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The collaborative sciences project

Every IB Diploma science student, SL and HL, takes part in the collaborative sciences project: a team project on a real-world issue. It is not marked, but a short reflection is kept as evidence that you completed it. Here is what it asks of you.

What the project is

The collaborative sciences project is an interdisciplinary project. Students work in teams, across the science subjects, towards “a common goal related to a real-world issue, pursued through the lens of the scientific method.”

The IB is clear about what matters: “The emphasis is on the experience of collaborative problem-solving, the focus being the process rather than the product.” A project that does not reach a neat answer can still be a good one, if your team worked through the problem well together.

It is the same for SL and HL students, and it does not add to your marks: it is not assessed.

The requirements

The IB’s project guide lists these essential features. Every project:

  • involves all students taking a DP science subject
  • lasts at least 10 hours
  • is a chance to inquire and solve problems
  • develops collaboration skills and communication skills
  • engages with a local context and explores a global issue
  • focuses on the process, not the product.

Desirable, but not required:

  • working with students from other science subjects
  • links to Theory of Knowledge (TOK) or Creativity, activity, service (CAS)
  • recording the experience in a format you choose: a journal, podcast, poster, video or web page
  • contributing to your school’s development plan.

The 100-word reflection

When the project ends, you write a 100-word reflection. The IB says the best ones are “genuine commentaries on the experience” rather than lists of what was done. Your school keeps a copy, on paper or electronically, as evidence that you completed the project.

How to get the most out of it

  1. Pick an issue you can see locally. The project asks for a local context and a global issue, so start with something in your school, town or region that is part of a bigger problem.
  2. Bring your biology. In a mixed team you may be the only biologist. Offer what your subject sees that chemistry and physics do not: living systems, ecosystems, health.
  3. Use the scientific method. Agree a question, decide what evidence would answer it, and plan how to get it. The same skills feed your internal assessment.
  4. Share the work and talk often. Collaboration and communication are the point. Take a clear role, listen to the others and say when something is not working.
  5. Keep short notes as you go. A line or two after each session (what you tried, what went wrong, what you learned about working in a team) makes the reflection easy and honest.
  6. Write the reflection about the experience. In 100 words, say what you learned about solving a problem with others, not a list of tasks.

Frequently asked questions

Is the collaborative sciences project marked?

No. The IB calls it a non-assessed project. It carries no marks and does not count towards your Biology grade, but every student taking a DP science subject takes part.

How long does the collaborative sciences project last?

At least 10 hours. The Biology guide sets aside 10 hours of the experimental programme for it, at both SL and HL.

What do I have to write for the CSP?

A 100-word reflection when the project is finished. The IB says the best reflections are genuine commentaries on the experience rather than lists of what was done. Your school saves a copy as evidence that you completed the project.

Do I work only with other biology students?

Not necessarily. The project involves all students taking a DP science subject, and working with students from other science subjects is one of its desirable features.

Does the project have to be about the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

No. Many of the IB's example projects link to the SDGs, but they are not a requirement. The project does need a real-world issue, a local context and a global issue.

See also the Biology IA guide and how the IB Biology exams work.

From the IB Biology guide (first assessment 2025) and the IB’s collaborative sciences project guide (February 2023). Your school organises the project, so check its plans with your teacher. Clock it with SCI is not affiliated with the IB.