The Ultimate Guide to ISEF Winning Science Fair

Mar 16, 2024

John Doe

Embarking on a science fair project can be both thrilling and daunting.

From selecting a topic that sparks your interest to conducting experiments and presenting your findings, every step is a journey of learning and discovery.

Want to wow your teachers, take your state science fair by storm, and even land a spot on that ISEF podium?

You’re in luck: here are some GREAT ideas, tips, and inspirations to kick-start your journey towards finding your perfect science fair project.

Whether you're fascinated by the mysteries of the cosmos, the intricacies of biology, the wonders of technology, or the principles of physics, we've got you covered.

Rishab Jain, a Harvard student who has achieved success in numerous international competitions has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to science research and winning ISEF: How to win 1st place at ISEF: https://youtu. be/sqfzvvn2GY0?si=Zd4wscHTlm57U02q How to design a winning poster: https://youtu. be/qWERHVs14uE?si=2NOerF2jhwBowSr8 How to come up with a research topic: https://youtu. be/AEgL_sjoE4o?si=gzf4Mxa-EVbBPkL8 How to get a research opportunity in a lab: https://youtu. be/tKmS4UZbfII?si=tJaAVQ-5Fcm2hnla How to find a research mentor: https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=tKmS4UZbfII Paid coaching for winning science fair: https://rishabacademy. com/stem What is ISEF?

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is the pinnacle of pre-college science competitions, drawing thousands of the world's most talented young scientists from over 80 countries.

At ISEF, students present cutting-edge research across various scientific disciplines, vying for scholarships, internships, and grand awards.

The fair not only showcases student achievements but also promotes global scientific collaboration and networking, providing a unique platform for participants to engage with experts and explore future scientific careers.

Getting to ISEF is a rigorous journey that begins at local and regional science fairs, where students must impress with their original research and presentation skills.

Success at these initial levels can lead to state or national competitions, with the top contenders advancing to ISEF.

This journey fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and public speaking skills, culminating in an opportunity to compete internationally, gain recognition in your field, and join a community of like-minded young scientists and innovators.

And, an added plus: a win looks KILLER on your college applications, because it shows them that you’re one of the best of the best in the world.

The Categories All the projects listed here are unique to their own categories!

There are dozens of categories at ISEF, but we’ve picked out the 12 most competitive ones — are you up for the challenge?

1. Biomedical Engineering (ENBM) Synthetic DNA Engineering With ICOR Rishab Jain's project delves into the field of synthetic biology, focusing on improving protein production in E. coli, vital for vaccine development.

The core of his work is codon optimization, which involves selecting the best DNA sequences to enhance protein synthesis.

Traditional methods often overlook cellular dynamics, leading to inefficiencies.

Jain introduced ICOR, a tool that applies a recurrent neural network (RNN) with a bidirectional long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture, analyzing a dataset of high-expression E. coli genes.

This approach allows for a nuanced optimization of DNA sequences, aligning more closely with the cellular environment and improving protein production.

ICOR's effectiveness was demonstrated through rigorous testing against standard methods, showing significant advancements in protein expression efficiency.

This breakthrough offers a sophisticated strategy for enhancing recombinant protein production, with broad implications for biotechnology and vaccine development.

Materials and Requirements: Coding knowledge, computational resources (high-performance computing system capable of handling large datasets), specialized software for implementing models, comprehensive genomic datasets, statistical and data analysis software Getting Started: To begin a project like this, first solidify your foundational knowledge in bioinformatics and machine learning.

Then, acquire any needed computational tools and genomic data.

Develop a project plan that outlines your approach, ensuring you include stages for model training, testing, and validation.

As you progress, continuously refine your model design based on feedback and results, and prepare to document and present your findings!

Award*: Regeneron Young Scientist Award (i. e.

TOP 3, winning $50,000!) at ISEF 2022 https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=TKHlaiPVXgE&list=PLY_65to5psrulJ49Db6j2nR_hn7M2FLQ2&index=4&t=656s If you want to hear more about Rishab’s work and how he did it, check out his Youtube videos on how to get started in science research and win those gold medals!

Rishab also sells a course on how to win 1st place at ISEF and has mentored multiple students to do exactly that in 2023 and 2024!

2. Biomedical and Health Sciences Neurobiology of Suicide: Claudin-5 Is a Biomarker Natasha Kulviwat's study explores the possibility of identifying biological markers for suicide by examining the breakdown of claudin-5, a key component of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), in human postmortem brain tissues.

The research assessed claudin-5 levels along with cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, which were found to be elevated in individuals who had died by suicide, suggesting a link between BBB disruption and suicide.

Additionally, the study analyzed stressful life events, claudin-5's localization in the brain, and gene expression related to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Molecular docking was used to explore how well current medications interact with claudin-5 and related proteins, finding potential for targeting specific pathways in suicide prevention.

The findings indicate that claudin-5 could be a biomarker for suicide risk, pointing to new directions for therapeutic interventions.

Materials and Requirements: Brain tissue samples, lab equipment and reagents, bioinformatics and data analysis software, psychological and other assessment tools, statistical software Getting Started: Start by getting the right biological samples and ensure you have the necessary ethical approvals.

Get access to a suitable lab (get a mentor!) with the needed equipment and reagents for your specific analyses and invest in reliable data analysis software.

Then, outline your research plan, detailing your experimental procedures and data analysis methods and ensure these align with your study's goals.

This structured approach will guide your project from conception through to data collection and analysis, setting a clear path for your investigation!

Award: Gordon E.

Moore Award ($50,000) at ISEF 2023 “Every forty seconds, suicide steals a life, yet no biomarkers exist for suicide. ” Natasha Kulviwat

3. Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics The Inchworm Robot with Skateboard Yuyang Wang's project focuses on creating bionic robots inspired by the movement of caterpillars and inchworms, designed to navigate challenging environments like power grids and cable systems where human intervention is risky.

These robots, developed through four generations, have evolved from basic wire-pulling and friction control capabilities to advanced designs that allow for bending navigation, obstacle avoidance, and simultaneous multi-pipe traversal.

The latest model can switch between grabbing and wheel modes, enhancing its efficiency and adaptability.

With the ability to maneuver under sticks of varying diameters, these robots hold promise for applications in grid maintenance, breakage detection, and more, pushing forward the possibilities in robotics with biomimetic design principles.

Materials and Requirements: Knowledge of coding, high-torque servo motors for precise movement control, microcontrollers and signal processing units, sensors, grabber mechanisms with adjustable grip, omni-directional wheels, software development environment for coding and testing robot behavior, diverse set of sticks and pipes Getting Started: Start by gaining a basic understanding of robotics and biomimicry principles, and research to create a plan for robot design.

Acquire the necessary materials such as servo motors, sensors, and microcontrollers, and begin experimenting with basic prototypes, focusing on wire pulling and friction control for initial movement.

Then, iterate through design improvements, gradually incorporating advanced features like obstacle avoidance and other mechanisms you hope to include!

Award: Craig R.

Barrett Award for Innovation ($10,000) at ISEF 2023

4. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CBIO) BIO-PLEX: An Innovative Biocomputational Approach In 2022, as the world was still grappling with the aftermath of COVID-19, Mpox emerged as a new threat with increased infectivity, leading to 30,000 cases in a short span.

This resurgence raised urgent questions about the changes in the virus that enhanced its infectivity and how these changes might impact drug efficacy.

To understand why Mpox was spreading so fast and if it would affect medication effectiveness, Saathvik Kannan created BIO-PLEX, a computer tool that helps study the virus's structure and mutations.

BIO-PLEX showed how parts of the virus, especially two changes in its DNA-copying protein, might make Mpox spread easier and impact how well treatments work.

This project helps us learn more about Mpox and shows how computers can quickly help study diseases.

Materials and Requirements: High-performance computing resources, deep learning software and libraries, homology modeling tools, Python experience, virus genetic data, databases for protein structures and mutations, software for mutation profiling and analysis Getting Started: Gain a solid understanding of computational biology and the specific virus you are studying.

Learn about deep learning and homology modeling techniques, as these are crucial for analyzing and predicting protein structures from genetic data.

Become proficient in Python, gather all necessary genetic data, familiarize yourself with the relevant computational tools and databases.

With this foundation, you can begin to apply your skills to analyze the virus's structure and mutations, aiming to uncover insights into its increased infectivity and potential resistance to treatments.

Award: Regeneron Young Scientist Award ($50,000) at ISEF 2023

5. Robotics and Intelligent Machines (ROBO) Self-Supervised 3D Human Motion Reconstruction Michelle Hua's project proposes a novel approach for reconstructing 3D human shape and motion from monocular video, addressing the challenges of existing methods that rely on large training datasets and suffer from performance issues.

Her method, called geometric consistency-based self-supervised neural network (GC-SSN), utilizes geometric representations based on joints and silhouettes extracted from video frames.

By enforcing consistent alignment between reconstructed 3D models and extracted features, GC-SSN achieves high accuracy without manual annotations or ground truth data.

This self-supervised approach improves domain adaptation and outperforms current state-of-the-art algorithms, offering promising advancements for applications like 3D broadcasting, virtual reality, sports analysis, and telepresence.

Materials and Requirements: Solid foundation in coding/working with computer software, monocular video footage, computer with sufficient processing power, image processing software, machine learning framework, training data (optional), geometric modeling libraries Getting Started: It's essential to have a grasp of fundamental concepts in image processing and machine learning.

Learn the techniques for extracting and analyzing human motion from video data, and understand the principles behind geometric modeling.

Additionally, explore existing research and methodologies in the field to gain insights into potential approaches and challenges!

With this knowledge foundation, you'll be well-equipped to delve into the specifics of your project and start experimenting with different techniques and tools.

Award: FIRST PLACE!

George D.

Yancopoulos Innovator Award ($75,000) at ISEF 2021

6. Microbiology (MCRO) Diagnostic Method Based on Bacterial Motion Neha Mani's project introduces a new method for diagnosing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) by analyzing bacterial motion in the gut.

Current diagnostic procedures for gastrointestinal illnesses like IBD are often expensive, time-consuming, and not always accurate.

Neha's approach involves using specialized tools created with photolithography to study bacterial motility, then analyzing images with software to distinguish between harmless swimming bacteria and potentially harmful swarming bacteria.

Testing this method on intestinal tissue samples showed promising results, suggesting it could offer a quicker, more cost-effective, and more accurate diagnosis for IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases.

Materials and Requirements: Photolithography equipment, microscopic imaging system software for image analysis, tissue samples, tools for bacterial motility study, computational resources for machine learning algorithm development Getting Started: Start by gaining a basic understanding of microbiology and image analysis techniques.

Familiarize yourself with photolithography and how it can be used to create specialized tools for studying bacterial motion.

Obtain tissue samples for testing and gather the necessary equipment, such as a microscopic imaging system and software for image analysis.

Then, experiment with analyzing bacterial patterns using the tools and techniques you;ve learned, gradually refining your methods as you gain more experience!

Award: H.

Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research ($10,000) at ISEF 2023 Disclaimer!

For ISEF, you shouldn’t design your experiment as an exact replica of one that came before it.

Think of it like baking a cake: you wouldn't get a prize for just following someone else's recipe step by step.

Instead, take inspiration from someone else’s formula and add your own twist.

In the same way, your science project shouldn't be a copy of someone else's experiment, but one that branches off of it or has your own unique touch.

These past winners’ examples are here to help guide you and give you a feel for what kinds of projects stand out, but you should always be looking to explore scientific questions on your own too! *Winning ANY award at ISEF is incredible because it distinguishes you as one of the top young scientists in the world.

However, make sure you’re doing research that YOU’RE passionate about and proud of!

Being true to yourself and doing work that you WANT to be doing will lead to success.

It may seem daunting to start a project without an exact step-by-step guide or rubric, but finding a great idea for your science fair project can actually be as simple as looking around you and asking, "Why?" or "What if?" Think about what makes you curious, what problems you see in your daily life, or subjects you love learning about.

Chatting with teachers, friends, or family can spark that "aha" moment for your project.

Remember, the best ideas come from asking questions and being genuinely excited to discover the answers.

Here’s a great guide on exactly how to do this. https://rishabacademy. com/2024/03/02/how-to-craft-the-perfect-science-fair-question Taking your project to the next level.

Want to elevate your project, but don’t know where to start?

Take a look at Rishab’s FREE STEM STUDENT GUIDE full of straightforward, practical advice tailored for students aiming to step into the science fair arena and take their projects all the way to internationals.

This guide offers tips on planning and conducting research, presenting your project, and how to get yourself stellar opportunities in the STEM world.

Whether you're troubleshooting a tricky part of your project or looking for ways to present your conclusions more persuasively, Rishab can help you take your research and presentations to new heights!.

Start your research journey today