Frequently asked questions
General questions
SARSEF started as the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair (SARSEF) in 1955. Today, we are a qualified charitable nonprofit organization based in Tucson, AZ, and we are the Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation (SARSEF). We like to go by “SARSEF.”
Beyond holding a science and engineering fair every year, we provide a variety of programming to students across Arizona. You can learn more about our mission by visiting Our Mission page.
You can learn more about how to get involved in specific programs by visiting our programs page.
Important dates for programs are listed on each program page. You can also sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date with program dates and announcements.
To sign up for our newsletter, visit the bottom of our homepage.
As a nonprofit committed to serving student populations underrepresented in the fields of STEM, we try to offer programs at low or no cost. Some programs do require a fee. Each program page will have information about the cost of a program.
Every school is welcome to partner with SARSEF, and we prioritize creating low- to no-cost opportunities for students in schools with higher percentages of low-income families or where STEM opportunities are not available elsewhere.
Take a look at our programs page to learn more about what we offer, and connect to a programs staff by visiting our staff page.
Questions about the SARSEF Fair
There are a number of other factors that contribute to eligibility.
Geography – For PreK-4th grade, any Arizona student is eligible. For 5th-12th grade, Arizona students south of the Gila River are eligible.
Qualification – PreK-8th grade students must register through their school. Schools are given an allotment of how many projects they are able to send to the SARSEF Regional Fair and hold a fair at the school level to determine which projects will be selected to represent them. High School students may register themselves and do not need to qualify at the school level.
To learn more about eligibility, visit our Who can participate page.
If your homeschool student meets the geographic eligibility requirement, then your homeschooler can compete at the SARSEF Fair.
You will need to register your homeschool, where you will receive an allotment or “allocation” of projects you may send to the SARSEF Regional Fair.
For elementary and middle schools (grades K–8), there is a limit to how many projects a school can register for the SARSEF Regional Fair. Generally, the number of projects per school is between 15%-30% of the total projects completed at a school, depending on school size, grade level, and level of involvement.
For high schools and preschools, there are no allocation limits. Schools are allowed to send as many projects as are considered of high quality by the school. We want as many as possible to have the opportunity to compete for scholarships and large prizes.
Class projects (4+ students) do not count towards a school’s allocation. Please see our Selecting students for the SARSEF Regional Fair page for more information.
You may also contact director@sarsef.org for any questions or to look up your school’s allocation number.
The SARSEF Regional Fair is a hybrid event. All project submissions are digital. There will be in-person events, including in-person interviews at the high school level, as well as an in-person Community STEM Expo on Saturday of fair week accompanying the in-person Awards Ceremonies at Reid Park in Tucson.
Please note that all judging and project review occurs virtually for elementary and middle school.
There is a suggested fee of $15 per project registration, which supports the sustainability of the SARSEF Fair; however, you may pay whatever works for your learning community. We do not want project fees to become a barrier to participation.
Starting a science fair project can seem overwhelming. We have created a step-by-step process to help you through each phase of your project all the way to the SARSEF Fair. You can also ask questions any time by reaching out to director@sarsef.org.
If you want to learn about how the SARSEF Fair works and how to participate, visit our Participate page to learn more. Here, you will also be able to find information on how to hold a school fair.
Creating an account is recommended if you are a fair director or teacher with multiple projects to register. It makes it easier to view projects you’ve registered and edit the project details.
If you don’t wish to create an account, you may still submit multiple projects as a guest; there will be a period to request edits for guest submissions.
On our Project Registration Fee Payment Form, you do not need to pay for each project individually. If you would like to pay for multiple projects at once, you are able to adjust the total as desired.
We provide resources on how to convert a physical project into a digital one.
We have created a sample school fair with examples of projects that have won an award in the past. The sample school fair shows a variety of science and engineering projects for different grade levels and team sizes.
Students win over $100,000 in cash, prizes, and scholarships at the SARSEF Regional Fair. Grand Awards are cash prizes given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place projects in every grade level and category. Class projects compete separately from individual and team projects and are also awarded Grand Awards.
Students can also win one of hundreds of Sponsored Awards from different organizations and individuals. These prizes range from cash awards to college scholarships to physical items and experiences. Some examples include tickets to Biosphere 2, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, or Tucson Comic-Con, real meteorites, unique trophies, internships, tours, graphing calculators and other research equipment, etc. Sponsored Awards are given to encourage students to pursue science and often a particular field of interest. They have a wide variety of criteria to make their decisions separate from the Grand Awards judges.
After registration closes for the SARSEF Fair, a lot of work goes into reviewing each project to make sure Display and Safety Rules are observed. We also assign projects to judging teams. SARSEF staff and volunteers personally view every single project before competition begins. Our systems rely on participants observing deadlines for submission. Enforcing deadlines allows us to provide a positive experience for all participants, volunteers, and judges. We appreciate you observing deadlines.
You can always check important dates for the SARSEF Fair by visiting the Important Dates page or by signing up for our newsletter.
Questions about judging at the SARSEF Fair
We welcome a variety of judges with different experience levels to the SARSEF Fair every year. Visit our Judges page to review the requirements for judges at different divisions for the fair.
If you are a high school student over the age of 16, you are eligible to judge at the elementary school level.
You can register to become a judge starting around November before the fair is held in the spring of each year.
Elementary and middle school division judging at the SARSEF Fair requires virtual project review and synchronous virtual caucus. There are also optional virtual interviews for students at the elementary and middle school level.
High school judging also has virtual project review, and then interviews and caucus happen in-person at High School Interview Day. More information about High School Interview Day schedules can be found on our blog in early February. You may also sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date.
SARSEF staff are unable to judge fairs at the school level. We encourage schools to reach out to their extended learning communities, including business and STEM professionals, to become involved in supporting or judging your fair.
Questions about volunteering with SARSEF
We are always happy to have high school students volunteer with us! You can always sign up to become a general volunteer for any of our events throughout the year.
Additionally, we offer a SARSEF Science Ambassador program for young adults and college students. Learn more about the program and apply by visiting the SARSEF Science Ambassador page. SARSEF also offers a Teen Science Cafe chapter. To learn more about Teen Science Cafe and how to get involved, contact director@sarsef.org.
SARSEF welcomes companies and organizations who are looking for volunteer opportunities. You can always view current volunteer opportunities by visiting our volunteers page.
If you are looking for additional opportunities beyond general volunteering, please contact development@sarsef.org.