EPSEF - Eastern Panhandle Science and Engineering Fair

EPSEF 2021 - Virtual Edition

Affiliated with:

Regeneron ISEF
 
What's New?
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, EPSEF 2021 will be a virtual event.  Students will submit project information online, judging will be online, and the awards ceremony will be online. However, student awards and prizes are 100% real!
 
Instead of the traditional project display board or poster, this year's virtual fair equivalent consists of a "Quad Chart", a summary document that is kind of like a mini-poster, and more detailed "Project Presentation" that is essentially a printout of a PowerPoint slideshow.
 
There will be no live or even remote interviews with judges.  Instead, students have the option of making brief video presentations for judges to view offline.
 
Because not every student has the opportunity to participate in school or county science fairs this season, students will be allowed to directly enter EPSEF 2021 without having to advance through those fairs.
 
Unlike previous years when students submitted application paperwork to their teachers, students will electronically submit applications and project files directly to EPSEF.
Dates
Application and Project Submission Window: March 1 - March 12, 2021 at 11:59 PM
Project Review and Judging: March 13-16, 2021
Awards Ceremony via Zoom: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 7:00 PM
Location
Online
100% Virtual
Eligibility
Students in grades 9-12 from the Eastern Panhandle counties of Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Pendleton, and the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
Affiliation
EPSEF 2021 is affiliated with the Society for Science and Regeneron ISEF.
 
As a Society-affiliated fair, students who participate in EPSEF must observe the International Rules for Pre-college Science Research.
WVSEF
Because the 2021 West Virginia Science and Engineering Fair is planning to allow direct entry of one student from each school, advancement through the regional fair is not required or permitted.  Students who compete in WVSEF are welcome to also participate in EPSEF.  The top two winners at EPSEF will advance to Virtual Regeneron ISEF 2021.
How To Enter
Submit all required items and any recomended or optional items by 11:59 PM Friday, March 12, 2021.  See EPSEF 2021 Project Items for more information and the Virtual Regeneron ISEF 2021 Project Material Guidelines (15-page Word document) for complete details.
 
REQUIRED Items:
 
  1. Submit the electronic EPSEF 2021 Application Form and Abstract online.
 
  2. Work with your science teacher to complete the required ISEF paperwork. (Your science teacher will scan and email the completed forms to apply@epsef.org.)
  3. Email your Project Presentation, Quad Chart, and any recommended/optional items listed below to apply@epsef.org.
 
RECOMMENDED Items:
 
  5. Project Video (2-minute maximum)
 
OPTIONAL Items:
 
  6. Video Demonstration/Simulation/Animation (1 minute maximum)
  7. Research Paper
  8. Lab Notebook Image/Excerpt
Categories
The reduced number of categories is due to limited participation in this years' fair.
  1. Animal Sciences
  2. Plant Sciences
  3. Physical Sciences
  4. Applied Sciences
  5. Engineering
  6. Mathematics
Awards
Category Awards - EPSEF recognizes the top three projects in each category with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards. 
 
Special Awards - As Society affiliated fair, EPSEF may recognize the best qualifying projects with the following special awards:
  • American Meteorological Society
  • American Psychological Association
  • ASM Materials Education Foundation
  • Association for Women Geoscientists
  • Mu Alpha Theta
  • NASA Earth System Science Award
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Office of Naval Research - U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps
  • Ricoh USA, Inc.
  • Society for In Vitro Biology
  • U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
  • U.S. Air Force
  • U.S. Metric Association
  • U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize
  • Yale Science and Engineering Association
Grand Awards - The First Runner Up and the "Best of Show" are recognized with advancement to Regeneron ISEF 2021. 
Additional Info
The EPSEF Virtual Science Fair is brand NEW for everyone involved.  The goal is to give interested students the opportunity to participate in EPSEF 2021.  Don't panic if you have difficulty.  Usually a brief conversation with your science teacher will resolve any issue.  If you still need help, send an email or have your parent/guardian contact the appropriate director, below.
 
Your Adult Sponsor must be your science teacher (or another teacher if your science teacher is not available), even if you are learning from home due to the pandemic.
 
Please be aware that extra time may be required to complete the required paperwork and obtain signatures from your teacher and others.  Plan accordingly.  
Contact
Shane Price, Coordinator/Technical Director
Tel: 304-270-7769
Email: d.price@k12.wv.us
 
Pat Mason, High School Fair Director
Tel: 304-788-0284 or 540-336-0072
Email: rpmason1@msn.com
 
-- Updated Mar 16, 2021 SP