[Student Area|Teacher Area|Judge Area]
Safety
Guidelines for Experimentation, continued
Safety is the
watchword when exhibiting at all STEM
Exhibitions. Without exception, the highest
standards of safety are required. The
following are safety measures of particular
concern.
- Once approval
is received, the following guidelines must
be observed:
- Microorganisms
should
be supplied by a reputable, certified
biological supplier.
- Microorganisms
must be maintained at a location approved by
the
Scientific Review Committee.
- All cultures
should be destroyed by methods such as
autoclaving or with a suitable bleach
solution before disposal. The location will
depend on the nature of the research.
Endorsements must be signed
and submitted by teacher sponsors ONLY.
Cultures of
known bacteria, while they may be considered
as non-pathogenic, must be treated in such a
way that no bacterial contamination of the
environment around the project display area
can occur; therefore, cultures of molds,
bacteria, and fungi must not be displayed.
Photographs of cultures are preferred.
Hypodermic syringes, needles, and surgical
tools may not be part of the display.
Wild cultures of
bacteria and fungi, though they may be used if
incubated at or below room temperature, may
not be displayed at a STEM Exhibition.
All research
involving Recombinant DNA techniques must meet
requirements of the National Institute of
Health Guidelines for Research Involving
Recombinant DNA Molecules. Such studies must
only be conducted in a registered research
laboratory under the guidance of a biomedical
scientist approved to conduct such studies by
an appropriately constituted and registered
biosafety committee and be approved by the
Scientific Review Committee of STEM
Exhibition, Inc.
A Request for
Recombinant DNA Endorsement must be submitted
to the
Scientific Review Committee by November
13, 2023. See this PDF
for the appropriate form. These required ISEF
forms should also be requested and completed:
Checklist for Adult Supervisor, Research Plan
(1A), Approval Form (1B), Qualified Scientist
Form (2), Registered Research
Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (1C),
and Designated Supervisor Form (3).
No materials
may be displayed that can undergo a chemical
or biological change.
This includes,
molds, bacteria, yeasts, pond water, aquatic
plants and other potentially gas producing
substances. Those projects should display
photographs or simulations instead of the
actual materials and organisms used in the
investigation.
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