Judge at CSRSEF ~ Engage with the innovative ideas of young scientists and engineers.
Judge at CSRSEF ~ Engage with the innovative ideas of young scientists and engineers.
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Our judges witness firsthand the culmination of students' hard work and creativity, and provide valuable feedback that can shape their future endeavors.
By applying your expertise and critical thinking skills, you contribute to the validation and encouragement of these budding researchers.
Judging projects is not only intellectually stimulating but also deeply rewarding, as you play a crucial role in fostering scientific literacy and inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers.
You'll gain fresh perspectives, learn about cutting-edge projects, and ultimately, help recognize and celebrate the achievements of these talented students.
We welcome all industry professionals with no affiliation with any of our competing students.
Anyone with college degree or higher in a science field, including professional degrees (e.g. MD, DDS, DVM, RN, NP), are eligible to judge our science categories. Engineering project judges must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering. High school science and engineering teachers who do not have students participating in the fair are also invited to judge.
We also have a large need for behavioral science judges, as this category is our largest and boasts numbers around 30 each year. Those with degrees in psychology, neurobiology, human behavior, cultural anthropology, sociology, or related fields may judge in this category.
Judges are expected to objectively evaluate student projects using the ISEF project judging criteria. In addition, Judges are also expected to provide feedback to all participants and participate in deciding on the awards for your category (or special awards).
Our Lead Judges oversee a specific category and serve as the primary point of contact for those judges. Their responsibilities include leading the discussion to build consensus and ensure that ranking and award decisions are fair and consistent, keeping their team on schedule and reviewing judging materials for completeness and clarity before results are submitted to the Head Judge. They also notify the Head Judge of any issues that arise within their category, such as missing judges, to ensure a smooth experience for the participants.
Both Judges and Lead Judges are required to be on-site on Fair day from 7:30am until around 1:30pm. When registering, indicate the fields in which you are comfortable reviewing projects, and whether you are comfortable serving as a Lead Judge. Regardless fof your role, each judge will interview between 8-12 projects during the course of the fair.
Training will be provided via a virtual judge orientation with additional guidance provided the day of the fair.
The CSRSEF category judges evaluate projects using the ISEF judging criteria. Judges are looking for creative ability, scientific thought, thoroughness, skill, and clarity. Team projects will also be judged on how well the students worked together.
Judging is generally broken down into 15 minute blocks where you will have approximately 10 minutes to give you presentation and about 2 minutes to answer any questions. Then, judges will use the remaining minutes to score your project and move to the next project.
Special awards judges may ask you specific questions directly related to the organization who sponsored the award.
Training and details will be provided via a virtual judge orientation with additional guidance provided the day of the fair.
There are multiple judging sessions throughout the morning, each lasting between 1-3 hours. Students will stay at their project during these sessions. Students selected to be considered for Finalist Judging will be notified during and after the lunch break.