S P I T Z E R - UP ALCHEMES Research Fair

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S P I T Z E R Rediscovering Youth Aspirations

Through Sc ient i f i c Ventures

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CONTENTS

I. Summary Notes 4

A. Eligibility Guidelines 5

B. Submissions And Deadlines 5

C. Reminders And Sanctions 7

D. File Formats 8

E. Advisers 9

F. Zoom Guidelines 9

G. Payments 12

H. Contact Information 13

I. Steering Committee 14

J. Data Privacy Clause 14

II. Research Competition 15

A. Objectives 16

B. Student Eligibility Guidelines 16

C. Special Guidelines For Continuing Projects 16

D. General Guidelines 17

E. Competition Categories 18

F. Category Selection 22

G. Selection Process 22

H. Requirements 23

I. Contest Proper 24

J. Judging And Criteria 26

K. Awards And Prizes 29

L. Research Integrity 30

III. National Science Conquest 32

A. Objectives 33


C. Requirements 33

D. General Guidelines 33

E. Contest Mechanics 34

F. Awards And Prizes 36

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IV. Youth Science Convention 38

A. Objectives 39


C. Requirements 39

D. Registration Guidelines 39

E. Event Proper 40

F. Eligibility For Certificate Of Participation 40

G. The Research Fair 2021 Case Study Competition 41

H. Line-Up Of Activities 43

SUMMARY NOTES

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I. Summary Notes

SUMMARY NOTES

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A. ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

Participants must meet certain requirements in order to participate in any sub-event.

Sub-event Participant must be

Research Competition (RC)

Bona fide Grade 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 student

National Science Conquest (NSC)

Bona fide Grade 11 or 12 student

Youth Science Convention (YSC)

Bona fide Grade 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 student

B. SUBMISSIONS AND DEADLINES

• All forms may be accessed at the Research Fair website

researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms.

• All submissions must be filled out completely and correctly following the

sample format.

• All required attachments must be included following the file name format and

file type.

• A response from the organizers will be sent to confirm the submission. Late

submissions will not be entertained.

a. Research Competition

• A school may send a maximum of three (3) research entries per category for

the Journal Entry Round. The top five (5) teams per category will advance to

the Closed-Door Defense.

• Continuing projects shall be accepted provided that changes were done to the

project.

• Resubmission of research entries will not be allowed. However, researches

conducted from SY 2018-2019 to present are allowed as long as it was not

submitted as an entry to the previous Research Fairs.

b. National Science Conquest

• Only the first fifty (50) schools to submit their registration forms will be

accommodated.

• A school may send up to two (2) teams for the National Science Conquest.

• Each team must elect a team leader.

• Each team may opt to have an alternate or a 4th member for the Final Round.

• In case a registered participant fails to be present on the competition date

due to valid reasons (sickness, death in the immediate family, etc.), a substitute

from the same school will be allowed to compete, provided that:

o The replacement satisfies the eligibility guideline.

o A document validating the excuse is to be submitted three (3) days

before the first day for Research Fair 2021.

https://researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms

SUMMARY NOTES

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o No replacements shall be allowed thereafter. Failure to comply with the

provisions will result in the team competing with less members.

o The registered alternate may replace a main team member without

submitting a document of excuse.

c. Youth Science Convention

• Only the first 250 students to submit their registration forms will be

accommodated. Only ten (10) participants (including the adviser) per school

will be allowed to join. In case the 250 slots are not filled by December 1, 2020,

the organizers shall accept more participants from schools on a first come,

first served basis.

• Only the participants and advisers present in the Zoom meeting and able to

complete all the talks shall be given an electronic certificate at the end of the

event.

• Each school may send up to two (2) groups (maximum of three (3) members

each group) for the case study competition. Only the participants registered

to attend the talks may participate in the case study competition.

Sub-event Deadline Requirements

RC:

Journal Entry Round Nov. 20, 2020 11:59 PM

o Soft copy of Journal Entry

o Scanned copy of proof of enrollment

o Digital Poster

RC:

Closed Door Defense Jan. 16, 2021 11:59 PM

o PowerPoint Presentation

o Backup PDF Presentation

NSC Jan. 8, 2021 11:59 PM


YSC Jan. 11, 2021 11:59 PM


YSC:

Case Study Phase I Dec. 11, 2020 11:59 PM

o Soft copy of Case Study paper

YSC:

Case Study Phase II Jan. 21, 2021 11:59 PM

o PowerPoint Presentation

o Backup PDF Presentation

SUMMARY NOTES

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C. REMINDERS AND SANCTIONS

a. General

1. Incomplete Proof of Enrollment

o A student lacking a submitted copy of his or her Proof of Enrollment,

through the registration form online, three (3) days before the event will

not be allowed to join.

2. No walk-ins

o Only registered participants for each sub-event will be allowed to join

that sub-event. For participant substitution, kindly contact us through

the contact details in Section H. 3. The organizers reserve the right to change rules/mechanics if deemed

necessary. Rest assured that any changes would be in favor of the participants.

Participants will be notified regarding the matter.

b. RC 1. Incorrect file name and format

o 1% will be deducted from the overall score in the Research Competition

for every incorrect file name and format.

2. Late submissions

o 2% will be deducted from the Journal Entry Round score per day of late

submission. Entries sent more than five (5) days after the deadline will

not be accepted.

3. Plagiarism

o Deduction will be proportional to the amount of plagiarized content in

the paper. A similarity score will be decided for each research entry

through a plagiarism checker. Entries garnering a similarity score

greater than 10% will receive a deduction equal to the similarity score

less 10%.

c. YSC (Case Study) 1. Incorrect file name and format

o 1% will be deducted from the overall score (either of Phase I or Phase

II, whichever is appropriate) for every incorrect file name and format.

2. Late submissions

o 2% will be deducted from the Phase I overall score per day of late

submission. Phase I entries sent more than five (5) days after the

deadline will not be accepted.

o 0.5% will be deducted from the Phase II overall score per hour (or a

fraction thereof) of late submission.

SUMMARY NOTES

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D. FILE FORMATS

Requirements File Name Type Example

Scanned proof of

enrollment1

(all participants)

[Subevent]

PoE_[Name of

School]

.pdf RC ID_University of the

Philippines.pdf

Digital Poster

(RC)

RC Poster_[Name of

School]_[Category

Code2][Entry

Number]

.jpg or .png

RC Poster_University of the

Philippines_AS1.png

Journal Entry

(RC)

RC Journal

Entry_[Name of

School]_[Category

Code][Entry

Number]

.pdf RC Journal Entry_University

of the Philippines_AS1.pdf

Presentation

(RC)

RC PPT_[Name of

School]_[Category

Code][Entry

Number]

.ppt or .pptx RC PPT_University of the

Philippines_AS1.ppt

Backup of Presentation

(RC)

RC Backup

PPT_[Name of

School]_[Category

Code][Entry

Number]

.pdf RC Backup PPT_University of

the Philippines4_AS1.pdf

Case Study Phase I3

(YSC)

YSC Phase I_[Name

of School]_[Team

Number]

.pdf YSC Phase I_University of the

Philippines _1.pdf

Case Study Presentation

(YSC)

YSC Phase II

Presentation_[Name

of School]_[Team

Number]

.ppt or .pptx

YSC Phase II

Presentation_University of

the Philippines _1.pptx

Case Study Backup of

Presentation

(YSC)

YSC Phase II Backup

Presentation_[Name

of School]_[Team

Number]

.pdf

YSC Phase II Backup

Presentation_University of

the Philippines _1.pdf

SUMMARY NOTES

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1 Proof of enrollment can be a) certificate of matriculation, b) certificate of enrollment, or c) school ID for

SY 2020-2021. For scanned copies of IDs (front and back), it must be colored and must have good

resolution (clearly scanned) for the inside information to be readable and recognizable.

2 Category code corresponds to AS, LS, and PS, representing Applied Science, Life Science, and Physical

Science, respectively. Entry Number refers to the entry number per category per school, should a school

send more than one entry per category. If a school sends only one (1) entry in a category, Entry Number

is “1”.

3 For schools with more than one (1) submission for the YSC Case Study Phase I, team numbers shall be

assigned by the adviser of the school. Schools with only one (1) submission should still indicate the team

number as “1”.

4 Name of school shall be complete. Abbreviations will not be accepted.

E. ADVISERS

Only a faculty member of the school will be considered as an adviser. Only one (1)

adviser per category per school is allowed for the Research Competition. Only one (1)

adviser per school is allowed for the National Science Conquest. Only one (1) adviser

per school is allowed, and must not be an adviser for any of the other sub-events, for

the Youth Science Convention.

F. ZOOM GUIDELINES

a. General Guidelines

1. The organizing committee highly encourages the participants to familiarise

themselves with the Zoom platform for a smooth flow of the event.

Participants are required to have their Zoom name in the following format:

[SURNAME, First Name].

2. Participants will be added to a Facebook group and a Messenger group chat

for centralized dissemination of information.

3. Formal attire or school uniform is required in defense rounds.

b. Registration on Online Meetings

Research Competition: Closed Door Defense and Final Defense Youth Science Conference: Case Study Competition

o The participants and their adviser shall be given the link to the

scheduled Zoom meeting room at least one (1) day before their

defense via email and text.

o Registration shall be open thirty (30) minutes before the participants’

respective conference call starts, and they shall only be allowed to enter

the Zoom call by then. While waiting for their turn to present, they will

be placed on hold in the Zoom waiting room before their turn.

o Participants will make use of the remote control feature of zoom during

the presentations. They are expected to ensure that the remote control

feature is enabled in their zoom settings to prevent delay.

SUMMARY NOTES

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o The email to be used shall be the Zoom email written in the registration

form. Those who wish to change their registered Zoom email shall

inform the School Affairs Heads at least one (1) day before the event

proper. Failure to do so will result in deduction of 2% from the total

score.

o Advisers are not allowed to join the conference call. For the Final

Defense, audience members may watch the Facebook livestream.

NSC Qualifying Round o A link to the Google forms shall be sent to the participants one (1) hour

before the actual time for the exam begins. The exam will open exactly

at the start of the competition.

NSC Final Round o The participants and their adviser shall be given the link to the

scheduled Zoom meeting room at least one (1) day before the Final

Round via email and text.

o Registration shall be open thirty (30) minutes before the Final Round

starts and closed fifteen (15) minutes after the event has started. Teams

who fail to enter the call after the registration closes shall be

disqualified.




proper. Failure to do so will result in deduction of 2% from the total

score.

o Advisers are not allowed to enter the Zoom meeting. Audience

members may watch the Facebook livestream.

YSC Talks o The participants and their adviser shall be given the link to the

scheduled Zoom meeting room at least three (3) days before the talk

via email and text.

o Registration shall be open thirty (30) minutes before their respective

conference call starts and shall only be allowed to enter the Zoom call

by then.




proper. Failure to do so will revoke granting of certificates.

c. Issues on Connectivity

All participants of RC CDD, RC FD, NSC Final Round and YSC Case Study Phase II

shall immediately notify one of the members of the organizing committee once a

team member experiences technical or connectivity issues.

SUMMARY NOTES

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For presentation rounds such as CSC Phase II and RC Closed-door Defense,

technical rehearsals will be done in coordination with the qualifiers in order to

reduce possible issues and difficulties in the actual event. This will be scheduled

a week before the event proper.

Research Competition: Closed Door Defense and Final Defense o When a participant gets disconnected, the group can wait for a

maximum of two (2) minutes otherwise the team will have to go on with

the presentation. The affected team member could enter the Zoom

meeting given that the team’s presentation is ongoing.

o If an individual research is experiencing such issues and is not able to

proceed within two (2) minutes, the succeeding group will present in

lieu of the preceding group. The affected participant will present again

after all groups are done. The organizers will coordinate with him/her

for the details.

o Incomplete teams shall be allowed to compete as long as one member

is present.

NSC Qualifying Round o Participants are encouraged to be ready at least ten (10) minutes

before qualifying exams start. A grace period of ten (10) minutes will be

given to the participants for the qualifying exams. Failure to start the

exam within the grace period will result in a score of zero (0) in the exam.

Participants may still take the next exams in the qualifying round.

o Participants are encouraged to install Google Docs Offline Chrome

extension and answer the form using Chrome. This is to ensure that

changes will be saved even if the participant lost his/her connection in

the middle of the competition. However, the form shall open and close

at exactly the time allotted for these events.

NSC Final Round o A participant who gets disconnected from the call during a certain

question will not be given extra time to answer the questions in that

round. If he/she reconnects and the timer for the question is still

ongoing, he/she can still obtain points. Otherwise, the team will obtain

a score equivalent to No Answer for that question.

o Replacements shall only be done before or after a question. A

participant who gets disconnected from the call during a certain

question is not allowed to be replaced by the reserved member.

o A student in his/her turn who gets disconnected from the call and is not

able to return until his/her next turn is about to start shall be replaced

by the reserved (4th) member. If a second member gets disconnected

in his turn as well, there will be no further replacements allowed. The

team automatically gets a score equivalent to No Answer for the

questions where no team member is present.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-docs-offline/ghbmnnjooekpmoecnnnilnnbdlolhkhi

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-docs-offline/ghbmnnjooekpmoecnnnilnnbdlolhkhi

SUMMARY NOTES

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o There are no replacements allowed for teams who have no 4th

member. The team automatically gets a score equivalent to No Answer

for the questions where no team member is present.

o By the time the member who got replaced by the alternate reconnects,

the alternate will no longer take part again in the final round.

YSC Case Study Phase II o When a participant gets disconnected, the group can wait for a

maximum of three (3) minutes; otherwise, the team will have to go on

with the presentation. The affected team member could enter the

Zoom meeting given that the team’s presentation is ongoing.

o Incomplete teams shall be allowed to compete as long as one member

is present.

YSC Talks o A participant can always reconnect to the Zoom Meeting if he/she gets

disconnected. Once the participant exceeds thirty (30) minutes of being

disconnected to the talk, he/she shall send a text or email to the School

Affairs Heads immediately to notify them about the situation. Please

refer to Section F under the Youth Science Convention for what is

needed in case such situations arise.

o Failure to do so will revoke granting of certificates.

G. PAYMENTS

• Payments for the events with fees will be accepted from October 22, 2020

until the deadline of each respective event. • Participants who are planning to join the Research Competition, the Journal

Entry fee must be paid on or before January 9, 2021. Payments made after the

deadline shall incur a deduction on their Pre-Evaluation scores. • Participants who are planning to join the National Science Conquest, the fee

must be paid on or before January 15, 2021. Payments made after the

deadline shall incur a deduction on their Pre-Qualifying Round scores. • Participants who are planning to join the Case Study Competition under Youth

Science Convention, the fee must be paid on or before December 18, 2020.

Payments made after the deadline shall incur a deduction on their Pre-

Qualifying Round scores. • Participants and advisers must note that after 11:59 PM January 15, 2021, ALL

payments made cannot be refunded.

SUMMARY NOTES

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Sub-event Fee Inclusions

RC Journal Entry Round Per Entry

150 Certificate of Participation

NSC Per Team


YSC Case Study Competition Per Team


• Payment Procedure

o All registration fee payments must be paid by deposit to any of the

following accounts:

Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands

Account Name: Alfre Aniana G. Mendoza

Account Number: 0789254567

Bank: Banco De Oro

Account Name: Aira Ysadelle F. Abiera

Account Number: 000860814955

GCash

Account Name: Alfre Aniana Mendoza

Number: 09266960848

Paymaya

Account Name: Alfre Aniana Mendoza

Number: 09266960848

PayPal

paypal.me/airabiera

o Proof of payment (e.g. bank deposit slip) shall be sent to the organizers

on or before January 9, 2021 for RC participants, January 15, 2021 for

NSC participants, and December 18, 2020 for YSC Case Study

Competition participants through the Proof of Payment (POP) form at

researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/proof-of-payment/.

H. CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions or clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact us through the following:

Email [email protected]

https://researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/proof-of-payment

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Research%20Fair%202021%20Inquiry

SUMMARY NOTES

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Mobile Number

School Affairs Heads

Megan C. Fernan +63 905 274 1011

Camille Anne C. Gonzales +63 917 842 4530

Website researchfair.upalchemes.org

Facebook facebook.com/upalchemesresearchfair

I. STEERING COMMITTEE

Project Managers: Keilah V. Garcia

Alfre Aniana G. Mendoza

Creatives and Publicity Head: Mikhaela Antoinette O. Berza

Marketing and Ways and Means Head: Aira Ysadelle F. Abiera

Programs (RC) Head: Miguel Francisco U. Rizon

Programs (NSC) Head: Angelo Joseph M. Suzara

Programs (YSC) Head: Katrina G. Villar

School Affairs Heads: Megan C. Fernan

Camille Anne C. Gonzales

Secretariat Head: Shaina Jane B. Pizarra

Technicals Heads: Caesar John T. Alcoriza

Alianna Ysabel S. Vitanzos

J. DATA PRIVACY CLAUSE

At the end of the registration forms, a data privacy statement shall be read, understood,

and agreed on by the participants, and their adviser, should they decide to provide their

information and submissions upon participating in Research Fair.

https://researchfair.upalchemes.org/

https://www.facebook.com/upalchemesresearchfair

RESEARCH COMPETITION

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III. Research Competition


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A. OBJECTIVES

The Research Competition aims to:

1. Provide an avenue for high school students to promote their talents and

scientific discoveries to their fellow peers, teachers, and the scientific

community

2. Showcase what Filipino high school students can achieve through science and

technology (S&T)

3. Encourage healthy discourse between students and professionals

4. Promote scientific professionalism and appreciation of S&T among the youth

5. Develop the capabilities of high school students in discovery and innovation

through exposure to the field of research

B. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

1. Any scientific research project from the three (3) categories – Applied Science,

Life Science, and Physical Science – of bona fide high school students (of any

year level from Grade 7 to Grade 12) in the Philippines is qualified for the pre-

evaluation.

2. The research project can be the work of a single student, up to a maximum of

three (3) students coming from the same school.

3. A school may send a maximum of three (3) research entries per category.

C. SPECIAL GUIDELINES FOR CONTINUING PROJECTS

1. Any project based on the student’s prior research could be considered as a

continuing project, as long as the project shows substantial progress from its

previous project (e.g. testing new variable, new objective or focus of

experimentation).

2. Projects are not considered as continuing projects (and are not allowed to join

the competition) if the project is proven as an exact or near copy of the

previous work/s (e.g. same methodology, same hypothesis). Modifications in

the project such as changes in hypothesis target (such as test material, sample

location, etc.) or changes in sample size or number of replicates will not be

considered as substantial modification.

3. Continuing projects are required to document the substantial progress,

changes, or expansion from the previous work by filling out the Continuing

Project Section in the Forms RC-AS, RC-LS, and/or RC-PS.

4. Continuing projects must mention years or which year the project is in their

title (e.g. “Year Two of an Ongoing Study”, if the project is in its second year of

experimentation).

5. Continuing projects will be judged only on experimentation/data collection

performed over twelve (12) continuous months beginning no earlier than

January 2019 and ending January 2021. Thus, prior projects’ written materials


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(raw data, methodology, etc.) or visual depictions are not allowed in Research

Summary, Research Paper and PowerPoint Presentations.

6. Continuing projects, if qualified for Journal Entry Round, will be tagged

accordingly.

7. Multi-year longitudinal projects, projects that are more than one year of

experimentation and longitudinal (involving the repeated observation or

examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study

variables) are considered and allowed as Continuing Projects.

8. However, multi-year longitudinal projects are required to show in the

Research Summary, Research Paper and PowerPoint Presentations a

summary of prior years’ data (or collective past conclusionary data) and its

comparison to the current year data set and the overall methodology.

D. GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. Author/s of a research entry – if proven upon sufficient evidence – who have

committed research misconduct will automatically be disqualified. See Section L

(Research Integrity) for an in-depth discussion of research misconduct.

2. A student is qualified for exactly one (1) research entry.

3. A research entry is qualified for exactly one (1) category.

4. All research entries will be subjected to pre-evaluation.

5. Each entry must have an adviser. However, an adviser may handle several entries

in the event. The authors themselves must present their project.

6. In case a research team is in a time conflict with another research

competition/official event, the team may send at least one (1) of their members to

represent their research project to Research Fair 2021. The members present in

Research Competition will be considered as one (1) whole team. However,

individual research projects cannot be in two (2) research competitions at the

same time.

7. In case of sickness or injury, a participant may be replaced by a fellow student as

long as Section B (Student Eligibility Guidelines) is adhered to.


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E. COMPETITION CATEGORIES

Research Competition is divided into three (3) categories in which a school may send a

maximum of three (3) research entries per category.

Category Subcategory

Applied Science

Biological Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Computer Science

Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Energy and Transportation

Environmental Engineering

Materials Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Life Science

Agricultural Sciences

Behavioral and Cognitive Studies

Animal Sciences

Biochemistry

Cellular and Molecular Biology

Medicine and Health Sciences

Microbiology

Plant Sciences

Physical Science

Astronomy and Cosmology

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Environmental Sciences

Material Science

Physics

a. Applied Science

This category involves engineering, such as chemical and civil engineering, and the

application of existing scientific knowledge to solve practical problems and to

develop emerging technology useful to society. Unlike the other two categories,

this category focuses on practical applications rather than on theories and natural

phenomena. Projects that involve invention, engineering and development of

structures, machines, products and technology belong to this category.

Subcategories of the Applied Science category include, but are not limited to, the

following:


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• Biological Engineering – This relatively new field involves the integration and

application of life sciences with engineering. Fields involving biological

engineering include biomedical engineering (application of medical principles

with engineering principles), biotechnology (use of cellular or molecular

biology in food technology and industry), development of biological-based

devices such as biosensors, prosthesis and orthotics, and pharmaceutical

engineering (engineering of pharmaceutical products).

• Chemical Engineering – This involves the application of physics, chemistry, and

engineering principles in solving real world problems. Fields involving chemical

engineering include environmental sustainability, chemical and material

processing, and process design.

• Civil Engineering – This involves design, construction and maintenance of public

works, facilities and transportation. Fields involving civil engineering include

construction and structural engineering, geosystems engineering,

environmental management, public safety, and disaster risk management.

• Computer Science – This involves not only programming but also the study,

design, development and application behind computational systems. Fields

involving computer science include networking, algorithms, information

security, software analysis and design, and artificial intelligence.

• Electrical and Electronics Engineering – This involves the study, design,

development, and application behind electrical and electronics systems such

as electrical power, electronic devices and electronic communication systems.

Fields involving electrical and electronics engineering include computer

engineering, power and energy, electronic design automation, sensors and

circuits, signal processing, semi-conductivity and superconductivity, and

electrical transportation.

• Energy and Transportation – This involves technology that enables society to

achieve efficiency, sustainability, safety and security in energy and

transportation. Fields involving energy and transportation include aerospace

and aeronautical engineering, aerodynamics, land and water transportation

and development of fossil fuel, alternative, and renewable energies.

• Environmental Engineering – This involves engineering applications in solving

environmental problems in water, land, air, and waste. Fields involving

environmental engineering include pollution control, resource management,

waste management, and technologies that help restore and protect the

environment.

• Materials Engineering – This involves the design, development and application

of a material to produce a predetermined set of properties, the creation of

new products or systems using existing materials and the development of new

material processing techniques. Fields involving materials engineering include

processing and manufacturing of monolithic materials: metals, ceramics and

plastics, composites and advanced materials such as biomaterials, self-healing

materials, nanomaterials, superconductors, semiconductors, and refractories.

• Mechanical Engineering – This involves the design, manufacture and operation

and application of heat and mechanical power with the use of machinery.


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Fields involving mechanical engineering include energy, mechanics, robotics,

machine construction and design, and biomechanics.

b. Life Science

This category involves the natural sciences, such as biology and medicine, and

deals with living organisms and life processes. Projects that involve systematic

observation, experimentation, understanding, and development of living

organisms and biological phenomena belong to this category.

Subcategories of the Life Science category include, but are not limited to, the

following:

• Agricultural Sciences – This involves the interdisciplinary science of agriculture,

activities that use production of animals and plants for human use. Fields involving

agricultural sciences include development of agricultural technology, biological

and chemical pest control, environmental adaptability and sustainability, and crop

production and management.

• Animal Sciences – This involves biological studies concerning animal life. Fields

involving animal sciences include animal development, ecology, animal nutrition

and growth, comparative animal anatomy and physiology, animal pathology,

animal evolution, and animal taxonomy.

• Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences – This involves the study of the mind and the

study of the behavior of animals and humans within themselves and the

environment. Fields involving behavioral and cognitive sciences include

neuroscience, cognitive and neuropsychology, and physiological psychology.

• Biochemistry – This involves application of chemical sciences in understanding

biological processes and pathways relevant to living organisms. Fields involving

biochemistry include chemical understanding of proteomics, metabolomics,

genomics, microbiology, cancer, and genetics.

• Cellular and Molecular Biology – This involves biological studies in the molecular

scale, such as cells, viruses, DNA, RNA and proteins. Fields involving cellular and

molecular biology include disease molecular biology and epigenetics, functional

genomics, plant molecular biology and virology, molecular toxicology, nanobiology

and protein structure, and immunology.

• Medicine and Health Sciences – This involves biological studies concerning human

health. Fields involving medicine and health sciences include disease diagnosis

and treatment, epidemiology, genetic understanding of diseases, disease

molecular biology and physiology, and pathophysiology.

• Microbiology – This involves biological studies concerning microorganisms such as

bacteria, protists, fungi, viruses and other pathogens. Fields involving

microbiology include antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial agents, bacterial

microbiology and genetics, and virology.

• Plant Sciences – This involves biological studies concerning plant life. Fields

involving plant sciences include plant growth and development, ecology, plant


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genetics and breeding, plant pathology, comparative plant anatomy and

physiology, plant evolution, and taxonomy.

c. Physical Science

This category involves natural sciences, such as physics, chemistry, and earth and

environmental science, that deal primarily with the nature and properties of non-

living or inanimate entities. Projects that involve systematic observation,

experimentation, understanding, and development of non-living entities and

phenomena belong to this category.

Subcategories of the Physical Science category include, but are not limited to, the

following:

• Astronomy and Cosmology – This involves the study of the space and the universe.

Fields involving astronomy and cosmology include planetary and space systems,

computational astronomy, stellar astrophysics, extragalactic astrophysics, and

cosmology.

• Chemistry – This involves the study of matter and its composition, structure,

properties, and interaction with each other. Fields involving chemistry include

analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic

chemistry, and physical chemistry.

• Earth Science - This involves the sciences related to the planet Earth. Fields

involving earth sciences include atmospheric sciences and meteorology,

hydrospheric sciences, paleontology, geochemistry and mineralogy, geophysics,

and plate tectonics.

• Environmental Sciences – This involves the study of the environment’s living and

non-living interactions and existing conditions caused by human impact. Fields

involving environmental science include pollution prevention and analysis,

treatment of water, land, and air quality, green chemistry, environmental ecology,

and prevention and analysis of other environmental issues such as oil spills,

deforestation, severe weather, ozone holes, and climate change.

• Material Science – This involves the investigation of relationships between

structures and properties of materials, and the development and synthesis of new

materials. Fields involving material science include ceramography, crystallography,

metallography, nanoscience, rheology, polymer and glass science, condensed

matter, electromagnetic and photonic materials, and material characterization

and analysis.

• Physics – This involves applied physics, the application of theories and laws

governing physics, and theoretical physics, the study of the fundamental

principles and laws governing physics using thought experiments: mathematical

models and abstractions instead of experimental processes. Fields involving

applied physics include instrumentation and electronics, optics and lasers,

photonics, condensed matter, electromagnetism in the plasma phase, biological

physics, and physics experimentation in the atomic, nuclear, and particle scale.


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F. CATEGORY SELECTION

To prevent misalignment of entries, reading and understanding the category and

subcategory descriptions and using the Category Wizard are recommended.

Category Wizard

The Category Wizard asks several questions to assist participants in determining

the correct category of their research project. The Category Wizard is available at

researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/.

G. SELECTION PROCESS

a. Journal Entry Round

The Journal Entry of the participants contains a detailed and thorough explanation

of their research following a prescribed format. Each entry will be judged by at

most four (4) judges who are experts in the field of the specific category the entry

belongs to. The research’s technical and overall qualities will be evaluated. Only

the Top Five (5) entries per category will proceed to the Closed-Door Defense

Round. Ties in this round will be broken based on their obtained similarity scores;

an entry with a lower similarity score will be of a higher rank.

b. Closed-Door Defense

The Closed-Door Defense of the three (3) categories will occur simultaneously. At

most four (4) judges per category shall be tasked to assess and evaluate the

qualifying research entries; the criteria will focus more on the research’s technical

aspects. Of these entries, only the Top Two (2) teams per category will advance to

the Final Defense Round. Ties will be broken by the Journal Entry Round score

garnered by each of the teams. The finalists per category will be announced on

the official Facebook Page of the Research Fair. Said finalists will also be notified

via email.

c. Final Defense

For the Final Defense, all qualifying research entries regardless of category shall

be judged by the same set of judges composed of individuals representing each

of the three (3) categories; the criteria will focus more on the research’s societal

and scientific relevance. The Final Defense will be broadcasted live on the

Research Fair’s Facebook page.

d. Awarding

The winning entries for the Research Competition shall be based on the scores in

the three rounds: 20% Journal Entry, 30% Closed-Door Defense, and 50% Final

Defense.

https://researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/


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H. REQUIREMENTS

a. Journal Entry Round

Any interested team in each category must submit the following to qualify for the

first round:

1. Filled out Form RC-X, X depends on the category. Application Form can be found

in researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/. This contains necessary information

from the participant.

o Continuation Project Section – This form is for continuing projects. It

contains components of the current research project/research year

and the past research projects/research years.

2. Journal-type Research Paper – The research paper, excluding the

title/authors/abstract page, bibliography and all appendices, tables, charts, etc.,

must be at least four (4) pages and must not exceed a total of ten (10) pages. Refer

to the link for the format: bit.ly/RF2021JERFormat. Soft copies must be sent

together with the PowerPoint presentations. For Continuing Projects, written

material (raw data, methodology, etc.) or visual depiction from past years’

experimentation is not allowed in the Research Paper. The paper will be given to

the judges to determine if the participants qualify for the Closed-Door Defense.

o A detailed description of the research paper format can be seen in the

Invitation Kit. Papers that exceed the page limit or do not follow the

specified format will be subjected to 2% deductions per violation from

the total average score. See Part II (Summary Notes) for file name and

file format.

3. Digital Poster – This contains the essential information about the research project.

All of the submitted digital posters will be part of a Facebook Reaction and Sharing

Contest, the details of which will be posted on the official Facebook Page of the

Research Fair, along with the submissions.

4. Scanned copy of participants’ proof of enrollment for the school year 2020-2021

such as, but not limited to:

o School ID - The scanned copy must include the front and back of each

student’s ID in one (1) PDF file.

o Certificate of matriculation

o Certificate of enrollment if no ID.

PDFs must be colored and must have good resolution (clearly scanned) for

content to be readable and recognizable.

The organizers reserve the right to request for resubmissions when the need

arises. No exemptions or irregularities will be accepted for the requirements.

Failure to settle such issues may result in disqualification. Such exemptions or

irregularities include, but are not limited to, the following:

o Incomplete or late submission of requirements

http://researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/

http://bit.ly/RF2021JERFormat


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I. CONTEST PROPER

The event proper will be held solely on online platforms. In case of technical issues,

please refer to Summary Notes Section F (Zoom Guidelines).

Once qualified for the next round, the teams in each category must submit:

1. PowerPoint Presentation – This will be used in the Closed-Door Defense and

Final Defense if the team qualifies. It should contain the most significant and

essential part of the research project. For Continuing Projects, refer to Section

C (Special Guidelines for Continuing Projects) for content restrictions. See Part

II (Summary Notes) for name and file format.

a. Closed-Door Defense

1. Closed-Door Defense for each category will occur simultaneously via Zoom.

Qualified participants must ensure that they have stable internet connection

and sufficient computer/laptop battery power during their time of

presentation.

2. A randomization system will be used to determine the order of presentation

during the Closed-Door Defense. Participants are expected to be in standby

for at least thirty (30) minutes before their presentation for any updates

regarding the order of presentation.

3. Participants may enter the Zoom meeting individually with their own Zoom

accounts or as a research group using one Zoom account as long as they are

in compliance with the quarantine protocols in their respective regions.

4. All participating members in a research entry, excluding member/s who are

competing at another research competition/official event, must be present

during their presentation. If a team is incomplete at the start of their time slot,

they will be given two (2) minutes to complete the team. Failure to do so will

result in a deduction of 2% per minute late (or a fraction thereof) to their score

(Closed-Door Defense score) for another two (2) minutes. Given that after two

(2) minutes and the team is still incomplete, the presentation will still continue.

Same rules apply to individual research. Given that after two (2) minutes and

the individual presenter is still absent, there will be a change in order of

presentation.

5. The participants may show their prototypes/finished products during the

presentation. However, the following items/materials are NOT allowed to be

displayed during the presentation:

o Living organisms, including plants

o Soil, sand, rock, and/or waste samples, even if permanently encased

(e.g. by acrylic, plastic, etc.)

o Taxidermy specimens or parts

o Preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals

o Human or animal food as part of the exhibitor demonstration of the

project

o Human/animal parts or body fluids (e.g. blood, urine)


25

o Plant materials (living, dead, or preserved) in their raw, unprocessed, or

non-manufactured state (Exception: manufactured construction

materials used in building the project or display)

o All chemicals (organic and inorganic)

o All hazardous substances or devices (e.g. poisons, drugs, firearms,

weapons, ammunitions, reloading devices, lasers)

o Dry ice or other sublimating solids

o Sharp items (e.g. syringes, needles, pipettes, knives)

o Flames or highly flammable materials

o Batteries with open top-cell

o Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the organizers (e.g. devices emitting

nuclear radiation, pressurized tanks, etc.)

6. There will be no advisers or audiences allowed in the Closed-Door Defense.

b. Final Defense

1. Final Defense will be conducted via Zoom. Qualified participants must ensure

that they have stable internet connection and sufficient computer/laptop

battery power during their time of presentation.

2. The order of teams for Final Defense will be determined through

randomization. Participants are expected to be in standby for at least thirty

(30) minutes before their presentation for any updates regarding the order of

presentation.

3. Participants may enter the Zoom meeting individually with their own Zoom

accounts or as a research group using one Zoom account as long as they are

in compliance with the quarantine protocols in their respective regions.

4. All participating members in a research entry, excluding member/s who are

competing at another research competition/official event, must be present

during their presentation. If a team is incomplete at the start of their time slot,

they will be given two (2) minutes to complete the team. Failure to do so will

result in a deduction of 2% per minute late (or a fraction thereof) to their score

(Final Defense score) for another two (2) minutes. Given that after two (2)

minutes and the team is still incomplete, the presentation will still continue.

Same rules apply to individual research. Given that after two (2) minutes and

the individual presenter is still absent, there will be a change in order of

presentation.

5. Each team will be given ten (10) minutes to present their research study using

their submitted PowerPoint Presentation file and ten (10) minutes to answer

the questions from the panel of judges. A deduction of 2% per minute excess

in the presentation (or a fraction thereof) will reflect on their score (Final

Defense score).

6. The participants may show their prototypes/finished products during the

presentation. However, the following items/materials are NOT allowed to be

displayed during the presentation:

o Living organisms, including plants

o Soil, sand, rock, and/or waste samples, even if permanently encased

(e.g. by acrylic, plastic, etc.)


26

o Taxidermy specimens or parts

o Preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals

o Human or animal food as part of the exhibitor demonstration of the

project

o Human/animal parts or body fluids (e.g. blood, urine)

o Plant materials (living, dead, or preserved) in their raw, unprocessed, or

non-manufactured state (Exception: manufactured construction

materials used in building the project or display)

o All chemicals (organic and inorganic)

o All hazardous substances or devices (e.g. poisons, drugs, firearms,

weapons, ammunitions, reloading devices, lasers)

o Dry ice or other sublimating solids

o Sharp items (e.g. syringes, needles, pipettes, knives)

o Flames or highly flammable materials

o Batteries with open top-cell

o Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the organizers (e.g. devices emitting

nuclear radiation, pressurized tanks, etc.

• Unlike the Closed-Door Defense, this round will be livestreamed publicly.

There will be no advisers or audiences allowed in the Zoom meeting, but they

can view the presentations through the provided livestream.

J. JUDGING AND CRITERIA

a. Overview of Judges and Their Roles

• Journal Judge – Journal Entry Judges will assess the technical qualities of the

research by evaluating the Journal-type Research Paper.

• Closed-Door Defense Judge – Closed-Door Defense Judges will focus on

evaluating the field knowledge of the researcher/s and the technical and analytical

aspect of the research project.

• Final Defense Judge – Final Defense Judges will focus on evaluating the scientific

importance, economic and social relevance, ingenuity, and the potentiality for

marketability and future development of the research project.

b. Digital Poster

Component Subcomponent Percentage

Creativity and Visual

Appeal

Graphics

Appropriateness

Color Scheme

Font Style/Size

50

Content

Conciseness and Understandability

Accuracy and Comprehensivity

25


27

Cohesiveness

Organization

Clarity

25

c. Journal Entry Round


Abstract

Organization

Completeness

Clarity

10

Introduction

Pertinent Literature

Specific Objectives/Hypothesis

Scope and Limitations

Scientific Importance

Societal Relevance

10

Methodology

Clarity and Organization

Experimental Design (Data Collection Technique,

Variables, Sample Sizes, etc.)

Post hoc/ Statistical Tests

20

Results

Graphics

Consistency

Correlation with Statistical Test

Results

15

Discussion

Analysis and Explanations

Interpretation to Prior Research

Justification of Data Deviations and Weaknesses

25

Conclusion and

Recommendations

Clarity and Conciseness

Feasibility and Specificity

5

References

Citation and Listing Format

Validity and Quality

5

Overall Quality

Organization and Cohesivity

Spelling and Grammar

Graphics Labelling

Originality

10


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d. Closed-Door Defense


Background of the Study


Specific Objectives/Hypothesis

Scientific Relevance


10

Methodology

Organization

Clarity and Appropriateness

Post Hoc/Statistical Test

15

Results and Discussion

Graphics

Consistency

Interpretation and Justification of Data

25

Innovative Idea

Ingenuity

Novelty/Originality

Feasibility

Economic and Social Impact

15

Overall Research Quality

and Analytical Approach

Organization

Creativity and Skill

Analysis and Comprehensivity

Subject Mastery and Answers to Questions

Teamwork

25

Oral and Visual

Presentation

Delivery

Clarity

Visual Aid Quality

Overall Impact

10

e. Final Defense


Background and Purpose


Attainability of Objectives

Scientific Relevance

10

Experimental Design


Organization

Clarity and Appropriateness

Post Hoc/Statistical Test

15


29

Research Analysis

Graphics

Comprehensivity

Interpretation of Data

Subject Mastery and Answers to Questions

20

Ingenuity

Novelty

Creativity

Skill

20

Overall Research

Significance and Impact

Economic and Social Impact

Relevance and Feasibility of Recommendations

Potential for Marketability/Future Development

25

Oral and Visual

Presentation

Delivery

Quality

Visual Aid Quality

Overall Impact

10

f. Basis for Awarding

Round Percentage

Journal Entry Round 20

Closed-Door Defense 30

Final Defense 50

K. AWARDS AND PRIZES

a. Major Awards

The qualifiers for the Final Defense, which are the Top 2 entries per category, will

receive cash and/or medals and certificates as prizes. The Category Champion

and Category Runner-up will be awarded based on the scores of their Journal

Entry Round, Closed-Door Defense, and Final Defense.

Title Team Prizes Individual Prizes

Category Champion

(Applied Science, Life Science, Physical Science)

₱5,000 Medals + Certificates

Category Runner-up

(Applied Science, Life Science, Physical Science)

₱2,000 Medals + Certificates


30

b. Special Awards

• Best in Digital Poster – This award is for the research entry with the highest

average Digital Poster score.

• People’s Choice Award – This award will go to the digital poster with the

highest number of reactions and shares after being posted online by the

official Facebook Page of Research Fair.


Best in Digital Poster

₱1,000 Certificates

People’s Choice Award

₱1,000 Certificates

L. RESEARCH INTEGRITY

Scientific research is a disciplined practice, and it must uphold high standards of

integrity. Thus, Research Fair will not condone or tolerate any form of research

misconduct and dishonesty.

Fraudulent research projects will fail to qualify for RC. The organizers reserve the right

to revoke recognition of a project subsequently found to have been fraudulent.

a. Research Misconduct

Research misconduct is defined as “fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in

proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.”

Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion. Any

research misconduct committed before, during, and after the competition will not

be condoned or tolerated. These acts include, but are not limited to:

1. Fabrication – This involves making up data and results and recording or

reporting them. Including false references (references that are added for the

sake of supporting an argument even though it’s fake or non-supportive) is

also considered as fabrication.

2. Falsification – This involves manipulating research materials, equipment, or

processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is

not accurately represented in the research record (record of data or results

that embody the facts resulting from scientific inquiry, and includes, but is not

limited to, research proposals, laboratory records, both physical and

electronic, progress reports, abstracts, theses, oral presentations, internal

reports, and journal articles).

3. Plagiarism – This involves appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes,

results, or words without giving them credit. Intended or unintended, failure

to credit sources or other discoverers is also considered as plagiarism.

4. Non-disclosure from coaches or RC participants of knowingly committed

research misconduct

5. Any actions deemed as research misconduct by the organizers


31

b. Sources

• Federal Register. (2000, December 6). Federal Research Misconduct Policy.

Retrieved from ORI - The Office of Research Integrity:

http://ori.hhs.gov/federal-research-misconduct-policy. 2015, August 1.

• National Academy of Science and Technology. (2009, August 14). Ethical

Principles and Guidelines for Filipino Scientists. Retrieved from Philippines

NAST: http://goo.gl/tNbwTu. 2015, August 1.

NATIONAL SCIENCE CONQUEST

32

IV. National Science Conquest


33

A. OBJECTIVES

The National Science Conquest (NSC) aims to:

1. Distinguish students with scientific proficiency

2. Recognize emerging scientific discoveries and fields

3. Promote science and technology to students, as well as to the general public


Each participant must be a bona fide Grade 11 or 12 student of the school he/she is to

represent.

C. REQUIREMENTS

1. Filled out NSC Application Form which can be found

at http://researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/. This contains necessary

information from the participants.

2. Scanned copy of participants’ proof of enrollment for the school year 2020-

2021 such as, but not limited to:




o Certificate of enrollment if no ID

3. PDFs must be colored and must have good resolution (clearly scanned) for


4. The organizers reserve the right to request for resubmissions when the need



irregularities include, but are not limited to, the following: o Incomplete or late submission of requirements

D. GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. A school may send up to two (2) teams composed of at most four (4) eligible

students each to join the competition. Three (3) of the team members shall be

the representatives of the team, while one (1) shall serve as the alternate.

Alternates are optional; however, only teams with alternates can replace a

team member who gets disconnected during the final round. Alternates will

not be taking part in the Qualifying Round, unless he/she replaces the main

team member from the start (see 5.3).

2. Upon registration, the group must also designate a team captain. He/she will

be the one coordinating with the organizers during the final round.

3. If a contestant is proven guilty of cheating or dishonesty, his/her team shall be

automatically disqualified from the competition.



34

4. Usage of electronic devices, such as laptop computers, phones and tablets,

other than the main device used to access the tests, is strictly prohibited

during all rounds of the competition.

5. In case a registered participant fails to be present on the competition date

due to valid reasons (sickness, death in the immediate family, etc.), a substitute

from the same school will be allowed to compete, provided that:

5.1. The replacement satisfies the eligibility guideline. 5.2. A document validating the excuse is to be submitted three (3) days

before the first day for Research Fair 2021. 5.3. No replacements shall be allowed thereafter. Failure to comply with

the provisions will result in the team competing with less members. The

alternate may replace a main team member without submitting a

document of excuse. 6. Coaches will not be allowed to enter the Zoom meeting room for the final

round. The final round will be streamed via Facebook Live in the Research Fair

official page

E. CONTEST MECHANICS

The National Science Conquest will consist of two (2) rounds – the Qualifying and Final

Rounds. The qualifying round, administered on the first two (2) days of the Research

Fair, will consist of four (4) tests: Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, and

Earth and Life Sciences. After the scores are tallied, the top six (6) teams will then

proceed to the Final Round.



a. Qualifying Round The Qualifying Round will be conducted using Google Forms. 1. Participants shall individually take four (4) forty-item (40) exams from different

scientific disciplines.

Day Time Scientific Discipline Time Limit

DAY 1

Morning

Earth and Life Sciences 30 minutes

Afternoon

Mathematics and Statistics 60 minutes

DAY 2

Morning

Chemistry 45 minutes

Afternoon

Physics 60 minutes


35

1.1 Morning sessions shall start at 9:00 AM, and afternoon sessions at

2:00 PM. Failure to follow the general guidelines set on allowable

grace periods will result in zero (0) points for that subtest. 2. In calculating the scores of each test, one-fourth (1/4) of the number of

incorrect answers will be deducted from the number of correct answers.

Questions with no answers are neither correct nor incorrect.

3. Individual scores of each team will be totaled. The top six (6) teams with the

highest score will move on to the final round.

3.1 In case of a tie for sixth (6th) place, the team with the highest scoring

individual among the tied teams will move on to the final round. If

the tie is still not broken, all teams tied for sixth (6th) place that

share the highest individual test score will move to the final round.

4. If needed in calculations, constants needed for a certain question will be

provided. 5. Use of a calculator will be allowed for all tests.

6. Express decimal answers in two decimal places. Rules on significant figures

will not be followed.

6.1. For values greater than or equal to 100,000, use scientific notation

expressing three significant figures. 6.2. For values less than 0.0001, use scientific notation expressing three

significant figures. 6.3. Rounding rules will apply.

b. Final Round 1. The final round will be conducted using Zoom Meetings. After the participants

have entered in the Zoom meeting, the participants will be designated in the

main room together with a member of the organizing committee.

2. The final round will be a quiz bee on different topics concerning science and

technology. A link to an online form containing twelve (12) categories will be

sent to the finalists two (2) hours before registration starts. The participants

shall assign each team member four (4) categories in which they will be in-

charge of. By the time registration starts, the teams should have completed

the category assignments for their members. A one-point (1) deduction to the

final score for every minute passed will be given to the team who will pass

their category assignments late. After the registration ends, any team who

failed to pass the category assignments will be disqualified.

3. At the start of the final round, each team will take turns in choosing a category.

Each category contains an easy, average and difficult question following the

theme of the category. Only the team captain will be reached by the organizers

in picking a category.


36

Difficulty Correct No Answer Incorrect

Easy 2 0 0

Average 5 0 -2

Difficult 7 -2 -4

3.1. Questions will have different time durations allotted to answer; it will

be shown as the question is projected. 4. As soon as a category has been chosen, the assigned team member from each

group for that category will be transferred to another meeting room. The

quizmaster, together with the judges and a member of the organizing

committee, will be present in this breakout room.

5. The assigned team members will then have to answer the questions in this

breakout room. After the selected category is done, the assigned team

members will be transferred back to the main room. The breakout room will

be livestreamed in the main room and RF’s official Facebook page for public

viewing.

6. If needed in calculations, constants needed for a certain question will be

provided.

7. Use of a calculator will be allowed for all questions.

8. Express decimal answers in two decimal places. Rules on significant figures

will not be followed.

8.1. For values greater than or equal to 100,000, use scientific notation

expressing three significant figures. 8.2. For values less than 0.0001, use scientific notation expressing three

significant figures. 8.3. Rounding rules will apply.

9. The final round ends once all teams are given the chance to pick a category.

The top three (3) teams with the highest score shall be awarded. In case of a

tie, questions from the categories not picked will be shuffled and will be

answered by the tied teams. This will be a do-or-die round.

F. AWARDS AND PRIZES

a. Major Awards

The top three (3) teams in the Final Round shall receive the following awards:


NSC Champion ₱3,000 Medals + Certificates

NSC 1st Runner Up ₱2,000 Medals + Certificates

NSC 2nd Runner Up ₱1,000 Medals + Certificates


37

b. Special Award

The highest overall scorer for the qualifying round shall receive:

Title Cash Prize Other Prizes

NSC Qualifying Round Top Scorer ₱1000 Medal + Certificate

YOUTH SCIENCE CONVENTION

38

V. Youth Science Convention


39

A. OBJECTIVES

The Youth Science Convention (YSC) aims to:

1. Enkindle in the participants a love and passion for research and science

2. Explore the significance of conducting research and its application in the

industry and in different scientific fields

3. Help the youth develop practical skills that will not only aid them in future

research, but in multiple facets of their daily lives


YSC is open to all Grade 7 to Grade 12 students in the Philippines. However, it is

highly recommended for students of grades 10 and 11 in preparation for their

research subjects, investigatory projects, and future submissions to the Research

Competition.

C. REQUIREMENTS

1. Filled out YSC Application Form which can be found

at http://researchfair.upalchemes.org/forms/. This contains necessary

information from the participants.

2. Scanned copy of participants’ proof of enrollment for the school year 2020-

2021 such as, but not limited to:




o Certificate of enrollment if no ID

PDFs must be colored and must have good resolution (clearly scanned) for


The organizers reserve the right to request for resubmissions when the need



irregularities include, but are not limited to, the following:

o Incomplete or late submission of requirements

D. REGISTRATION GUIDELINES

1. A school may register at most ten (10) participants to attend YSC, excluding

the participants of the Research Competition (RC) and the National Science

Conquest (NSC).

2. Each participating school is required to be accompanied by one (1) YSC adviser

who must not be an adviser for any of the other sub-events. The adviser

should be included in the number of participants of the respective school.



40

3. Only registered participants will be granted certificates of participation

(students) and appearance (advisers). Refer to Section F (Eligibility Guidelines)

for details regarding certificates. Unregistered individuals who wish to attend

the webinars may do so through the Facebook livestream.

4. Participants of RC and NSC who are not registered for YSC but wish to attend

these webinars are free to watch through RF’s official Facebook page as they

will be simultaneously live-streamed for public viewing.

5. Schools shall be informed if there are remaining slots for the convention,

should they wish to send more students. Participants from other sub-events

that have failed to continue to the next round can still register to YSC, given

that there are still slots available.

6. From the participants from the same school that will attend YSC, interested

students may form teams to join the Case Study Competition (see Section G

below). Each school may form a maximum of two (2) groups, composed of a

maximum of three (3) students each.

E. EVENT PROPER



1. An email containing the details for the webinar will be sent to the participant’s

email addresses one (1) day prior to the event.

2. Participants are urged to pay attention and show utmost respect to the speakers.

Audio and video sharing must be turned off at all times unless stated otherwise

by any instruction from the speaker or the organizers.

3. There shall be an open forum at the end of every webinar. Participants and

advisers are encouraged to raise questions and/or concerns to the speaker.

o Those viewing the webinar through the Facebook livestream are free to

raise their questions through the comment section and will be

acknowledged accordingly.

F. ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION

1. Certificates of Participation will only be granted to students who are registered as

YSC participants and have attended and finished all webinars for the entire

duration of YSC.

2. Participants who have not submitted entries or did not qualify for the final phase

of the Case Study Competition are highly encouraged but not required to watch

the final phase of the competition.

Failure to meet the previously mentioned conditions will mark a registered

participant ineligible to receive a certificate of participation for YSC unless

otherwise stated by the following exemptions:


41

1. Unstable internet connection that led to disconnection from the Zoom

meeting and inability to reconnect. This exemption is only valid for one (1) talk.

Inability to reconnect for more than one (1) talk will automatically forfeit

his/her eligibility.

Required proof:

o Screenshot of Zoom reconnecting page with timestamp at time of

disconnection

o Screenshot of Zoom reconnecting page with timestamp at time near

end of the webinar if still unable to reconnect.

2. Medical Emergencies

Required proof:

o Doctor’s note or a signed note from the adviser in the absence of a

medical professional.

Note: Exemptions due to either reason will only apply once the participant/s

submit valid proof of the applicable exemption. In the case of the absence of a

qualified participant from the final phase of the Case Study Competition, the

previously mentioned rules on eligibility for certificate of participation will apply.

G. THE RESEARCH FAIR 2021 CASE STUDY COMPETITION

The Research Fair 2021 Case Study Competition aims to foster ingenuity and

creativity by allowing the participants to provide their own solutions to real world

problems. Highlighting both teamwork and the ability to think of unique solutions,

the Case Study Competition is a stepping stone for the participants as they look

towards the future. Its goal is to bring to perspective the problems that society

encounters today and show that through science and technology, the students’

output may be possible future solutions that can be implemented.

The Case Study Competition shall focus on tackling problems with an

interdisciplinary approach, as such is often the case in many industries locally.

Thus, it is encouraged for teams that will be joining to be composed of students

coming from the different strands under the Academic track of the DepEd K to 12

Program (i.e. STEM, BAM, HESS). This will not be required but may aid the students

in providing more efficient solutions to the given problem.

a. Case Study Phase I

1. On October 30, 2020, the case study, along with the rubrics and guidelines,

will be released in the Research Fair Facebook page and emailed to the

participants.

2. The participants will then have until December 11, 2020 to send their papers

on their proposed solutions to the case study. These will then be evaluated by

the judges.

3. The top seven (7) teams will be announced in January 2021, at least two (2)

weeks before the event, and will participate in the final phase of the Case Study

Competition on the second (2nd) day of Research Fair.


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o Note that, even before the announcement of the results, the teams are

highly encouraged to have already prepared preliminary drafts of their

presentations for the final phase

o Teams who qualified for the final phase study can start submitting their

presentations one (1) day after the results for Phase I have been

announced and have until January 21, 2021, 11:59PM to do so.

b. Case Study Phase II

1. The afternoon session of Research Fair Day 2 will be devoted to the

presentations wherein each team will be given ten (10) minutes to present

their ideas to a panel of judges. Afterwards, a period of seven (7) minutes will

be allotted for questions from the judges.

o YSC participants who are not part of the teams for the Case Study

Competition and teams who did not qualify for the final phase are not

required to watch these final presentations but are encouraged to do

so through the live streaming in RF's official Facebook page.

2. The teams with the best presentations will be awarded after the judges have

finished deliberating.

Mechanics and Prizes for the Winners of the Case Study Competition are subject

to change in prerogative of the sponsoring company. This includes possible

transfer of ownership of the winning project.


CSC Champion ₱3,000

One (1) seat to a training or workshop of

their choice*

Two (2) pcs Official Microsoft Merchandise

(1 shirt and 1 bag)

One (1) Certificate

CSC 1st Runner Up ₱2,000


their choice*


(1 shirt and 1 bag)

One (1) Certificate


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CSC 2nd Runner Up ₱1,000


their choice*


(1 shirt and 1 bag)

One (1) Certificate

*Winning participants may choose from the following trainings and workshops

offered by Microsoft:

• Artificial intelligence and cloud skilling workshop

• Productivity and virtual tools workshop

• Essential skills workshop for students/graduates

H. LINE-UP OF ACTIVITIES

Research Fair 2021 brings upon six (6) talks in order to hone the skills of its

participants. There are three (3) main focuses of these talks.

a. Enabling - These talks enable Research Fair 2021’s participants to hone their skills

and talents useful not only in research but in real life as well.

AZIMUTH: A talk on oral communication in an online platform. The students will

be taught oral and visual cues that enhance their ability to convey their findings

in their research as we shift to online platforms while adapting to the new normal.

COLLIMATION: A talk on financial literacy. The students will be taught money

management especially in their research projects and in real life.

b. Enlightening - These talks tap the experts of various fields of research, science, and

technology in order to inspire the students through their example.

PARALLAX: A talk on a Filipino scientist who had gone abroad for higher education

and came back to serve the country. The objective is to instill love for the country

in the students so that they may have the nation in mind when considering topics

for research.

c. Emerging - These talks focus on some of the emerging fields in science and

technology. Workshops may be employed in order to further the knowledge of the

students when the lessons are imparted to them.

EPHEMERIS: A talk on sustainable development and biodiversity. Ephemeris aims

to deepen the student’s knowledge on the richness of the country’s natural

resources and the need to protect them whilst pursuing scientific and

technological advancements.


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ALTAIR: A pair of talks on developing fields of research interest. Altair aims to

expose the students to current scientific advancements and implications of

ongoing research in the country in the field of life and physical sciences

respectively.

PLEIADES : The Research Fair 2021 Case Study Competition

This sub-event serves as the culmination of YSC with the participants showing not only

their ability to think creatively, but also their own insights regarding important problems

and issues faced in the country.

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Documents

S P I T Z E R - UP ALCHEMES Research Fair