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Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair – Judges and Volunteers

Judges and Volunteers

Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair (PRSEF) is one of the largest ISEF-affiliated science fairs in the country. An event this size requires the efforts of many individuals. We couldn’t provide this opportunity for our students without the help of our many judges and volunteers.

The 84th Annual Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair will take place Tues.–Wed., April 2–3, 2024, at Carnegie Science Center.

2024 Abstracts:

Become a Science Fair Judge

The Science Fair is looking for judges to award a variety of prizes on Competition Days, Tues.–Wed., April 2–3, 2024. You only need to be present for one of the two days to judge. 

 Judge registration opens in a new window is open. Please note, Category Judge positions have all been filled. 

Check out the 2023 Judges’ Handbook opens in a new window and the Compendium on Science Fair Judging opens in a new window to learn more about judging at PRSEF.  Still have questions? Read more about the different judge types below or email PRSEF@CarnegieScienceCenter.org for assistance.

Category Judges

A Category Judge will judge students in a particular project category and will award a 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and 4th place winner in that category.

The Senior (9th-12th grades) and Intermediate (7th-8th grades) Division categories are Behavioral & Social Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science/Math, Earth/Environment, Engineering/Robotics, Medicine/Health/Microbiology and Physics/Astronomy. The Intermediate Division also includes Consumer Science category. The Junior Division (6th grade) categories are Behavioral & Consumer Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physical Sciences & Engineering.

Judges must have a bachelor’s degree in the field in which they are judging or related experience. In the junior or intermediate levels (Grade 6-8), a non-science degree may be acceptable. If you are in doubt of your eligibility to judge, inquire to the chair of Judge Advisory Committee (ISEF@Pitt.edu). Active K-12 educators are not eligible to judge.

If you have understanding of a field of Science or Engineering and confidence in your ability to chat with a bright young person and you meet the qualifications above, then you can judge! A large percentage of our judges return every year. They love doing it and look forward to the Fair.

Affiliate Sponsor Judges & Awards

Affiliated Sponsor awards (certificates, medallions as determined by sponsors) are awarded at Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair because of its affiliation with Regeneron ISEF. 16 different organizations including: American Meteorological Society, American Psychological Association, ASU Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives, Association for Women GeoScientists, Broadcom MASTERS Middle School Program, Intel Excellence in Computer Science, Mu Alpha Theta, NASA Earth System Science Award, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ricoh Americas Corporation, Society for In Vitro Biology, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Metric Association, U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps – Office of Naval Research, Stockholm Junior Water Prize/Water Environment Federation, Yale Science and Engineering Association require judges to award prizes on their behalf.

Affiliate judges will review student projects, interview students and decide upon the recipients of each award.

Scholarship Judges

Senior Division PRSEF participants (9th-12th grade) are eligible to be judged and receive scholarships. Scholarship judges will evaluate projects for the schools providing those awards. Please contact PRSEF@carnegiesciencecenter.org if you represent a school which would like to offer a scholarship to PRSEF students.

Sponsor Judges

Sponsor Judges represent a PRSEF sponsor and choose exhibits that address the particular field of interest of that sponsoring organization. Please see Sponsors and Awards for a list of all sponsor awards expected to be available in 2024.

ISEF Judges

As an affiliate fair of the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair can advance up to seven Senior Division projects to ISEF.

The ISEF Judges are experts from local universities and organizations who read the papers submitted by the student researchers, select and interview the ISEF candidates. These judges may or may not be part of the category award selection committee.

Become a Science Fair Volunteer

Volunteer registration opens in a new window is open. Volunteers help students find their way through the museum, provide support for students on the exhibit floor, inspect project displays for safety, and direct students during lunch break.

If you would like to be added to our volunteer email list, please email the PRSEF office at PRSEF@CarnegieScienceCenter.org.

Contact Us

Email questions or comments to PRSEF@CarnegieScienceCenter.org or call the Science Fair office at 412.237.1534.