TRFSEF RULES
Whom do the fairs serve: 
Terra Rochester Finger Lakes Science and Engineering Fair (TRFSEF) serves nine U.S. counties: (NY) Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Yates, Steuben, Livingston, Schuyler, and Chemung.
Who competes in what?
TRFSEF accepts students in grades 6*-12 who attend public, private, charter, parochial or home schools. All students compete in either the Junior Division (grades 6-8) or Senior Division (grades 9-12).
*5th graders who can pass a test demonstating ability to do 6th grade math can also participate. See below.
TRFSEF is happy to consider accommodations for students with physical challenges; just contact the Fair Director, trfsef@terraed.org.
Topic Presentation (TOPIC) students in any grade prepare models or informative reports; they collect no data or make no improvements to their models.
* All TOPIC students complete the Terra Safety and Permission Form.
Research and Engineering Design (RED) students in any grade collect data using the scientific method (Research) or develop a technique, tool or machine with documented repeated tests and improvements (Engineering Design).
* Junior RED students completed the Terra Safety and Permission Form.
* Senior RED students complete the ISEF SRC Forms and Terra Media Release.
All students, TOPIC or RED, must complete the TerraFairs_MediaRelease.pdf
IMPORTANT RULES: Who does the work?
- Students are encouraged to seek help and guidance from adults and from resources such as Science Buddies. However, ALL WORK MUST BE DONE BY THE STUDENT. In those cases in which safety issues preclude a student's using a process or piece of equipment, the adult who completes that portion of the work will be cited, and the BALANCE of the work will be completed by the student.
- If there is any evidence of plagiarism, the student(s) will be immediately removed from the competition. The Director's decision is final.
Early Entry Option:
Students may request early admission to either Division of the TRFSEF based upon math achievement, not date of birth. How? They will show that their MATH level qualifies them for either 5th or 9th grade, using our Math Placement Tool to document their math achievement level. The sponsoring adult will certify a student's achievement level by emailing the Fair Coordinator.
- Students not yet in 5th grade must correctly answer at least 16 of Questions 1-20 in the Math Placement tool to compete in the Junior Division TOPIC or Junior Division RED.
- Students not yet in 9th grade must correctly answer at least 16 of Questions 81-100 in the Math Placement tool to compete in the Senior Division RED.
- As TOPIC Presentations are judged as one unit, grade is irrelevant. Only Topic Presenters not yet in 5th grade need submit Math Placement results.
About Us
The Terra Rochester Finger Lakes Science and Engineering Fair is managed by Terra Science and Education.
Through its network of five New York and Pennsylvania regional science and engineering fairs, Terra Science and Education provides middle and high school students the opportunity to engage in authentic scientific research or engineering practice and to share their experiences and findings with others in an ISEF-affiliated science and engineering fair.
Through our support of educators, families and students with a focus on STEM, Terra works tirelessly to meet the educational needs of the underserved and under-represented, including women in STEM. While we concentrate on our 25 science fair counties, many of our resources are available to the general public regardless of geography.
Terra Fairs are affiliated with the internationally-known STEM fairs ISEF and GENIUS Olympiad. Terra fully funds selected finalist projects and students from its affiliated and partner fairs to attend ISEF or GENIUS Olympiad for exceptional international and scientific experiences.
You can find out more about Terra Science and Education here.
*Topic Presentation
TOPIC Presentations allow students to present:
(1) what they have learned about a particular subject, machine or technique;
(2) the literature review or laboratory training they have completed in preparation for future Research or Engineering Design projects.
TOPIC Presentations are allowed in both Junior and Senior Divisions.
Animal Sciences (ANIM)
This category includes all aspects of animals and animal life, animal life cycles, and animal interactions with one another or with their environment. Examples of investigations included in this category would involve the study of the structure, physiology,
development, and classification of animals, animal ecology, animal husbandry, entomology, ichthyology, ornithology, and herpetology, as well as the study of animals at the cellular
and molecular level which would include cytology, histology, and cellular physiology.
Behavioral and Social Sciences
The science or study of the thought processes and behavior of humans and other animals in their interactions with the environment studied through observational and experimental methods.
Biochemistry
The study of the chemical basis of processes occurring in living organisms, including the processes by which these substances enter into, or are formed in, the organisms and react
with each other and the environment.
Biomedical and Health Sciences
This category focuses on studies specifically designed to address issues of human health and disease. It includes studies on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention or epidemiology of disease and other damage to the human body or mental systems. Includes studies of normal functioning and may investigate internal as well as external factors such as feedback mechanisms, stress or environmental impact on human health and disease.
Biomedical Engineering
Projects that involve the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes including diagnosis, monitoring and therapy. Prominent biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants, common imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, regenerative tissue growth, pharmaceutical drugs and therapeutic biologicals.
Cellular and Molecular Biology
This is an interdisciplinary field that studies the structure, function, intracellular pathways, and formation of cells. Studies involve understanding life and cellular processes specifically at the molecular level.
Chemistry
Studies exploring the science of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter not involving biochemical systems.
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Studies that primarily focus on the discipline and techniques of computer science and mathematics as they relate to biological systems. This includes the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavior, and social systems.
Earth and Environmental Science
Studies of the environment and its effect on organisms/systems, including investigations of biological processes such as growth and life span, as well as studies of Earth systems and their evolution.
Embedded Systems
Studies involving electrical systems in which information is conveyed via signals and waveforms for purposes of enhancing communications, control and/or sensing.
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
Studies/processes involving the production and/or storage of energy.
Engineering Mechanics
Studies that focus on the science and engineering that involve movement or structure. The movement can be by the apparatus or the movement can affect the apparatus.
Environmental Engineering
Studies that engineer or develop processes and infrastructure to solve environmental problems in the supply of water, the disposal of waste, or the control of pollution.
Materials Science
The study of the integration of various materials forms in systems, devices, and components that rely on their unique and specific properties. It involves their synthesis and processing in the form of nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanolayered structures, to coatings and laminates, to bulk monolithic, single-/poly-crystalline, glassy, soft/hard solid, composite, and cellular structures. It also involves measurements of various properties and characterization of the structure across length scales, in addition to multi-scale modeling and computations for process-structure and structure-property correlations.
Mathematics
The study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. The deductive study of numbers, geometry, and various abstract constructs, or structures.
Microbiology
The study of micro-organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, prokaryotes, and simple eukaryotes as well as antimicrobial and antibiotic substances.
Physics and Astronomy
Physics is the science of matter and energy and of interactions between the two.
Astronomy is the study of anything in the universe beyond the Earth.
Plant Sciences
Studies of plants and how they live, including structure, physiology, development, and classification. Includes plant cultivation, development, ecology, genetics and plant breeding, pathology, physiology, systematics and evolution.
Robotics and Intelligent Machines
Studies in which the use of machine intelligence is paramount to reducing the reliance on human intervention.
Systems Software
The study or development of software, information processes or methodologies to demonstrate, analyze, or control a process/solution.
Translational Medical Science
Projects that aim to improve human health and longevity by translating novel discoveries in the biomedical sciences into effective activities and tools for clinical and public health
use. Bi-directional in concept, projects can be those developed through basic research moving toward clinical testing (bench-to-bedside) or projects that provide feedback about the applications of new treatments and how they can be improved (beside-to-bench).
Withdrawn
To be used by Fair organizers for students who have withdrawn, keep their data in the database.