Schedule
- Mon. Aug. 1, 2022 at 8:00am PST: Project Registration opens – required for ALL projects!
- Wed. Feb. 1, 2023 at 11:59pm PST: Project Registration closes – required for ALL projects. No exceptions.
- Wed. Feb 20, 2023 11:59pm PST: Project Submittal – Presentation slide deck, Log book, Video Submittal deadline. No exceptions. Project submittal will be allowed only for students who have completed their project registration on or before the deadline Wed. Feb. 1, 2023 at 11:59pm PST.
- Wed. Mar.8, 2023: Project Judging for Board Awards (Zoom)
- Sun. Mar TBD, 2023: Open House & Awards Assembly – Chapman University (In-Person) ***
- Sat. Mar 18, 2023: ISEF Judging
***Subject to change
Multi-step Registration Process
The Registration Process using SurveyMonkey is a multi-step process which includes:
- SRC Initial Screening
- Pre-Approval w/ Certifications
- Project Registration
Use this link to begin the multi-step process: https://ocsef.smapply.io/prog/67_ocsef_2022/
Initial Screening
All projects require initial screening. OCSEF is using SurveyMonkey Apply for our 2023 registration software. The first step, Initial Project Screening should be started well before the Initial Project Screening deadline, Fri. Feb. 4, 2023 by all Orange County students planning to enter a project in our 2023 Fair. This allows time for students to complete all the steps of the registration process by Project Registration deadline. Due to the nature of science and engineering research, the initial screening process is for YOUR SAFETY and PROTECTION.
Registration: https://ocsef.smapply.io/prog/67_ocsef_2022/
Project Pre-Approval
Projects involving (1) humane treatment of live vertebrate animals, (2) hazards control (i.e. projects involving microbiology, vertebrate animal tissue, hazardous chemicals and hazardous equipment), (3) human subjects and/or (4) regulated research (at a lab facility) must follow proper state/federal safety regulations and submit a proposal, along with appropriate Certification Form(s), for additional pre-approval prior to the start of any research. After completing the Initial Screening, if the student answers “yes” to any/all of the 4 questions posed, the registration system will move students to the Pre-Approval Questionnaire which will require completion of appropriate certification forms.
https://ocsef.smapply.io/prog/67_ocsef_2022/
Please contact src.ocsef@gmail.com for any additional questions.
Project Registration
Once a student completes the Initial Screening and Pre-Approval (with appropriate certification forms, if needed), the Registration System will move students to PROJECT REGISTRATION for the Virtual OCSEF competition https://ocsef.smapply.io/prog/67_ocsef_2022/
- Initial Project Screening opens Aug. 1, 2022
- Initial Project Screening – required for ALL projects – closes Feb. 4, 2023
- SRC review and approval process with required certification forms closes Feb. 11, 2022
- Project Registration closes Feb 1, 2023
- Application Status can be found at https://ocsef.smapply.io/prog/67_ocsef_2022
The following project components must be uploaded to the OCSEF student project registration site (Detailed instructions for uploading will be on the SURVEY MONKEY project registration site: https://ocsef.smapply.io/prog/67_ocsef_2022/
- Maximum 3 min video about your project
- Project summary report
- Picture of your display board
- Pictures of key pages from the log book
OCSEF offers two options for students to submit their projects:
Option #1: Traditional Display Board
Prepare a traditional display board that adheres to all specifications and restrictions. This may be an option for students who need a traditional display board for other purposes. Upon completion, upload a digital picture of your board when registering your project online . The digital picture must capture ALL essential board components AND BE CLEARLY VISIBLE AND READABLE TO ANY VIEWER.
Option #2: Slide Deck Presentation (see link to template below – highly recommended)
Use a pre-designed digital backboard Google Slide Deck Template presentation, adhering to all criteria and formatting clearly outlined in the first two slides of the template. Once the slide deck presentation is completed, save the file as a PDF and upload it when registering your project online. Although use of a digital backboard slide deck is an option, IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and will better assist students in structuring their interviews with judges.
Project Video
In the OCSEF 2022 Virtual format, every student has to submit a 3-minute video that includes the following:
Introduction:
- Your name, grade and school
- The title of your project, explaining your question and hypothesis
- Equipment used in your project
Methods:
Science Projects
- Your experimental process
- Variables that you controlled and tested
- Size of your test group and number of trials
Engineering Projects
- The engineering problem you wanted to solve
- What you built
- What you did to improve your project
Conclusion:
- Explain your observations, data, charts and graphs.
- What would be further research ideas or additional questions and next steps based on your experiments?
- Who might be interested in your findings, and why?
Group Projects:
- If you have a group project, every student must present in the video.
- Groups of two – each student presents for 1.5 minute each.
- Groups of three – each students presents for 1 minute each.
- Please combine the videos to one video only for submission. Youtube has some great resources on how to combine videos.
- Remember, during a face-to-face interview, each student gets a chance to present and we expect the same in the video as well.