Can a student working with a mentor exhibit his or her work in a Massachusetts science fair if that work involves procedures prohibited under this section of Massachusetts law?
A. No. The law applies to the student, not to the institution-that is, elementary and secondary school students must comply with the provisions of the law, regardless of whether their research is conducted in the classroom, at home, or in an advanced research institution. The mentor, the teacher, and the student all share responsibility for assuring that the student complies fully with the provisions of the Massachusetts law, as well as Massachusetts State Science Fair (MSSF) rules and all other applicable guidelines, as outlined in the MSSF participant handbook. Data collected from the mentor’s research for a student project can be entered into science fair competition only if the normal health of the animals involved was not interfered with by anyone for the sake of the student’s research. Before beginning work with a mentor, students must complete the applicable Massachusetts State Science Fair forms. These forms must be signed by the MSSF Safety Review Committee before experimentat
