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Science Fair FAQ

Q1. CAN I DO MY PROJECT WITH A FRIEND? 

Of course! Your project can be done solo or as a duo.  

Q2. I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT A PROJECT THAT I HAVE ALREADY PRESENTED AT THE HYDRO-QUÉBEC SCIENCE FAIR. IS THAT POSSIBLE? 

Absolutely. You will need to obtain a Form C (for a second year). It is available here.  

Q3. CAN I PRESENT A PROJECT REGARDLESS OF MY GRADE LEVEL?

You must:   

  • be an elementary school student, regardless of grade level.   
  • be a high school student, regardless of grade level.   
  • be a CEGEP student aged 20 or under on May 1 of the year in which your Science Fair final takes place.  
Q4. MY SCHOOL IS ORGANIZING A LOCAL FINAL. DO I HAVE TO REGISTER FOR IT? 

You must participate in order to qualify for the regional finals. However, if no finals are being organized at your school, you can register for the regional finals directly.

Q5. FOR MY PROJECT, I WANT TO DO AN EXPERIMENT OR A DESIGN. CAN I DO IT ON MY OWN?

Please note that your project must be supervised by someone with expertise in a scientific field. You must indicate this when you register. You can ask for supervision from, for example: lab technicians, science teachers, or a parent who works in a scientific field related to the project. 

Q6. CAN I DO THE PROJECT AT HOME?  

Please note that all experimental work must be carried out in a safe place with the appropriate equipment.  The stages of your project must be carried out at your school, in a laboratory, etc. NO projects will be accepted if you carry out the stages at HOME.  

Q7. I SEE THAT I NEED AN APPROVAL FORM FOR MY PROJECT. WHAT IS IT FOR AND WHERE CAN I FIND ITt? 

The approval is used to validate your project’s research protocol so that the judges can evaluate it properly. It only applies to experimental and design projects (not popularization projects).   

Go to this application to request the form.  

Q8. WHY DO I NEED TO REQUEST ETHICAL APPROVAL?

Your project involves human beings (including yourself):   

  • Any project involving humans is reserved for secondary school/college   
  • In other words, no human beings may take part in primary school projects.   
  • It requires ethical approval (approbation.technoscience.ca)   
  • It requires all participants to sign a consent form.   
  • If it involves biological samples, physical tests, surveys, interviews, questionnaires, etc.:   
  • No questions that reveal personal information (e.g., What is your name?).   
  • No mandatory questions: participants must be given the choice of whether or not to answer. 
Q9. WHY DO I NEED tO REQUEST APPROVAL UNDER THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES REGULATIONS?

Your project involves living beings other than humans:   

  • Whether it involves bacterial or cellular samples, protocols on plants or animals, etc.,   
  • If animals are involved: they must be part of a research project at a recognized institution. They must be provided by the recognized institution and are therefore “shared” with your project.  In other words: Science Fair projects involving your dog/cat are prohibited.  
Q10. WHY DO I NEED REQUEST APPROVAL UNDER THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES REGULATIONS?

Your project involves hazardous materials or procedures:   

  • It involves the use of chemicals that are corrosive, explosive, flammable, harmful if ingested, etc.   
Q11. WHAT PRESENTATION ELEMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE REGIONAL FINALS? 

In addition to the poster and written report used for the regional finals, each exhibitor eligible for the Quebec finals must produce a PowerPoint presentation of their project to be presented on a shared screen via Zoom during the judging of the projects. The content of the PowerPoint presentation may very well include elements from your poster. The PowerPoint presentation is therefore strongly recommended for the Quebec finals, but optional for the regional finals. 

Q12. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EXPERIENCING A SCIENCE FAIR JUDGING! HOW WILL THE REGIONAL FINALS BE JUDGED? 

The judging will take place in five 15-minute evaluation rounds. In other words, you will have to present your project five times to five different judges. The judges will circulate in the exhibition hall, which will be closed to visitors during the judging. You will have to give a 7- or 8-minute presentation, followed by a question period. The judging process is explained in more detail here.  

Q13. IF THE QUEBEC FINAL JUDGING IS VIRTUAL, HOW WILL IT WORK? 

Each exhibitor eligible to participate in the Quebec final will receive detailed information on how the virtual judging will take place. However, please note that you will need to be connected for several hours in a quiet, well-lit place with a good Internet connection. The process is the same as for your regional final, except that everything takes place virtually.

Q14. HOW DOES THE QUEBEC FINAL WORK? 

You will be invited to three incredible days to present your project to the public, enjoy a variety of activities, and end the weekend with the awards ceremony! In short, the judging is virtual, while the presentation of projects to the public and the awards ceremony will take place in person. The ceremony will also be webcast so that your family and friends can watch from anywhere in Quebec.  

Q15. CAN I BE ABSENT DURING A SCIENCE FAIR FINAL AND STILL RECEIVE AN AWARD? 

Unfortunately, NO. Judging and the awards ceremony are mandatory. Why? Because it is unfair to the other participants and is not well regarded by the partners who present the awards. 

Q16. ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS? 

The only exceptions are: 

  • An admission interview for a university program (e.g., medicine). An official letter from the university must be provided as proof. 
  • A personal medical emergency or one involving someone in your immediate social circle. 

Send your question to the following address: info@technoscience.ca 

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