Mark your Calendar~ March 28, 2026 for the 45th Annual Secondary Science & Engineering Fair.
Check back for more information on how to register.
This regional ISEF affiliated science fair is open to all students (private, public or homeschooled) who live in or attend school in Frederick County, Maryland.
Students DO NOT need to qualify through a school fair to participate in this county level fair.
Students may enter only project per year. Project must be conducted for no more than a year between January 1, 2024 and the fair.
All HS & MS participants must complete an official ISEF packet (Forms 1, 1A, 1B, Research Plan) as well as register online. Participants with potentially hazardous projects (human subjects, vertebrates, biological agents, institution based projects, hazardous chemicals, etc.) MUST complete additional ISEF forms and receive pre-approval as needed.
All registration materials (online registration & ISEF paperwork) are due to the FCPS Secondary Science Office 191 South East St. Frederick MD 21701 by March 2, 2025 at 11:59 pm. Paperwork can be sent electronically to science.fair@fcps.org, uploaded with registration, or in hard copy.
*Please contact Colleen.Beall@fcps.org or science.fair@fcps.org with any special accommodations required for judging on Saturday.
PROJECT CATEGORIES (For help selecting the proper category for your project): https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/categories-and-subcategories/ The category you entered at the school level may be different than the county level.
HS OVERALL WINNER & RUNNER UP advance to compete in the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), in Columbus, Ohio May 11-16, 2025.
Top MS winners qualify to enter the national Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Competition (JIC)! 300 semifinalists are selected from across the nation and the top 30 compete in Washington DC!
Event Details:
Tuscarora High School - 5312 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick, MD 21703
NO WALK-INS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
SET-UP Friday, March 21, 2025 - 5:30PM - 7:30PM (You must check in project during this time to be eligible for judging on Saturday) (Gymnasium)
JUDGING Saturday, March 22, 2025 (Gymnasium) (Only students allowed in the gymnasium during judging)
HS JUDGING: Saturday (March 22, 2025) 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (All HS participants must be present the entire time)
MS JUDGING: Saturday (March 22, 2025) (MS participants must be present for their category time)
9:00AM - 11:00AM - must be present entire time for the following categories: Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Biomedical & Health Sciences, Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design, Environmental Engineering, Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy, Robotics & Intelligent Machines, Technology Advances the Arts
10:00AM - 12:00PM - must be present entire time for the following categories: Behavioral & Social Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Embedded Systems, Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics, Materials Science, Microbiology, Plant Sciences, Systems Software, Translational Medical Science
OPEN TO PUBLIC: 3:00 - 4:00 PM
AWARDS CEREMONY: 4:00 PM (Auditorium)
REMOVE PROJECTS by 5:15 PM
LOTS of prizes and specialty awards for all grades, 6-12!
Not responsible for projects not picked up.