For teachers and sponsors

Two free tools help your students start their research projects right. Neither replaces you or your fair's Scientific Review Committee (SRC); both are built to keep you in the loop.

ISEF rules check

A student describes their study in plain language and answers a few questions. The check then lists the forms, the approvals needed before any data collection (IRB, SRC, IACUC, and others), anything ISEF doesn't permit, and other things to know, each with the rulebook page it comes from.

• Check it with them. The results page has a share link that holds the student's answers, not their description. Opening it shows you exactly what they answered and what the check concluded, so you can correct an answer that doesn't match the project.
• "Unclear" is a valid answer. Requirements that depend on an unclear answer are marked, and the questions are listed for the student to settle with you or the SRC.
• It's guidance, not a ruling. Your fair's SRC makes the final determination, and regional or state fairs may add requirements.
• Preview status. While the yellow "Preview" banner shows, the rules are a draft still being verified by an SRC-experienced reviewer. Use the results as a starting point for your own check.
• Something looks wrong? "This looks wrong" on any results page sends the answers and results (never the description) to our rules steward.

Project coach

A chat that helps a student get from an interest to a testable question, and then to a sound experiment plan: variables, controls, number of trials, and how to measure. It works from the same criteria ISEF judges use.

• It doesn't write for students. ISEF doesn't allow generative AI to write the research plan, abstract, or poster, and judges score independence in the interview. The coach asks questions and gives feedback; if asked to write, it explains why not and helps the student write it themselves.
• Students must disclose it. Using the coach counts as using generative AI. Form 2A (Student Support Disclosure), required for every project, asks about that and for the prompt log. Save conversation for Form 2A gives students that log as a file.
• Ask for the summary. The coach's project summary lists the student's decisions in their own words, checked against what they typed, plus open questions the coach raised. It's a quick way to see where a student stands.
• Safety stays with you. The coach gives no step-by-step procedures for hazardous work, sends students to their supervisor and the rules check, and responds to any sign of distress with care and the 988 crisis line.

Privacy

No accounts, and nothing a student types is stored on our servers. Descriptions and coach messages are sent to Anthropic's AI to process them. Details are on the privacy page.