The Massachusetts Junior Academy of Science (MJAS) fall symposium invites first place winners from the MSEF fair, and Massachusetts finalists at the ISEF to participate in the symposium which takes place in person on the MIT campus. Past AJAS delegate are also eligible to participate in the symposium as long as you worked on a research project the prior year, or took part in a science competition, AND are currently enrolled in a high school or college in Massachusetts.

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The fall symposium requires students to deliver an oratory presentation to a live audience comprised of judges, peers, families and is open to the public. Detailed guidance is provided here (TBD), and photos of past events are provided here (TBD). Within a few days of the event, the judges deliberate and select a small group considered to be ready, to invite them to represent Massachusetts at the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) annual event. Successful completion at the event will bestow the student a lifetime Fellowship of the AJAS.

The AJAS is a national honor society that recognizes high school students from across the country for their scientific research. It meets each year in conjunction with its affiliate, the AAAS, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest science organization and the publisher of Science magazine. On a typical year AJAS delegates share their work through both a 10-minute oral presentation and an afternoon poster session. They also have the exciting opportunity to interact with professional scientists, meet with fellow high school researchers from all over the country, and visit nearby sites of scientific interest. The AJAS convention differs from other scientific gatherings in its emphasis on the sharing of research, not on competition. The format will in-person. High school delegates will present their winning Science fair project in a poster-like format, attend the AAAS lectures, meet with professional scientists and network with each other. More information on the format is typically available in late November.

Massachusetts has been represented at the AJAS annual convention since 2003. To date over 150 high school students from Massachusetts have attended the AAAS/AJAS annual meeting. Past MJAS delegates include three INTEL (now Regeneron) finalists (and 2 winners).