Scientific Review Committee (SRC)
What does the SRC Do?
The SRC is made up of a group of adults knowledgeable about regulations concerning experimentation in restricted areas. If special approval is required for projects involving non-human vertebrates, recominant DNA (rDNA), tissue culture, controlled substances & hazardous substances or devices, then the SRC must be contacted for approval BEFORE the experimentation begins.
Each School District Science Fair should have its own SRC. If there is no School District Science Fair, then you MUST contact a State Science Fair SRC member for project approval. Students & teachers should contact the District Science Fair Coordinator for contact information of their District SRC members.
An SRC must consist of a minimum of three (3) persons. Additional members are recommended to avoid conflict of interest. The SRC MUST include a biomedical scientist (PhD, MD, DVM, DDS, or DO), a science teacher, at least one other member. One of the SRC members must be familiar with proper animal care procedures if animal research is involved.
The SRC examines projects for the following:
- Evidence of library research
- Evidence of proper supervision
- Use of accepted research techniques
- Completed forms, signatures & dates
- Humane treatment of animals
- Compliance with rules & laws governing human & animal research
- Appropriate use of recombinant DNA, pathogenic organisms, controlled substances, tissue & hazardous substances and devices
- Appropriate documents & substantial expansion for continuation projects
The SRC follows this 3-Step Process:
1. BEFORE EXPERIMENTATION, the SRC reviews and approves experimental procedures for projects involving human subjects, nonhuman vertebrates, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, recombinant DNA, and human/animal tissue to make sure they comply with the ISEF Rules and any pertinent laws. Human studies reviewed and approved by a properly constituted IRB do not have to be reviewed by the SRC until ISEF-Affiliated Fair competition.
2. AFTER EXPERIMENTATION & SHORTLY BEFORE THE ISEF-AFFILIATED FAIR,, the SRC reviews and approves the same projects to make sure that students followed the approved Research Plan (form 1A) and the ISEF Rules.
3. AFTER EXPERIMENTATION & SHORTLY BEFORE THE ISEF-AFFILIATED FAIR,, the SRC ALSO reviews all remaining projects to make sure students followed the applicable ISEF Rules.