The Academy of Science – St. Louis Science Fair's Honors Division is an advanced research competition, open to all 9-12 students living in or enrolled in St. Louis City or St. Louis County schools. The Honors fair is free to participate in and students self-select in with teacher approval. College scholarships are awarded to students with high scoring projects and up to three students with the highest scoring projects are chosen to represent The Academy of Science - St. Louis Science Fair at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Project Submission Requirements:
Round 1 Project Requirements
Projects will be uploaded through ProjectBoard between January 30 at 12A and February 5 at 11:59P. Projects will be scored by judges between February 9-13. Rubrics are based on ISEF Grand Award Judging Criteria.
Project Title (Must fit in 60 characters)
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Abstract (must fit in 699 characters)
See requirements here >> https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/how-to-write-an-isef-abstract/
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Required ISEF Paperwork -
Projects that do not have correct paperwork or approvals will be provided feedback but will not be eligible for finalists selection or prizes in the Honors Division.
ALL PROJECTS MUST SUBMIT FORM 1, 1A, 1B AND RESEARCH PLAN. You can access fillable pdf files of all ISEF Paperwork at >> https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/forms/
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Quad Chart
A single page divided into four quadrants providing a high-level summary of the project. It is intended to be more visual than detailed to quickly introduce your judges to what is important about your project. See guidelines and template HERE.
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Presentation uploaded as a .pptx file
This presentation should stand on it's own and not require additional explanation to understand your project. See specific requirements for Maker Projects HERE and specific requirements for Science Projects HERE.
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Video 2-5min (NO .HEIC files!!)
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Explaining your project, including materials/methods, results, analysis and conclusions. - You may reference data that can be found in your "Project Presentation" or utilize screen sharing capabilities.
- Acceptable methods of video recording are screen share recordings or a video camera recording a physical presentation.
- Videos must show all the participants and feature the voices of all participants.
- The video may include the student’s name but should be the only submission piece that does.
----------------- If you are selected as a finalist you will also need to prepare the materials below.—----------------
Round 2 Finalists Requirements
Finalists will be announced online and notified by email on or before February 16th at 12P. Finalists must be present on February 21 between 12P-6P to participate in and be a spectator for Round 2 presentations.
Project Title
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Abstract
See requirements here >> https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/how-to-write-an-isef-abstract/
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Required ISEF Paperwork -
ALL PROJECTS MUST SUBMIT FORM 1, 1A, 1B AND RESEARCH PLAN
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10-15min Research Presentation - Submission information TBA
Use of visual aids is permitted, including poster boards and powerpoint presentation. This presentation is done on a stage to an audience of judges, other finalists, caregivers and teachers, and Junior Academy students. Be prepared for up to 5min of questions from the audience following your presentation.
Important Dates:
After completing their research, participants submit their projects for an online round of judging that occurs February 7 - February 12, 2026. Judges select ten finalist projects for the final presentation round which will be held in-person on February 21, 2026. Based on these presentations, college scholarships are awarded to students with high-scoring projects, and up to three students with the highest-scoring projects are chosen to represent The Academy of Science - St. Louis Science Fair at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, AZ, which will be held May 9-16, 2026. Honors Division students are also automatically considered for special awards in the K-12 Fair held in April in St. Louis.