ISEF Forms: Form-filling guide

This page is relevant for Main Category projects only. Junior Scientist projects do not require ISEF Forms.

Step 1a: Download the ISEF Forms here (clickable link)

*Note: the downloaded file will be in a ZIP folder.

If the project team comprises students from different schools, the teacher coordinator of the student team leader (i.e. member 1) would be in charge of uploading the completed form.

Step 1b: Extract the Microsoft Excel form from the ZIP folder.

Step 2: Fill up tabs "Form 1" and "Form 1A" first.

Forms 1 and 1A are compulsory for ALL projects. Details in these two forms will be automatically transferred to other tabs/forms.

Refer to the table at the bottom of this page for key requirements in filling up these two forms.

The excel form has been programmed such that:

Compulsory fields in each tab are highlighted in blue. Please ensure that you read the fields and fill in as necessary.
Auto-populated fields are highlighted in green.
Text in red indicate possible errors. Please rectify these errors (if applicable) before submitting the form. You may ignore "errors" that are automatically indicated for sections that are not relevant to your submission.

Form 1A requires attachment of a research plan / project summary. Refer to the steps below to embed the research plan / project summary.

Note about Supplementary Documents

There are two ways to submit supplementary documents e.g., IRB approval letters and research plans:

Embed files in the Excel file (see instructions below); OR
Teacher Coordinators can upload the documents as additional files on Google Drive. Please label these files clearly with the project code and type of document e.g. "AS001_research plan".

Embedding files in Excel

a. Go to "Insert" tab and click on "Text" button as shown below. Click on the "Object" button.

(Note: The interface may differ slightly across versions of Microsoft Excel.)

b. In the dialog box, click on the tab "Create from file".

Check "Display as icon" so that the file icon will appear. The "link to file" should be left unchecked.

Click on "Browse" to select the file that you want to embed, then click "OK".

c. The icon of the file that you have embedded should appear in the cell.

Step 3: Fill up Form 1B.

Form 1B is compulsory for ALL projects.

If it is an individual project, only the first box would need to be filled in.

If it is a team project, the boxes for Team Member 2 and Team Member 3 would need to be filled in accordingly.

Signatures would need to be inserted into the tab Form 1B. This can be inserted as an image.

Leave section 3 blank.

Inserting Signatures

Signatures can be inserted:

As an image (Insert -> Pictures -> Place in Cell) [preferred method], or
Using the "Ink" function if the computer supports it, or
Using digital signature functions if available. (If a time stamp is provided, the time stamp must be before the start date of experimentation.)

Step 4: Depending on the nature of your project, please fill in Forms 2 to 7 accordingly.

You may wish to refer to the ISEF rules wizard to aid you in determining the necessary forms to fill in.

The table below indicates some key pointers to note when completing Forms 2 to 7. Please refer to the ISEF rulebook for more information on the forms.

Form

Description

(2) Qualified Scientist Form

Required for projects that involve human participants, vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous biological agents and hazardous substances and devices.

To be completed and signed by the Direct Supervisor and/or Qualified Scientist before experimentation as stated in Form 1A.

(3) Risk Assessment Form

Required for projects involving human participants, hazardous chemicals, materials or devices or potentially hazardous biological agents.

To be signed before experimentation by the Direct Supervisor or Qualified Scientist as stated in Form 1A.

(4) Human Participants Form (with Human Informed Consent Form)

Required for all research involving human participants (including surveys or interviews), not at a Regulated Research Institution. If at a Regulated Research Institution, use institutional approval forms for documentation of prior review and approval.

Note 1: All human participant studies involving minors (students under 18 years of age) must receive assent from the student participant and written parental permission from a legal guardian.
Note 2: When working with a facility where participants live or attend programming (e.g. retirement home, daycare, prison, etc.) written approval from the facility must be obtained as well as informed consents for the individual participants.

IRB approval is required before experimentation as stated in Form 1A.

The educator on the IRB panel cannot be the Adult Sponsor.

(5A) Vertebrate Animal Form

Required for all research that involves vertebrate animals conducted in a school/home/field research site.

SRC approval and other approvals is needed before experimentation as stated in Form 1A.

Certification by a veterinarian is required if the project involves any of the following: animal husbandry, supplemental nutrition, administration of prescription drugs and/or activities that would not be ordinarily encountered in the animal’s daily life

(5B) Vertebrate Animal Form

Required for all research that involves vertebrate animals conducted at a Regulated Research Institution.

IACUC approval and other approvals are needed before experimentation as stated in Form 1A.

(6A) Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk Assessment Form

Required for all research involving microorganisms, rDNA, fresh/ frozen tissue (including primary cell lines, human and other primate established cell lines and tissue cultures), blood, blood products and body fluids.

SRC/IACUC/IBC approval and other approvals are needed before experimentation as stated in Form 1A.

*PHBAs include: potentially hazardous microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses, viroids, rickettsia, fungi, parasites),recombinant DNA (rDNA), fresh/frozen tissue (including primary cell lines, human and other primate established cell lines and tissue cultures),blood and body fluids. Projects involving such PHBAs require both Forms 6A and 6B.

(6B) Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form

Required for research involving fresh/ frozen tissue (including primary cell lines, human and other primate established cell lines and tissue cultures), fresh organs (or other body parts), blood, blood products and body fluids. If the research involves living organisms, please ensure that relevant forms for human participants or vertebrate animals are completed. All projects using any tissue listed above must also complete Form 6A.

To be completed before experimentation as stated in Form 1A.

(7) Continuation/ Research Progression Projects Form

Required for projects that are a continuation/ progression in the same field of study as a previous project. This form must be accompanied by the previous year's abstract and Research Plan/ Project Summary.

Date of Signature must be on/after experimentation as stated in Form 1A.

Step 5: Upload the completed Form.

Please rename the file clearly with the project code (e.g. AS001_Forms.xlsx) before uploading.

The Teacher Coordinator of each participating school would have received the unique link to their school's Google Drive folder via email.

If the project team comprises students from different schools, the teacher coordinator of the student team leader (i.e. member 1) should upload the completed form to their school's folder. Teacher Coordinators of members 2 and 3 need not upload the form in their school's folder.

Please contact the SSEF organising team at ssef@moe.edu.sg should you have queries regarding the forms.

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