Science Fair & Deadlines
For projects headed to the science and engineering fair, this page has the dates and the paperwork. Durfee is in Region III.
Confirm before publishing
Region III’s own page still showed last year’s dates when this was written. The December and January deadlines match the statewide 2026-27 notice. The February and March dates are last year’s and are not confirmed. Check with Region III, then delete this box.
Fair day
Saturday, March 6, 2027, at Bristol Community College’s Fall River campus, 777 Elsbree St.
- Setup: 7:30 to 8:30 am
- Judging: 9 am to 12 noon
- Awards: 4 to 5 pm
Deadlines
| Date | What is due | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 15, 2026 | Pre-approval projects. If your project involves human participants, vertebrate animals, unknown microorganisms, hazardous chemicals, devices or radiation, you need approval first. Nothing starts before approval. | Matches the statewide notice; to be confirmed with Region III |
| Jan 15, 2027 | All other projects. The school sponsor marks each one “Ready” in zFairs. | Same |
| Feb 13, 2027 | Sponsor’s student list | Last year’s date; to be confirmed |
| Mar 5, 2027 | Abstract (250 words at most) and supporting files | Last year’s date; to be confirmed |
| Mar 6, 2027 | Fair day | Confirmed |
STEAM Lab’s own deadlines
These are earlier than the fair’s, so there is time to fix problems.
Proposed, to be confirmed:
| Date | What is due |
|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026 | Charter and research plan |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Pre-approval packet (if your project needs one) |
| Jan 5, 2027 | All other paperwork |
Paperwork
- Every project needs Forms 1, 1A, 1B and 2A, a research plan, and a risk assessment (Form 3 is recommended for all projects).
- Projects that need pre-approval also need Form 2B (a qualified scientist), plus Forms 4, 5A or 5B, or 6A as they apply.
- Keep a project notebook. It is required and judged, and it must log all AI use.
- Don’t create your zFairs account until your research plan is approved. You have two weeks from creating it to finish the submission.
- Teams can have up to 3 students. Each student can be on one project.
After the fair
The top 30% of projects go on to the Massachusetts fair, and Region III nominates one project to the international fair. [State fair date and place to be confirmed]
Links
Questions about the fair go through the lab sponsor, who forwards them to Region III.