Rules and Categories

Core Rules of Competition

HSSP is a STEM competition for high school students enrolled in 9th-12th grade who have conducted a project in any STEM field. The goal is to foster equity, creativity, and confidence in science.

Refer to our Core Rules of Competition for more instructions/details/guidelines. This document outlines:

  • Schedules and deadlines

  • Rules and guidelines for HSSP submissions

  • Statement of Outside Assistance

  • Eligibility rules

  • Suggestions to prepare for the presentations

  • Requirements for presentations

  • Judging process & HSSP score sheets

  • HSSP categories of competition

  • Partner or group projects

Competition Categories

At HSSP, student presentations are organized by research field category in Round 1 and a free-for-all (no category or field) format for Round 2. Choose the category that aligns best with your project to avoid point deductions or disqualification for significant deviations. Judging rubrics remain consistent for sciences (e.g., astronomy, biology, chemistry, and environmental science) but differ for other categories (e.g., math & engineering, and computer science). Review the rubrics carefully before selecting a category for your project.

The major disciplines at HSSP:

At HSSP, student research presentations will be organized by discipline. Only Round 1 is separated by category, while Round 2 is a free-for-all. Please select the discipline that best aligns with your project. If your project deviates significantly from the chosen discipline, points will be deducted, and you may be susceptible to disqualification.

  1. Math & Engineering

  2. Astrophysics

  3. Computer Science

  4. Biology & Medicine

  5. Chemistry

  6. Environmental SciencE