WELCOME 

This site's purpose is to aid students, parents, teachers, and sponsors who are interested in aspects of the Rio Rancho High School Student Research EXPO (SRE). It contains the documents necessary for a participant to enter and compete in the SRE. It also has the schedule for submission deadlines, as well as the many training opportunities. You do not need to be affiliated with Rio Rancho High School to use this site or attend any of the training.

REQUIREMENTS

SRE winners progress onto affiliate fairs of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF). Therefore all participants are required to have a teacher sponsor and complete certain Intel ISEF forms, as well as three that are specific to Rio Rancho Public Schools. In the documents section below are the required forms for students to submit a proposal. There are additional forms, checklists, and information packets, which may be useful or even required for certain other projects. They are listed in the section below the required forms. Because of the variety of research topics, it is not possible to outline which additional forms are necessary for which projects. Please see Intel ISEF Rules Wizard, Intel ISEF Rules and Regulations, your teacher sponsor, or Mr. Keeney for specifics on Intel ISEF forms. For a project to be eligible for competition, besides having the proper paperwork approved by the SRC (Science Review Committee), the project must encompass some aspect of research.  There are generally four categories that satisfy this.  The student can:

1. Devise an experiment where they take their own original data.  This type is the most common.  As long as a student is collecting their own data, whether numeric or categorical, through an experiment or observation that they conduct themselves, the criteria for this category is met.  If there are safety or other concerns that prevent the student from direct collection, they may have a qualified designated supervisor collect the data for them.
2. Perform an inferential statistical analysis on existing data.  If data is gathered from a published source, or is otherwise not the product of the student’s experiment, then they are required to perform some aspect of inferential statistics in order to meet this category’s criteria.  Inferential statistics are calculations based on mathematical probabilities that allow ‘likelihood’ assertions to be made.  Examples are confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, regression analyses, chi-squared tests, ANOVA’s, etc.  Doing summary statistics, such as finding the mean and standard deviation, or simply organizing the data into tables and graphs is not sufficient. If a student does not have training in inferential statistics, or has an advisor or mentor who can closely work with the student in this area, then this is not a recommended project to attempt.
3. Design and develop an engineering project.  It is not sufficient for a student to take existing plans and simply construct the item, such as a seismograph or Vander graph generator.  That would essentially be a “shop” project.  However, if they design the item themselves, improve it through a test and development process, or use the item to take data, then it will qualify.  Computer programs written by the student researcher meet this criterion.
4. Derive a mathematical relationship or prove a mathematical theorem.  It is not sufficient for a student to reproduce a known proof or relation.  There needs to be a unique investigation and some form of relation or property developed. Most often a student will be looking for a formula or proof.

HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH INFORMATION

ALL HIGH SCHOOL (9-12) STUDENTS WISHING TO DO A HUMAN SUBJECTS PROJECT (those requiring a form 4) NEED TO FIRST SUBMIT A FORMAL WRITTEN PROPOSAL TO THE SRC AND HAVE THEIR PARENTS SIGN A HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH PARENT INFORMATION FORM. The petition is a one-page submission outlining the proposed project.  It should follow the format outlined in the document Human Subjects Research Petition Guidelines and Advice which also contains a lot of other good information on the petitions, and human subjects research in general.  PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THIS DOCUMENT BEFORE SUBMITTING A PETITION! The petition will be evaluated by individuals trained in human subjects research using the concepts outline in the guidelines.  Students whose petitions are accepted will then be allowed to submit a human subjects project for the Expo.  The petitions and Parent information forms are due by 17 Sep (2:45pm) to Mr. Keeney in ED 101 or the E&D Academy Office.  All proposals will be evaluated and returned to the sponsoring teachers, so please make sure the sponsoring teacher's name is included in the heading.

If the petition is approved (often students are allowed multiple submission if deadlines are met and the project is viable but needs corrections) then students may submit their paperwork to the SRC. The process for review is involved, and requires approval by both the Pre-IRB body and the IRB (Institutional Review Board). Please read the document Human Subjects Research IRB Guidelines and Advice for more good information to help in the approval process. Good luck and remember - submit all paperwork as early as possible, well before the deadlines.

VERTEBRATE ANIMAL RESEARCH INFORMATION

Research in any form that involves vertebrate animals (including fish, all vertebrate pets, and purely observational studies) requires special attention, paperwork and review.  The requirements generally follow standard vertebrate animal protocol for college and institutional research.  Pay special attention to the items outlined in the checklist: Addendum for Vertebrate Animals.  It highlights the additional considerations and experimental design requirements for vertebrate animal research.  Students will also need a Vertebrate Animal Parent Information Form (DUE 17 Sep) a form 5, a designated supervisor, and possibly a qualified scientist, depending upon the nature of the project.  The submission deadline for the vertebrate animal SRC paperwork is DUE 20 Oct .  The reason is that once a project passes RRPS's Science Review Committee(SRC), the paperwork will then be forwarded to UNM's Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC).  This review could take up to six weeks. Good luck and remember - submit all paperwork as early as possible, well before the deadlines.

SUMMER RESEARCH AND EARLY APPROVAL

For students wishing to do research over the summer, or otherwise submit paperwork when school is not in session, please try to make arrangements with Rob Keeney well before the end of the school year.  It is possible to get paperwork reviewed and approved any time of the year, including during the summer.  However, special arrangements need to be worked out before the end of the school year so schedules and meetings can be coordinated.  If you decide after-the-fact to do research over the summer, you are still encouraged to try.  However, it may be more difficult to find the individuals involved in the approval process, since they do not work in the summer.  If Mr. Keeney cannot be reached, please contact the High School receptionist at 896-5600 to see when he may be in. If you are not able to get the upcoming year's ISEF forms, fill out the previous year's forms for submission, and when the new forms are posted, transfer the information and resubmit both the old and new for updated signatures before the final paperwork submission deadline.

SETUP FOR EXPO

Setup for the Expo this semester is from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, Wednesday, 20 January, in the High School gym. Check in at the tables in the gym foyer to receive you Expo packet and for further instructions. Students need to bring their projects and any other materials they wish to have for their presentations, minimally including their board, notebook and several loose copies of their abstract. If there are any valuable pieces of equipment, or if otherwise the student does not wish to leave equipment overnight, they may bring in those additional items Thursday morning starting at 7:00am. They must have the ID badges they received at setup with them to do so. Please read the document on display and safety for what is not allowed. If the student cannot set up the project her or himself , anyone else may do so for them. If there are no arrangements that can be made for Wednesday night, then the parents/guardians of the student may write a letter explaining the circumstances, and the student may bring this with them and submit it to Dan Barbour at 7:00am in the gym on Thursday morning for late setup. Please be aware that, "My son/daughter did was not finished last night" will not be an acceptable explanation for late setup, and that other reasons will be reviewed and allowed on a case-by-case basis. In other words, please try to make Wednesday night setup if at all possible. Thanks.

AWARDS

For each fair there are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and honorable mention prizes for each category, as well as Outstanding Young Researcher grand prizes.  Additionally, different departments within the school, district and community sponsor special awards.  Please note that the number, category, and amounts may change from fair to fair.

 

 

REQUIRED FORMS NECSESSARY FOR ALL PROJECTS - (PDF Format)

• RRPS Ethics Agreement Letter
• RRPS Expo Registration Form
• RRPS Media Consent Form
• Form 1
• Form 1A and Research Plan *
• Form 1B

* Form 1A and the Research Plan form are needed for ALL projects. Your experimental design will be attached to the back of the Research Plan form. It must be typed. See the experimental design format in the student packet.

 

FORM FOR STUDENTS DOING RESEARCH AT RRPS, BUT DO NOT INTEND TO COMPETE IN THE EXPO. (PDF Format)

Student Research SRC Review Form - This is the cover sheet/registration form for students doing research at Rio Rancho Public Schools, but who do not intend to enter their project in the Expo. Only this form and an experimental design write-up are required. All research done for a classroom assignment by a student at RRPS must first have their proposal approved by the SRC before beginning experimentation. There is no deadline for submitting Non-Expo research projects to the SRC during the academic school year.

 

ADDITIONAL ISEF FORMS - These are the rest of the forms published by Intel ISEF.  Only some or none may be required, depending upon the project.  Please see Intel ISEF Rules Wizard or Intel ISEF Rules and Regulations for specifics on Intel ISEF forms. (PDF Format)

• All ISEF Forms
• Form 1C - Registered Institution
• Form 2 - Qualified Scientist
• Form 3 - Risk Assessment
• Form 4 - Human Subjects Informed Consent
• Form 5A and 5B - Vertebrate Animals (In most cases, only Form 5A is needed)
• Form 6A - Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents
• Form 6B - Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue
• Form 7 - Continuation

 

RRPS FORMS - CHECKLISTS, GUIDELINES, AND OTHER INFORMATION (PDF Format unless otherwise stated)

• Abstract - guidelines for writing an effective abstract
• Data Mining Checklist - for all projects where data was obtained from an outside source
• Display and Safety Checklist - rules for setting up display booths
• Extra Credit - RRHS extra credit schoolwide policy for Expo and other research participation
• Firearms Checklist - for projects with any projectiles: firearms, bows, trebuchets, rockets, paint ball, etc.
• Human Subjects Research Form 4 Checklist - criteria used to review form 4's
• Human Subjects Research IRB Guidelines and Requirments - suggestions/requirements from the IRB for project approval
• Human Subjects Research Parent Information Form - required for all human subjects research petitions (see deadline below)
• Human Subjects Research Petition Checklist - criteria used to evaluate human subjects petitions
• Human Subjects Research Petition Guidelines and Advice - advice on human subjects petitions (see deadline below)
• Human Subjects Research Experimental Design Checklist - criteria used to evaluate human subjects experimental designs
• Regionals Paper Competition Rules and Guidelines - for those writing a paper for paper competitions
• Registered Institution Checklist - important directions for filling out a form 1C.
• Safety Checklist - for any project that may have safety concerns
• Student Packet - PDF format (not available - coming soon)- comprehensive guide for completing a project
• Student Packet - Word format - same as above but in Word Format so it can be modified it to fit individual needs
• Addendum for Vertebrate Animals - additional information required for all vertebrate animal projects
• Vertebrate Animal Parent Information Form - required for all vertebrate animal research (see deadline below)

 

DEALINES AND OTHER IMPORTANT DATES

**Please Note: All SRC/IRB deadlines are hard deadlines. Being absent from school is not an excuse! Students may have a friend or family member bring it in. If this is not possible, then contact Mr. Keeney BEFORE the expiration of the deadline to see if other arrangements can be made. It is best to plan ahead and get your paperwork in early.**

17 Sep - last day for human subjects petitions

17 Sep - last day for signed human subjects parent information forms

17 Sep - last day for signed vertebrate animal parent information forms

20 Oct - deadline for initial submissions of vertebrate animal project paperwork

27 Oct - last day for human subjects (IRB) paperwork submission

01 Dec - final day for any SRC paperwork submissions

20 Jan - Expo project and display setup (7:00pm-9:00pm High School gym)

21 Jan - 2010 EXPO

25 Jan - Awards Ceremony (7:00pm-9:00pm)

Mar - Central NM Science & Engineering Research Challenge (Regionals) at UNM, Albuquerque

Mar - Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) Regional Competition in Albuquerque

Apr - New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair at NM Tech in Socorro

Apr or May - Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) National Competition in (to be announced)

May, 2010 - Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (to be announced)

 

LINKS

• Citation Machine - this site can help you properly format your references (it's free)
• Easybib - another free site to help you properly format your references
• Intel ISEF official site
• Intel ISEF Rules and Regulations
• Intel ISEF Rules Wizard
• International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, Environment Project (ISWEEEP )
• Central NM Science & Engineering Research Challenge - formerly Northwestern Regional Science and Engineering Fair
• All New Mexico Regional Science and Engineering Fairs
• New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)
• Inquiry Facilitators - I.F. Inc.

 

CONTACTS

Rob Keeney, SRC Coordinator, Display & Safety Coordinator, Expo Page Webmaster

505-896-5773 (office and voicemail) and 505-896-5921 (fax)

Email Mr. Keeney here...

Address:

301 Loma Colorado

Rio Rancho, NM 87124

Jennifer Miyashiro, Senior Expo Coordinator,

505-896-5746 (office and voicemail) and 505-896-5921 (fax)

Email Ms. Miyashiro here...

Address:

301 Loma Colorado

Rio Rancho, NM 87124

 

Dan Barbour, Senior EXPO Coordinator,

505-896-5644 (office and voicemail) and 505-896-5921 (fax)

Email Mr. Barbour here...

Address:

301 Loma Colorado

Rio Rancho, NM 87124