm. Please pay close attention to announcements during judging for the most up-to-date information on the awards ceremony start time. Projects should be removed prior to the awards ceremony. “No-Show Policy” If a registered student is unable to attend North Central Ohio Science and Engineering Day, please contact Dr. Qudsia Tahmina at tahmina.1@osu.edu before March 25, 2023. On March 25, 2023 the name and school of any student who is not able to be present should be submitted in writing at the reception table in the Alber Student Center lobby before the start of judging.
Failure to follow the above procedures will result in the student receiving a "No-Show" rating, and the student's school will be ineligible for a school award. There will be no refund of registration fees for registered students who are unable to attend.
The Society for Science & the Public identifies several adults who may be working with a student on their project: the Adult Sponsor (required for all projects), the Qualified Scientist, and the Designated Supervisor. Each of these adults plays a role, where needed, in overseeing the student's work and ensuring that applicable rules and guidelines are followed. Seethe “International Rules for Precollege Science Research” link for a detailed description of the roles of these adults.
It is expected that an adult involved in a student's science project will act as a mentor, advising and encouraging the student while ensuring that the student does the research and development of the project.
The Scientific Review Committee at OSU Marion will work with any high school students entering the Marion Area Science & Engineering Fair who wish to find mentors for their projects.
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee that, according to federal law, must evaluate the potential physical or psychological risk of research involving human subjects. All proposed human research must be reviewed and approved by an IRB before experimentation begins. This includes any surveys or questionnaires to be used in a project.
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee that, according to federal law, must evaluate the potential physical or psychological risk of research involving human subjects. All proposed human research must be reviewed and approved by an IRB before experimentation begins. This includes any surveys or questionnaires to be used in a project.
a) a science teacher b) a school administrator c) one of the following: a psychologist, psychiatrist, medical doctor, physician's assistant, or registered nurse
Due to the federal regulations requiring local community involvement, an IRB should be established at the school level to deal with human research projects. If a school needs assistance in establishing an IRB, the teacher/school should contact the director of North Central District Science Day at mcennis.1@osu.edu for assistance.
All projects will be reviewed by OSUM's Scientific Review Committee before the North Central District Science Day. Projects involving human subjects that do not have the necessary prior approvalwill be disqualified. It is strongly recommended that the forms for all such projects be submitted toOSUM before the student begins experimentation. The SRC at OSUM will endeavor to work with students to ensure that any problems with their projects are corrected, and they can also put a student in touch with a mentor for the project. (See Mentors)
Projects involving research risks or issues and special protocols must be reviewed by a Scientific Review Committee (SRC) before the start of experimentation. This requirement covers all projects involving
(1) live vertebrate animals including observation projects,
(2) controlled substances,
(3) potentially hazardous biological agents
Each school is responsible for having a Scientific Review Committee review such projects before the start of experimentation. If a school is unable to form a local SRC, then they may use the services of the Scientific Review Committee at The Ohio State University at Marion. Please contact mcennis.1@osu.edu if you choose this option.
All projects will be reviewed by OSUM's Scientific Review Committee before the North Central District Science Day. Projects in the above areas that do not have the necessary prior approval will be disqualified. It is strongly recommended that the forms for all such projects be submitted to OSUM before the student begins experimentation. The SRC at OSUM will endeavor to work with students to ensure that any problems with their projects are corrected, and they can also put a student in touch with a mentor for the project. (See Mentors.)
If a school is setting up a local SRC, then it must consist of a minimum of three persons. Additional members are recommended to avoid conflict of interest. The SRC must include:
a) a biomedical scientist (Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., or D.O.)
b) a science teacher
c) at least one other member
At least one of the SRC members must be familiar with proper animal care procedures when animal research is involved. The SRC can then serve as an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
To avoid conflict of interest, no parent or person who has signed a form as the Adult Sponsor, Qualified Scientist, or Designated Supervisor is permitted to serve on the SRC reviewing that project.
The SRC examines projects for the following:
a) evidence of literature search
b) evidence of proper supervision
c) use of accepted research techniques
d) completed forms, signatures and dates
e) evidence of search for alternatives to animal use
f) humane treatment of animals
g) compliance with rules and laws governing human and animal research
h) appropriate use of recombinant DNA, pathogenic organisms, controlled substances, tissues and hazardous substances and devices
i) appropriate documents and substantial expansion for continuation projects
Each project will be judged by two judges using the criteria of the Ohio Academy of Science. Each judge determines a score for the project, and the two scores are averaged. A fractional average is rounded up.
Individual projects are scored out of 40 points, with a maximum of 10 points awarded in each of the following categories: Knowledge Achieved, Effective Use of Scientific Method or Technological Design, Clarity of Expression, and Originality & Creativity. Individual projects are rated Superior (36-40), Excellent (24-35), Good (12-23), or Satisfactory (4-11).
Team projects will be judged using the same criteria, but judges will also be awarding up to 10 points for teamwork. Team projects are scored out of 50 points, and are rated Superior (45-50), Excellent (30-44), Good (15-29), or Satisfactory (5-14).
The following criteria are used in judging:
Knowledge Achieved
Correct use and understanding of terms and principles
Project exceeds classroom level for the student's grade level based upon the judge's opinion
Adequate depth of knowledge
Literature search: extent of scientific, engineering or medical journals /sources or just popular literature citations
Supplements answers with additional relevant information
Use of Scientific Method or Technological Design
Experimental design: specific problem or question, clearly stated hypothesis or technological design statement; clear method(s) with correctly defined and measured variables and controls; sufficient understanding of methods from related studies in the literature
Data handling, data tables, graphs, statistics; sufficient number of trials or samples for the problem
Valid conclusion(s) or discussion of results
Well-documented lab journal/data record book
Student effectively used professional equipment or correctly constructed/used home-made apparatus, equipment, experimental materials or models
Clarity of Expression
Abstract with clear statement of results
Written report: unambiguous title, organization, results, correct grammar and spelling, citations, references
Visual display: neatness, conveys essence of the idea, hypothesis or design statement, results and conclusion(s)
Oral presentation: understanding or from memory; questions answered correctly and clearly
Originality & Creativity
New idea, concept, principle, hypothesis, insight or non-obvious approach or problem definition
Novel association or relationship of previous discoveries or knowledge
Rigorous and exhaustive analyses of extensive or robust data or results that reveal previously unknown relations
Inquiry or design-based rather than a summary of knowledge
Teamwork (if applicable)
All members have shown active participation and understanding of the entire project
Team members participate equally in presentation
Individual expertise or contributions are explained
All team members participate in correctly and clearly answering questions
Rejudging
Rejudging is automatic if all three of the following conditions apply:
(1) the judges' final ratings are in different categories (Superior, Excellent, Good, or Satisfactory);
(2) the average of the judges' scores is in the lower category; and
(3) the judges differ in their total points by more than five points.
Under exceptional circumstances, a project may be rejudged at District Science Day with the approval of the District Science Day Director or designee.
When a project qualifies for rejudging, the rejudging will determine the score awarded to the project.
The following awards were presented at the 2023 District Science Day.
Ohio State Category Awards
Trophies for the top students with projects in:
Best Project in Agricultural Sciences
Best Project in Cellular and Molecular Biology
Best Project in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Best Project in Biomedical engineering
Best Project in Sustainable Materials and Design
Best Project in Materials Science
Best Project in Materials Science
Making a Difference: Community Engagement Award
Making a Difference: Global Challenges Award
Early Inventor Prize
Early Inventor Prize
Best Project in Electrical Safety
Best Project in Environmental Science and Natural Resources
Best Project in Biochemisty
Best Project in Microbiology
Best Project in Plant Sciences
Best Project in Chemistry
Best Project in Mathematics and Statistics
Best Project in Computers
Best Project in Biomedical and Health Sciences
Best Project in Physics and Astronomy
Best Project in Earth Sciences
Best Project in Zoology
Best Project in Engineering Mechanics
JoAnn Rebbeck Forestry Award
Grade Level Awards
Trophies for the top students with projects in each of the grades 6-12.
Team Award
Trophies for the members of the top team.
School Awards
School trophies to schools with at least 6 projects competing and with at least 70% superiors.
Note: Schools with "No-Show" projects are disqualified from consideration for the school awards.
B-WISER Scholarships
$100 scholarships to the BWISER summer science camp for seventh and eighth grade girls.
Governor's Awards
Governor's Awards certificates for Excellence in Student Research in the following areas:
Biotechnology & Biomedical Technology
Advanced or Alternative Energy
Information Science & Technology Research
Advanced Materials Science
When you register for North Central District Science Day, we collect information about you, your school, and your project. Your name, school, grade, and project information will be posted on the internet and/or printed in the science fair program. No other personal information will be published. We reserve the right to use your name, school, grade, project information and photograph for publicity purposes. We collect personal information such as address, email and phone number so that we may contact you. If you win a special award, some personal information may be given to the sponsor of that special award or we will put you in contact with the award sponsor to provide the information yourself. If you qualify for another competition then some personal information may be given to the organization running that competition. With the exceptions noted above, we will not share your personal information with a third party. Students who qualify for and compete in State Science Day are governed by the Privacy Statement of The Ohio Academy of Science.
