Competitions & Conferences
Information for competitions and conferences are not yet updated for all 2024-2025 evemts!
NCSSM Pre-Registration: Submit THIS FORM by Wed. Oct. 16, 2024
Registration Deadline: Nov. 25, 2024 (opening Nov. 1)
Abstract and Presentation submission: November 1 - 25, 2024
Event Date: Virtually Dec. 4 - 17, 2024
Format: Held virtually for 2024
Cost: $10 Registration Fee (no poster costs because virtual event)
NCSSM support may include covering all or a portion of the $10 registration fee. Without student completion of the Pre-Registration form by Oct. 16, NCSSM is unable to cover this registration cost.
Location: Held virtually for 2024
Prize: None; Professional Conference
Presentation Type: Poster or Oral
Commitment: Students will need to assess their availability for
NCSSM Sponsor: Email mentorshipandresearch@ncssm.edu
Dr. Sarah Shoemaker (DUR, ONL) and Ms. Christiane Burkins (MOR, ONL) and independent faculty sponsors
NC State Science and Engineering Fair (NCSEF Regional; 2024-2025)
Registration Deadline: Varies (see below)
Online students: You must register in your region of your base school.
Deadline: Ranges from December to January.
Residential students. You will register in NCSSM's own region.
Deadline: January 25, 2025
If you have a team project of students at multiple schools and/or regions, see directions at top of this page)
Event Date: February 17, 2025 (NCSSM region only; other regions may have earlier or later dates)
Format: In-person
Cost: None
Location: In person at NCSSM Durham (NCSSM Durham and Morganton residential students); online students compete in the region of their base school.
Prize: Advance to the State Science and Engineering Fair (Date March 29, 2025)
Note - NCSSM students with a Major Violation for academic dishonesty are not allowed to advance to the State and/or National Levels.
Presentation Type: Poster (printed, in person)
Link to example templates for quad charts and slide presentations
NCSSM Sponsors:
Director: Dr. Jon Bennett (bennett@ncssm.edu)
Co-Director: Dr. Kim Monahan (monahan@ncssm.edu)
Dr. Shoemaker can help with questions for online students
For Registering NCSSM Durham and NCSSM Morganton students
Required materials for registration
Contact your NCSSM instructor or the Scientific Review Committee Chair (Dr. Paul Namaste, paul.namaste@ncssm.edu) for projects initiated at NCSSM
Items that will be required for the event date
(coming soon) NCSEF 2025 Guidelines (including Quad Chart and Project Presentation Instructions and Templates)
All project materials (quad chart, presentation slides)
Printed poster required
NOTE: The only item used by judges for the Regional fair is the printed poster (other project materials are required to register and will be required if move on to state)
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Registration Date: November 7, 2024 8:00pm
Top 300 Results Announced: Early January 2025
Top 40 Finalists Announced: Late January 2025
Cost: None
Location: N/A
Prize: Cash Prizes ranging from $2,000-$250,000 and a trip to D.C. for the top 40 finalists
Presentation Type: Paper
NCSSM Sponsor: Not needed
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS; dates not yet available)
Registration Deadline: Varies (see below)
Online students: Your chaperone (teacher/parent) must register by TBA; students must register by TBA.
Residential students: By TBA. Residential students must meet internal registration guidelines to compete (not yet annouced for 2024-2025)
Symposium Dates: Not yet available for 2024-2025
Cost: Hotel provided by JSHS; travel costs.
Location: Not yet available for 2024-2025
Prize: Potential to advance past the regional level, Public recognition and certificates, honoring achievement and interest in research pursuits
Presentation Type: Paper or Poster
NCSSM Sponsor: Not yet available for 2024-2025
REQUIREMENTS: *** JSHS is an individual competition. Team projects must be presented by only one student and that student is solely eligible for the scholarship award. ***
North Carolina Student Academy of Science (NCSAS; dates not yet available)
Registration Date: Varies by Region
Online students. You will compete in the region of your base school before advancing to state competition
Residential students. You will register as part of the state competition.
Competition Dates:
March 28 Durham (Triangle and East)
April 25 Morganton (Triad and west)
Cost: Registration Cost-- Dinner included
Location: NCSSM Durham and NCSSM Morganton
Prize: Potential to advance past the state level, Public recognition and certificates, honoring achievement and interest in research pursuits
Presentation Type: Paper and Oral
Director for NCSAS: Chris Thomas (thomas@ncssm.edu)
Program Website: https://www.ncsas.org
BioGENius
Competition Date: Not yet available for 2024-2025
Cost: Registration Cost-- Dinner included
Location: NCSSM Note: NCSSM Residential Students compete directly at the State Competition; Online students start at regional competitions)
Prize: Attendance at International BioGENius Challenge
Presentation Type: Paper. Their paper is scored anonymously by 3 judges independently of NCSAS and the winner is announced as a special award for NCSAS at the state competition.
NCSSM Sponsor: Not yet available for 2024-2025
NC International Science Competition (Research or Maker Projects)
Event Date: Not yet available for 2024-2025
Cost: None
Location: North Carolina for next round.
Prize: Travel to the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition
Presentation Type: Paper
NCSSM Sponsor: Not needed to apply
NCSSM Research Symposium
Event Date: April 28, 2025
Registration Deadline/Instructions: TBA
Cost: None
Location: NCSSM Durham and Morganton campuses
Prize: None, Professional Conference
Presentation Type: Posters or Oral (additional options may be available per campus)
NCSSM Sponsor: Not needed for participation
Other Opportunities to Communicate your Research and Innovation
(registration in October; event in November) Sigma Xi Student Research Conference
(registration in January; virtual submission in March) Sigma Xi Student Research Showcase
(submission deadline June) EXPLORATIONS Journal