SciFest invites students in grades 5 to 12 from across New Jersey to present original research, rigorous analysis, and scientific expertise to a panel of expert judges. One day. One stage. No invitation required. Registration is open now.
SciFest is an annual, juried student research showcase. Each year, students in grades 5 through 12 gather to present original experiments, literature syntheses, conceptual explorations, and case analyses to a trained panel of science faculty and STEM professionals.
SciFest is not judged by rotating parent volunteers with clipboards. Presentations are evaluated anonymously, against a structured rubric calibrated to each grade division, by judges trained to ask hard questions. SciFest 2027 opens the event statewide, welcoming competitors from any New Jersey school alongside our middle school division.
Read the Full Overview →Every presentation is evaluated by a trained judge panel using a structured rubric. Depth of understanding, quality of evidence, and the ability to defend conclusions under questioning determine recognition, not the visual appeal of a poster alone.
Three separate competition divisions ensure every competitor is evaluated against peers with comparable experience. A fifth grader presenting a first research project is never ranked against an eleventh grader with published work.
Competitors receive written judge feedback on their work. Past participants have used SciFest to pursue university research placements, regional and national competitions, and academic publications.
A look at last year's showcase: presentations, judging, nonprofit booths, and the awards ceremony.
Saturday, March 14, 2027. Public hours run 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, with the awards ceremony immediately following.
Robbinsville High School, Commons & Gymnasium, 155 Robbinsville-Edinburg Road, Robbinsville, NJ 08691.
Grades 5 to 12, any school in New Jersey. Individual competitors and groups of up to three students.
There is currently no limit on the number of presenting groups. Registration is open now.