Regional and National
The College Board will assign students to compete at one of the six regional competitions. The Siemens Competition uses the regional structure shown in the regional map. The Competition selects up to 10 projects (up to five individuals and up to five teams) from each of the six geographic regions. Finalists (including all team members) must attend and participate in all required Competition events. View the Competition schedule.
If you are chosen, you receive an expense-paid trip, with a chaperone, to the campus of a university partner. A panel of judges appointed by the host institution reviews the projects.
Students who win at the regional level compete at the national level. The National Finalists receive an expense-paid trip, with a chaperone, to Washington, D.C.
Regional and National Finalists are required to:
- Prepare a poster display of the research project.
- Deliver a 12-minute oral presentation about the research and findings.
- Participate in a private question-and-answer session with the judges (14 minutes at Regional Competition; 12 minutes at National Competition).
- Judges expect to hear concise presentations and responses to their questions during the question-and-answer session. You must also be able to describe further aspects of your project, including the fundamental science behind what you have done. However, research completed after the original submission may not be presented during the oral presentation or included in the poster. All aspects of the projects and presentations inform the final decisions of the judges.
Finalists are evaluated on these items, in addition to the Research Report and references cited.
Read guidelines for presentations and guidelines for posters.