Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition 2024

Information Sheet and Rules

Deadline for Nomination of Projects 04 Dec 2024 (Wed)

Deadline for Submission of Projects 17 Mar 2025 (Mon)
Initial Judging cum Project Exhibition 19 Apr 2025 (Sat)
Final Judging cum Award Presentation Ceremony 26 Apr 2025 (Sat)

Venue
Initial Judging cum Project Exhibition
Grand Hall, Hong Kong Science Park
2/F, Building 12W, Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park

Final Judging cum Award Presentation Ceremony

Hong Kong Design Institute and IVE (Lee Wai Lee)
3 King Ling Road, Tseung Kwan O, N.T., Hong Kong

Theme
Inspiration from Living ‧ Innovation from Science

Annual Theme
Rare Disease

Division
The Competition consists of 3 Divisions. Age limit of each Division is as following:
1. Junior Division: Students from F.1 to F.3 aged 17 or below (born on or after 1 September 2007)
2. Senior Division: Students from F.4 to F.6 aged 19 or below (born on or after 1 September 2005)
3. Scientific Wallchart Division: Students from F.1 to F.6 aged 19 or below (born on or after 1
September 2005)
Competition Details
A. Junior Division and Senior Division
Students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of science and an application of scientific
knowledge in their invention or investigation projects and present the projects to judges on the day of
Initial Judging cum Project Exhibition. Such projects should be original and innovative while also being
both practical and applicable in real-life. Each team is formed by 2-5 students, and each student should
not be nominated for more than one team. A project may be in the form of the following.

Project Types
(i) Invention (Type A): A new and original invention created by students with scientific knowledge and
imagination OR a new idea to enhance existing products / technology with distinctive enhancement.
Students are required to demonstrate how their invention works and its application.

(ii) Investigation (Type B): This should be research on scientific phenomena or the application of
scientific theories. The project has to be submitted in the form of a report supported by experimental
data and results.

(iii) Invention Design Proposal (Type C): An innovative and original invention idea OR distinctive
enhancement on existing products / technology designed by students with scientific knowledge
and imagination. Students should propose possible implementation methods to verify the idea.

(iv) Investigation Design Proposal (Type D): A research on scientific phenomena or the application
of scientific theories. The project should be submitted in the form of proposal with design of
experiments and expected outcome.

* Remark: Only teams participating in the Invention (Type A) and Investigation (Type B) have the chance to
advance to the Final Judging and compete for champions, first runners-up, and second runners-up.

Project Category
Projects can be in either the “Biology and Chemistry (BC)” stream OR the “Physics and
Engineering (PE)” stream. For the “Biology and Chemistry” stream, chemistry, chemical engineering,
ecology, life science, biotechnology, food science, health science and medicine may be included. For the
“Physics and Engineering” stream, physics, astronomy, meteorology, material science, earth science,
environmental science, and all kinds of engineering technology e.g. electronics, mechanics,
communication, information technology, computer science and energy may be included.

Teams can choose if their projects are related to the sub-theme “Sustainable Development” or include
the element of Social Innovation, to be eligible to compete for the respective awards. Still, their choices
will not affect the results of getting shortlisted. The extended abstracts of the projects which compete for
Sustainable Development Award and Social Innovation Award will be paper vetted and 10 teams will
be shortlisted from each division (Junior and Senior) to have face-to-face judging during Initial Judging.
Display Board
Organiser will not provide any display boards or walls for teams to pin/attach posters. All teams must
bring their own freestanding display board to the judging venue and put on the tables provided by the
organiser to showcase the research data, photos, or experiment results, etc. The maximum size of the
display board is as below:
A team no. sticker will be distributed on the
Initial Judging Day. Please spare a
12cm(W) x 5cm(H) space for the sticker and
display it on your board before the judging.

Teams could choose cardboard, PP plate

sheet (or any other materials that could self-
stand on the table) as the display board
material.

All research details should show on single

side of the display board.

The display board must not exceed the

size limit, otherwise marks will be
deducted.

B. Scientific Wallchart Division

Students are expected to search information and apply their scientific knowledge to study a science topic,
as well as produce a hardcopy A1 size (Width: 841mm, Height: 594mm) poster and upload a
softcopy to the enrollment system to explain that science topic. Participants do not require to attend
the Initial Judging Day, and the posters will be exhibited to the public on Final Judging Day.

The topic of this year is “Rare Disease”, the poster should be a study of the knowledge related to one
of the Rare Disease from a scientific perspective.

Each school can nominate a maximum of five students to participate, and each student can submit
only one poster. When submitting the Hardcopy poster, please include on the back page the (1)
school name, (2) participant's name, and (3) team number. All References must be shown on the
front of the poster and cannot be replaced by appendix or QR codes; otherwise, it will be
considered as not providing that part of the content.
Awards
Book coupons will be given to winning teams of all divisions as an award.

A. Junior and Senior Division

1. Ten teams in the Invention (Type A) and Investigation (Type B) Project Type will be shortlisted from
each division on the Initial Judging cum Project Exhibition Day to enter the Final Judging.
Champions, 1st Runners-up, 2nd Runners-up, Honorable Mentions will be selected on the day
of Final Judging cum Award Presentation Ceremony.
2. First Prizes and Second Prizes will be selected for the Design Proposal (Type C & D) Project Type.
3. To encourage more new schools leading students to explore the interest of science, a “Best
Newcomer Award” will be given to first-time participating schools which achieve certain quality
standard.
4. To encourage students to continue their science research, a “Best Potential Award” will be given
to students who could not advance to the Final Judging but have the potential in science research.
5. To encourage students to use innovative thinking to solve social issues, the competition has
established the "Social Innovation Award" which will be given to outstanding teams which develop
related and feasible solutions with science.
6. To encourage students to apply their scientific knowledge in their daily lives and conduct research
with the goal of "sustainable development," the competition has established the "Sustainable
Development Award" which will be given to teams that demonstrate excellence in sustainable
development.
7. To encourage students to care for vulnerable communities and social issues in society, the
competition has established the "Annual Theme Award" which will be given to outstanding teams
with relevant and feasible solutions related to the annual theme.
8. To encourage and facilitate mutual learning and exchange of science ideas among students, as well
as introducing the projects to the public, a “Visitors’ Favourite Award” will be given to teams with
the highest number of votes from each division.
9. Winning teams of each division may be sponsored to participate in an Overseas
Competitions/Exchange Programme. Eligibility for participation may be subject to an age limit
stipulated by the programme organisers.
10. Winning teams of each division may be sponsored to participate in a Science and Technology
Exchange Programme. Eligibility for participation may be subject to an age limit stipulated by the
programme organisers.

B. Scientific Wallchart Division

1. All qualified Wallcharts will be showcased on the Final Judging Day. First Prizes, Second Prizes,
and Annual Theme Award will be selected and presented in the Award Presentation Ceremony.

*Please note that all awards are subject to change according to the number of participating teams and
the overall performance. In case of any disputes, the organisers reserve the right of final decision.
Project Requirements
Participants are required to follow the specific requirements below when they submit their projects:

Junior and Senior Divisions

I. Extended III. Project IV. Team
II. Report II. Proposal
Abstract Model Photo
Invention (Type A)
   
Investigation (Type B)
  
Invention Design
  
Proposal (Type C)
Investigation Design
  
Proposal (Type D)
I. Extended Abstract (this item will account for 5% of the total score)
 Should be written with in English (maximum 1,600 words) OR Chinese (maximum 2,500
words). Maximum 3 pages only.
 Extended abstract must be submitted in the template format provided by the organiser

II. Report / Proposal

 Describe the project details and include relevant drawings, photos, tables, charts to support
the findings in the report / proposal.
 Should be written in English with maximum 3,000 words OR Chinese with maximum
4,500 words. Maximum total page number is 30.

III. Project Model (display on Initial Judging)

 An actual device or a model not bigger than 90 cm x 90 cm x 90 cm (If the model exceeds
the size limit, a written application must be submitted to the secretariat, and the permission
to display will depend on the venue's size); OR
 A computer programme / model ready for demonstration on a personal computer.
 If the device or model require a electricity supply (excluding computers/mobile phones)
during the exhibition, participants must fill a electricity application form (to be announced
later) by the Project submission deadline. If the application form is submitted after the
deadline, the organisers will not provide electricity for their works.

IV. Team Photo

 A group photo that includes all team members and clearly shows their faces must be
provided.

Item I, II and IV must be submitted to https://ce1.hkfyg.org.hk by 17 Mar 2025 at HKG 23:59

hours. Late submissions will not be accepted. They should be written in Times New Roman
font or similar font, 10 – 12 point font size and at least single spaced.
 Scientific Wallchart Division
Students must submit both digital copy and hardcopy of posters. Late submissions will not
be accepted.
- Digital copy must be submitted to https://ce1.hkfyg.org.hk by 17 Mar 2025
- Hardcopy must be submitted to the HKSSPC Secretariat by 17 Mar 2025 by mail (according
to the date of postmark) or by hand.

Address:
HKFYG Centre for Creative Science and Technology
Unit 2201A, 22/F, Skyline Tower, 39 Wang Kwong Road, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon
Office hours: Mon to Fri 09:00 – 18:00 (except public holiday)

Poster
 An A1 size (Width: 841mm, Height: 594mm) poster
 Theme of “Rare Disease”
 With introduction, discussion, conclusion and literature references, etc
 Please include the (1) school name, (2) participant's name, and (3) team number on
the back page of Hardcopy poster.
 All References must be shown on the front of the poster and cannot be replaced by
appendix or QR codes; otherwise, it will be considered as not providing that part of
the content.
 Rules and Regulations
1. All participants MUST be nominated by whole-day secondary schools which registered in Hong Kong
and each team should have one supervising teacher. The supervisor should create an account at the
competition enrollment system (https://ce1.hkfyg.org.hk) and enroll for teams from all divisions by the
nomination deadline.
(For those supervising teachers who have created an account and participated in HKSSPC 2023,
you can login the same account and switch to [Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition
2024] and register the teams.)

2. i) A science project that submitted to other competitions or exhibitions in previous school years but not
awarded will be accepted. ii) Projects submitted to other competitions or exhibitions in the 2024/25
school year will also be accepted. The details should be clearly listed in the enrollment form. If a
participant has sought advice / assistance from any person, including his / her supervisor and assigned
advisor, acknowledgement should be given to them in the enrollment form and report / proposal.

3. The projects submitted must be original work by the teams and should NOT infringe on the
copyright of any third parties. Students must conduct literature research thoroughly to ensure that
their works are unique, and to list relevant reference materials to complement the research or
invention. All sources of information quoted must be explicitly acknowledged. All participants should
strictly comply with the “Copyright Ordinance”. All materials used in the project, including pictures and
music if any must be original, royalty-free or authorized by the originator(s). Otherwise, the team will be
disqualified. The organisers accept no legal responsibility whatsoever in respect of any copyright issues.

4. All participants must send at least ONE representative to attend the “Literature Review and Rare
Diseases Introduction Seminar” to deepen the team's understanding of literature search and exploration,
its importance, and to recognise the social needs related to the annual theme.

5. All participants must send at least ONE representative to participate and get a PASS in Protection of
Intellectual Property Online Assessment to understand the importance of protecting intellectual
property and to avoid violating relevant laws.

6. All teams utilizing Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) assistance during the competition (including
but not limited to data collection, report/project proposal writing, article organisation, and image creation)
must follow the Annex 2: [Rules for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)].

7. The judging process might be video recorded or live-streamed for educational and non-commercial
purposes, the videos might be edited, transferred, duplicated, and uploaded to the HKSSPC website or
other social media platforms.

8. The copyrights of the photos and videos of all activities, and science projects are deemed the properties
of the organisers and the teams jointly. Once the enrollment form is submitted, means that the teams
agreed that the organisers have the rights to edit, delete, duplicate, file, transfer, issue or display the
photos and videos of all activities, and science projects for educational or other non-commercial purposes.

9. Score sheets will not be distributed to teams. All decisions made by the Judging Panel shall be final, teams
shall not object. The organisers reserve the right to forfeit the award(s) from the winning team(s) and
transfer the award(s) to other suitable teams if the winning team(s) is / are disqualified for any reason at
the discretion of the organisers, including breach of and / or non-compliance with the Rules and
Regulations.
10. Each team from Junior and Senior division could apply for the HKD500 subsidy for project development.
(The subsidy could only be used for materials of project research and exhibition booth decoration.); Each
team from Scientific Wallchart Division could apply for the HKD100 subsidy for poster production. (The
subsidy could only be used for producing the poster.

11. Junior and Senior Division

 Each team should comprise 2 to 5 students. Each school can nominate a maximum of 8 teams and
each team can only submit one project.
 Teams participating in the Invention and Investigation (Type A and B) are not allowed to switch their
participation type to the Design Proposal (Type C and D) after successful enrollment.
 Teams participating in the Design Proposal (Type C and D) are not allowed to showcase any
experimental data or models of their work in the project proposal or during the Judging Period.
If a team does not meet the eligibility criteria upon submitting the project proposal, the organisers
reserve the right to change their Project Type (to Type A or B) or the team would be disqualified.
 Only change requests written by supervisors after the deadline of project submission will be
considered.
 Projects are only eligible to compete for the “Sustainable Development Award”, the “Social
Innovation Award”, and the “Annual Theme Award” when they indicate it at the stage of project
submission. Teams competing for the former award need to describe the specific sustainable
development goal their projects related to when they submit their projects, and that for the latter award
should clearly indicate the target group and social issues it addresses on.
 All experiments must be performed under the supervision of team supervisor and strictly following the
safety guidelines from Education Bureau. For more details, please refer to:
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SafetyHandbook2013_English.pdf
 All team members must attend the Initial Judging Day and complete the judging session to receive a
Certificate of Participation.
 Members must attend the Initial Judging Day and present their project to the judges and answer
questions in person; online tools or recorded video presentations cannot be used as substitutes.
 The supervising teacher or one accompanying teacher must accompany the team to the Initial Judging
Day and the Final Judging Day (if they are selected to the final), but the teacher cannot assist the team
in presenting their project or answering questions during the judging period.

12. Scientific Wallchart Division

 Each school can nominate a maximum of 5 students and each student can only submit one poster.
Annex 1. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations

(https://sdgs.un.org/goals)
1. No Poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. Zero Hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture
3. Good Health and Well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Quality Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all
5. Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all
7. Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable
12. Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and
production patterns
13. Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Life below Water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
for sustainable development
15. Life on Land: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation
and halt biodiversity loss
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable
and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Partnerships for the Goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the
global partnership for sustainable development
Annex 2. Rules for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

A. Reminders for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

The content generated by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is created through training
on a large amount of past data. Therefore, the content generated by GenAI may have certain
issues. Teams need to be aware of the following potential problems and apply GenAI
cautiously and responsibly:

Information and Accuracy:

GenAI generates content by organising online data, which may be limited to outdated or
inaccurate information due to version updates. The content may also have biases or
fictional citations. Therefore, it is important to be cautious about the accuracy of the
content when using GenAI.

Originality:
Since the content generated by GenAI is based on existing data, it cannot create content
that is more up-to-date than the existing data. The generated content may also involve
reports or works by others. If students use the content without understanding its source, it
may lead to plagiarism and compromise academic integrity.

Copyright:
The copyright or intellectual property rights of the content/media (including text, images,
and other media) generated by GenAI may not be clear. GenAI tools/platforms may also
quote works without the consent of the original authors. Students must be aware of any
copyright infringement issues related to the generated content. Additionally, when using
artificial intelligence, students must obtain proper authorization from the tools/platforms (or
provide relevant terms and conditions) for using and publishing the content in this
competition.

Privacy:
To protect personal privacy, do not input any personal or confidential information when
using GenAI.
B. Guidelines for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
1) All ideas and concepts of the inventions, experimental design and project research must be
conceived by the students originally. We encourage students to align their project ideas with
the competition theme, allowing scientific research and inventions to be inspired from and
closely connected to daily life with the aim to improve lives and address social issues.
Teams are not allowed to claim the generated content as their own creations, as it will be
regarded as plagiarism and a violation of academic integrity. Such teams may face mark
deductions or disqualification from the competition.

2) All content generated by GenAI (including but not limited to text, images, videos, or audios)
must comply with the【Copyright Ordinance】and be responsible for the accuracy. If the
content infringes upon copyright, either by unauthorized use or by violating any applicable
laws, the team will be disqualified, and the competition will not assume any legal
responsibility.

3) Please provide in the report/proposal an annex page containing the terms and conditions
related to (or written approval by) the GenAI tools/platforms stating that its generated
content can be used and published in this competition.

4) The following guidelines must be adhered to when utilizing GenAI (including but not limited
to data collection, report/proposal writing, article organisation, and image creation), and the
utilization process should be clearly cited.

i) Please specify the purpose/instructions/elements (prompts) of the GenAI used, including

the tool/platform, version, and website, if applicable.

ii) If the generated content by GenAI includes references (original author) or if the source of
the content is known, it is necessary to understand the original text and cite it accordingly.

5) If the team has utilized GenAI without proper citation/declaration, there is a possibility of
mark deductions or disqualification.

6) In case of any disputes, the organisers reserve the right of final decision.