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 STEM professionals with 3+ years of industry experience who have no affiliation with any competing students.
Anyone with college degree or higher in a STEM field, including professional degrees (e.g. MD, DDS, DVM, RN, NP), and at least 3 years of experience are eligible to judge at CSRSEF. Engineering project judges must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
If you have an affiliation with a competing student but would still like to help at the Fair, please consider signing up to volunteer.
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 qualified to review projects, and whether you are comfortable serving as a Lead Judge. Regardless of 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 hear each presentation and 2 minutes to ask any questions. Then, judges will use the remaining 3 minutes to score the project and move to the next one.
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.
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 qualified to review projects, and whether you are comfortable serving as a Lead Judge. Regardless of your role, each judge will interview between 8-12 projects during the course of the fair.
Training and details will be provided via a virtual judge orientation (aproximately 45 minutes) prior to the fair with additional guidance provided the day of the fair.