Note: Awards subject to change based on sponsorship.

All Participants

Participant Medal and Certificate

Elementary Projects

Exemplary Projects - Plaques and $75 Check
Honorable Mention - Medallion

Junior Projects (Biological Sciences A; Biological Sciences B; Chemistry; Earth/Environmental; Physics; and Technology/Engineering):

1st Place - Plaque and $100 Check
2nd Place - Plaque and $75 Check
3rd Place - Plaque and $50 Check
Honorable Mention - Medallion

High School Projects (Biological Sciences A; Biological Sciences B; Chemistry; Earth/Environmental; Physics; and Technology/Engineering):

1st Place – Plaque and $125 Check
2nd Place – Plaque and $100 Check
3rd Place – Plaque and $75 Check
Honorable Mention - Medallion

Grand Awards

Dewey & Susan Ryals Memorial Award for the Elementary Division

Top 10% of the Junior projects will qualify to be nominated to the Broadcom Masters.

Top High School projects will qualify to be nominated to the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Special Awards

These awards will be distributed to projects that meet the guidelines that have been stipulated by the awarding organization or agency.

The 2023 NCSEF will be held on the campus of North Carolina State University in the Talley Student Union and Carmichael Wellness and Recreation Center (aka Carmichael Gym), across from each other at the intersection of Cates Ave and Morrill Drive.

arriving to the NC State campus

Note: Morrill Drive next to Carmichael is one-way due to construction (enter from Western Boulevard).  Arrive via Dan Allen Dr or Pullen Rd to Cates Ave unless you need to drop off a bulky or heavy project first.

From the West

Take I-40 east toward Raleigh. Take exit 289 for Wade Avenue toward I-440. Take the exit onto I-440 W. Take exit 2 for Western Blvd toward North Carolina State Univ/Cary. Turn left at the light for Dan Allen Dr. to enter the NCSU central campus then turn right on Cates Ave.  

From the East

Take I-40 toward Raleigh.take exit 289 for Wade Avenue toward I-440/US-1 N Follow signs for I-40 west at split. Exit right onto Lake Wheeler Drive. Turn left on Centennial Pkwy. Turn right at the light onto Avent Ferry Rd. to Western Boulevard.

Parking, project drop-off, and student check-in

The Coliseum parking deck is free on Saturday, and $3 for the first hour before 5 pm Friday. Limited parking along Cates Ave is available after 5 pm Friday and all day Saturday.

A drop off area is available behind Talley Student Union.  Turn left onto Jensen Dr then left on Dunn Ave, drop off in the loop behind Reynolds Coliseum, then turn right onto Jeter Dr.  Note: the parking lot at Dunn and Jeter is reserved for judges and volunteers.

Students will heavy or bulky projects may drop off their projects Carmichael before checking-in at Talley.  15-minute parking is available in the lot behind Carmichael off Morrill Drive is limited to one way due to construction.  Enter from Western Boulevard, drop-off and then park

Talley Student Union Floor Plans

Project check-in is in the lobby on floor 2 (as you enter from Cates Ave). Lunch is in the One Earth cafeteria on floor 2 (advance tickets available for purchase here). The welcoming ceremony Saturday morning, expo, and all awards ceremonies are in the ballroom on floor 3

Carmichael Wellness and Recreation Center Floor Plans

All projects will be displayed on courts 1 and 8 on floor 2 (as you enter from Cates Ave). Volunteers will staff "The Hub" between the two courts to answer student questions as well help with tools for simple repairs to project displays.

Heavy or bulky projects may be dropped off at the south entrance, 15 minute parking spaces will be available in the parking lot to the rear of the building accessible off Morrill Dr. Students and visitors are welcome in the lobby and courts 1 and 8 where presentations will be set up (marked in yellow). Red areas are reserved for NCSEF judges and volunteers.

Note: exercise equipment throughout Carmichael is off-limits, violators risk disqualification from the competition.

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Friday, March 24, 2023

Saturday, March 25, 2023

• Students may begin check-in at Talley Student Union and setting up their projects in Carmichael Wellness Center as early as 3:30 pm Friday. All projects should be in place and approved by the Display and Safety Committee by 9:00 am Saturday for judging. Please allow time for the project to be inspected and approved prior to 9:00 am.
• On Saturday - do not park in the pay area of the parking deck. The rest of the deck is free on Saturday.  The Fair is not responsible for parking tickets given to those parking in undesignated areas.  
• Students found on the exercise equipment in Carmichael run the risk of being removed from the competition!
• Closed judging will begin at 9:15am - students, parents and teachers MUST leave the Carmichael Wellness Center.  STEM Exhibitors will be set up on the 3rd floor of Talley across from the Ballroom area at 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.
• Students may pre-purchase meal tickets for lunch from NCSEF online. The meal will be available at OneEarth located in TSU for $14 each by ticket only.  Other lunch options will be available for on-site purchase at TSU and Clark Dining Hall.
• Students will stay with their projects during the scheduled judge interview period. Students should bring reading or a quiet activity to occupy their time when not being judged. ONLY students, Fair Personnel, and Judges will be allowed in the judging area. Students must stay in the rooms with the room monitors until the end of the judging period. 

North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair

		Mark Your Calendar The 2023 state fair might be done, but there's more to come! 36th NC State Science and Engineering Fair When: March 22-23, 2024 Where: NC State University
		Congratulations Congratulations to our 417 students who advanced from our 9 Regional Fairs and 1 Virtual Regional Fair (pilot) to compete in the 2023 North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair held at NC State University on March 25, 2023. We were excited to be back in place for an in-person fair as well as to pilot a state virtual option for our student researchers on March 23, 2023. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and State Superintedent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt congratule students for participating in the 2023 North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair:
		Thank You Thank you to NC State University and its Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA) and the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) or their amazing support throughout the year and weekend! Also, thanks to our 160 plus STEM judges, 150 general volunteers and 14 STEM Exhibitors who without their active participation this student competition could not have happened. Across the Elementary, Junior, and Senior Divisions, 190 Special, Categorical, and Grand Awards were given to recognize the most outstanding student research projects.
		Award Recipients View all award recipients: 2023 NC Hybrid Science and Engineering Fair Awards (PDF) 2023 Elementary Grand Award Dewey and Susan Ryals Family Memorial Award Arya Sinha Santiago Hernandez Lexie Spannhake Lillian Jones Flynn Kornegay 2023 Junior Grand Award Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Elizaveta Emelyanova Shalyn Bare Jamie Cheng Srinidha Saro PG Kyle Kinlaw Rowan Baker Jayden Cho Saumya Wagh Aadit Krishna Samantha Franke Ella Hoffert Rebecca Hoopes Luca Garrido Hamza Pathan Bryan He Andreas Hoimes 2023 Senior Grand Award Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Isabel Garcia Brian Zhang Rithinteja Aechan, Mehdi Hussain, Arnav Mahajan Reyansh Bahl Maximilian Wang Grace Otos Yunjia Quan Naveen Ramasamy Carter Schrag Riley Johnson Ankit Biswas Abhinav Gurram, Ethan Sud Venkata Varshith Vadlamudi Lauren Zuravel
		Award Ceremonies Thanks to our friends at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathemeatics for making opening and award ceremonies available to students who participated virtually on Thursday and friends and families of students around the world through live streams. Recordings of those award ceremonies are also available:   2023 Elementary Ceremony   2023 Junior Ceremony   2023 Senior Ceremony
		Student Photos 2023 Elementary Award Recipients 43 Photos 2023 Junior Award Recipients 41 Photos 2023 Senior Award Recipients 60 Photos
		Questions? If you have questions about competing in the fair, please contact: General Information - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Rules & Forms - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Regional Fairs - contact the organizers of your regional fair directly Registration for the NCSEF - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Volunteering to Judge - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Volunteering at the fair - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Support the NCSEF financially - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.