Winning Science Fair Projects for 9th Grade: Best Research Ideas for High Schoolers

ISEF: science fair projects for 9th graders

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is the world’s largest pre-college science competition, bringing thousands of high school students from around the globe to present independent research across fields like biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and environmental science. Participants compete for scholarships, awards, internships, and recognition from leading scientists. ISEF’s main aim is to promote scientific inquiry, innovation, and excellence among the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Many high schoolers compete at this fair, and if you want inspiration or project ideas from past students, the Society for Science hosts a large database of past projects and their rankings.

Want to do research in high school? Use my full guide on how to do research in high school and qualify for ISEF.

Rishab Jain’s science fair project, plus top bonus projects

In 2022, my science fair project in biomedical engineering, Synthetic DNA Engineering With ICOR, won the Regeneron Young Scientist Award and $50,000 (a top-3 award) at ISEF 2022.

Abstract: in protein sequences, because there are 61 sense codons but only 20 standard amino acids, most amino acids are encoded by more than one codon. These synonymous codons don’t change the amino acid sequence, but the choice between them dramatically affects how well the resulting protein is expressed. Many recombinant vaccines struggle with efficacy due to low expression efficiency, so codon optimization of synthetic DNA sequences is paramount for improving heterologous expression…

Past project ideas for high school students

Interested in biomedical engineering too? Here are some past projects that won top awards:

1. Development of a Novel Oncolytic Virus for Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis
2. Chocolate’s Theobromine, and Not Caffeine, Significantly Reduces Sleep in Drosophila
3. A Novel Synergistic Approach for Enhancing Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Melanoma

The best tips for winning science fair projects

1. Don’t memorize. Know what you want to say, but don’t memorize a script, or you won’t be able to adapt to the situation or the judges’ questions. If a judge has a PhD in computer science, lean into that knowledge instead of reciting your lines.
2. Have a visual, but don’t overdo it. Bring a visual if you have one; it helps you show evidence and results. For a computational project, building a small app or software that demonstrates your outcomes can work well.
3. Be genuine and honest, including about mistakes and failures. Don’t avoid talking about your mistakes. You’re a high school or middle school student, and you’re allowed to make them. Sharing what went wrong shows you’re authentic and walks the judges through the steps you took to reach your solution.
4. Keep going. If one judge drills you hard, don’t get rattled, since that can affect how you respond to the other two judges. Just keep going.
5. Bonus tip: listen to hype music. Before judging, play some hype songs to get your mood right. Don’t over-rehearse or stress too much right before.

Want more tips on how to win ISEF? My ISEF video has 5 extra tips for you.

Good luck, everyone!