The Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair (DRSEF) is an annual science fair for 6th - 12th grade students at public, charter, private, and home schools in Texas Education Agency Region 10. DRSEF is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Students begin by entering the fair at their local school, then the top projects at each school advance to district fairs and then the regional fair. Winning projects from DRSEF can then advance to state and international competitions.
The Junior Division of DRSEF is a competitive event for 6th-8th graders. The Senior Division is a competitive event for 9th-12th graders. All participating students are required to register their projects through the STEM Wizard registration system and follow all the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Rules with the exception that instead of the ISEF forms, Junior Division will submit the Safety and Consent Form for Texas Middle School Science Fair Students.
Beal Bank awards cash prizes for 1st – 3rd place in each category judged, with 4th place awarded for larger categories. Junior Division prizes of up to $175 are awarded along with Senior Division prizes up to $300. Honorable Mentions are also awarded during Category judging. 1st and 2nd place winners in Senior Division and 1st place and 2nd place winners in Junior Division from Category judging advance to the Texas Science and Engineering Fair.
The top ten percent of Junior Division are invited to enter Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, an international science fair for Middle School students. Invitations are issued after the fair. Winners and runners-up from the Grand Prize round in the Senior Division advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, with attendance sponsored by Beal Bank. Students may also be eligible to enter competitions such as Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors affiliated with ISEF.
Location(s)
- Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
Schedule
- Annually in February
Cost/Compensation
- $15 per student
Eligibility Requirements
- Texas students in grades 6-12 in Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties and part of Henderson and Van Zandt counties who have entered local fairs and become eligible to advance to district fairs and then the regional fair.
- If there is a science fair program in a school, district, or other entity that the student falls under, then only students in that program that are advanced by the program may participate in DRSEF.
- Students may not have reached 19 years of age, on or before May 1st of the event year.
- Students are not permitted to simultaneously enter another regional ISEF-affiliated science fair.
- Team projects may have a maximum of three team members. Each team is encouraged to appoint a team leader to coordinate the work and act as spokesperson. However, each member of the team should be able to serve as spokesperson, be fully involved with the project, and must be familiar with all aspects of the project. The final work should reflect the coordinated efforts of all team members and will be evaluated using similar rules and judging criteria as individual projects.
Deadline
- Early February
Application or Entry Requirements
- Completed online registration at STEM Wizard
- Junior Division: Safety and Consent Form
- Senior Division (form requirements will vary based on research topic):
- Checklist for Adult Sponsor (1)
- Student Checklist (1A)
- Research Plan/Project Summary Instructions Approval Form (1B)
- Regulated Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (1C) - 2 pages
- Qualified Scientist Form (2)
- Risk Assessment Form (3) Human Participants Form (4)
- Human Informed Consent Form Vertebrate Animal Form (5A)
- Vertebrate Animal Form (5B)
- Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk Assessment Form (6A)
- Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form (6B)
- Continuation/Research Progression Projects Form (7)
Notifications of Decisions
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
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The Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair (DRSEF) is a non-profit organization that holds an annual science fair for 6th - 12th grade students at public, charter, private and home schools in Texas Education Agency Region 10. DRSEF is supported and run jointly by the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences and the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.
