The Lehigh Valley Science and Engineering Research Fair follows the rules of Society for Science. Both Delaware Valley Science Fair and ISEF follow the same set of rules.
LVSF Rules:
- Refer to ISEF
- LVSF Participants must attend school in Lehigh or Northampton County
- Students in grades 6-12 may participate
- Advancing to Del Val:
- First, Second & Third place in each category in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12
- First place in grades 7 & 8
- Final count of participants that can advance to Del Val is determined by Del Val. More winners may advance.
- Deadlines
- All participants must adhere to the published deadlines.
- Late registrations will not be accepted or allowed.
- Dishonesty
- Falsified information will lead to disqualification.
- All participants must complete the "Lehigh University Indemnity Release for Activities Involving Minors." Upload the completed form to your portal on STEM Wizard.
Notable Changes for 2026:
Read this document that highlights all changes to ISEF rules. These rules must be followed at LVSF and Del Val.
Form Changes for 2026
- Student Checklist (1A)
- Added clarification on question 6 section b that Form 7s for all previous project years are required.
- Explain how this project is new and different from previous years on
- Continuation/Research Progression Form (7); include forms for all previous years
- Explain how this project is new and different from previous years on
- Added clarification on question 6 section b that Form 7s for all previous project years are required.
- Regulated Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (1C)
- First bullet under number 1, received data was added
- Used equipment and/or received data
- First bullet under number 1, received data was added
- Qualified Scientist Form (2)
- Question 3 was added
- 3. Did you provide any data; if yes, please provide source or describe
- Question 3 was added
- Risk Assessment Form 3
- Added second sentence to number 3.
- Describe the safety precautions and procedures that will be used to reduce the risks. If you conducted fieldwork, include permits received and safety plans, as applicable.
- Added second sentence to number 3.
- Human Participants Form (4)
- Under IRB USE ONLY section, combined numbers 3 and 4 and removed the No checkbox
- Under IRB USE ONLY section, #6. Was added.
- 6. Facility for “protected groups” used, written approval has been obtained. Yes No
- Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk Assessment Form (6A)
- Added sentence to the end of the intro.
• The student researcher must minimize the impact of an experiment on the environment. - Under Section 1: Project Assessment, reworded number 2.
- 2. Describe the biosafety level of the experimentation site.
- Under Section 1: Project Assessment, in number 3, changed “hood type” to “safety cabinet type”
- Under Section 1: Project Assessment, deleted number 4.
- Provided links to the BSL-2 checklist throughout the document
- Under Section 3, checkbox 2 was added.
- This project involves the culturing of Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs). It has been conducted in a BSL-2 or higher lab at a Regulated Research Institution and the required IBC pre-approval is attached. Date of IBC approval ____________________
- Final SRC signature box was removed. SRC should be signing form 1B either 2a or 2b, depending on if the project needed pre-approval from the fair’s SRC (2a) or if the project was done at an RRI and received pre-approval from the RRI and not the fair’s SRC (2b).
- Added sentence to the end of the intro.
- Continuation/Research Progression Projects Form (7)
- Added to the bottom of the form another checkbox for additional Form 7s