Research Involving
Humans
ALL endorsements are DUE
NOVEMBER 13,
2023.
Rules and regulations governing research that
involves humans exist to ensure the rights and
welfare of the individuals who participate as
research subjects. If the project involves
human participants taking a pencil and paper
survey then no consent form is neeeded. If any
human research procedure involves discomforts
or risks (physical, psychological, social, and
legal) to the participants, the student
researcher must obtain the written consent of
the person(s) involved or the permission of
their legal guardian(s) if the subject is
under 18 years of age. No experimentation can
be performed on human beings unless they give
informed consent. This means that they have
been informed of the procedures to be carried
out to obtain data and that they have agreed
to the conditions of the experimentation. A
sample form for informed consent is found here.
The ISEF requires that each high school must
appoint an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to
review and approve any proposed research
involving human subjects. The following forms
need to be requested and completed: Checklist
for Adult Sponsor, Research Plan (1A),
Approval Form (1B), Registered Research
Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (1C),
Human Subjects Form (4A), and Informed Consent
Form (4B). If risks are determined to be
present by the IRB, the following additional
forms are required: Qualified Scientist Form
(2), Designated Supervisor Form (3), and on
Informed Consent Form (4B) for each subject.
Remember, it is
illegal to publish information in a report
that identifies the subjects(s) directly or
through identifiers linked to the subject(s)
unless prior permission has been obtained.
The only human
blood that may be used is that which is
purchased or obtained from a blood bank,
hospital, or laboratory. No blood may be drawn
by any person or from any person specifically
for a STEM
Exhibition project. Human projects that
involve exercise and its effect on pulse,
respiration rate, blood pressure, and so on
are approved if a valid, normal, physical
examination report is on file at the school of
the participants being studied and if that
exercise is not carried to the extreme.
Projects that
involve taste, color, texture, or any other
choice will be allowed but are limited to
preference only. No project may use drugs,
food, or beverages to measure their effects on
a person.
Exceptions to
Non-Human Vertebrate and Human Vertebrate
Rules
Exceptions to the rules governing the use of
non-human and human vertebrates will not be
granted except in the extremely rare
circumstances that a student receives a
special grant to work with a university or
research facility on an ongoing research
project being conducted by the institution.
Approval for this exception will be granted
only if the following conditions are met.
These rules will
be strictly enforced at the regional and state
expositions.
The student must
seek approval for the project before November
15 of the academic year that the he/she wishes
to enter the regional or state exposition.
Requests for approval will not be accepted
after that date. The student must prepare a
detailed paper describing the project.
The student must
have a Request for Vertebrate Project
Endorsement (human
or non-human)
by NOVEMBER 13, 2023 signed by the director of the
research institution indicating that the
project is an ongoing institution project and
not a project designed just for the student.
The student must
obtain the Vertebrate Animal Endorsement from
the
Scientific Review Committee before beginning
the experiment. The deadline for requesting
this endorsement is NOVEMBER 13, 2023. For some
types of research, Illinois Junior Academy of
Science (IJAS) approval will be required. The
Scientific Review Committee will make this
determination before issuing the Vertebrate
Animal Endorsement.
The Chicago
Public Schools Student Science Fair, Inc. is a
member of
IJAS and International Science and Engineering
Fair (ISEF), and as such agrees to follow the
rules of these organizations as well as
formulating its own. High school students will
need to request and complete the required ISEF
forms to be considered for ISEF participation.
Students should keep in mind that all these
approvals take time and should allow for this
waiting period.
Exhibition of
an Animal Research Project
Research data can be well presented without
the actual physical presence of caged animals.
By use of pictures, slides, or videotapes,
research results can be effectively presented
with maximum impact. In many cases, judges
prefer this extra effort on the part of the
student researcher and consider the presence
of the animals as “proving nothing.”
Exhibition of
vertebrate animals will not be allowed.
The Vertebrate
Animal Endorsement must be prominently
displayed.
The qualified scientist must have the
necessary degrees (Ph.D., D.V.M., or
M.D.) to be eligible to sign this certificate.
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