|
Overview The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest pre-college science and engineering competition. Intel ISEF typically brings together 1,500 young scientists and engineers from up to 50 countries annually. The participants showcase their cutting-edge science and engineering projects and compete for nearly $4 million in awards and scholarships. The Society for Science & the Public (SSP), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D. C., has owned and administered the Fair since its inception in 1950.
Each student participant (finalist) in Intel ISEF has a project which is assigned to one of seventeen technical categories. These categories range from Microbiology and Plant Sciences to Mathematical Sciences and Behavioral and Social Sciences. Intel ISEF is the world’s only international science and engineering competition that offers high-school level students an opportunity to compete in such a wide range of scientific and engineering topics. Many of the finalists have either done original scientific work or have developed novel engineering solutions for real life problems. Sponsorship The Fair has been coordinated since 1950 by the Society for Science & the Public, one of the most respected non-profit organizations advancing the cause of science. As title sponsor since 1997, Intel Corporation commits more than $3 million annually to develop and promote the competition. SSP has also received significant support from the corporate world. Intel’s sponsorship of Intel ISEF is part of the Intel® Innovation in Education initiative, collaboration with educators around the world to improve the quality of science and mathematics education. The objective of this program is to help students develop the higher level thinking skills they need to participate and succeed in a knowledge-based economy. For more information, see the Sponsors and Donors page. Student Participants (the Finalists) Pre-college high school students are eligible to enter Intel ISEF. Finalists are selected from over 500 Intel ISEF-affiliated fairs held worldwide. All Intel ISEF-affiliated fairs consist of at least five participating high schools and/or a minimum of 50 students. Each affiliated fair is permitted to send two individual project finalists and one team entry to Intel ISEF. The latter involves a project that has been conducted by two or more students. For more information go to the Students/Teachers page. Student Awards More than 600 individual student and team awards are presented at Intel ISEF. Each entry is judged at least four times with category awards given in first, second, third and fourth place. Awards are $3,000, $1,500, $1,000 and $500 respectively in each of the categories. Additional awards worth over $2.5 million include tuition scholarships, summer internships, scientific field trips, and laboratory equipment provided by Intel, Society for Science & the Public, and nearly 70 other corporate, professional, and government sponsors. The top three winners of Intel ISEF receive a $50,000 scholarship. For more information, see the Awards and Scholarships page. Judging There are two groups of judges at Intel ISEF. Grand Awards Judges are experienced professionals who volunteer their time to evaluate the projects of all participants in the seventeen categories and select the winners of the awards presented by the Fair in each category. Special Awards Judges represent organizations that present their own awards based on the specific criteria of each organization. A Grand Awards Judge is assigned to one of the seventeen categories and must have either a Ph. D. or a minimum of six years of relevant professional work experience in the category. At a typical Intel ISEF there are more than 1,000 Grand Award Judges. For one whole day, the finalists in each category are interviewed by the judges who then select award winners. Each finalist will (typically) be interviewed by ten judges. In post-Fair surveys over the years, finalists have consistently reported that interacting with the judges was the highlight of the Fair for them. For more information, see the Judges page. Location Intel ISEF is held every May and is hosted by a different city each year. Each city has a volunteer Host Committee which is responsible for securing facilities, recruiting judges, promoting volunteerism, and arranging tours. The Committee also raises funds to support the ISEF. For more information, see the Visitor Information page. Other Activities The participants start arriving at Intel ISEF on Saturday and Sunday. The Fair concludes the following Friday morning with the Grand Awards Ceremony. During the week, there are several events aimed at encouraging social interactions between the participants. These activities include a lapel pin exchange session – a traditional and very popular feature of Intel ISEF. In addition to the formal Intel ISEF Opening and Awards Ceremonies, the Host Committee sponsors a Welcome event that involves entertainment and food. On Wednesday evening there is a post-judging Student Celebration that involves dancing as well as food and entertainment. For more information, see the News and Events and the Program Schedule pages. The Host Committee also makes available the option of taking bus tours to places of interest near the Fair location. Tour options for Intel ISEF 2010 in San Jose have not yet been firmly established but are likely to include destinations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, San Francisco, and Yosemite National Park. For more information, see the Attractions page.
 |
