GET INSPIREDProject Ideas
Not sure what to base your project on? You're not alone! Choosing a topic is one of the most important parts of the journey. This page is here to help spark ideas and guide your thinking.
Step 1 – Choose a Topic That Excites You
Start with something you're genuinely curious about — the best projects come from questions you really want answered.
Step 2 – Work Solo or Partner Up
Decide if you want to go it alone or collaborate. A good team combines different strengths — for example, someone creative can help make your presentation stand out. But solo entries are great too!
Step 3 – Enter Your Project
Your school will complete the official entry form on your behalf. This will include your name, year level, project title, and entry category.
GET INSPIRED!Example Projects
Need some ideas to get started? These example projects highlight different ways you can explore science and technology in action. Use them as inspiration, then make your project your own!
TOPICImproving Water Quality
1. Natural Water Filters
Test different natural materials like sand, charcoal, and gravel to see which combination filters dirty water most effectively.
2. Plant Power: Using Wetlands to Clean Water
Investigate how well native wetland plants (like raupō or flax) remove pollutants from water in a small-scale model.
3. Greywater Recycling at Home
Design and test a basic system for safely reusing water from sinks or showers for garden use.
4. Detecting Contaminants with DIY Sensors
Build a simple sensor (e.g., for pH or nitrates) to monitor water quality in a local stream, and compare results over time.
TOPICIncrease Renewable Energy Usage
1. Solar Panel Angle Efficiency
Test how the angle of solar panels affects the amount of energy they generate throughout the day.
2. Wind Turbine Blade Design
Experiment with different blade shapes or materials to see which design produces the most electricity.
3. School Energy Audit
Conduct an energy audit at your school and suggest changes (like solar lighting or better insulation) to increase renewable energy use.
4. Powering Devices with Everyday Items
Create a small, renewable energy-powered charger using solar or hand-crank methods for phones or small electronics.
TOPICRongoā Māori (Māori Medicine)
1. Plant Profiles in Rongoā Māori
Research native medicinal plants like kawakawa, mānuka, or harakeke — explore their traditional uses and compare them with modern scientific findings.
2. Natural Remedies vs Store-Bought Products
Test the effectiveness of a traditional rongoā remedy (e.g. kawakawa balm) against a commercial product for minor skin irritation or insect bites.
3. Rongoā Knowledge in the Community
Interview kaumātua (elders) or local experts to gather stories and knowledge about traditional healing practices, and present your findings in a respectful and informative way.
4. Growing a Rongoā Garden
Design and grow a small garden of traditional rongoā plants, explaining their uses and how they’re cared for using tikanga (cultural practices).
TOPICShaping Science Policy
1. Science in the News: Who Decides?
Explore how scientific information is used (or ignored) in government decisions. Choose a recent issue (like climate change or vaping laws) and analyse how science influenced the policy.
2. What Do Students Think?
Design a survey to gather student opinions on a current science-related policy (e.g. renewable energy, vaccine mandates), and use the results to write a youth policy proposal.
3. Should This Be Regulated?
Pick an emerging technology (like AI, gene editing, or e-scooters) and research whether current laws are keeping up — then suggest improvements.
4. The Road to Policy: How a Law is Made
Research and present how a science-related policy (e.g. plastic bag ban or emissions targets) was developed, including the roles of scientists, politicians, and the public.
TOPICWaste Management (minimisation)
1. Smart Sorting: Does Better Labelling Improve Recycling?
Test if clearer, student-designed labels on bins reduce waste contamination at school.
2. Food Waste to Fertiliser
Create a composting system for food scraps and measure how much waste is diverted from landfill over time.
3. Zero-Waste Lunch Challenge
Run a week-long zero-waste lunch campaign and compare before-and-after waste volumes to see the impact of awareness.
4. Reinventing the Rubbish Bin
Design a new kind of bin or collection system that encourages proper sorting or waste reduction in public places.
TOPICWhale Protection
1. Reducing Ocean Noise Pollution
Investigate how ship traffic and underwater noise affect whale communication and propose solutions like quiet zones or speed limits.
2. Tracking Whale Migration
Use publicly available satellite data or reports to map whale migration routes and highlight areas where they overlap with human activity (e.g. fishing, shipping).
3. Plastic in the Ocean: A Threat to Whales?
Explore how plastic waste impacts whale health and design an awareness campaign or clean-up initiative targeting local water sources.
4. How Policy Protects Whales
Research existing whale protection laws in New Zealand and other countries, and suggest ways to improve or enforce them more effectively.
TOOLS FOR SUCCESSStudent Resources
Access all the resources you need to participate in the NIWA Central South Island Science and Technology Fair.
Looking for tools to help with your project? This section brings together all the useful links, templates, and guides available on the site. Whether you’re just getting started or adding final touches, these resources are here to support you at every stage.
Key Dates
Fair Rules
Prizes
Project Ideas
Guidelines
Downloads
HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEEDTeacher Resources
Login to access all the resources for teachers and caregivers to participate in the Fair
This section is for teachers who are registering students for the science fair. Log in to access the teacher portal and submit Science Fair applications on behalf of your students. To request a school login for submitting entries for the NIWA CSI Science & Technology Fair please click TEACHER REGISTRATION below.
All registrations require manual approval. If urgent, please email us.
