New Hampshire Science and Engineering Exposition (NHSEE)

NOTE: We have updated and changed the categories as of October 22, 2026.

Some of the categories and descriptions below for the Open Competition are taken directly from the Society for Science ISEF categories and some are used with permission of the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair.

Behavioral Science: Concerned with observable, tangible, and measurable data regarding behavior activities. Other topics in this category are psychology, educational testing, animal behavior, learning and archaeology.

Biochemistry: The study of chemical substances occurring in living organisms and the reactions and methods for identifying these substances. Other topics in this category are molecular biology, molecular genetics, enzymes, photosynthesis, blood chemistry, protein chemistry and hormones.

Biomedical Engineering: Projects that aim to improve human health and longevity by translating novel discoveries in the biomedical sciences into effective activities and tools for clinical and public health use. Bi-directional in concept, projects can be those developed through basic research moving toward clinical testing (bench-to-bedside) or projects that provide feedback about the applications of new treatments and how they can be improved (bedside-to-bench). Subtopics include biomaterials and regenerative medicine, biomechanics, biomedical devices, biomedical sensors and imaging, cell and tissue engineering, and synthetic biology.

Biology: The science of life, including the study of the development, structure, and behavior of living organisms. Other topics in this category are botany, zoology, plant science, hydroponics, medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, nutrition, dermatology, veterinary medicine, microbiology, genetics, physiology, anatomy, biofabrication, and invertebrate biology.

Chemistry: A science that treats the composition of substances, their structure, their behavior, reactions, analysis and synthesis. Other topics in this category include physical organic, inorganic, materials, plastics, fuels, pesticides, metallurgy, and soil chemistry.

Computers and Electronics: A study of computer construction, programming, languages, electrical systems in which information is conveyed via signals and waveforms for purposes of enhancing communications, control and/or sensing, control and application of the conduction of electricity through gases or a vacuum or through conducting or semi-conducting materials. Subtopics include circuits, Internet of Things, microcontrollers, networking and data communications, optics, sensors, and signal processing.

Computational and Informatics Science (COIS): The development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, medical, environmental, behavioral, social, and other scientific systems.

Earth and Environmental Science/Engineering: The study of weather, climate, pollution sources (air, water and land) and the effects of pollution on the environment, ecology and the relationships of organisms and their environments, mineral resources, soils, natural vegetation, rock formations and animal life. Other topics in this category are geology, geophysics, physical oceanography, meteorology, seismology, mineralogy and topography.

Energy: Sustainable Materials & Design: Studies/processes involving the production and/or storage of energy. Subtopics include biological process and design, solar process, materials, and design, energy storage, wind and water movement power generation, hydrogen generation and storage, thermal generation and design, triboelectricity and electrolysis.

Engineering: Statics and Dynamics: Studies that focus on the science and engineering that involve movement or structure. The movement will be a result of forces; the structure will be stable due to the equilibrium of forces. Subtopics include aerospace and aeronautical engineering, civil engineering, computational mechanics, control theory, ground vehicle systems, industrial engineering-processing, mechanical engineering (not biomedical or biomechanical).

Physics & Mathematics: Physics is a natural science covering matter, energy, and their mutual relations that do not involve change in composition. Topics covered by physics are solid-state theory, optics, acoustics, particle, nuclear, atomic, plasma, thermodynamics, semi-conductors, magnetism, quantum mechanics, biophysics and mechanics. Other topics included in this category include electronic phenomena, astronomy, and space science.

Mathematics is a science which treats the exact relationships existing between quantities or magnitudes and operations, and of the methods by which, in accordance with these relations, quantities sought are deductible from others known or supposed. Topics may include calculus, geometry, abstract algebra, number theory, statistics, complex analysis and probability.