Aplicants for this program must be:
Females of any ethnicity, or males of African American, Hispanic or Native American descent.
Attending public or private high schools in New Jersey or New York City (grades 9 -12)
We highly encourage students to participate in group projects with up to 5 students per project according to the following criteria:

Group of 2 students: at least 1 from the underrepresented group
Group of 3 students: at least 2 from the underrepresented group
Group of 4 students: at least 2 from the underrepresented group
Group of 5 students: at least 3 from the underrepresented group
We will also accept a project proposal submitted by one student if that student is from the underrepresented group.
Important

No student may apply for more than one project. If any student applies for more than one project, that student will be disqualified from the program. If the remaining students in the group do not meet the eligibility requirements above, the project will be disqualified.
In addition to the eligibility requirements, the application deadline must be met along with the following:
 
There is no limit to the number of project proposals per school.
Each science project requires uploading a “project proposal application” and mailing a “signed photo/video release per student.”

   
You can download a worksheet so you'll have all the project related information together before you apply.
   
The project proposal must be written in the present tense. (If you describe the project using the past tense, we will infer that the work has already been done and we will not fund your project.) We fund projects that will be done in the current school year.
As part of your budget, include what equipment you need and how much it will cost. Whenever possible, include the model number of the equipment you are proposing to buy, along with the make, model name, and any other identifying information. Indicate if you need a special type or brand of equipment that is more expensive than similar equipment, along with an explanation of why you need this more expensive item.

Funding is limited to $500 per project. The $500 can be used for:
Purchase of materials and equipment
Travel expenses to local/regional science fair competitions
Materials to build the display board for the project

Do not request more than $500 for a project, except as noted below:
If more than one project in a school can share the same piece of equipment, please split the budget into 2 parts: (1) equipment solely for the project and (2) equipment that can be shared with other projects. Include a list of the other projects. In some cases, this shared equipment may cause the budget to exceed $500 per project. We will provide funds for all of the approved projects as long as the average funding for the projects is no more than $500. Here's an example of a budget reflecting the sharing of equipment:
 

Project 1 - Analysis of sunscreens

For this project only:
$70 Various sunscreens
+ $50 petri dishes
$120 total for this project only

Shared with other projects:
+ $550 Photo spectrometer
$670 total for shared and
non-shared equipment

The photo spectrometer will be shared with the following projects:
Analysis of hairsprays
Analysis of food coloring

Project 2 - Analysis of
hairsprays

For this project only:
$100 Various hairsprays
+ $50 petri dishes
$150 total for this project only

Shared with other projects:
+ $550 Photo spectrometer
$700 total for shared and
non-shared equipment

The photo spectrometer will be shared with the following projects:
Analysis of sunscreens
Analysis of food coloring

Project 3 - analysis of food coloring

For this project only:
$60 Various bottles of food
coloring
+ $50 petri dishes
$110 total for this project only

Shared with other projects:
+ $550 Photo spectrometer
$660 total for shared and
non-shared equipment

The photo spectrometer will be shared with the following projects:
Analysis of sunscreens
Analysis of hairsprays
If we approve all projects, then the total funding would be $930 ($120 for project 1, $150 for project 2, $110 for project 3, and $550 for shared equipment), or an average of $310 per project, which is less than the per-project maximum, so we would provide the full amount. Similarly if we approve two of the projects.

If we approve only one of the projects, its budget would exceed the maximum, and we would not be able to fund it fully.

Keep receipts and records of purchases to be sure to stay within budget and be certain your materials and equipment are what you specified. These receipts must be turned in with your final report attached to a copy of your Proposed Budget Form.
 
   
Projects may be chosen in any field of science, technology, engineering or mathematics. We will also accept projects in the invention category.
YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM:  
Propose a project of your own. For more Ideas:  
 
Choose or modify a project from the handbook. (pdf)  
   
NOTE: Be patient! The Project Handbook is 5.25MB and takes a long time to download.
   

Teachers must read and approve all student proposals. Approval is indicated by the teacher's signature on the application form for each project submitted.

Approval also means that the teacher will be able to provide supervision and take responsibility for the safe conduct of all experiments.

Teachers are responsible for knowing the rules and making sure that the rules are followed.

In addition, starting in 2009-2010 , teachers will be required to complete a one-page contract page to ensure critical information is provided to YSAP. Funding of student projects will be contingent upon teachers completing and submitting this form to YSAP.

   Important

No student may apply for more than one project. If any student applies for more than one project, that student will be disqualified from the program. If the remaining students in the group do not meet the eligibility requirements above, the project will be disqualified.