All exhibits must conform to the following rules if they are to be selected for exhibition at the SLVSEF. The rules should be followed throughout the development of the science project. Project supervisors should oversee and insure compliance with all rules before exhibition. The SLVSEF Committee cannot be held responsible for errors in interpretation or failure to comply with these rules:

1. Projects:

   • INDIVIDUAL PROJECT: The project must be the work of a single student and must concern itself with a single subject;

   • TEAM PROJECT: The team must consist of no more than three (3) participants and no fewer than two (2) participants. If the team project continues for more than one year, no new participants may be added. One team member can leave a team if the number of participants does not drop below two (2). A team project may never be exhibited as an individual project.

2. Students with multiple-year projects must re-submit all prior certification and consent forms for each previous year(s) and a Form 7 stating differences for each year of the project. Judging will involve only research completed since the last SLVSEF so the new project design and research plan evidences substantial expansion of experimentation. Only research done in the current year can be displayed on project boards. Each page of prior work must be clearly labeled in the upper right corner with the years (e.g. 2003-2004). Failure to comply with this rule will deem a project ineligible for participation in the science fair.

3. Any proposed changes in the Research Plan (1A) by the student after initial IRB/SRC approval must have subsequent IRB/SRC approval before such changes are made and before experimentation begins or resumes. No changes in the project will be allowed after the project has been approved for compliance with the rules, unless new ALL RESEARCH FORMS are submitted and approved.

4. Students, including each team member, must keep a dated, step-by step, day-by-day notebook recording development of the project including all references, procedures, original data, and other relevant material. Only spiral or bound notebooks are acceptable.  Entries should be in ink and be very legible.

5. The project must be based on work carried out in compliance with all local, state and federal health, safety and environmental regulations and standards.

6. Exhibits shall be accepted for display upon the express condition that neither the SLVSEF, Utah Science Center, the University of Utah or any other Fair sponsor shall be held responsible for the loss or theft of, or any damage to exhibits, or exhibitor's personal property.

7. Students must participate fully in all Fair activities including the Awards Ceremony. During judging and exhibition times, the exhibitors must remain with the project. If a personal emergency occurs during the Fair, an exhibitor must notify a SLVSEF designated committee member at the Registration Table. Ask the committee member to contact the SLVSEF Director. An award may be forfeited if an exhibitor does not attend the Awards Ceremony.

8. Students may, at times, have procedures performed by a scientist or other person(s) that he/she cannot or did not perform. Credit must be given to the scientist or any other person performing any part of the student’s research, collection of data, experimentation, analysis of data, etc. Since the student’s journal/ log is considered an historical document of all procedures pertaining to the student’s research and experimentation, credit must be given to the person(s) performing any/ all activities not directly performed by the student researcher, in the journal/log.

9. Failure to comply with all rules and regulations will lead to disqualification/ failure to qualify.