Guides · ISEF category
Animal Sciences
ISEF category ANIM · difficulty for high-school students: high
Studies involving the biology, behavior, ecology, genetics, physiology, and diseases of non-human animals. Includes field studies, captive animal observations, and computational models of animal systems.
How it's judged
ISEF scores 100 points across five criteria:
- Creative Ability: 30 pts
- Scientific Thought: 30 pts
- Thoroughness: 15 pts
- Skill: 15 pts
- Clarity: 10 pts
What wins
- Behavioral ecology studies with novel observation protocols
- Conservation genetics using museum specimens + modern DNA sequencing
- Disease surveillance in wildlife populations using camera traps + ML classification
- Comparative physiology across populations in different climate zones
Common mistakes
- Studies with n < 10 per group and no power analysis justification
- Observational studies that claim causation
- Using captive animals without noting the behavioral limitations this creates
- Ignoring phylogenetic confounds in cross-species comparisons
What you'll need
Depends heavily on sub-topic. Field studies require GPS, camera traps, collection permits. Physiology requires access to a university or veterinary lab. Behavioral observation can be done with just time and a structured ethogram.
Ethics & approvals
Human-subjects (IRB) approval is usually not required for this category. Vertebrate-animal work requires IACUC approval and ISEF Form 6A.
The novelty bar
A new behavioral observation or ecological relationship in an understudied species or population. Replications of known results do not score well on creative ability.
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