The Charles Duggan Long Island Science and Engineering Fair (LISEF) is an annual competition for the most advanced high school projects where participants have an opportunity to present to professionals in their subject areas from local universities, scientific institutions, and professionals in the field. The organization's mission is to promote excellence in scientific inquiry and discovery in Long Island schools.
Presently, LISEF is composed of two rounds of in-person judging to determine which projects advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). On day 1, all students present their work to at least two judges, with at least twenty-five percent in each category selected to participate in a second round of judging on day 2.
Participants’ scores on both days and the number of judges they have had at each round are used in a formula to determine their ranking within categories for the final determination. Students must select one of the 22 research categories used at Regeneron ISEF in order to compete.
Location(s)
- Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, Long Island, NY
Schedule
- November through March
Cost/Compensation
- Entry fee is $240 for each student, individual, or team member, and covers both rounds
- If paying through Eastern Suffolk BOCES, the fee is $288 per student; this cost is inclusive of the ESBOCES administrative fees
Eligibility Requirements
- All students (including all members of a team) must be affiliated with a Nassau or Suffolk County school
- Project must cover research done over a maximum of 12 continuous months prior to the event taking place
- Students must be enrolled in grades 9 through 12 and not have reached age 20 on or before May 1 preceding ISEF
Deadline
- December
Application or Entry Requirements
- A team may consist of 2 or 3 members
- All individuals and team members must attend a school that has submitted a Commitment Agreement
- Each school must have a school liaison
- The LISEF SRC serves as an approval committee for vertebrate projects performed in a school, home, or field. All approvals for these types of studies must be done prior to experimentation
- All published instruments that are not in the public domain must be administered, scored, and interpreted by a Qualified Scientist as required by the instrument publisher
Notifications of Decisions
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
- Student registration opens in November
Have other questions?
The Long Island Science and Engineering Fair (LISEF) is a nonprofit organization that promotes three science research fairs: the Middle School Fair; the Junior Varsity (JV) Fair; and the Charles Duggan Long Island Science and Engineering Fair.
Every year, LISEF sponsors up to 20 projects to the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), helping students affiliated with Nassau or Suffolk County educational institutions compete for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, and scientific field trips.
