Are you a young scientist in Virginia hoping to present at the state science fair? This guide walks you through every step to help you do your best at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair.
What is the Virginia State Science Fair?
Old Dominion University hosts the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair (VSSEF), which offers a range of special and category awards. Selected 9th to 12th grade projects advance to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
At ISEF, roughly 1,700 high school finalists from more than 60 countries, regions, and territories present their independent research and compete for more than $7 million in awards and scholarships.
Above all, VSSEF exists to give Virginia students the chance to do real scientific research and earn recognition for their work.
What are the Rules and Regulations?
Specific rules change year to year, but here are some general guidelines based on previous fairs:
- Projects must be the work of individual students; group projects are not eligible.
- Research must follow all local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
- Projects involving human subjects, vertebrate animals, or potentially hazardous biological agents must follow strict ethical guidelines and obtain the necessary approvals.
- Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and results in disqualification.
- Display boards must meet size requirements (typically 48″ wide x 30″ deep x 108″ high from the floor).
For the complete rules, check the official VSSEF website when the current year’s guidelines are released.
What to Expect on the Day of the Fair
The fair typically runs over two days. A representative schedule looks like this:
Day 1 (Friday)
Project drop-off, 3:00–8:00 pm. Projects must be dropped off by 8:00 pm to allow time for safety and guideline inspections.
Day 2 (Saturday)
- Category round: 8:00–10:00 am
- Breakfast break and judge deliberation: 10:00–11:00 am
- Category round continues: 11:00 am–12:00 pm
- Lunch break: 12:00–1:00 pm (project pickup opportunity 12:30–1:00 pm)
- Projects notified of Grand Award round: 1:00 pm
- Grand Award round judging: 1:00–2:00 pm
- Awards ceremony: 3:00–4:00 pm
A few things to know:
- VSSEF does not provide posterboard. Bring your own tri-fold posterboard.
- Interviews last about 5–10 minutes each.
- Most judging happens in the morning. Judges confer through the morning and early afternoon to decide category winners.
- Projects eligible for the Grand Award are notified at their project’s location.
- To be considered for the Grand Award, you and your project must stay at the fair through the afternoon Grand Award round, since judges may ask to speak with you.
- All project posters must be removed by the end of the day.
Categories at the Virginia State Science Fair
For the complete list of categories and subcategories, visit the official science fair website.
Strategies to Win the Virginia Science Fair
1. Choose a Compelling Project
Pick a topic you’re genuinely passionate about. Your project should be original, address a real-world problem, and show your scientific thinking. Judges look for innovation and potential impact.
Need help brainstorming? Try the idea-generation tool at ScienceFair.io, which analyzes past winning projects with AI to help you come up with a new idea. Its models are trained on thousands of winning Regeneron ISEF, Science Talent Search, and Google Science Fair projects.
2. Master the Scientific Method
VSSEF values a rigorous approach. For science projects, follow the scientific method carefully:
- Question: identify a problem or phenomenon that intrigues you.
- Research: investigate existing knowledge. What has already been done?
- Hypothesis: form a testable prediction based on your research.
- Experiment: design and run an experiment to test it, collecting accurate data.
- Analyze: interpret your data. Does it support your hypothesis?
- Conclusion: draw conclusions from your analysis. What did you learn?
For engineering projects, use the engineering design process
- Define the problem: identify a need or challenge to address.
- Research and design: explore possible solutions and brainstorm designs.
- Prototype: build a model or prototype of your design.
- Test and evaluate: assess how well it works and make improvements.
- Communicate: document your process and present your findings.
3. Conduct Thorough Research
Solid research is the backbone of any winning project. Here’s how to do it well:
- Literature review: start with a thorough review of existing studies to understand your topic’s context. Use reputable sources like scientific journals, academic books, and trusted websites.
- Data collection: use reliable, valid methods and gather enough data to support your conclusions. Google Docs or Sheets work well for organizing data.
- Analysis: analyze your data with appropriate statistical or qualitative methods, and be ready to explain it clearly.
4. Craft an Outstanding Presentation
Your presentation can make a real difference with the judges. Focus on:
- Clarity: use clear, concise language and avoid jargon so a broad audience can follow.
- Visuals: include high-quality, relevant graphs, charts, and images.
- Practice: rehearse multiple times to build confidence and smooth delivery.
5. Understand the Judging Criteria
Understanding how judging works is key. The exact criteria vary slightly year to year, but judges typically evaluate:
- Scientific thought and engineering goals: your depth of understanding of the underlying principles.
- Creativity and originality: how innovative and unique your approach is.
- Thoroughness: how complete your project is, including data collection and analysis.
- Skill: the expertise shown in running the experiment or building the prototype.
- Clarity: how effective your display board and oral explanation are.
Want judging tips plus access to Rishab’s application PDFs for many top science fairs? ScienceFair.io offers an A-Z Science Fair Masterclass, a course of up to 15 videos on how to win STEM science fairs.
6. Practice Your Presentation
Prepare a clear, engaging verbal walkthrough of your project. Be ready to explain your research in both simple terms and technical detail, and practice answering likely questions to build confidence.
Want to polish your delivery? Book a coaching call with sciencefair.io experts for personalized feedback.
Conclusion
Winning the Virginia Science Fair takes dedication, creativity, and hard work. Follow these strategies and lean on resources like the A-Z science fair guide and coaching calls from sciencefair.io, and you’ll be well equipped to build an outstanding project that impresses judges and competes for top honors.
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