SciFest@School
Terms and Conditions
General
SciFest@School STEM fairs are in-house STEM fairs hosted by individual schools. They can take place at any time during the year at a time which suits the particular school. A SciFest@School STEM fair may involve students from any year group and may be as small or as large as the teacher(s) may consider appropriate. A fair may involve a selected group of students, a class group(s) or a year group(s). Projects may be presented by a single student (individual project) or a group of two or three students (a group project). Note that a group should not consist of more than three students. A SciFest@School fair may be used to select projects to progress to the next level – SciFest@College. However, projects may be entered directly in a SciFest@College STEM fair without having participated in a SciFest@School. By completing the SciFest@School Registration form you agree to adhere to the following terms and conditions.
Health, Safety and Ethical Issues
Before a project involving potentially dangerous, pathogenic, toxigenic or allergenic organisms (animals/insects, plants or microorganisms) is undertaken a competent expert must be consulted to advise on health and safety issues. In general, normal laboratory rules and safety procedures must be observed at all times – see Safety in School Science, published by the Department of Education and Science in 2001, in particular, Chapter 3 of this document. The complete document may be downloaded from the Department of Education website here. Where projects involve human participants, appropriate permission must be obtained and their wellbeing and privacy must be ensured at all times.
Live Animals
As a general principle, studies involving live animals should not extend beyond observing the animals in their natural environment. Projects involving studies of live animals must always be carried out in conformity with the relevant statutory regulations. A Department of Education and Skills circular on the use of live animals in schools can be downloaded here. Guidance on acceptable practices can also be obtained here and here.
Patents
If a project has commercial potential and the student(s) wish(es) to seek a patent(s) for it, they are advised to have it registered at the earliest opportunity. Further information can be obtained from the Intellectual Property Office: https://ipoi.gov.ie/en/
Suitability of School as Venue for SciFest@School
When you complete the SciFest@School registration form you agree that you, the host, will fulfil the following basic obligations:
- The venue has the relevant Public Liability Insurance in place
- Appropriate supervision will be provided and no SciFest representative, or volunteer judge, will be left in the venue without at least one teacher present
NOTE: A copy of this document may be downloaded here. Tá leagan Gaeilge den doiciméad ar fáil anseo.