Register for VDSF

KEY REGISTRATION DATES

Student registration opens:  Friday, January 16, 2026  12:00:00AM

Student registration closes:  Wednesday, February 11, 2026 11:59:59PM

Final e-mail confirmations will be sent out by Saturday, February 14.

 

[Last updated: August 2025]

 

HOW TO REGISTER FOR VDSF

Is your school is new to VDSF?If so, your sponsor teacher must do Step 1 (submit the VDSF Registration form) on your behalf.

  1. Ask your teacher sponsor for the link to the VDSF Registration form. You must be signed in as a VSB student to access it. Each project partner completes and submits their own form.
  2. Check your VSB e-mail for an e-mail from VDSF within the next 24 hours. This e-mail will contain links for submitting your project profile and project abstract, as well as your project tag (use this to identify your project in e-mails with VDSF and GVRSF). If your project requires ethics approval, you will be prompted to submit a formal request.
  3. Continue to check your VSB e-mail regularly for updates to your registration status. If any part(s) of your registration are missing, follow up right away!
  4. All applicants will be e-mailed after registration closes. If your project has been waitlisted, follow the instructions listed as you may still have a chance.

Keep an eye out for that confirmation e-mail! A completed registration does not automatically mean that a project has been accepted to VDSF.

 

Top 5 reasons why your registration is incomplete

  1. No teacher verification: Your project was selected for VDSF, but your teacher sponsor hasn’t submitted their nomination form. Check with them!
  2. Your project partner: You’ve submitted your registration form, but your project partner hasn’t. Check with them!
  3. Missing project profile and/or project abstract: Check your e-mail again for the links to these forms. Maybe you started the project abstract but didn’t finish it. Project abstracts are read by judges and used to review waitlisted projects.
  4. Pending ethics check: Your project was flagged because it involved the use of humans and/or animals, but not in a way that requires ethics approval. You will be asked for additional details to see if an exemption is justified.
  5. Pending ethics approval: You either haven’t submitted a formal request to vdsfethics@gvrsf.ca (or didn’t include vdsfprojects@vsb.bc.ca on your e-mail) or haven’t answered the GVRSF ethics reviewer’s follow-up questions. Don’t delay on this!

AFTER REGISTRATION CLOSES

What happens after your project has been accepted to VDSF

KEEP THAT CONFIRMATION E-MAIL! It contains links to various Microsoft Forms for indicating your availability for judging sessions, along with other useful info.

 

#1. Submit PROJECT CONFIRMATION FORM & PROJECT DISPLAY CHECK 

Submit ONE set of forms per project

  • Open your confirmation e-mail and click on the links to the VDSF project confirmation form and VDSF project display check.
  • Consult with your project partner and choose dates & times when both of you are available on Teams for judging before submitting the project confirmation form. If you or your partner’s availability changes after the form has been submitted, e-mail the Chief Judge at vdsfjudges@vsb.bc.ca right away.
  • Judging schedules will be e-mailed to all participants in the week leading up to the fair. There should be no further conflicts at this point. If there are, please e-mail the Chief Judge at vdsfjudges@vsb.bc.ca immediately.

 

#2. Submit PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM

Each partner submits their own form. 

  • Open your confirmation e-mail and click on the link to the VDSF participant consent form.
  • Your parent/caregiver needs to be present to answer the last few questions on the participant consent form.

 

#3. Attend a PARTICIPANT ORIENTATION SESSION 

Mandatory for participants new to VDSF, but recommended for all. Teacher sponsors also encouraged to attend.

A number of orientation sessions are offered during the week leading up to the fair (see your confirmation e-mail for meeting links and times). Sessions are on Microsoft Teams and take about an hour. The objectives are:

  • To go over what to expect in a virtual vs. in-person judging session and how to prepare
  • To make sure students can join breakout rooms, share their screen, etc. on their device
  • To review what students can/can’t bring for their project display at Langara
  • To answer questions that haven’t already been addressed elsewhere on the VDSF blog

 

#4. Get ETHICS APPROVAL FORMS ready to present at VDSF

  • Write the name and date from the GVRSF ethics reviewer’s e-mail (the one granting your project ethics approval) in the final section on your Advice for Request or Ruling from the Committee and Letter of Information.
  • Bring your completed forms and a copy of the GVRSF ethics reviewer’s e-mail (can be on your phone) with you to Langara. Be ready to present these to the safety officer during the safety check.

 

[Last updated: August 2025]