Ohio Competition Pathway

From your school to ISEF

1

School Fair

Your school's internal fair. Top projects advance to the OAS district.

2

OAS District Science Day

Regional competition. Top projects advance to state.

3

OAS State Science Day

Held each May at Ohio State. Top projects advance to ISEF.

4

Regeneron ISEF

The world's largest pre-college science fair — top prizes over $1M.

Registration for all OAS competitions goes through ProjectBoard. Students and teachers register at projectboard.world. Contact us if you need a walkthrough.

2025–26 School Year

Key deadlines

Dates vary by OAS district. These are approximate ranges — confirm exact dates with your district contact below.

Oct–Nov
2025
School fair registration opens
Notify OAS of intent, set up ProjectBoard account
Planning
Jan–Feb
2026
Student project registration deadline
Students submit project proposals on ProjectBoard
Registration
Feb–Mar
2026
School science fairs held
Winning projects advance to district
Competition
Mar–Apr
2026
OAS District Science Days
Regional fairs — winning projects advance to state
Competition
May 2026
OAS State Science Day
Ohio State University — top projects qualify for ISEF
State
May 2026
Regeneron ISEF
International competition — location announced annually
International
Ohio Academy of Science

OAS District contacts

Contact your district coordinator to register your school fair and get district-specific deadlines. FairGame maintains relationships with all Ohio districts and can facilitate introductions.

District 1 — Northwest Ohio
Lucas, Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa, Erie, Huron counties and surrounding area
District 2 — Northeast Ohio
Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning counties
District 3 — North Central Ohio
Richland, Ashland, Wayne, Medina, Lorain, Seneca counties
District 4 — Central Ohio
Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway, Madison counties
District 5 — East Central Ohio
Stark, Summit, Portage, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Coshocton counties
District 6 — Southeast Ohio
Muskingum, Morgan, Perry, Hocking, Athens, Meigs, Vinton counties
District 7 — Southwest Ohio
Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont, Montgomery, Greene counties
District 8 — West Central Ohio
Allen, Auglaize, Mercer, Van Wert, Hardin, Logan, Shelby, Miami counties
District 9 — South Central Ohio
Ross, Pike, Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia, Jackson, Highland, Fayette counties

Can't find your county? Email us and we'll connect you with your district coordinator directly.

Beyond Ohio

National competition opportunities

Regeneron ISEF

The world's largest pre-college science competition. Qualifiers from OAS State Science Day. Awards exceed $8 million annually including Grand Award of $75,000.

societyforscience.org →

Broadcom MASTERS

Top 30 middle school STEM fair participants nationwide. Nomination through affiliated fairs. $25,000 top prize.

societyforscience.org →

Junior Science & Humanities Symposium

Research paper competition for grades 9–12. Ohio regional symposium advances winners to national. Significant scholarship awards.

jshs.org →

Regeneron Science Talent Search

The nation's oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors. 40 finalists, top award $250,000.

societyforscience.org →

American Junior Academy of Science

AJAS fellows are selected from state STEM competitions. Attend the AAAS annual meeting and present research to professional scientists.

ajas.info →

National Youth Science Camp

Delegate program for top graduating seniors. Two Ohio delegates selected each year based on science competition achievement and STEM leadership.

nysc.org →