Research Paperwork & Forms
Are you preparing your summer research for this upcoming academic year of competitions? If so, one of the most critical tasks is ensuring that your paperwork is in order from Day 1. In many science fairs—especially those affiliated with Regeneron ISEF—students must submit and sign several forms to document safety, ethics, oversight, and compliance with rules. Below is a breakdown of the key ISEF forms you’ll need to know, when to complete them, and tips to avoid common errors.
Why these forms matter
The ISEF (International Science & Engineering Fair) forms are not just bureaucracy—they exist to protect participants, human subjects, vertebrate animals, and the environment. They ensure ethical practices and verify that your research adheres to the rules set by Society for Science & the Public.
The forms also allow judges, scientific review committees (SRC), and oversight boards to trace your planning, approvals, risk mitigation, and project evolution.
Because many forms must be signed before experimentation begins, you need to plan your timeline carefully. (Exceptions: Form 1C, 5B, 7, and the abstract are often completed post-experiment.)
Overview of Key ISEF Forms
Here’s a summary of each major form, what it does, and when it’s required. (This list follows the 2026 set of forms published by Society for Science.)
Form 1: Checklist for Adult Sponsor / Safety Assessment
Purpose: This gives the adult sponsor (teacher, mentor, etc.) a checklist guiding which forms are required given the nature of the project. It also helps with assessing safety.
When/Who Signs: Signed by adult sponsor before experimentation begins
Conditions: Always required in all projects
Form 1A: Student Checklist / Research Plan
Purpose: The student outlines project details: objectives, timeline, methodology, location of research, and whether it’s a continuation of past work.
When/Who Signs: Signed by the student (and often the adult sponsor) before experiments start
Conditions: Always required; also helps detect continuation status or whether the project is in a research institution
Form 1B: Approval Form
Purpose: Confirms that parents, SRC, and other oversight bodies have reviewed and approved your project. It has slots for “pre-approval” (if needed) and “final approval.”
When/Who Signs: Student, parent/guardian, SRC (pre and/or post)
Conditions: Required in all projects; especially critical when human subjects, vertebrate animals, or PHBAs are involved
Form 1C: Regulated Research Institution / Industrial Setting
Purpose: Used only when some or all of the work is done at a regulated research institution (e.g. university lab, hospital, industrial facility). It describes what was actually done in such a setting.
When/Who Signs: Signed after the research is completed, by supervising adult or institution
Conditions: Only needed if your project involves work done outside of school/home (i.e. at a research institution)
Form 2: Qualified Scientist
Purpose: The qualified scientist (or designated supervisor) describes their credentials and oversight plan for the project.
When/Who Signs: Signed before experimentation begins
Conditions: Especially needed when students perform work involving advanced equipment, special protocols, or oversight is required
Form 3: Risk Assessment
Purpose: Evaluates any hazards, chemicals, devices, or activities and describes mitigation steps, safety protocols, disposal, etc.
When/Who Signs: Signed before the experimental work begins (by DS or QS)
Conditions: Required whenever the project uses hazardous chemicals, devices, or other risky procedures
Form 4: Human Participants
Purpose: Documents how human subjects will be treated, consent/assent, confidentiality, recruitment, and oversight by IRB.
When/Who Signs: Reviewed and signed by IRB members before the research starts
Conditions: Required when your study involves surveys, questionnaires, interventions, or any interaction with people
Form 5A: Vertebrate Animal (at non-regulated (e.g. home, school, field) site)
Purpose: Describes the care, housing, supervision, and welfare of vertebrate animals in non-institutional settings.
When/Who Signs: Signed before the start of experimentation
Conditions: Only when your project uses vertebrate animals in homes, schools, or field settings
Form 5B: Vertebrate Animal (at regulated research institution)
Purpose: When animal work is done in a regulated institution, this form is used instead, and usually requires IACUC approvals.
When/Who Signs: Signed by the qualified scientist or institution, often after research
Conditions: Only when vertebrate animal research is done at an institutional (regulated) facility
Form 6A: Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents (PHBA)
Purpose: For projects involving microorganisms, recombinant DNA, tissue culture, body fluids, etc. Describes biosafety, sterilization, containment methods.
When/Who Signs: Signed before experimentation begins
Conditions: Triggered when your project involves biological agents or organism manipulations
Form 6B: Human & Vertebrate Animal Tissue
Purpose: Specific to use of tissue (fresh/frozen) from animals or humans. You must document source, handling, disposal, and ethics.
When/Who Signs: Signed before work begins
Conditions: Required when your project includes use of tissues, not just live animals or microorganisms
Form 7: Continuation Projects
Purpose: For projects that build upon previous years’ work, this form explains what’s new this year and how the project differs.
When/Who Signs: Signed by the student (and oversight) after project planning but usually before further experimentation
Conditions: Only required if your current work is in a similar area as past research (“continuation”)
Abstract (Official ISEF Abstract)
Purpsose: A concise 250-word summary of your work: objectives, methods, data, conclusions (excluding acknowledgements).
When/Who Signs: No Signature needed, Written after experimentation; submitted via ISEF portal for finalists
Conditions: Must reflect only the current year’s work; widely used in affiliated fairs too
Note: While many affiliated fairs require these same forms, local or regional fairs may have additional or slightly different paperwork requirements. Always check with your fair’s SRC or documents.
Advice for smooth paperwork (and avoiding common pitfalls)
Here are some best practices and frequent mistakes to watch out for:
Start early. Because many forms must be signed before experiments, plan your paperwork before you even begin experimenting.
Be consistent and cross-reference. Make sure names, dates, hypotheses, project descriptions, and continuation status match across all forms. Inconsistencies are red flags.
Watch the sequence of signatures. For example, parent and student signatures should be dated before the project start date on Form 1A; SRC approval should come before or immediately after. Mistakes here are common.
Don’t neglect the Risk Assessment (Form 3). Many projects involving equipment, chemicals, or devices fail to include a full risk plan. SRC often flags incomplete or missing Form 3.
If you utilize animals, tissues, or use microorganisms, go above and beyond. Trials involving vertebrate animals or biological agents require detailed oversight and intersection with IACUC, IRB, and biosafety considerations.
For continuation projects, clearly articulate novelty. Judges look carefully at whether the “new” work is substantial and how it diverges from past work. Many projects get flagged for insufficient distinction.
Write a clean abstract—no acknowledgements, only current year, no mentor’s work. Faulty abstracts are among the top reasons for disqualification or scoring issues.
Check all signatures. SRС may reject or delay your project if the final SRC signature on Form 1B is missing or incorrectly dated.
Use the Rules Wizard. Society for Science offers a tool to help you figure out which forms you need based on your project’s features.
Keep backups and scans. Maintain both physical and digital copies of all your signed forms—some fairs or ISEF may request them at later stages.
Example Flow of Form Completion (Hypothetical Project)
Let’s walk through a fictional biology project with moderate risk and possible continuation elements to illustrate how these forms interplay:
Student drafts research idea and timeline.
Fill out Form 1A (Student Checklist / Research Plan) with hypothesis, timeline, experiment site, method.
Adult Sponsor reviews the plan, and with that, signs Form 1 (Checklist / Safety Assessment).
If the project uses biological agents or vertebrate animals, student also prepares Form 3, Form 6A/B, or Form 5A/B as needed.
Student obtains Form 2 (Qualified Scientist) signatures from mentor or supervising researcher.
If part of the work is done in a research institution (e.g. use of fresh tissue in a university lab), prepare Form 1C.
Student and parent sign Form 1B (Approval Form); SRC reviews and signs pre-approval if needed.
Experimentation proceeds under approved protocols.
If the project builds on past work, fill out Form 7 (Continuation), explaining what is new this year.
After experiment, student writes the ISEF Abstract and submits it (or uploads via the portal).
Just before competition, SRC gives final approval (signs Form 1B post section).
Prepare physical binders or digital packets for the fair, ensuring all forms and signatures are consistent and complete.
In Conclusion
Understanding and completing ISEF forms is just as critical as designing rigorous experiments. Judges and SRCs pay close attention not just to results, but to your compliance with ethical, safety, and procedural rules. Missing or inconsistent paperwork is among the top causes of disqualification or scoring penalties.
At Science Research Academy, we help students not only refine their research questions and methodology, but also coach them through the procedural and paperwork side of science fairs. If you’d like help mapping which forms you’ll need for your specific project—or want guided checks of your paperwork—just let us know!
