How to Enter

The 2025 Region IV Fair took place on Friday, March 7, 2025 - congratulations to everyone who participated!

2025 FAIR REGISTRATION: Use the information below to start the registration process at mahs.zfairs.com. A detailed checklist can be found here.

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

ELIGIBILITY: Eligibility for MA regional and state science fair is based on school affiliation, and students should coordinate with their school for permission to participate before beginning their project. Students who cannot secure support of their school should review the Student Eligibility Policy to review options. 

Each school may enter up to 10 projects with 2 waiting list projects. If space is available, waiting list projects will be registered.

IMPORTANT SUMMER RESEARCH NOTE:  If you are doing research during the summer of 2024 that you will enter in the 2025 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.

Updated Process to Registration:

All projects that will be participating in a Fair need approval by the Statewide Scientific Review Committee (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 on mahs.zfairs.com and submit their paperwork for review.

• TEACHERS: All new teachers must create a new account on this zFairs site before their students.  If you created a teacher account previously on mahs.zfairs.com, use your account info to login. 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. 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/ 

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

INSTRUCTIONS AND DEADLINES:

The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) will use your form information and research plan to review projects to provide feedback, request revisions, and/or approve accordingly. Projects are reviewed on a rolling basis. Basic instructions below - check out the updated Science Fair Ready Checklist for the 2025 high school fairs for full details.

1. Watch the tutorials for filling out paperwork, creating student accounts, and uploading paperwork. 

2. Draft your Research Plan (aka Project Plan). This will help you identify materials you’ll need, background research to do, where you may need support or consultation, and what forms you’ll need to submit for your project. Additional Project Plan templates, including those for non-restricted areas, can be found here: Templates here. Take the time to do background research and design a solid, detailed plan for your experiment or engineering goal.

3. Find a teacher or your school's science fair representative and consult them about your project. They should be listed as your teacher sponsor. Make sure that your teacher reviews your research plan to get feedback before you start. If you are doing a project that requires pre-approval (see above), apply for pre-approval on zFairs before starting experimentation.

4. Prepare, upload, and submit your paperwork packet at MAHS.zfairs.com by the deadlines below. Projects submitted at the deadline that are incomplete may not be approved.

• December 15, 2024: PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE Forms 3, 4, 5 or 6 - ZFAIRS FORM SUBMISSION DEADLINE. Students should submit forms on zFairs as soon as possible and must be approved before experimentation begins.

• January 15, 2025: FINAL DEADLINE FOR OTHER PROJECTS. The final deadline for form submission on zFairs for projects that do not require forms 3, 4, 5, or 6.

5. Get your teacher or school science fair representative to review your paperwork and have them click the "MARK READY" box when your paperwork is ready for review. No SRC review will take place until your teacher marks your project ready. Projects will not be reviewed until this box is checked. Incomplete projects will not be reviewed. 🎦  Tutorial here.

6. Make sure to check your email regularly to see if the SRC has approved your project or if they want you to revise your forms and follow up with them. 

7. Make sure to get a notebook to document your experiment!! The notebook must have dates. A physical composition notebook is preferred, but you can keep a digital notebook. Keep a research notebook with dated entries, either as handwritten notes in a notebook or a digital notebook that can be printed out. In either case, document and record your thought process and keep an organized record of your data and observations. Suggestions for setting up your project notebook can be found here. Exemplars can be found here.

8. Complete your project making sure to record notes, data, and calculations in your lab notebook.

9. Write your research paper.

10. Once you hear that you've been selected to participate in the Region IV Fair, you will get additional instructions about completing your project board and submitting your abstract.

DECEMBER 15, 2024: Form submission deadline for projects that require Forms 3, 4, 5, or 6. You must receive approval from SRC before starting your project.

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: If you are doing summer research in 2024 that you will enter in the 2025 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.

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

JANUARY 15, 2025: Form submission deadline for all other projects.