Frequently Asked Questions

What if I need special accommodations for any reason?

Please use the comments section of the registration form to relay this need, or email denversciencefair@ucdenver.edu

Who participates in the CoorsTek Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair?

Students that compete in DMRSEF emerge from a regional field of hundreds of science fair participants in 8 Colorado counties during the academic year.  Winners from the DMRSEF move on to compete with students at the Colorado State Science Fair (CSEF) and then finally onto the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).  As an affiliated fair we typically send 3 projects to ISEF to compete in 20 different categories.

Who are the judges at the CoorsTek Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair?

Each year about 200 science and engineering professionals and other interested community members serve as volunteer judges for the DMRSEF.

When and where is the regional fair?

The regional fair will be held February 28, 2020 at the CU Denver Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center.
The awards ceremony will take place on March 1, 2020 at the same location.

University of Colorado Denver
Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center
1355 12th Street
Denver, CO 80204

Parking Map

 

 

What activities will students be doing when they are not being judged?

During morning set-up and display & safety checks, DMRSEF hosts an accompanying Hands-On Activites Fair for our student participants. STEM outreach groups from around the Metro area will be on site demonstrating their favorite experiments and engineering challenges, discussing STEM careers, and celebrating the importance of research science in our communities.

See the 2020 Fair Schedule for more information about the day's activities.

Will students be moving from one building to another and across streets?

All fair activities will take place in the Lola & Rob Student Wellness Center (1355 12th Street) and the adjacent Student Commons Building (1201 Larimer Street). Volunteers and chaperones will guide students as they move between buildings.

What will happen at lunch? Will the students be able to purchase lunch or do they have to bring it?

Registration fees include lunch. Students can also purchase or bring their own lunch. Those with special dietary needs can indicate this on the registration form.

Is there a procedure for drop off and pick up? Where do the kids go to check in?

Each student/school will be assigned an arrival time (sent prior to the fair), and can be dropped off/picked up along 12th Street outside of the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center (1355 12th Street, Denver, CO 80204). When dropping off/picking up your student(s), be mindful of other fair participants and do not leave your vehicle unattended in the loading zone.

Students/Parents/Teachers/Buses, please refer to our 2020 Parking Map for information about campus parking.

There is no student check-in. Students should report directly to their project location upon arrival. All arrival information will be sent prior to the fair.

Will parents be allowed to see the projects before the judging? When?

Parents are welcome to view student projects during morning setup and display & safety checks and again in the afternoon beginning at 3:30 PM. Be mindful that judging continues throughout the afternoon and that we reserve the right to adjust our schedule accordingly.

In the afternoon, we ask that you not visit your own student's/school's projects. If a judge asks to interview the student you are speaking to, please step aside as to not slow down or interfere with this process.

Should students who need to amend their proposal as they prototype and testing need to bring the amendments with them the day of the fair or do these need to be sent in along the way?

Any amendments need to be included in the paperwork when the student registers.

Do students need to bring an abstract to the regional fair or do they write one only if they are selected to move on to states?

An abstract is required for registration of the CoorsTek DMRSEF. The big difference in “abstracts” is that ISEF has an Official Abstract that is provided to the students at the International Fair. The abstract is used by category and special awards judges to read prior to seeing the project in person.

When would a project need need an IRB vs an SRC?

If there are human participants involved it would be an IRB, if there are not it would be an SRC.

How do we know if an IRB should be handled at a school level or elevated to something larger?

The majority of projects will be handled at the school level of IRB. Only if the student is completing research at a university or have designed a medical device to be tested in humans will a university IRB be required.

Does every project require an SRC?

No, but it is a good idea to have the projects reviewed by the school’s SRC to ensure safety. Projects requiring SRC are those using chemicals, potentially biological hazards, drones, radiation, etc.  

Does all data need to be collected prior to registration?

Yes and No!
The answer to this depends on the nature of your project. In order to register you will need to have all of her
forms completed, however there are two forms that need to be filled out after experimentation, Regulated Research Institution Form (1C) and Vertebrate Animal Form (5B). If your project involves research that takes place at a regulated research institution (any research site other than home, school, or field) or involves experiments on vertebrate animals you would need to wait until the data is collected so that all your forms are completed before you can officially register - all other forms can be completed before your data is collected. As long as all the forms needed for your project are completed, you're more than welcome to register as soon as you're ready! The only thing to keep in mind is the official end date of the research can be any time before the fair but your research does need to be entirely completed before specified end date.

When is my poster due?

Your poster comes with you to the fair, and that's the first CoorsTek DMRSEF will see of it!