TNJSF Rules and Policies 

We enforce the ISEF International Rules for Pre-College Research . We also enforce the following additional rules:     

• We are not using ISEF forms for 2025.  We will use the FAVR system instead.  That system will provide ISEF forms for the projects sent to ISEF.  No ISEF forms will be uploaded via zfairs. 
• We let the students select general category areas during the registration process. The judging coordinators will then assign projects to their final categories, which will be more detailed than the four that are available on the Registration Form.   
• The Research Plan is constructed using FAVR.. 
• If a team includes a student outside the TNJSF region, then see a more detailed statement of the TNJSF eligibility requirements .   
• The TNJSF  Entry Form is no longer required (it is replaced by the student and sponsor signatures on FAVR)..   
• Forms 1C and 1CC are replaced by the Mentor Reports in FAVR.      
• Any project that makes use of vertebrate animals (or tissues), human subjects, or biological agents must finish the initial FAVR submissions, with signatures, by Dec 1.
• If a student is analyzing data from a parent project that required IACUC or IRB approval, then we require that the IACUC or IRB approval document be uploaded as an additional document in FAVR.  If data on a human subjects project are supplied by a mentor, then FAVR will require submission of the IRB approval of the parent project..  The SRC may also require a letter stating that the dataset was  properly deidentified before the student used it.  These documents are not required by ISEF in such cases, but we require them.
• In addition, ANY PROJECT WHERE THE STUDENT WORKED DIRECTLY WITH VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OR ANIMAL TISSUE must receive preapproval from the TNJSF SRC prior to beginning experimental work, not just from your IACUC. 

Attachments   

If your form requires attachments (e.g. the mentor letter mentioned above, then you can upload those using the Review tab on FAVR.

Category Assignments

The projects are assigned to categories by the judging coordinators (judges@tnjsf.org), based on your research plan.  The assignments will be confirmed by email.  If you have questions, please contact them.

Fee Waiver   

If the submission fee is a hardship for you, please contact tnjsf@terraed.org for a fee waiver.   

Fees Paid by School District  

If the school is going to pay fees, then that must be specified by the teacher/sponsor in contact with the Fair Director at tnjsf@terraed.org. If the school is paying the fees, then the teacher can generate an invoice for the fees required for his/her students, after they register, and use it to submit payment. If your district requires a response from us prior to initiating payment, please send the request to the address indicated on the invoice. Note that we must receive either such a purchase order or the payment by the Entry Deadline.  

If the school does NOT indicate it is paying fees, then the students will be required to do so. You can defer payment by "generating an invoice," but you will still be expected to use the online payment system.

About the TNJSF

In 2017, the name was changed to Nokia Bell Labs North Jersey Regional Science Fair. In 2020, the plan to hold the fair at Nokia Bell Labs was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fair was held remotely for three years, 2020 to 2022, with substantial help from Nokia in setting up the remote judging.

As of 2023, we affiliated with Terra Science Education, and the new name of the fair became the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair, or TNJSF. For 2025, it will be held at Kean University, in their STEM Building, March 22-23, 2025.

The NJRSF still exists as a nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS, but Terra will be handling all accounting, and contributions will be handled by them, until further notice.

For general questions it is appropriate to contact the Fair Director on tnjsf@terraed.org.  For specific questions about registration, judging, awards, or SRC clearance, please see our full list of contacts.

What to Expect During the Fair

The first phase of judging begins on Feb 7, when judges will begin reviewing approved research plans, Forms 1C or 1CC, and (optionally) submitted abstracts, to select roughly 100-120 projects for participation in the exhibition phase of the fair.  These results are scheduled to be announced on Feb 22, the day after the final SRC clearance deadline.   Shortly thereafter, we will announce the final categories and project IDs.

Regardless of the Phase One results, all projects in the fair are required to submit an abstract by the abstract deadline, which is Mar 4, 2024

All projects selected for exhibit are also required to submit a presentation file (either PowerPoint or PDF format).  This is optional for the projects not exhibiting.  The deadline for first submission of this file is March 11.  These files will be reviewed for compliance with display and safety rules.  If revisions are requested, a revised file may be submitted until the approval deadline, March 18, 2024.

The exhibit will be at Kean University, March 23-24,2024  The detailed schedule is posted on the TNJSF website: https://tnjsf.org/tnjsf2024/FairSchedule.html

TNJSF Judging Criteria

The following evaluation criteria are used for judging at the TNJSF. As shown below, science and engineering have different criteria, each with four sections as well as suggested scoring for each section. Each section includes key items to consider for evaluation both before and after the interview.

Judging Criteria for Science Projects

1. Research Question (20 pts)
   • ___ clear and focused purpose
   • ___ identifies contribution to field of study
   • ___ testable using scientific methods
2. Design and Methodology (20 pts)
   • ___ well designed plan and data collection methods
   • ___ variables and controls defined, appropriate, and complete
3. Execution: Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation (20 pts)
   • ___ systematic data collection and analysis
   • ___ reproducibility of results
   • ___ appropriate application of mathematical and statistical methods
   • ___ sufficient data collected to support interpretation and conclusions
4. Presentation (40 pts)
   1. Poster (20 pts)
      • ___ logical organization of material
      • ___ clarity of graphics and legends
      • ___ supporting documentation displayed
   2. Interview (20 pts)
      • ___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions
      • ___ understanding of basic science relevant to project
      • ___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions
      • ___ degree of independence in conducting project
      • ___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics
      • ___ quality of ideas for further research
      • ___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members

Judging Criteria for Engineering Projects

1. Research Problem (20 pts)
   • ___ description of a practical need or problem to be solved
   • ___ definition of criteria for proposed solution
   • ___ explanation of constraints
2. Design and Methodology (20 pts)
   • ___ exploration of alternatives to answer need or problem
   • ___ identification of a solution
   • ___ development of a prototype/model
3. Execution: Construction and Testing (20 pts)
   • ___ prototype demonstrates intended design
   • ___ prototype has been tested in multiple conditions/trials
   • ___ prototype demonstrates engineering skill and completeness
4. Presentation (40 pts)
   1. Poster (20 pts)
      • ___logical organization of material
      • ___clarity of graphics and legends
      • ___ supporting documentation displayed
   2. Interview (20 pts)
      • ___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions
      • ___ understanding of basic science relevant to project
      • ___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions
      • ___ degree of independence in conducting project
      • ___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics
      • ___ quality of ideas for further research
      • ___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members