SciFest@College is a programme of STEM fairs for second-level students. The fairs take place in 16 regional venues - DkIT, TU Dublin (3 venues: Blanchardstown, Grangegorman and Tallaght), MTU (2 venues: Cork and Tralee), TUS (3 venues: Athlone, Limerick and Thurles), SETU (2 venues: Carlow and Waterford), ATU (3 venues: Donegal, Sligo and Galway), DCU and St Mary's College Derry.
A SciFest@College fair normally consists of a competition and exhibition of projects, a prize-giving ceremony, and may also include a selection of science talks, science demonstrations in the college laboratories and advice on careers in STEM and courses available in the college.
SciFest@College fairs are completely free to enter. Please see Entry Guidelines.
As a teacher entering students for SciFest@College there are three steps you need to complete.
1. Teacher Registration
Before your students can enter their projects in a SciFest@College STEM fair you must have registered your contact details on the online entry system. Once registered on the online entry system you will have access to your SciFest Teacher Portal. The SciFest Teacher Portal is a secure area where teachers participating in SciFest@College can:
- Review their students' entries
- Withdraw an entry submitted in error
- Change the college/venue to which an entry is to be submitted
- Change the teacher name on an entry, i.e. allocate the entry to another teacher
- Edit the student name(s) on an entry
- Edit the project type, i.e. Group or Individual
- Download a list of projects submitted from their school
- Sign off on their students’ entries by ticking the two check boxes
- Update their contact details
Registration is a once-off process; your details remain on the system from year to year unless you ask to have them removed.
When you register on the teacher portal your data will be used only in the organisation and administration of the SciFest@College programme and as described in our privacy policy. By registering on the teacher portal you agree to the use of your data as described in our privacy policy. Please click here to see a summary privacy notice and to access our higher level privacy policy. You may have your data deleted by emailing info@scifest.ie. However, if your students currently have projects entered in SciFest@College you cannot have your data deleted until the competition has taken place.
To register your contact details, or to access your teacher portal if already registered, please follow this link: SciFest Teacher Portal. Click on the appropriate box to sign in to your teacher portal or to register if you have not already done so.
If you experience any difficulties accessing the registration form or your teacher portal please contact us or email the details to info@scifest.ie.
2. Participation Consent and Media Release Forms
A photographer will be employed at each SciFest@College fair. SciFest reserves the right to use any photographs/videos/sound recordings taken as described in the Entry Guidelines for Teachers. By registering your contact details on the online entry system you agree to the use of such photographs/videos as described in the Guidelines. For further details please see our privacy policy.
In order to comply with the GDPR students under 18 years of age must have a parent/guardian's consent to participate in the SciFest programme. Parents/guardians must sign a Participation Consent and Media Release Form before entries can be accepted; these forms are separate from the entry forms and may be downloaded here.
You should obtain a signed Participation Consent and Media Release Form for each student entering a project. Completed forms are retained in the school. Please see the Guidelines for further details.
3. Project Sign-off
When your students have submitted their projects you must log on to your teacher portal and sign off on your students' entries by ticking two boxes for each entry. One tick confirms that you/the school have a signed Participation Consent and Media Release form for the student(s)concerned. The second tick confirms that you will notify your Principal that the student(s) has(have) entered SciFest@College. Please note: an entry will not be exhibited at a SciFest@College fair if it has not been signed off on by the teacher.
Before signing off please check that your students have entered their projects in the correct venue - if necessary, you can change the venue on the student's entry form from your teacher portal. If you have a large number of students wishing to enter projects please contact the coordinator in the venue to discuss availability of space; contact details for coordinators are available here. You might also consider hosting your own in-house SciFest@School STEM fair. Please click here for information on the SciFest@School programme and for details of the supports available.
4. Entry Date and Forms
The final date for receipt of completed entry forms for SciFest@College 2025 is Wednesday 12 March 2025. Please read the entry Guidelines before completing the entry form.
After submitting their entry form students should continue to work on their project until the date of the fair in their chosen venue.
A Sample Entry Form for SciFest@College 2025 is now available and may be printed off. The live form will be available at the end of January.