1. ISEF Overview: The World’s Largest High School Science Competition

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), organized by the Society for Science and sponsored by Regeneron, is the largest and most prestigious high school science competition globally. Since its founding in 1950, ISEF has expanded to over 180 countries and regions, attracting nearly 10 million student participants annually. Open to students in grades 9–12, it is widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize for Youth” and is recognized globally for its authority and influence in academic circles.

Global Status and Influence

ISEF’s unique status stems from several factors:

• It is the only international science competition exclusively for grades 9–12, ensuring a high level of academic and research competence among participants.
• Top universities including MIT, Stanford, and Harvard publicly recognize ISEF as a key indicator of student research ability. Many Ivy League admissions officers list ISEF achievements as among the most significant academic accomplishments.
• Each year, over 7 million students participate in preliminary competitions worldwide, but only about 1,800 top finalists advance to the global ISEF competition—a selection rate below 0.03%, highlighting the competition’s rigor.

Academic Value and Recognition

ISEF winners are highly sought after by elite universities. Historical data shows that over 85% of ISEF finalists are admitted to the top 30 US universities, with approximately 40% accepted by Ivy League schools, MIT, or Stanford. For students pursuing STEM studies abroad, simply being selected for ISEF is a strong academic credential—even without winning top awards. Many ISEF participants gain admission to universities like Johns Hopkins, Duke, or Cornell, regardless of final ranking.

ISEF’s prestige extends beyond the US. Top universities in the UK (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College), Canada (UBC, University of Toronto), and Asia (National University of Singapore, University of Hong Kong) also highly value ISEF participation. This global recognition makes ISEF a gold standard for high school research portfolios.

2. 2026 Participation Paths for Chinese Mainland Students

Official Selection Channels

Chinese mainland students are primarily selected through ISEF-affiliated competitions under the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). Key channels include:

• National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Contest (NYSTIC, 青科赛)
• Tomorrow’s Little Scientists Award

The National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Contest is the largest and most widely recognized pathway. Projects progress through provincial and national levels, with top projects recommended to the ISEF global finals. For 2026, only national first-prize winners who meet ISEF eligibility will be nominated.

New Talent Recommendation Program (英才计划)

In 2026, a new pathway was introduced for 9–10 grade students via a mentorship-based research program co-organized by CAST, Tsinghua University, and Peking University. Outstanding participants may receive direct ISEF nomination, though academic requirements are higher and research mentorship resources are more intensive.

Paths for Foreign Students in Mainland China

Foreign students attending schools in China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan students) primarily compete through the ISEF Sichuan Science and Engineering Fair (川赛). About 100 international school students participate annually, with 5 advancing to the ISEF global finals.

• Registration: October 10, 2025
• Project Submission Deadline: January 3, 2026
• On-site Presentation: January 16–17, 2026, Chengdu

Eligibility is strictly limited to grades 9–12 students in foreign schools in China, with school-coordinated registration required. Each student may participate up to three times, but projects cannot exceed 12 months in duration. In 2026, schools that won ISEF awards in 2025 may submit 4 projects instead of 3, increasing competition among top schools.

Paths for Overseas Students

Overseas students must check ISEF-affiliated competitions in their countries. The selection process varies by country:

• USA: State-level competitions, winners advance to ISEF
• UK, Canada, Australia, etc.: Local ISEF-affiliated fairs

ISEF does not accept individual registration; participation must be through an officially recognized affiliated fair. The 2026 ISEF global finals will be held May 9–15 in Phoenix, Arizona, with regional selection typically completed between January and April 2026.

3. 2026 Chinese Mainland Official Competition Timeline

ISEF Sichuan Science and Engineering Fair (川赛)

• Registration: Oct 10 – Nov 28, 2025 (closed)
• Project Submission: Jan 3, 2026 (closed)
• Online Review: Jan 9, 2026
• On-site Presentation & Awards: Jan 16–17, 2026, Chengdu

Shanghai Youth Science Society Senior Member Selection

• Application Deadline: Nov 16, 2025 (closed)
• High School Group Presentation (Grades 9–12): Jan 24–25, 2026
• Junior Group Final Submission (Grades 6–8): Jan 4, 2026

Chongqing Youth Science and Technology Innovation Contest (青创赛)

• Registration Deadline: Jan 20, 2026
• Competition Date: Feb 10–14, 2026
• First year as ISEF-affiliated (CHN010)
• Selection is through district-level preliminaries; 3–5 students likely advance to ISEF global finals

4. Competition Format and Project Requirements

Research Requirements

• Original, innovative projects in basic science, applied technology, or engineering solutions
• Project duration ≤12 months (starting no earlier than Jan 1, 2025)
• Individual or team projects (max 3 members, with clear roles)
• All materials (abstracts, papers, posters, presentations) must be in English at academic level

Ethics and Safety Review

• Projects involving human subjects, vertebrates, microbes, or hazardous chemicals must pass SRC/IRB approval before starting.
• Failure to obtain approval disqualifies the project.

Judging Focus

• Encourages independent, interdisciplinary research
• Evaluation emphasizes: innovation, scientific rigor, data reliability, and social impact

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5. ISEF Categories and Selection Strategy

ISEF has 22 categories:

Life Sciences: Animal Science, Behavioral & Social Science, Biochemistry, Biomedical & Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Cell & Molecular Biology, Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Microbiology, Plant Sciences, Translational Medicine

Physical & Engineering Sciences: Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Science, Embedded Systems, Energy Chemistry, Energy Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Materials Science, Physics & Astronomy, Robotics & Intelligent Machines

Mathematics & Computer Science: Mathematics, Systems Software

Selection Strategy

• Clear problem focus addressing real-world scientific or social issues
• Highlight innovative contributions
• Rigorous experimental design with repeatable results and sufficient samples
• Demonstrated application value, ideally aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals

6. Awards and Judging Process

Judging

• Minimum 4 rounds, by experts including university professors, industry researchers, and Nobel laureates
• Evaluation: Innovation (30%), Scientific Rigor (25%), Knowledge Depth (20%), Societal Impact (15%), Academic Norms (5%), Presentation Skills (5%)

Awards

• Grand Awards: 1st–4th per category, $3,000 / $1,500 / $1,000 / $500
• Special Awards: Sponsored by professional societies (ACS, IEEE) or corporations (Google, Microsoft), $500–$75,000
• Best of Category: Up to $75,000
• Monetary value aside, ISEF awards represent global top-level recognition

7. Preparation Tips and Timeline for 2026 Season

Suggested Timeline

• Jan–Aug 2025 (Preliminary Stage): Select research topic, literature review, experimental design, mentor contact
• Sep–Dec 2025 (Execution Stage): Conduct experiments, collect and analyze data, complete ethics approvals
• Jan–Feb 2026 (Submission Stage): Prepare report, poster, presentation, and submit materials
• Mar–Apr 2026 (Affiliated Fair Defense): Participate in presentations; focus on academic English and oral defense skills
• May 2026: Attend ISEF global finals, prepare poster, practice defense, arrange travel

Key Considerations

• Ethics Review: Must be approved before project initiation
• Research Log: Maintain a detailed daily log for data and troubleshooting
• English Proficiency: Academic writing and oral presentation are essential
• Mentor Guidance: Experienced mentors significantly improve project quality