Regeneron ISEF 2022 FAQ
Q: Where will Regeneron ISEF 2022 be held?
A: Regeneron ISEF 2022 will be held in Atlanta, GA at the Georgia World Congress Center from May 7-13, 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be held as a hybrid event to accommodate finalists who are unable to travel to Atlanta, GA.
Q: What COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place at Regeneron ISEF 2022?
A: All Regeneron ISEF 2022 attendees must be fully vaccinated. All attendees will also be required to wear masks while inside the Georgia World Congress Center unless they are actively eating or drinking. The Society is continuing to refine our COVID-19 safety protocols as the situation and guidance evolves. You can find more information about COVID-19 safety at Regeneron ISEF 2022 here: https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/2022-covid-19-policy/.
Q: What does it mean when you say that Regeneron ISEF will be a hybrid event?
A: Finalists who are unable to travel to Regeneron ISEF 2022 will be judged virtually through video conferencing. Click here for a Summary of Judging at Regeneron ISEF 2022.
Q: When must finalists decide whether they are participating virtually or in-person?
A: Finalist must indicate their decision by April 15. They will be asked to return to their Finalist Questionnaire to make indicated their choice. All finalist will be notified when this opens.
Q: Will virtual finalists be able to participate in other ISEF programming?
A: Yes, all of the ceremonies and major panels will be live streamed and available on demand. Plans are underway for a hybrid pin exchange.
Q: Will virtual and in-person finalists have an opportunity to interact with each other?
A: The Society is working on ways to do this. Look for more information on how this will happen closer to Regeneron ISEF 2022.
Q: Given COVID-19 protocols, will there be on-site opportunities for finalists to socialize with one another?
A: Yes, the Society expects that all of the events will still be held including a night out at the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium, the Student Pin Exchange, the Mixers, and category receptions. The Society is working on securing outdoor venues where people can eat safely, and of course, masks will be worn inside any of the venues. All venues will be rented for the exclusive use of Regeneron ISEF attendees.
Q: What happens if an attendee tests positive for COVID-19 while attending Regeneron ISEF and is unable to travel home at their originally scheduled time?
A: The Society recommends researching travel insurance options to cover this possibility. You can find more information about that here: https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/affiliated-fair-network/travel-insurance/. The affiliated fair that sent the delegation is responsible for covering any extra room nights required due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Q: If an attendee needs to isolate after exhibiting symptoms or receiving a positive test, are there extra hotel rooms available?
A: The Society is not specifically reserving extra hotel rooms for this purpose, however, we are working with all the hotels to ensure there are extra empty rooms in general. Society staff will assist the Adult-in-Charge of the the delegation in working with our housing vendor and their hotel to sort out accommodations. The responsibility ultimately lies with the affiliated fair and we again recommend researching travel insurance options to cover this possibility.
Q: Are virtual finalists eligible for the same awards as finalists participating in person?
A: Yes! All finalists, regardless of whether they are participating in person or virtually, will be eligible for the same awards at Regeneron ISEF.
Q: Virtual judging and in-person judging are very different experiences. What is being done to ensure all projects are judged fairly?
A: The Society fully acknowledges that a virtual interview is simply not the same as an in-person interview. We are therefore taking steps to mitigate those differences. Those steps include:
- All projects must have a virtual display following the same guidelines. All judges will use these virtual displays to preview projects.
- The Society will structure the interview formats for both types of judging to be as similar as possible. Judging interviews will all be 1-on-1 interactions for the same amount of time.
- Projects will be scored using the same criteria, regardless of whether the project interview takes place virtually or in-person. Judges will be trained on how to compare the merit of projects equally.
- The Society is taking steps to ensure virtual projects are represented fairly during the judge’s caucuses, which take place after the interviews have concluded.
Q: I’m interested in judging/volunteering but I cannot travel to Atlanta, GA. Are there virtual judging/volunteering opportunities?
A: Yes, we will need both virtual judges and volunteers to support virtual judging interviews. If you are interested in judging, please apply via this website: https://judges.societyforscience.org/ and indicate that you want to serve as a virtual judge. The Society has two key roles for volunteers who want to support virtual judging. We need interpreters in a variety of languages to support finalists who do no speak English. We also need “proctors” — adults who listen in on virtual interviews to oversee the interview, keep time and, if needed, share the finalist’s virtual booth on their screen. Our volunteer sign-up is not open yet, but keep an eye on https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/volunteers/ for more information.