Detailed schedules and information on the following activities can be found in the Finalist's Handbook (pages 9-11). All activities (except where noted) will be held in the Lory Student Center (LSC) on the Colorado State University - Fort Collins campus.

• Scientific Review Committee Interviews (only for those requiring one) will be held via Zoom meetings on Monday, March 27th and Tuesday, March 28th.
• Digital Project Materials must be submitted in pdf format to Symposium by Wednesday, March 29th.
•  Display & Safety Inspections of digital project materials will take place April 1st & 2nd and corrections will need to be done by April 7th.
• Display & Safety Inspections of project boards and Official Photos will take place in the LSC Grand Ballrooms on April 13, 2023 between 9 a.m. and 12 noon.
• Pre-Interview Project Reviews will take place March 31st - April 12th.
• Grand Award Judging Interviews will be conducted Thursday, April 13th from 12:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Special Award Judging Interviews will be conducted Thursday, April 13th from 1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. 
• Student Choice and Poster Art Contest ballots are due at the CSEF Registration booth on Friday, April 14th by 2 p.m.
• Guest Speaker - The talk, by Russ Schumacher, will be on Friday, April 14th at 9 a.m. in the LSC Theater.
• CSU Tours and Presentations will be held in various campus locations on Friday, April 14th between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Awards Ceremony will be held Friday, April 14th at 6 p.m. at the Timberline Church.
• Public Viewing of projects will be Friday, April 14th from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday, April 15th from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. in the LSC Grand Ballrooms.
• Celebration Pizza Party will be Satruday, April 15th at 11 a.m. Door prizes will be given out during this time and students must be present to win.

Once chosen to represent a Regional Science Fair at the CSEF, each STUDENT finalist must:

• choose a CSEF category (pdf) to compete in (please note that category judging captains will review abstracts prior to CSEF to comply with the CSEF Category Change Policy (pdf) and will make recommendations for category changes accordingly);


• register for the CSEF using the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair Registration Form (opens in a new window) - ONLY students who have won the right to represent their regional science fair and have received an official Finalist Handbook (pdf) from their Regional Fair Director are to use this registration form;


• complete the official CSEF Abstract (individual project abstract form (opens in a new window) or team project abstract form (opens in a new window)), verify your email to officially submit the form, print TWO copies from the email you receive once it has been submitted (one to submit with your paperwork to CSEF and one for your records) AND sign both copies;


• pay the $40/student registration fee via check only by April 1st - mail to CSEF - PO Box 1465 - Fort Collins, CO 80522; and


• attach a copy of the Finalist's Permission/Verification Form, a signed copy of the official CSEF Abstract Form to the required ISEF or CSEF paperwork (see Forms, Rules & Guidelines for more information) and give to your Regional Fair Director for submission to the CSEF.

Please note that each Regional Science Fair has their own personalized registration deadline at which point, all students' paperwork, abstract submissions and registrations MUST be turned in to the CSEF Director. Check the Finalist Handbook, page 4 for details.

Submit your digital project materials in Symposium.

Science Project Presentations:
Powerpoint Template
Google Slides Template

Engineering Project Presentations:
Powerpoint Template
Google Slides Template

Math/Computer Science Project Presentations:
Powerpoint Template
Google Slides Template

ALL students presenting at the Colorado Science & Engineering Fair MUST follow the display & safety regulations outlined in the Finalist Handbook (page 14). The following are a few items that are typical problems found by Display & Safety Inspectors during check-in:

• Students must have their ISEF or CSEF forms with them at their project.


• ALL photographs, images, graphics, data tables, graphs, etc. must be credited (even if everything was done by the student). Items from the Internet must have the specific URL for that image (do not credit Google Images).


• No glass or glass objects are allowed at the display (this includes equipment used for the project).


• No live or dried plant material is allowed at the display.


• No food is allowed as part of the display (students may have snacks and drinks for their own consumption, but that is all).


• No chemicals or water (other than for consumption by the student) is allowed as part of the display.


• No laser pointers are allowed to be used during judging.


• No sharp objects may be part of the display.

We encourage students, parents and teachers to give the Board of Directors feedback on their experience each year in order to maintain a high level of excellence. Please use the appropriate link below to complete an on-line survey about the 2023 CSEF held at Colorado State University - Fort Collins April 13 - 15.

Finalist Survey

Adult Survey

The following are publications that students and teachers may find useful.

• The CSEF Middle School Rules & Guidelines (pdf) is an option for only 6th - 8th grade students to use instead of the Regeneron ISEF forms. If a student uses these rules and forms, they must follow ALL of the rules for middle school students and not pick and choose between the Regeneron ISEF forms and rules and these.
• The CSEF Finalist Handbook (pdf) includes the necessary information students who have qualified to compete at the CSEF need.
• The CSEF Program (pdf) includes all of the Finalists' project information and CSEF program information for the days of the science fair.
• The CSEF Awards Ceremony Program (pdf) includes information on the organizations that provide the special awards.

As an incentive to participate and to reward outstanding research, the CSEF offers many different types of awards to the students entered into the CSEF each year.

• Grand Awards of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honorable Mention are awarded in each of the 12 categories for both the Junior (6-8 grades) and Senior (9 - 12 grades) Divisions.
• Student Choice Awards of a trophy, certificate and $100 are given in both the Junior and Senior Divisions. Finalists vote for their favorite project (ballots are due by 2 p.m. on Friday of the CSEF).
• A Poster Art Contest (pdf) is held where any student in Colorado may submit an entry for the next year's artwork for the Finalists to vote on. The winner receives a certificate and $100. Their artwork will be printed on the covers of next year's CSEF publications.
• Technical Writing Awards (pdf) are available to students in both the Junior Division (Elemer Bernath Memorial Technical Writing Award) and Senior Division (Ralph Desch Memorial Technical Writing Award). To be considered for this award, students must prepare a technical report as if they were planning on being published in a scientific or technical journal. The winners of these awards receive a certificate, $100 and his/her work published on the CSEF web site.
• Pioneers of Science Awards are personally sponsored by the Board of Directors and the winners are chosen based on their enthusiasm for their project and their future potential as a scientist as decided by the sponsoring board member. Each winner receives a certificate, information on the pioneer of science the award is named for and $50.
• Special Awards and Scholarships are provided by a variety of scientific organizations, businesses and universities according to criteria that they set. Check out the latest list of Special Award Organizations along with the criteria for the award and which CSEF categories are eligible for the award.