Competitions & Conferences
Information for competitions and conferences are not yet updated for 2023-2024!
State of NC Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS)
Registration Deadline: October 26, 2022
Event Date: December 3, 2022 (Saturday before NCSSM finals)
Format: In person only
Cost: Free for 2022!
Location: UNC Wilmington
Prize: None; Professional Conference
Presentation Type: Poster or Oral
NCSSM Sponsor: Dr. Sarah Shoemaker
NC State Science and Engineering Fair (NCSEF Regional; 2022-2023)
Registration Deadline: Varies (see below)
Online students: You must register in your region of your base school. Deadlines range December to January.
Residential students. You will register in NCSSM's own region. Deadline: Registration opens Nov. 14, 2022 and closes on January 30, 2023.
If you have a team project of students at multiple schools and/or regions, see directions at top of this page)
Event Date: February 20, 2023 (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 25, 2023)
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
Register at this site - https://ncsefreg3b.stemwizard.com/public_site/home/ncsefreg3b
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 2023 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 9, 2022
Top 300 Results Announced: Early January 2023
Top 40 Finalists Announced: Late January 2023
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; 2021-2022 dates March 21-22)
Registration Deadline: Varies (see below)
Online students: Your chaperone (teacher/parent) must register by December 14, 2021; students must register by January 17th, 2022.
Residential students: By Dec. 13, 2019. Inform Dr. Bruno of your intent to register by filling out this short Google Form (now closed).
Symposium Dates: March 21-22, 2021
Cost: Hotel provided by JSHS; travel costs.
Location: University of North Carolina at Charlotte (in 2020)
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: Residential students must meet internal registration guidelines to compete.
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 Date: March 25, 2022
Cost: Registration Cost-- Dinner included
Location: NCSSM (Note: NCSSM Residential Students compete directly at the State Competition; Online students start at regional competitions)
Prize: Potential to advance past the state level, Public recognition and certificates, honoring achievement and interest in research pursuits
Presentation Type: Paper and Oral
NCSSM Sponsor: Dr. Monahan
Program Website: https://www.ncsas.org
BioGENius
Competition Date: Same as NCSAS
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: Dr. Monahan
NC International Science Competition (Research or Maker Projects)
Event Date: December 8 (if nominated); March 2020 (finalists)
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
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
(registration details not yet available) Annual Research Symposium at NCSSM
(submission deadline June) EXPLORATIONS Journal