What is the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity?
It is an annual scientific competition based on competing in one of the scientific categories by submitting individual scientific projects according to the project's standards.
What are the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity stages?
- Stage 1: Student Information Registration
- Stage 2: Training Workshops
- Stage 3: Project Information Uploading
- Stage 4: Online Judging
- Announcing candidates for Central Fairs
- Uploading Ibdaa Forms on Mawhiba website
- Stage 5: -Central Fairs and Training Workshops
- The announcement of qualified candidates for Mawhiba
- Science and Engineering Fair "Ibdaa"
- Stage 6: - Ibdaa Science and Engineering Fair "Ibdaa"
- Selection Workshop for International Participation
- Participation in the International Science and Engineering Fair "ISEF
How could a student join the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity (Ibdaa)? What are the categories of the Olympiad?
To know about the rules and guidelines for joining the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity (Ibdaa), and its categories, please visit the participation guidelines page [click here]
How do we ensure originality of our project?
There are several methods to help students to ensure the originality of their ideas through:
- Search the Internet for patents, or similar ideas and products.
- Reviewing project titles for the past year, as the new idea is based on new variables in the project.
- Review the websites of accredited scientific journals and publications
- Visit some scientific centers.
Who nominates students in the first stage?
Any student in middle or high school who meet the registration conditions are allowed to participate
If I am nominated and not able to join the Olympiad, what is the necessary procedure?
If a student won't complete the participation, the Competitions Administration must be notified immediately by writing an official letter explaining the reasons for taking the necessary action. The letter should be sent to:
ibdaa@mawhiba.org.sa
We want to participate, and we are a group of students and the form does not support our registration? What shall we do?
One of the conditions for participating in Ibdaa: The student is allowed to participate in only one project, provided that the project is individual, meaning that only one student participates in the project, and registration on the site with a group project will not be accepted.
What kind of support does the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) provide for the participating students?
The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) responds to inquiries regarding filling out forms of scientific research projects and verifies that the project conforms to the rules and ethics of scientific research. The SRC can also evaluate some projects and provide notes to improve and develop the project.
The Scientific Committee email: SRC@mawhiba.org.sa
I have many questions? How could I send them ?
- Contact by emailing competitions: ibdaa@mawhiba.org.sa
- Or the Judging Committee: judging@mawhiba.org.sa
- Or Scientific Review Committee: SRC@mawhiba.org.sa
What are the international competitions available to the winning students at Ibda'a Science and Engineering Fair and what is the mechanism of their selection?
Each year, the proper international competition is identified.
Selection Mechanism:
It is done through a specialized committee that selects projects that meet the competition criteria.
Are there forms that are filled out?
Yes, there are forms to be filled out, although there are required forms for all projects and no participation will be accepted without the forms (forms are available on the Olympiad Library)
Can the Scientific Review Committee contribute to facilitating students' entry into the laboratories for experiments or providing academic supervisors for research?
Yes, the Scientific Review Committee makes it easier for the student to enter the laboratory, and also after verifying the importance of the project and the originality of the idea.
How can we communicate with the Scientific Review Committee?
Send an e-mail to the Scientific Review Committee: SRC@mawhiba.org.sa
The letter should include:
The participant's name, ID, city, mobile number, project title, attach project abstract and research plan with a precise and clear explanation of the test procedures.
Are there any prizes offered to the winners?
Yes, many prizes are presented (certificates, trophies, cash awards and programs) are offered at National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity "Ibdaa".
If the project is completed last year, can I participate again?
- Fill out the form (7) available at the Olympiad Library for the completion of the project and its presentation on the display panel of this year's project.
- The procedures that took place in last year's draft should not be written in the abstract , and only present the developments that have taken place on the project this year.
- Submit the abstract of last year's project to the judge if requested.
- Clarification during the judging that the project is a continuation of the participant's previous efforts.
Who are the targets at the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity?
Middle and high school students.
What are the guidelines for participating in National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity?
Participants are required to comply fully with all the following rules and guidelines:
- The student is entitled to participate in only one project, provided that the project is individual, meaning that only one student participates in the project, and registration on the site with a group project will not be accepted
- It is not allowed to participate in the same project for more than one student, and if this occurs, the participation of both students will be canceled.
- Completing the registration stages, which consist of submitting personal information, then project information in the second stage, then bank data, then printing "Ibdaa" card to attend Central Fairs and IbdaaScience and Engineering Fair "Ibdaa".
- When filling out the project information, the participant must write the project abstract comprehensively for all the abstract elements as the on-line judgment depends on the abstract and research plan of the project registered on Mawhiba website.
- Projects that do not fully register project information in the specified time will be excluded.
- If the project title and abstract do not match, the project will be excluded.
- Projects that do not have basic scientific information in the project abstract will be excluded.
- Participant who has other participations that overlap with any stage of "Ibdaa", and affect the participation, rules, regulations, and obligations contained in the framework will be excluded.
- That the participation is within the categories of "Ibdaa", where the project will be judged according to the participant's choice of the category, and the participant is not allowed to change the category after the project submission.
- That the participation is an original work and is allowed if it is a development of previous work, and a personal effort of the participant, bearing in mind that any participation during On-line judging stage or any stage of "Ibdaa" will be excluded if it is discovered that the work is copied or incomplete.
- The project supervisor cannot be changed after registering his/her name on Mawhiba's website, and any supervisor who meets the criteria has the right to supervise more than project. (Admin selection controls link).
- Follow Scientific Review Committee rules when conducting experiments and implementing the project, and complying with Display and Safety Regulations and regulations to present the project. (Link to SRC rules).
- Fill out the forms required for the project according to the category of your project, noting that there are forms required at all projects, and no participation will be accepted without filling out the form (Forms are available on Mawhiba's website). (Link)
- If there is an engineering model, it should conform to the maximum size limitations: (The length is 50 cm, the width is 40 cm, the height is 20 cm). In the case in which a Finalist's model exceeds the maximum size limitations stated above, please consider taking photographs and/or documenting the significance of the model through video.
- Project Display Board dimensions and criteria are shown on Mawhiba's website, as well as starting the project and writing the project plan and abstract as shown.
- If a study is a continuation/research progression, the Continuation/Research Progression Projects Form (7) must be completed and vertically displayed at the project booth.
- The display board and abstract must reflect only the current year's work. The project title displayed in the finalist's booth may mention years of continuing research (for example, “Year Two of an Ongoing Study").
- Reference to past work on the display board must be limited to summative past conclusory data and its comparison to the current year data set. No raw data from previous years may be publicly displayed; however, it may be included in the student research notebooks and/or logbooks if properly labeled.
- Clarify that this work is a continuation study during Centeral fairs and final fair.
I have graduated from high school and I am twenty years old. Do I have the right to participate?
One of the conditions for participating in Ibdaa Olympiad is that the participant is open for general education students in middle or high school level.
Can a student participate with more than one project?
Participation for the student with only one project, and it is NOT allowed for the student to participate in more than one project.
Should the project supervisor be a specialist in my project category?
It is not required that the project supervisor be a specialist in the category of the project except if the project is in the category of medicine or experiments are conducted in a scientific laboratory. Otherwise, a person may have a bachelor's degree and his/her specialization should be the same as the category of the student's project, and the supervisor may be a teacher, a parent, or a relative who has information and understanding of the Ibdaa Olympiad, and is aware of the rules of participation in, Scientific Review Committee rules, and Display and Safety Regulations. He should also have the passion to support the student during his participation.
Are there specific requirements or evidence required of the student when attending the Olympiad?
Printing Ibdaa Card to confirm the completion of the registration procedures, as well as bringing the project abstract, research plan and project display board.
How will projects be judged?
Projects are judged electronically and directly by a group of academics and specialists according to specific scientific standards, to identify distinguished projects for nomination to the higher competitive stages.
What are the Scientific Review Committee Rules that must be considered when starting the project?
A file on scientific ethics controls is available on the Olympiad library. You can view it via the link
One of the most important features of creative work is the simplicity of manufacture and ease of operation. Does this mean that complex inventions in manufacture such as electronics and others will be excluded !!
No participation will be excluded unless it is not original or authentic. All innovations have a kind of modernity and complexity, but what we mean is the simplicity of the explanation, the simplicity of presenting the idea, and the clarity of explaining your innovation as we seek a simple formulation of innovation only.
Does the project need to be equipped with an applicable model, or are the pictures and explanations are enough for any model?
If the project includes an engineering design, it is required to provide a model or demonstration explaining how it works.
If there is no Engineering Design, what is the solution?
Sometimes the model is not required if the engineering design is a computer program or a mathematical proof.
If the model conforms to the maximum size limitations, it should be presented during "Ibdaa" stages.
Are there certificates for students participating in the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity "Ibdaa"?
All participants in the final stage, “Ibdaa" Science and Engineering Fair receive a certificate of participation.
Could anyone visit the final fair?
Yes, and time will be announced for everyone to visit.
What are the scientific categories of the Olympiad?
Code | Categories in English |
BMED | Biomedical and Health Sciences |
CELL | Cellular and Molecular Biology |
MCRO | Microbiology |
BCHM | Biochemistry |
CBIO | Computational Biology and Bioinformatics |
ANIM | Animal Sciences |
PLNT | Plant Sciences |
CHEM | Chemistry |
ENMC | Engineering Mechanics |
ROBO | Robotics and Intelligent Machines |
ENEV | Environmental Engineering |
MATS | Materials Science |
EBED | Embedded Systems |
PHYS | Physics and Astronomy |
EAEV | Earth and Environmental Sciences |
MATH | Mathematics |
SOFT | Systems Software |
BEHA | Behavioral and Social Sciences |
ENBM | Biomedical Engineering |
TMED | Translational Medical Science |
EGSD | Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design |