How to Enter

ATTENTION REGION IV PARTICIPANTS: Students selected to participate in Region IV should follow instructions emailed to you to complete registration for the fair. Use your existing login information to log into the Region IV zFairs site. 

CHECK HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT REGION YOUR SCHOOL IS IN.

Each school may enter up to 12 projects, as well as 3 projects on the waiting list. If space is available, waiting list projects will be registered.

IMPORTANT SUMMER RESEARCH NOTE:  CATEGORY 1 Pre-Approval Projects: If you are doing summer research in 2023 that you will enter in the 2024 Region IV Fair, you must email your research plan to scr@scifair.com to get prior SRC approval for your summer research before starting experimentation.

NEW Updated Process to Registration:

All projects that will be participating in a Fair need approval by the Statewide SRC before participating in a Regional or State Fair. 

• STUDENTS: Students seeking participation at the Regional or State Science & Engineering Fair must create a new account and submit their paperwork on this site for review.

• TEACHERS: All teachers must create a new account on this zFairs site before their students.  Teachers should review each student's research plan for safety and ethics. Please watch for updated documents and reach out to info@scifair.com if you need assistance. Review this short teacher tutorial video. See more details below about deadlines and process, and an updated Science Fair Ready Checklist.

• Department heads contact info@scifair.com to setup an account with access to your school projects. 

Submit forms digitally at mahs.zfairs.com once the research plan is complete. Teachers will request approval through the portal when forms are ready.

The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) will use the research plan information to review projects to provide feedback, request revisions, and/or approve accordingly.

Category 1 Projects in restricted areas require PRE-APPROVAL before experimentation (see details below describing Category 1 and 2 projects). 

• December 18, 2023 (Category 1 projects): The final deadline for Category 1 pre-approval projects for all regions. However, students should submit forms and plans to SRC as soon as possible so they are approved before experimentation begins, especially if the project requires several months of work. 

• February 5, 2024 (Category 2 projects): The final deadline for Category 2 projects that do NOT require SRC pre-approval for all regions, but submit as soon as completed.

Check out the updated Science Fair Ready Checklist for the 2024 high school fairs.

CATEGORY 1 Pre-Approval Projects: If you are doing summer research in 2023 that you will enter in the 2024 Region IV Fair, you must email your research plan to scr@scifair.com to get prior SRC approval for your summer research before starting experimentation. This includes students who plan to conduct research during the summer. This prior approval MUST come from the Statewide Scientific Review Committee (SRC) before experimentation for projects that involve:

Category 1) PRIOR SRC APPROVAL REQUIRED  BEFORE STARTING EXPERIMENTATION:

1) Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents

2) Human Participants/Subjects

3) Potentially Hazardous Chemicals, Activities, and Devices

4) Vertebrate Animals

5) All summer research done at a research institution/university/summer program

See this document for more details and which forms are required.

To help make this process easier for students and teachers, we encourage students to use the research plan templates that can be found at www.scifair.com/fairs/high-school. Having a complete research plan will improve the experience for students and give reviewers the information they need for feedback, adjustments, and approval. 

SRC Reviewers will include Teachers on communications. Please see this link for more information on the roles of the adults.

SRC review (Scientific Review Committee) is an integral part of the fair process, as it ensures that students will engage in safe practices as they conduct their research. The SRC team reviews student research proposals to ensure that students meet safety requirements as outlined in the Massachusetts State Fair manual. Research that might be entered in the regional and/or Massachusetts State Fair must be approved through this process. Projects that do not pass the review and receive approval will not be permitted to be entered into the Regional or State Fairs. 

Please consult the manual for details of what’s allowed and what is exempt. Students can reach out to student@scifair.com to request a preliminary review of a draft research plan.

zFairs

Moving forward zFairs will be used to communicate all project and science fair information. You can find the main page here: https://mahs.zfairs.com. Since this online student paperwork system won’t open until July, summer research plan review and necessary prior approvals will happen via email. Students starting projects in the summer should send their complete research plan to SRC@scifair.com to begin this process.  Reviews will be conducted within 10 days of receipt if the research plan and supporting documents are in order and complete.  

All forms and signatures must be completed digitally on zFairs  except Form 4 for human subject projects. Print Form 4, fill it in, get it signed by the three people listed at the bottom, scan, and upload with signatures. Also upload a copy of any surveys involved and an example of your informed consent form. These can be uploaded in the support documents on the lower left of your zFairs dashboard.

Once zFairs opens for the 2023-24 school year, you will receive notification to upload your forms and information. The deadline for SRC approval this year is December 18th. 

Please explore the statewide website at www.scifair.com for additional information and guides. 

Teachers are encouraged to join the  Science Fair Ready Network for ongoing updates and access to resources, or on Facebook in a private group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sciencefairready/ 

Click on this link for free summer training for teachers. Some of these trainings are geared toward helping you support your students with specific skills. Other training sessions help support teachers navigating the SRC paperwork process.  Completing the SRC training is part of a pathway to become a certified local SRC for your school's projects.

• DEADLINE FOR SRC APPROVAL ON ZFAIRS BY THE DEADLINE: DECEMBER 18, 2023

Category 2) ALL OTHER PROJECTS: DEADLINE FEBRUARY 5, 2024

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS: 

PLEASE ONLY REGISTER IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REGION IV FAIR BY YOUR SCHOOL.

• Write your research plan for Form 1: Worksites Part of Form 1A by following the MSEF research plan guidelines/instructions. 

• After confirming that you have been selected by your school, register on zFairs and complete Forms 1A, 1B, and Form 1. You may also need to fill out Form 3 Risk Assessment if your project used hazardous chemicals, activities, or devices.

• OBTAIN ALL SIGNATURES ON THE  Region IV zFairs SITE BY THE DEADLINE: February 5, 2024

All forms and signatures must be completed digitally on zFairs  except Form 4 for human subject projects. Print Form 4, fill it in, get it signed by the three people listed at the bottom, scan, and upload with signatures. Also upload a copy of any surveys involved and an example of your informed consent form. These can be uploaded in the support documents on the lower left of your zFairs dashboard.