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 Nebraska Junior High and High School

Science, Agriculture & Engineering
Research Competition

This event combines two fairs in one: the NJAS Western Regional Science Fair and the Central Nebraska Science and Engineering Fair (CNSEF). The Western Regional Fair is open to students in grades 6-12 in the designated Western region below and serves as a state-qualifying fair. The Central Nebraska Science and Engineering Fair is the middle school division, open to students in grades 6-8 who attend schools west of Highway 281. The CNSEF is also a qualifying fair for the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovator Challenge. Please note that the CNSEF Senior Division, for students in grades 9-12, is held separately at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) on a different date. Students in grades 9-12 interested in the CNSEF Senior Division can register at this website.

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Register

To register for the Western Regional Science Fair, you must be a student in grades 6-12 located in the designated western region shown on the map above. Additionally, students in grades 6-8 who attend schools west of Highway 281 are eligible to register for the Central Nebraska Science and Engineering Fair. Registration for both fairs opens on January 1, 2025, and closes on February 26, 2025, at midnight.

Itinerary

This competition is in-person

Location: McDonald-Belton Gymnasium @ NPCC

Registration opens: 01/01/2025

Registration closes: 02/26/2025

Fair: 9:00 AM 03/12/2025

Rules & Guidelines 

Our competition follows the rules and guidelines for student research established by the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). More information on the rules can  be found below 

About Our Fairs

Founded in 1936 by members of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, the Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences (NJAS) was established to provide high school students with opportunities to meet and exchange information about their work in the field of science. Julius D. Young, a science teacher at Lincoln Jackson High School, first led the organization. From the 1940s through the early 1980s, NJAS sponsored the Nebraska Science Talent Search. Since then, top projects from NJAS have advanced to present at the American Junior Academy of Sciences Conference, held annually in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting. NJAS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, comprises volunteers from across the state who plan and conduct the state science and engineering fair, bringing together the top six junior and senior high student projects from each state region. NJAS also oversees the Nebraska Science Olympiad.

The Central Nebraska Science and Engineering Fair, established in 1975, is a science, agriculture, and engineering competition open to junior high students from counties located along and west of Highway 281 in Nebraska, covering a geographic area of over 50,000 square miles. Originally hosted by the Biology Department at the University of Nebraska - Kearney, the junior division fair (grades 6-8) is now hosted by the Mathematics and Science Department of Mid-Plains Community College. Judging is primarily conducted by professors from Mid-Plains Community College, along with academics and industry professionals from across Nebraska. Various cash prizes and certificates, sponsored by private and governmental partner organizations, are awarded to recognize outstanding research. As an affiliate of the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the top middle school project from this fair will have the opportunity to compete in the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge.

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