research projects for it students

Program Overview

2025 Program Dates: May 25 – July 31, 2025 Summer 2025 application opens October 1

Every summer we bring 10 students to campus to work closely with VINSE faculty on research projects in cutting-edge areas of nanoscale science and engineering. Students receive a true interdisciplinary research experience in an environment where physicists, chemists, biologists, and all engineering disciplines collaboratively solve problems and create new scientific understanding.

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A Summer Opportunity for Students Nationwide

Each student works directly with VINSE faculty members and their research groups and has access to the VINSE laboratories, which are shared facilities available to all authorized users. Weekly lunchtime meetings are held for all faculty and students that cover topics ranging from ethics and the responsible conduct of research to demystifying graduate school and how to present research findings.

This summer program is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program .

Program Highlights

Choose from 30+ projects available each year for 10 positions, giving increased flexibility to match student interests

Receive a $7,000 stipend plus room and board, plus a $500 travel allowance to offset the cost of getting to Nashville

Undergo informal training in scientific writing and giving oral presentations

Enter a poster competition to receive a travel award to attend a national professional meeting to present their work

Participate in a field trip to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Engage in optional outreach opportunities with local high school students, social activities, and a final banquet

Josh Caldwell

Director, VINSE Research Experience for Undergraduates

615-322-2413

Janell Lees

Program Manager

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Explore Our 30+ Research Projects

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As artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics continue to shape our world, it’s crucial to introduce these concepts to students at an early age. These technologies are rapidly shaping the future of work, education, and daily life and as AI and robotics become increasingly integrated into various industries, equipping children with foundational knowledge and skills in these areas prepares them to navigate and thrive in a technology-driven world.

Early exposure helps demystify complex concepts, fostering curiosity and encouraging creative problem-solving. By engaging with AI and robotics from a young age, students develop critical thinking, logical reasoning, and technical skills that are essential in an era where technology is at the forefront of innovation. Moreover, early introduction to AI and robotics helps bridge the digital divide, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to participate in the technological advancements shaping society.

As these fields continue to grow, the demand for skilled professionals will increase, and those who have been introduced to these technologies early will be better positioned to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. By cultivating an interest in AI and robotics from an early age, we are not only preparing the next generation to be future innovators and leaders but also promoting inclusivity and diversity in the tech industry.

Below are some AI and robotics project ideas designed to help school students understand these complex systems in a fun and educational way.

AI project ideas for school students

1. weather predictor.

Creating an AI model that predicts future weather conditions using historical data is a practical and fascinating project for kids. This activity introduces them to the concept of data analysis and how AI can be used to make predictions. By working with real-world data, children can see how AI models are trained and how they can apply this knowledge to understand their local environment better.

Getting Started:

Gather historical weather data from online sources like government meteorological websites or APIs such as OpenWeatherMap.
Use a simple programming language like Python and libraries such as Pandas and Scikit-learn to clean and analyze the data.
Build a basic machine learning model (e.g., linear regression) to predict future weather based on the historical data.
Visualize the predictions using graphs to better understand how the model performs.

2. Handwriting Recognition

Developing a machine learning model that recognizes and converts handwritten text into digital form is another exciting project. This task involves training an AI to identify patterns in handwriting, offering a hands-on introduction to machine learning and pattern recognition. As they work through this project, kids learn about the complexities of AI and its ability to interpret human input.

Start by collecting handwritten text samples, either by scanning your own handwriting or using online datasets.
Use Python and libraries like TensorFlow or Keras to build a simple convolutional neural network (CNN) model for image recognition.
Train the model on the collected handwritten samples, teaching it to recognize characters or words.
Test the model by inputting new handwritten samples and evaluating its accuracy.

3. Plant Identifier

Training an AI model to identify common plants based on images of their leaves, flowers, or fruits is a project that combines biology with technology. This activity not only teaches kids about the diversity of plant life but also how AI can be used to classify and identify objects in the natural world. This interdisciplinary project can spark an interest in both science and technology.

Collect images of common plants, focusing on leaves, flowers, or fruits, either through online image databases or by taking your own photos.
Use a machine learning framework like TensorFlow or a simple tool like Google Teachable Machine to train a model.
Label the images with the correct plant names and use these labeled images to train the AI model to recognize different plants.
Test the model by inputting new plant images to see if it can accurately identify them.

4. Emotion Detector

Using AI to analyze facial expressions and detect emotions like happiness, sadness, or anger is a project that delves into the intersection of technology and psychology. By developing an emotion detection model, children learn about the ways AI can interpret human emotions and how these technologies are applied in real-world scenarios, such as customer service or entertainment.

Use an open-source image dataset of facial expressions, such as the FER-2013 dataset, which is widely used for emotion detection.
Use Python with machine learning libraries like OpenCV for image processing and TensorFlow or Keras for building the model.
Train the model to classify images into different emotional categories, such as happy, sad, or angry.
Experiment with a webcam to capture live images and test the model’s ability to detect emotions in real-time.

5. Music Composer

Creating a generative AI model that composes original tunes or melodies based on a specific genre or style allows kids to explore the creative side of AI. This project demonstrates how AI can be used in the arts, providing a unique perspective on the capabilities of machine learning beyond traditional applications.

Explore existing AI music generation tools like Magenta (by Google) or Jukedeck to understand how AI can create music.
Start with a simple programming language like Python and use libraries such as Magenta’s MusicVAE or MuseNet by OpenAI.
Input a genre or musical style as a basis for the AI to generate melodies or tunes.
Experiment with different inputs and parameters to create unique compositions.

6. AI-Powered Quiz Game

Developing a quiz game where AI generates questions and evaluates answers introduces kids to natural language processing and game development. This project combines elements of AI and software development, offering a well-rounded introduction to how technology can be used to create interactive experiences.

Begin by deciding on a topic for the quiz, such as science, history, or mathematics.
Use a language like Python to develop the quiz game, utilizing libraries such as NLTK for natural language processing.
Create a database of questions and answers, and program the AI to select questions based on difficulty or subject.
Implement a scoring system and allow the AI to evaluate player responses, offering feedback or explanations.

7. Language Translator

Creating a simple machine learning model that translates text between English and an Indian language, such as Hindi or Bengali, helps kids understand the complexities of language processing. This project highlights how AI can bridge language barriers, making it an excellent way to introduce children to the global applications of AI technology.

Collect parallel text data in English and an Indian language (like Hindi or Bengali) from online sources or create your own dataset.
Use a machine learning framework like TensorFlow or a pre-trained model such as Google’s BERT for natural language processing.
Train a simple translation model by feeding it pairs of sentences in both languages, teaching it to translate between them.
Test the model with new text to evaluate its translation accuracy and make adjustments as needed.

8. Pollution Monitor

Analyzing air quality data to determine pollution levels and predict future trends is a project that connects AI with environmental science. Kids learn about the importance of data in understanding and addressing environmental issues, as well as how AI can be used to monitor and predict changes in the environment.

Gather air quality data from online sources such as government environmental websites or APIs like AQICN.
Use Python along with data analysis libraries like Pandas and Matplotlib to clean, analyze, and visualize the data.
Build a simple machine learning model to predict future pollution levels based on historical data.
Use the results to raise awareness about air quality issues in the local community.

9. Smart Shopping Assistant

Developing an AI system that recommends products based on user preferences and budgets introduces children to the concept of personalized recommendations. This project explores how AI can be used in e-commerce, giving kids insight into how businesses use technology to enhance the shopping experience.

Start by defining the criteria for product recommendations, such as price, brand, or user preferences.
Use Python with a recommendation library like Surprise or TensorFlow’s Recommenders to build a simple recommendation engine.
Create a database of products and user preferences to train the AI model.
Test the assistant by inputting different user profiles and evaluating the relevance of the recommendations.

10. Traffic Predictor

Using historical traffic data to predict congestion and suggest alternative routes is a project that shows how AI can be applied to solve everyday problems. This activity teaches kids about the importance of data in decision-making and how AI can be used to improve efficiency in urban planning.

Obtain historical traffic data from sources like local government websites or traffic APIs.
Use Python and libraries such as Pandas and Scikit-learn to analyze and clean the data.
Build a machine learning model (e.g., regression or time-series analysis) to predict traffic congestion based on past trends.
Visualize the predictions and suggest alternative routes or times for travel.

11. AI Art Generator

Creating a generative AI model that produces original artwork based on user input combines technology with creativity. This project allows kids to explore the artistic possibilities of AI, demonstrating how technology can be a tool for creative expression.

Explore existing AI art tools like DeepArt or Google’s DeepDream to see examples of AI-generated art.
Use a programming language like Python with generative adversarial networks (GANs) or deep learning libraries like TensorFlow to build a model.
Input different styles or themes to guide the AI in creating unique artwork.
Experiment with various parameters and inputs to produce different artistic effects.

12. Movie Recommender

Developing a machine learning model that recommends movies based on a user’s viewing history or preferences is a project that introduces kids to collaborative filtering and recommendation systems. This activity is a fun way to explore how AI personalizes content for users.

Collect data on movies, including genres, ratings, and user preferences, from online databases like IMDb.
Use Python and a recommendation engine library like Surprise or TensorFlow Recommenders to build the model.
Train the model by feeding it user viewing histories and movie ratings to learn patterns and preferences.
Test the recommender by inputting different user profiles and assessing the accuracy of its movie suggestions.

13. Voice-Controlled Home Automation

Creating a simple voice assistant that controls home appliances like lights or fans using speech recognition introduces children to the world of home automation. This project combines AI with hardware, offering a hands-on experience in building a functional AI system that interacts with the physical world.

Begin by selecting a simple home automation task, such as controlling lights or fans.
Use a Raspberry Pi or Arduino with a microphone and a speaker to build the hardware setup.
Implement speech recognition using Python libraries like SpeechRecognition or Google’s Speech API.
Program the system to recognize voice commands and control the connected appliances accordingly.

14. Wildlife Conservation

Analyzing data on endangered species to predict population trends and identify areas for conservation efforts is a project that combines AI with ecology. This activity helps kids understand the role of technology in protecting biodiversity and how AI can be used for social good.

Research online databases or conservation organizations to gather data on endangered species and their habitats.
Use data analysis tools like Python and libraries such as Pandas or Matplotlib to study the data and identify trends.
Build a simple AI model to predict population trends and highlight areas needing conservation efforts.
Present the findings in a report or presentation to raise awareness about wildlife conservation.

15. AI-Powered Fitness Tracker

Developing an AI model that tracks physical activity and provides fitness recommendations introduces children to the application of AI in health and wellness. This project combines data analysis with personal health, showing how technology can be used to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Begin by defining the metrics the fitness tracker will monitor, such as steps, heart rate, or calories burned.
Use a programming language like Python with libraries such as TensorFlow or Keras to build a machine learning model.
Collect data from wearable devices or online datasets to train the model.
Test the tracker by inputting different activity levels and monitoring its accuracy in tracking and recommending fitness activities.

16. Disease Outbreak Predictor

Analyzing public health data to identify patterns in disease outbreaks and predict future occurrences is a project that teaches kids about the role of AI in healthcare. This activity demonstrates how AI can be used to prevent and manage health crises, making it a valuable learning experience.

Obtain public health data related to past disease outbreaks from online sources such as WHO or CDC.
Use Python with data analysis libraries like Pandas and Matplotlib to analyze the data and identify patterns.
Develop a machine learning model to predict future outbreaks based on historical trends.
Use the model’s predictions to create awareness or propose measures to mitigate potential outbreaks.

17. AI-Powered Tutor

Creating an AI system that helps students learn new subjects by providing personalized feedback and recommendations introduces kids to the concept of personalized learning. This project shows how AI can be used to enhance education, making learning more accessible and tailored to individual needs.

Choose a subject area for the tutor, such as math or language learning.
Use a programming language like Python with natural language processing libraries like NLTK or spaCy to build the tutor.
Develop a question-answering system and create a knowledge base for the tutor to draw from.
Test the tutor by inputting questions and evaluating its ability to provide accurate, helpful feedback.

18. Earthquake Predictor

Using historical earthquake data to predict future seismic events introduces children to the application of AI in disaster management. This project teaches kids about the importance of data in predicting natural disasters and how AI can be used to save lives.

Gather historical earthquake data from sources like USGS or other geological survey websites.
Use Python with data analysis libraries to clean and study the data, focusing on identifying patterns related to seismic activity.
Develop a machine learning model (e.g., logistic regression) to predict the likelihood of future earthquakes.
Test the model by inputting new data and assessing its predictive accuracy.

19. Sentiment Analysis

Analyzing social media data to determine public sentiment towards various topics or events is a project that connects AI with communication. This activity helps kids understand how AI can be used to analyze large volumes of text and extract meaningful insights.

Collect social media data or user reviews from platforms like Twitter or online product review sites.
Use Python with natural language processing libraries like NLTK or TextBlob to analyze the text and detect sentiment.
Train a sentiment analysis model to categorize text into positive, negative, or neutral sentiments.
Test the model on new data and refine it to improve accuracy.

20. AI-Powered Scheduler

Developing a machine learning model that optimizes schedules for school or extracurricular activities based on user preferences and constraints is a project that introduces kids to the practical applications of AI in time management. This activity teaches children about the importance of planning and how technology can assist in organizing their daily lives.

Start by identifying the scheduling criteria, such as time availability, priorities, or deadlines.
Use Python with libraries like Scikit-learn to build a machine learning model that optimizes schedules.
Input data such as tasks, deadlines, and user preferences to train the model.
Test the scheduler by creating sample schedules and evaluating its effectiveness in meeting the criteria.

Exploring AI and robotics through hands-on projects offers school kids a valuable opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technologies in an accessible and enjoyable way. By building robots, programming AI models, and tackling creative challenges, children can develop essential skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and technical literacy.

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Back to School: Top Resources for Developing Student Research Skills

Around the world, students and educators are gearing up for a new school year — one that will be productive and successful. School libraries play a crucial role in this process by providing access to essential resources that foster research skills, information literacy and academic achievement. EBSCO offers library databases and e-learning tools that can help students (and teachers) hit the ground running.

As students return to the classroom, library databases become invaluable tools in honing their research skills. Databases provide access to a wealth of reliable resources that students will need for assignments, projects and papers throughout the school year. By using these tools, students will learn how to identify reliable sources, conduct advanced searches, understand the scope of academic research, and develop essential information literacy skills that will support their academic success.

Explora , the EBSCO research experience for schools, is designed to be user-friendly for all students, especially younger or novice researchers. While keyword searching is a common method, Explora’s unique topic browsing feature allows students to delve into various subjects and themes within the database. Each topic category in Explora guides users to a page filled with popular, colloquial, or curriculum-based subtopics, encouraging them to explore and discover new information more organically. Additionally, Explora includes a built-in citation tool to help students correctly reference their sources.

Librarians and teachers who incorporate Explora into classroom instruction can leverage our Research and Writing Tips for Students , which includes a six-step research guide and handouts on critical topics such as crafting thesis statements and avoiding plagiarism. In addition, our lesson plans cover a wide range of subjects to support information literacy instruction and the seamless integration of library databases into the curriculum.

EBSCOlearning also offers a variety of resources to support the development of research and information literacy skills in high school students. Libraries subscribing to PrepSTEP for High Schools can access several tutorials and microlessons on relevant topics, including:

What is Information Literacy?
Research Basics: Information Literacy
How to Avoid Plagiarism
How to Find Good Sources and Format Citations
Succeed in Your Academic Writing
Making Sense of Today’s Media

By providing a comprehensive suite of digital resources, school libraries can ensure that students have the tools and guidance they need to excel academically and develop the critical skills necessary to become informed, engaged citizens throughout their lives.

The Use of Model Intercomparison Projects in Engaging Undergraduates in Climate Change Research

Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research Journal

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Undergraduate Research Abroad: Shared Themes in Student Learning from Two Models of Course-Embedded Undergraduate Research in Field Biology Study Abroad Courses

Few studies have investigated the effects of combining undergraduate research with study abroad. The authors present student self-reported learning gains from two undergraduate courses that embed research within study abroad courses. Students in one course worked in small groups on original research projects; students in the second course collectively contributed to one ongoing, professional research project. Student learning was evaluated through focus groups, reflective journaling, and surveys. Students from both courses reported gains unique to research in an international context, including curiosity inspired by novel environments and valuing local knowledge for site-specific questions. Differences in student learning between courses raise questions about the relationship of course structures to high-impact practices and their potential to affect learning in opposing or synergistic ways.

Positioning Humanity before Progress: Students’ and Mentors’ Perceptions of the COVID-19 Impact on Undergraduate Research

One of the most important actions in research and mentoring is to adjust expectations and provide emotional support when unexpected events occur. In this article, the authors investigate the impacts of COVID-19-based campus closures on undergraduate research and the student and faculty impressions of the adjustment. Through interviews with 28 students and 17 mentors from a campus-wide undergraduate research program, common themes in the responses to COVID-related impacts were found. Students had to adjust to the type or scope of their research obligations while handling academic responsibilities, and mentors explicitly considered students’ wellbeing above expectations related to research. Providing professional development to mentors that emphasizes flexibility and compassion in the mentor-student relationship is recommended.

A Guide to Course-Based Undergraduate Research: Developing and Implementing CUREs in the Natural Sciences

Re-evaluating passive research involvement in the undergraduate curriculum.

In recent years, advocates for research-based education have publicized many examples of passive research involvement, defined as undergraduates learning about the content and lived experience of research at their institution. But the qualitative dimensions of passive research involvement remain unknown. The authors’ study uses Diana Laurillard’s “conversational framework” to analyze reports from 367 undergraduate students at a UK research intensive university who met researchers and learned about their work. The results show a range of experiences in student learning about faculty research. These findings make the case that passive research involvement has its own integrity and cannot be characterized as an absence of participation. The authors suggest ways that the students as audience category can enhance undergraduate connections with research

A Model Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Engage and Mentor Underrepresented Minority Students in Lived Arctic and Climate Science Research Experiences

The Polaris Project, a National Science Foundation–funded program at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, aims to comprehensively address minority participation in climate and Arctic science research. The project implemented design principles to recruit, motivate, and retain African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans or Alaskan Natives, and women through immersive, field research experiences. The project included undergraduate and graduate students from environmental science, ecology, hydrology, biology, forestry, and geology. Ninety-five percent of participants identified as African American, Hispanic, Native American or Alaskan Native, and/or female. Critical participant outcomes included development of interdisciplinary research projects, involvement in self-efficacy and advocacy experiences, and increased awareness and discussion of Arctic research careers. All outcomes contributed to the Polaris Project’s role as a model climate science research program.

Introduction – Fall 2021

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SPUR advances knowledge and understanding of novel and effective approaches to mentored undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry by publishing high-quality, rigorously peer reviewed studies written by scholars and practitioners of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry. The SPUR Journal is a leading CUR member benefit. Gain access to all electronic articles by joining CUR.

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Top 12 Engineering Research Grants: Oregon State Secures Millions for Cutting-Edge Projects

A graduate student in personal protective equipment removing a sample from equipment in a cleanroom.

Competitive grant funding from federal and state agencies and private organizations supports a variety of research projects tackling some of the greatest technological challenges of our time. Here are the 12 largest grants awarded to the College of Engineering over the past 12 months.

Additive manufacturing of graded and tailored alloys $8.8 million U.S. Air Force PI: Richard Wirz The goal of this project is developing additive manufacturing of graded and tailored alloys to help meet the needs of a wide range of challenging applications for energy, aerospace, and manufacturing.
NSRS modernization and workforce development $6.5 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PI: Christopher Parrish The primary objectives of this project are to modernize geodetic tools for the National Spatial Reference System, create new operating procedures for working with the NSRS, and develop a geodetic workforce for the future.
Community benefits from offshore wind development $2.5 million Department of Energy PI: Hilary S. Boudet This Oregon State-led, multi-university collaboration seeks to collect, analyze, and disseminate community perspectives on the benefits of offshore wind development. Funding is coordinated through the Pacific Marine Energy Center, housed in the College of Engineering.
Developing better computational methods to predict RNA structures $2.5 million National Science Foundation PI: Liang Huang This project aims to develop efficient algorithms, using computational linguistics and Deep Learning, to predict the structures of homologous RNA sequences, such as SARS-CoV-2 variants. Accurate modeling of these structures is critical for designing vaccines, test kits, and drugs. (See page 24 for more information).
Consortium for Nuclear Forensics $2.5 million National Nuclear Security Administration PI: Camille Palmer Camille Palmer, associate professor of nuclear engineering, has been selected as deputy director of a $25 million, 16-university consortium tasked with educating the next generation of nuclear forensic scientists while researching new technology for nuclear security and nonproliferation.
The epithelial matrisome and drug transport kinetics $1.75 million National Institutes of Health PI: Kaitlin Fogg The goal of this research is understanding how epithelial barriers, such as skin, lung, and oral surfaces, change with age, inflammation, and hormonal signaling. Understanding the underlying biological processes and mechanisms will help develop tools for disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Expanded PRISM capabilities to support federal crop insurance program $1.75 million USDA Risk Management Agency PI: Christopher Daly This grant expands PRISM’s high-resolution spatial weather maps and data to cover Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. These tools will allow the USDA to determine risk more accurately, improve underwriting capability, substantiate weather events, and better assess the validity of claims.
Well-rounded computer science education $1.3 million Oregon Dept of Education PI: Jill Hubbard This project will expand capacity for computer science education across Oregon through research-based, inquiry-focused curriculum and professional development. The goal is to meet the Oregon Department of Education's Computer Science State Plan goals for every student statewide.
ATR I-loop primary circulation pump testing $1.1 million Idaho National Laboratory PI: Guillaume Mignot This research supports ongoing work at the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. The “I-Loop” comprises the ATR’s outer ring of facility positions, into which pressure boundaries can be inserted to allow for radiation exposure while remaining separate of the core’s operating environment.
New method of synthesizing actinide ceramics $1 million Department of Energy PI: Alexander “Sasha” Chemey Generation IV reactor designers have identified uranium mononitride and uranium monocarbide alongside other actinide nitrides as promising non-oxide ceramic reactor fuels. This project proposes a new method of synthesis that could greatly reduce the cost of these advanced fuels.
Multiscale fire assessments for mass timber buildings $1 million USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture PI: Erica Fischer This multidisciplinary project aims to develop new research methods for testing mass timber in fire, with the aim of informing engineering solutions for designing fire-safe mass timber buildings with firefighter safety in mind.
Advancing semiconductor technologies in the Northwest $958,000 National Science Foundation PI: Greg Herman The goal of this project is developing an innovation ecosystem to advance use-inspired semiconductors, invent scalable nanofabrication manufacturing processes, develop innovative computational tools for predicting material properties, expand innovation and entrepreneurship, and create training programs to enable a diverse workforce.

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Meet students who spent their summer pursuing sustainability research

Through programs offered by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, undergraduate students from Stanford and institutions across the U.S. worked on projects that tackled pressing environmental challenges and advanced fundamental knowledge about our planet. Here’s an inside look at their experiences.

A large group of students smiling outside a Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability building

This year, more than 70 undergraduate students engaged in summer research to develop new skills and deepen their understanding of Earth, climate, and society. Through five programs part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability , undergraduates explored sustainability-related issues in disciplines ranging from energy and civil engineering to oceans and social sciences.

The five programs include Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR), organized by the Woods Institute for the Environment ; Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research (SUPER), organized by the Precourt Institute for Energy ; Sustainability, Engineering and Science - Undergraduate Research (SESUR); Hopkins Internships - Summer Undergraduate Research Funds (HI-SURF); and Sustainability Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering Program (SURGE).

The SURGE program is funded by the National Science Foundation and welcomes students from other U.S. institutions, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds doing research for the first time. The other programs receive funding from the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE).

Across all the programs, undergraduates contributed directly to research projects under the guidance of Stanford scholars. They also participated in shared group activities such as research seminars and graduate school workshops.

The large cohort allowed participants to learn from each other in addition to a variety of mentors. Building this community of support, in contrast with the sometimes isolating nature of individual research, was one of the main goals of bringing the five programs together last year.

Whether pursuing a scientific interest, trying out new tools, or discerning a potential career path, students used this summer to grow both academically and personally. Many hope to expand on the work they started, while others are moving forward with newfound clarity on their discipline. As they wrapped up their projects, three undergraduates shared insights about their research, personal growth, and how they made the most of the experience.

Evelyn Pung, ’27, SESUR participant

For Evelyn Pung, the motivation to research the link between environmental quality and human health was a personal one.

She grew up 10 minutes away from the ocean in Long Beach, California, but she rarely took trips to the beach. “The pollution at our beaches had gotten so bad, my parents didn’t want me to go, out of health concerns,” she said.

This summer through the SESUR program, Pung got involved in a project in the lab of civil and environmental engineering Professor Nick Ouellette . With her mentor, PhD student Sophie Bodek , she studied the movement of tiny plastic particles in bodies of water. Understanding how these pollutants travel through water in different environments can inform efforts to limit their spread.

Pung said that the freedom to actively control the experiment, combined with supportive mentorship from Bodek, made the research especially fulfilling.

“This whole experience has been a gratifying learning opportunity,” she said.

Trent La Sage, ’25, SURGE participant

Trent La Sage, an undergraduate student at the University of Florida, conducted research that brings together physics, Earth science, and materials science.

His project tackled a common problem in materials science: Insights about certain materials are not easily accessible to researchers. While findings about materials at ambient conditions can be uploaded to a public database for other scientists to reference, no such platform exists for materials at extreme conditions.

To address this, La Sage and other scholars worked on a program that uses computer vision and large language models like Chat GPT to pull data from published research papers, which can then be applied to work on future computational models.

The opportunity to collaborate on a large team was a highlight for La Sage, who appreciated the variety of viewpoints. He brought his own distinct perspectives to the group – both in discipline, as the only physics and astrophysics major, and in experience, having started his undergraduate education after several years in the workforce.

“It was very helpful to have people from other backgrounds. And we’ve been able to get a lot of things done that I wouldn’t have been able to get done myself,” he said.

Juan Martín Cevallos López, ’26, HI-SURF participant

After recurring moments of awe and discovery in his oceans-related classes at Stanford, Juan Martín Cevallos López, who prefers to be referenced by his first and middle name, discovered a passion for ocean science. He knew he wanted to get involved in research at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove and applied to the HI-SURF program.

Juan Martín contributed to three different projects – studying the impacts of ocean acidification on a particular species of seaweed, the development of bat star larvae in various temperatures, and the role of crustose coralline, a key component of coral reefs, in temperate environments such as Monterey Bay.

Throughout his research, Juan Martín was thrilled to be able to combine his knowledge of oceanography with other scholars’ expertise in marine biology and ecology, and he is eager to continue studying the ocean.

“I’m excited to see where it takes me, because it can literally take you anywhere,” he said.

Explore More

Researchers discover a surprising way to jump-start battery performance

Charging lithium-ion batteries at high currents just before they leave the factory is 30 times faster and increases battery lifespans by 50%, according to a study at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center.

Energy storage

Sustainability Accelerator welcomes first cohort of entrepreneurial fellows

The Sustainability Accelerator’s new postdoctoral fellowship program kicks off fall quarter with four entrepreneurial fellows who will pursue individual research on greenhouse gas removal.

Bringing environmental law to life

PhD student Eeshan Chaturvedi is driven to create meaningful change worldwide. He’s advancing sustainability through both his legal research and global leadership.

Graduate students

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Graduate Research PhD Project Scholarships

$34000 Per annum, for three and a half years. Fee relief additional.

Opening date

Closing date, who is it for.

Future PhD candidates, Australian Citizen, International Student, New Zealand Citizen, Permanent Resident

Where is it available?

Albury-Wodonga Campus, Bendigo Campus, Melbourne Campus, Mildura Campus, Shepparton Campus

How is it paid?

Fortnightly stipend

La Trobe University is offering a number of graduate research scholarship packages consisting of a generous stipend, tuition fee scholarship, and allowances to support outstanding graduate researchers applying for a PhD project. Apply now to join our vibrant research community.

View our list of available PhD projects.

Applications are now open to Australian or New Zealand citizens (domestic), Australian permanent residents (domestic), and International applicants - subject to the eligibility requirements outlined under each project. Successful applicants for this round must be able to commence at any time between 1 February and 1 July 2025.

The La Trobe University end-of-year scholarship round is now open and will close on 30 September 2024 for international applicants, and 31 October 2024 and domestic applicants.

Project scholarships are awarded competitively and selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the selected project. Eligibility requirements and special conditions, where applicable, are noted under each project.

Haven't found a project to suit your interests? Check out the other scholarships available in our end-of-year scholarship round - including joint and collaborative PhD projects, or general Graduate Research Scholarships .

Benefits of the scholarship

a Research Training Program (RTP) or La Trobe Graduate Research Scholarship (LTGRS) stipend for up to three and a half (3.5) years for a doctoral degree or 22 months for a Masters by research degree, with a value of $34,000 per annum (2024 rate)
a Research Training Program (RTP) Fees Offset scholarship or La Trobe Full Fee Research scholarship (LTUFFRS) for up to four years for a doctoral degree
relocation allowance and thesis/publication allowance
opportunities to work with La Trobe’s outstanding researchers, and have access to our suit of professional development programs

Are you eligible to apply?

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must:.

meet the entrance requirements for the PhD
not be receiving another scholarship greater than 75 per cent of the stipend rate for the same purpose

In selecting successful applicants, we prioritise applications from candidates who:

will be enrolled full-time and undertaking their research at a La Trobe University campus
have completed a Masters by Research or other significant body of research, such as an honours research thesis or lead authorship of a peer-reviewed publication, assessed at a La Trobe Masters by research standard of 75 or above

How to apply

To apply for this scholarship, review the scholarship eligibility requirements above and then follow the steps given on our How to apply page for the PhD. Remember to include the relevant project code (PRO-24---) in your application.

Domestic applicants, please select the 'Graduate Research - End-of-year Scholarship Round' scholarship in your application.

International applicants, please select 'Project-based PhD Scholarship OR La Trobe Industry Research Scholarship' in your application.

Who to contact for further information

Graduate Research School, [email protected]

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How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students

Student resources, welcome to the digital roadmap and resources.

Work your way through interactive exercises for each stage of the research project roadmap and watch videos from your pocket supervisor, Gary Thomas. Explore real-world practice through case studies and journal articles . Reflect, revise, and take your learning on the go with worksheets and get to grips with key terms and concepts using digital flashcards .

Click a base camp below to get started.

For lecturers:

Teach the book in a way that suits your lecturer hall and classroom by modifying and adapting PowerPoint templates that include the key points of each chapter. Log in using the tab at the top for access.

For instructors

Access resources that are only available to Faculty and Administrative Staff.

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This website may contain links to both internal and external websites. All links included were active at the time the website was launched. SAGE does not operate these external websites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. SAGE cannot take responsibility for the changing content or nature of linked sites, as these sites are outside of our control and subject to change without our knowledge. If you do find an inactive link to an external website, please try to locate that website by using a search engine. SAGE will endeavour to update inactive or broken links when possible.

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Department of Computer Science

Research projects

Find a postgraduate research project in your area of interest by exploring the research projects that we offer in the Department of Computer Science.

We have a broad range of research projects for which we are seeking doctoral students. Browse the list of projects on this page or follow the links below to find information on doctoral training opportunities, or applying for a postgraduate research programme.

Doctoral training opportunities
How to apply

Alternatively, if you would like to propose your own project then please include a research project proposal and the name of a possible supervisor with your application.

Available projects

List by research theme List by supervisor

Future computing systems projects

A Multi-Tenancy FPGA Cloud Infrastructure and Runtime System
A New Generation of Terahertz Emitters: Exploiting Electron Spin
Balancing security and privacy with data usefulness and efficiency in wireless sensor networks
Blockchain-based Local Energy Markets
Cloud Computing Security
Design and Exploration of a Memristor-enabled FPGA Architecture
Design and Implementation of an FPGA-Accelerated Data Analytics Database
Designing Safe & Explainable Neural Models in NLP
Dynamic Resource Management for Intelligent Transportation System Applications
Evaluating Systems for the Augmentation of Human Cognition
Exploring Unikernel Operating Systems Running on reconfigurable Softcore Processors
Finding a way through the Fog from the Edge to the Cloud
Guaranteeing Reliability for IoT Edge Computing Systems
Hardware Aware Training for AI Systems
Hybrid Fuzzing Concurrent Software using Model Checking and Machine Learning
Job and Task Scheduling and Resource Allocation on Parallel/Distributed systems including Cloud, Edge, Fog Computing
Machine Learning with Bio-Inspired Neural Networks
Managing the data deluge for Big Data, Internet-of-Things and/or Industry 4.0 environments
Pervasive Technology for Multimodal Human Memory Augmentation
Power Management Methodologies for IoT Edge Devices
Power Transfer Methods for Inductively Coupled 3-D ICs
Problems in large graphs representing social networks
Programmable Mixed-Signal Fabric for Machine Learning Applications
Scheduling, Resource Management and Decision Making for Cloud / Fog / Edge Computing
Security and privacy in p2p electricity trading
Skyrmion-based Electronics
Skyrmionic Devices for Neuromorphic Computing
Smart Security for Smart Services in an IoT Context
Spin waves dynamics for spintronic computational devices
Technology-driven Human Memory Degradation
Ultrafast spintronics with synthetic antiferromagnets

Human centred computing projects

Advising on the Use and Misuse of Collaborative Coding Workflows
Automatic Activity Analysis, Detection and Recognition
Automatic Emotion Detection, Analysis and Recognition
Automatic Experimental Design with Human in the Loop (2025 entry onward)
Biases in Physical Activity Tracking
Computer Graphics - Material Appearance Modeling and Physically Based Rendering
Extending Behavioural Algorithmics as a Predictor of Type 1 Diabetes Blood Glucose Highs
Geo-location as a Predictor of Type 1 Diabetes Blood Glucose
Learning of user models in human-in-the-loop machine learning (2025 entry onward)
Machine Learning and Cognitive Modelling Applied to Video Games
Models of Bio-Sensed Body Temperature and Environment as a Refinement of Type 1 Diabetes Blood Glucose Prediction Algorithmics
Music Generation and Information Processing via Deep Learning
Stereotypes and Social Robots
The Role of Mentalizing and Theory of Mind in Human- Robot Interactions
Understanding the role of the Web on Memory for Programming Concepts
User Modeling for Physical Activity Tracking

Artificial intelligence projects

(MRC DTP) Unlocking the research potential of unstructured patient data to improve health and treatment outcomes
Abstractive multi-document summarisation
Applying Natural Language Processing to real-world patient data to optimise cancer care
Automated Repair of Deep Neural Networks
Automatic Learning of Latent Force Models
Biologically-Plausible Continual Learning
Cognitive Robotics and Human Robot Interaction
Collaborative Probabilistic Machine Learning (2025 entry onward)
Computational Modelling of Child Language Learning
Contextualised Multimedia Information Retrieval via Representation Learning
Controlled Synthesis of Virtual Patient Populations with Multimodal Representation Learning
Data Integration & Exploration on Data Lakes
Data Lake Exploration with Modern Artificial Intelligence Techniques
Data-Science Approaches to Better Understand Multimorbidity and Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Deep Learning for Temporal Information Processing
Ensemble Strategies for Semi-Supervised, Unsupervised and Transfer Learning
Event Coreference at Document Level
Explainable and Interpretable Machine Learning
Formal Verification for Robot Swams and Wireless Sensor Networks
Formal Verification of Robot Teams or Human Robot Interaction
Foundations and Advancement of Subontology Generation for Clinically Relevant Information
Generating Goals from Responsibilities for Long Term Autonomy
Generating explainable answers to fact verification questions
Generative AI for Video Games
Integrated text and table mining
Knowledge Graph Construction via Learning and Reasoning
Knowledge Graph for Guidance and Explainability in Machine Learning
Machine Learning for Vision and Language Understanding
Multi-task Learning and Applications
Neuro-sybolic theorem proving
Ontology Informed Machine Learning for Computer Vision
Optimization and verification of systems modelled using neural networks
Probabilistic modelling and Bayesian machine learning (2025 entry onward)
Representation Learning and Its Applications
Software verification with contrained Horn clauses and first-order theorem provers
Solving PDEs via Deep Neural Nets: Underpinning Accelerated Cardiovascular Flow Modelling with Learning Theory
Solving mathematical problems using automated theorem provers
Solving non-linear constraints over continuous functions
Symmetries and Automated Theorem Proving
Text Analytics and Blog/Forum Analysis
Theorem Proving for Temporal Logics
Trustworthy Multi-source Learning (2025 entry onward)
Verification Based Model Extraction Attack and Defence for Deep Neural Networks
Zero-Shot Learning and Applications

Software and e-infrastructure projects

Automatic Detection and Repair of Software Vulnerabilities in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Combining Concolic Testing with Machine Learning to Find Software Vulnerabilities in the Internet of Things
Component-based Software Development.
Effective Teaching of Programming: A Detailed Investigation
Exploiting Software Vulnerabilities at Large Scale
Finding Vulnerabilities in IoT Software using Fuzzing, Symbolic Execution and Abstract Interpretation
Using Program Synthesis for Program Repair in IoT Security
Verifying Cyber-attacks in CUDA Deep Neural Networks for Self-Driving Cars

Theory and foundations projects

Application Level Verification of Solidity Smart Contracts
Categorical proof theory
Formal Methods: Hybrid Event-B and Rodin
Formal Methods: Mechanically Checking the Semantics of Hybrid Event-B
Formal Semantics of the Perfect Language
Mathematical models for concurrent systems

James Elson projects

Data science projects.

Data Wrangling
Fishing in the Data Lake
Specifying and Optimising Data Wrangling Tasks

Sophia Ananiadou projects

Mauricio alvarez projects, richard banach projects, riza batista-navarro projects, ke chen projects, sarah clinch projects, angelo cangelosi projects, jiaoyan chen projects, lucas cordeiro projects, louise dennis projects, clare dixon projects, suzanne embury projects, marie farrell projects, alejandro frangi projects, andre freitas projects, michael fisher projects, gareth henshall projects, simon harper projects, caroline jay projects, samuel kaski projects, dirk koch projects, konstantin korovin projects, kung-kiu lau projects, zahra montazeri projects, christoforos moutafis projects, tingting mu projects, anirbit mukherjee projects, mustafa mustafa projects, goran nenadic projects, paul nutter projects, nhung nguyen projects, pierre olivier projects, norman paton projects, vasilis pavlidis projects, pavlos petoumenos projects, steve pettifer projects, oliver rhodes projects, giles reger projects, rizos sakellariou projects, uli sattler projects, andrea schalk projects, renate schmidt projects, mingfei sun projects, sandra sampaio projects, viktor schlegel projects, youcheng sun projects, tom thomson projects, junichi tsujii projects, markel vigo projects, ning zhang projects, liping zhao projects.

The Complete Guide to Independent Research Projects for High School Students

Indigo Research Team

If you want to get into top universities, an independent research project will give your application the competitive edge it needs.

Writing and publishing independent research during high school lets you demonstrate to top colleges and universities that you can deeply inquire into a topic, think critically, and produce original analysis. In fact, MIT features "Research" and "Maker" portfolio sections in its application, highlighting the value it places on self-driven projects.

Moreover, successfully executing high-quality research shows potential employers that you can rise to challenges, manage your time, contribute new ideas, and work independently.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to take on independent study ideas and succeed. You’ll learn how to develop a compelling topic, conduct rigorous research, and ultimately publish your findings.

What is an Independent Research Project?

An independent research project is a self-directed investigation into an academic question or topic that interests you. Unlike projects assigned by teachers in class, independent research will allow you to explore your curiosity and passions.

These types of projects can vary widely between academic disciplines and scientific fields, but what connects them is a step-by-step approach to answering a research question. Specifically, you will have to collect and analyze data and draw conclusions from your analysis.

For a high school student, carrying out quality research may still require some mentorship from a teacher or other qualified scholar. But the project research ideas should come from you, the student. The end goal is producing original research and analysis around a topic you care about.

Some key features that define an independent study project include:

● Formulating your own research question

● Designing the methodology

● Conducting a literature review of existing research

● Gathering and analyzing data, and

● Communicating your findings.

The topic and scope may be smaller than a professional college academic project, but the process and skills learned have similar benefits.

Why Should High School Students Do Independent Research?

High school students who engage in independent study projects gain valuable skills and experiences that benefit and serve them well in their college and career pursuits. Here's a breakdown of what you will typically acquire:

Develop Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Research and critical thinking are among the top 10 soft skills in demand in 2024 . They help you solve new challenges quickly and come up with alternative solutions

An independent project will give you firsthand experience with essential research skills like forming hypotheses, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results. These skills will serve you well in college and when employed in any industry.

Stand Out for College Applications

With many applicants having similar GPAs and test scores, an Independent research study offer a chance to stand out from the crowd. Completing a research study in high school signals colleges that you are self-motivated and capable of high-level work. Showcasing your research process, findings, and contributions in your application essays or interviews can boost your application's strengths in top-level colleges and universities.

Earn Scholarship Opportunities

Completing an independent research project makes you a more preferred candidate for merit-based scholarships, especially in STEM fields. Many scholarships reward students who show initiative by pursuing projects outside of class requirements. Your research project ideas will demonstrate your skills and motivation to impress scholarship committees. For example, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology rewards students with original independent research projects in STEM fields. Others include the Garcia Summer Program and the BioGENEius challenge for life sciences.

Gain Subject Area Knowledge

Independent projects allow you to immerse yourself in a topic you genuinely care about beyond what is covered in the classroom. It's a chance to become an expert in something you're passionate about . You will build deep knowledge in the topic area you choose to research, which can complement what you're learning in related classes. This expertise can even help inform your career interests and goals.

Develop Time Management Skills

Time Management is the skill that lets you effectively plan and prioritize tasks and avoid procrastination. With no teacher guiding you step-by-step, independent study projects require strong time management, self-discipline, and personal responsibility – skills critical in college and adulthood.

Types of Independent Research Projects for High School Students

Understanding the different types and categories can spark inspiration if you need help finding an idea for an independent study. Topics for independent research generally fall into a few main buckets:

Science Experiments

For students interested in STEM fields, designing and carrying out science experiments is a great option. Test a hypothesis, collect data, and draw conclusions. Experiments in physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and psychology are common choices. Science experiment is best for self-motivated students with access to lab equipment.

Social Science Surveys and Studies

Use research methods from sociology, political science, anthropology, economics, and psychology to craft a survey study or field observation around a high school research project idea that interests you. Collect data from peers, your community, and online sources, and compile findings. Strong fit for students interested in social studies.

Literary Analysis Paper

This research category involves analyzing existing research papers, books, and articles on a specific topic. Imagine exploring the history of robots, examining the impact of social media on mental health, or comparing different interpretations of a classic novel. If you are an English enthusiast, this is an easy chance to showcase your analytical writing skills.

Programming or Engineering Project

For aspiring programmers or engineers, you can take on practical student projects that develop software programs, apps, websites, robots, electronic gadgets, or other hands-on engineering projects. This type of project will easily highlight your technical skills and interest in computer science or engineering fields in your college applications

Historical Research

History research projects will allow you to travel back and uncover the past to inform the future. This research involves analyzing historical documents, artifacts, and records to shed light on a specific event or period. For example, you can conduct independent research on the impact of a local historical figure or the evolution of fashion throughout the decades. Check to explore even more history project ideas for high school students .

Artistic and Creative Works

If you are artistic and love creating art, you can explore ideas for independent study to produce an original film, musical composition, sculpture, painting series, fashion line, or other creative work. Alongside the tangible output, document your creative process and inspirations.

Bonus Tip: Feel free to mix different ideas for your project. For example, you could conduct a literature review on a specific historical event and follow it up with field research that interviewed people who experienced the event firsthand.

How To Conduct an Independent Research Project

Now that you have ideas for project topics that match your interests and strengths, here are the critical steps you must follow to move from mere concept to completed study.

1. Get Expert Guidance and Mentorship

As a high school student just starting out in research, it is advised to collaborate with more experienced mentors who will help you learn the ropes of research projects easily. Mentors are usually professors, post-doctoral researchers, or graduate students with significant experience in conducting independent project research and can guide you through the process.

Specifically, your mentor will advise you on formulating research questions, designing methodologies, analyzing data, and communicating findings effectively. To quickly find mentors in your research project area of interest, enroll in an online academic research mentorship program that targets high school students. You’d be exposed to one-on-one sessions with professors and graduate students that will help you develop your research and publish your findings.

The right mentor can also help transform your independent project ideas into a study suitable for publication in relevant research journals. With their experience, mentors will guide you to follow the proper research methods and best practices. This ensures your work meets the standards required, avoiding rejection from journals.

2. Develop a Compelling Research Question

Once you are familiar with the type of independent research best suited to your strengths and interests, as explained in the previous section, the next step is to develop a question you want to answer in that field. This is called a research question and will serve as the foundation for your entire project.

The research question will drive your entire project, so it needs to be complex enough to merit investigation but clear enough to study. Here are some ts for crafting your research question:

● Align your research question(s) with topics you are passionate about and have some background knowledge. You will spend a significant amount of time on this question.

● Consult with your mentor teacher or professor to get feedback and guidance on developing a feasible, meaningful question

● Avoid overly broad questions better suited for doctoral dissertations. Narrow your focus to something manageable, but that still intrigues you.

● Pose your research question as an actual question, like "How does social media usage affect teen mental health?" The question should lay out the key variables you'll be investigating.

● Ensure your question and desired approach are ethically sound. You may need permission to study human subjects.

● Conduct preliminary research to ensure your question hasn't already been answered. You want to contribute something new to your field.

With a compelling research question as your compass, you're ready to start your independent study project. Remember to stay flexible; you may need to refine the question further as your research develops.

3. Set a Timeline and Write a Proposal

After defining your research question, the next step is to map out a timeline for completing your research project. This will keep you organized and help you develop strong time management skills.

Start by creating a schedule that outlines all major milestones from start to finish. In your schedule, allow plenty of time for research, experimentation, data analysis, and compiling your report. Always remember to build in some cushion for unexpected delays.

Moreover, you can use tools like Gantt charts to design a timeline for an independent research project . Gantt charts help you visualize your research project timeline at a glance. See the video below for a tutorial on designing a Gantt chart to plan your project schedule:

[YouTube Video on How to Make a Gantt Chart: https://youtu.be/un8j6QqpYa0?si=C2_I0C_ZBXS73kZy ]

Research Proposal

To have a clear direction of the step-by-step process for your independent study, write a 1-2 page research proposal to outline your question, goals, methodology, timeline, resources, and desired outcomes. Get feedback from your mentor to improve the proposal before starting your research.

Sticking to your timeline requires self-discipline. But strive to meet your goals and deadlines; it will build invaluable real-world skills in time and project management. With a plan in place, it's time to move forward with your research.

4. Do Your Research

This is the active phase where a student is conducting a research project. The specific method you will follow varies enormously based on your project type and field. You should have your methodology outlined in your approved research proposal already. However, most independent research has a similar basic process:

Review existing studies : Perform a literature review to understand current knowledge on your topic and inform your own hypothesis/framework. Read relevant studies, articles, and papers.
Create methodology materials : Design your independent research methodology for gathering data. This may involve experiments, surveys, interviews, field observations, or analysis of existing artifacts like texts or datasets.
Permissions and Equipment : Secure any necessary equipment and permissions. For example, if doing interviews, you'll need a recording device and consent from participants.
Collect your data : For science projects, perform experiments and record results. For surveys, recruit respondents and compile responses. Gather enough data to draw valid conclusions.
Analyze the data using appropriate techniques : Quantitative data may involve statistical analysis, while qualitative data requires coding for themes. Consult your mentor for direction.
Interpret the findings : Take care not to overstate conclusions. Look for patterns and relationships that shed light on your research question. Always maintain rigorous objectivity.

While a student's project methodology and its execution are unique, ensure you follow the standard practices in your field of interest to ensure high-quality acceptable results. You can always refer to the plan in your research proposal as you diligently carry out the steps required to execute your study. Ensure you have detailed records that document all your processes.

5. Write Your Final Paper and Presentation

Once you've completed your research, it's time to summarize and share your findings with the world by writing the final paper and designing its presentation. This involves synthesizing your work into clear, compelling reporting.

Drafting the paper will likely involve extensive writing and editing. Be prepared to go through multiple revisions to get the paper polished. Follow the standard format used in academic papers in your field; your mentor can provide you with examples of independent study related to yours. The final product should include:

Abstract : A short summary of your project and conclusions.
Introduction : Background on your topic, goals, and research questions.
Literature Review : Summary of relevant existing research in your field.
Methods : Detailed explanation of the methodology and process of your study.
Results : Presentation of the data and main findings from your research. Using visual representations like charts was helpful.
Discussion : Objective interpretation and analysis of the results and their significance.
Conclusion : Summary of your research contributions, limitations, and suggestions for future work.
References/Bibliography : Full citations for all sources referenced.

Adhere to clear academic writing principles to keep your writing objective and straightforward. Generally, stick to a 10-15 page length limit appropriate for student work. However, you may need to write more depending on your project type.

6. Research Presentation

After writing your research project report, you should prepare a presentation to share your research orally. Moreover, a research presentation is a tangible opportunity to practice public speaking and visual communication skills. Your presentation will include slides, handouts, demonstrations, or other aids to engage your audience and highlight key points in your independent study project.

Once you have written your final paper, you will likely want to publish it in relevant journals and publications. For detailed tips see our guide on how to publish your student research paper . Some options you have to formally publish your high school-level independent research include:

Submitting your paper to academic journals and competitions
Presenting at symposiums and science fairs
Sharing on online research databases
Adding your work to college applications

Publishing your independent project allows you to share your findings with broader scholarly and student audiences. It also helps amplify the impact of all your hard work.

Independent Research Project Examples

To spark creative ideas for independent research projects, it can be helpful to read through and examine examples of successful projects completed by other high school students in recent years. Here are some inspiring examples:

● Using machine learning to diagnose cancer based on blood markers (bioinformatics)

● Applying feature engineering and natural language processing to analyze Twitter data (data science)

● Investigating connections between stress levels and HIV/AIDS progression (health science)

● The Relationship between Color and Human Experience

These published i ndependent research project examples demonstrate the impressive research high schoolers take on using the Indigo research service with mentors from different fields. Let these case studies motivate your creative investigation and analysis of the best ideas for your project.

Need Mentorship for Your Independent Research Project?

As outlined in this guide, conducting a rigorous independent research study can be challenging without proper guidance from experts, especially for high school students. This is why partnering with an experienced research mentor is so crucial if your goal is to produce publishable research work.

With Indigo's structured research programs and ongoing expert feedback, you can elevate your high school independent study to a professional level. To get matched with the perfect research mentor aligned with your academic interests and passions, apply to Indigo Research now.

Indigo Research connects high school students with PhD-level researchers and professors who provide one-on-one mentorship through the entire research process - from refining your initial topic idea all the way through analyzing data, writing up results, and finalizing your findings.

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A Guide to Pursuing Research Projects in High School

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Most common high school pursuits and interests can be fit fairly neatly into the academic or extracurricular categories. There are of course required courses that you take, and then there are the activities that you pursue outside of school hours, usually for your own enjoyment. You may play on a sports team, participate in a service project, or pursue visual arts. In most cases, even if your interests are somewhat untraditional, you can somehow package them in a way that neatly qualifies them as an extracurricular activity.

But what if your interests outside of school are more academic in nature? What if you’ve long been fascinated by the potential that carbon sequestration holds to limit the effects of climate change? What if you’re interested in the history of civil disobedience, or the ability of exams to measure actual comprehension? Whatever the case may be, there are some topics of interest that just don’t fit neatly into any extracurricular club or activity.

If you find yourself longing to pursue an interest such as this, you might consider conducting your own research project. While the concept may seem daunting at first, if you break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, you’ll quickly find that you probably already have the skills necessary to get started.

In this post, we will outline the process for conducting a long-term research project independently, including several avenues for pursuing recognition of your work and a step-by-step guide to completing your project. If you’re interested in pursuing an independent research project during high school, keep reading.

Why Pursue an Independent Research Project?

An independent research project is a great way to explore an area of interest that you otherwise would not get to learn about outside of school. By undertaking a research project on your own, not only will you explore a personal area of interest in more depth, but also you will demonstrate your dedication to pursuing knowledge for the sake of learning and your ability to work independently over a prolonged period.

Independent research projects, when conducted well and presented appropriately on a college application, can be a great advantage to you on your college admissions.

How to Choose a Topic for a Research Project

If you’re interested in pursuing a research project, you probably already have a topic in mind. In fact, the desire to conduct a research project usually stems from an existing interest, not just from the idea to conduct research on a vague or undetermined subject matter.

You should aim to narrow your research project to something that has some academic relevance. Perhaps it is related to your existing coursework. Maybe it reflects work you hope to pursue in the future, either academically or professionally. Try to fine-tune your project enough that you can easily explain the driving force behind it and its relevance to your future career path.

While you don’t need to decide on your exact topic or thesis quite yet, you should have a general idea of what your project will entail before moving forward.

Are There Existing Avenues for Undertaking a Research Project At Your School?

While you could certainly conduct your research project completely independently from your school, it is usually easier and more productive to conduct it in a way that is somehow connected to the rest of your schooling.

If the project is STEM-oriented, think about whether it would fit into a science fair or other STEM competition in which your school already competes. Also consider the AP Capstone Program if your school offers it. The second course in this sequence is AP Research , and it requires an in-depth research project as its culminating assessment.

If neither of these formal avenues are available, or neither provides a good fit, look into the possibility of pursuing your project as an independent study. If your school offers independent studies for credit, you can usually get information about them from your adviser. These types of projects usually require an extended application process that must be followed closely if you want to gain approval.

Finally, even if you can’t take advantage of one of the options above, if you have achieved advanced standing or enough credits, your school might still allow you to undertake an extended individual research project through some type of formal arrangement. Talk with a teacher, mentor, or adviser to learn what your options are. Clearly communicate your innate desire to learn more about this specific topic and be prepared to give some background on the issue that you want to research.

Steps for Undertaking the Research Project

1. find a mentor or adviser.

You will need someone to help guide and advise your work, so finding a willing and able mentor should be one of your first steps. This should ideally be a person with existing expertise in the subject area you wish to pursue. In the least, this person should share your interest and passion for the topic.

A teacher at your school who can also serve as an adviser is ideal, and may even be a requirement if you are formally pursuing the project as an independent study for credit. If that is not possible, you can certainly find a mentor somewhere else, even remotely if necessary.

Find out if your subject matter pertains to any local industries or companies, or if there are any scientists or professionals nearby who specialize in it. Consider checking the instructors of local summer programs or judges from past science fairs at your school. Also consider a professional who has written an article that interested you in the field.

Before you approach a mentor to request their help, familiarize yourself with his or her work. Be able to speak articulately about what has drawn you to him or her specifically. Put some thought into informed questions you might ask him or her. Be upfront about your needs if you are going to require any specific guidance or extended time or energy from your mentor. It might be difficult to find someone at first, but keep trying. Finding a mentor for your project is an important step.

2. Set a Timeline and Stick to It

Once you’ve found a mentor, you can get started laying out the timeline for your project. When you do this, list each step of your project as specifically as possible. These will include at a minimum: background research, writing a thesis statement, in depth research phase, outlining your final paper, drafting your paper, editing your paper, and publishing your paper.

You will probably have a completion date in mind, whether it’s required by the school or simply the end of the semester or school year. Work backwards from your completion date to set a realistic timeframe for each of these steps.

It helps to have a calendar displayed prominently with your deadlines listed clearly on it to keep you on track. Also be sure to put your deadlines into your school assignment book or Google calendar so that you can see how they overlap and affect your other commitments.

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3. Conducting Research

After you’ve completed your deadline calendar, you’re ready to get started with the fun stuff: the actual research. There are many sources for finding high quality research materials. You can use your school library, your local library, and sometimes even the library at local colleges or universities. Sometimes the libraries at colleges are open only to registered students and faculty, but if you contact a library official or a member of the department related to your research project, you might be able to gain access for research purposes.

You may also take advantage of online research tools. Google Scholar is a good place to find peer-reviewed, high quality publications. You may also find out if your school has a subscription to any online research databases like Ebsco , or JSTOR . These databases provide digital compilations of hundreds of research journals, both current and archived.

Be careful what you choose to use as sources, though. You need to ensure that every source you rely on is high-quality and fact-based. Many internet resources now are not as accurate as they might appear. Some are outdated and some are just wrong. Remember that just about anyone can publish something online these days, so you can’t rely on information that you find on just any old website. Be particularly wary of pages like Wikipedia that look like fact-based resources but are actually drawn from unfiltered user submissions.

As you research your topic, take careful notes to track your work. Choose a system to organize your notes, such as writing on notecards that can be easily organized, or using different colored pens to color code different subtopics of your research. By carefully organizing your notes, you’ll be better set up to organize your paper.

4. Organize Your Paper

Once you’ve completed the research phase of your project, you’re ready to organize your paper. Go through your notes carefully to see how they support your thesis. If they don’t, be prepared and open to changing your thesis. Always allow the research to guide the direction of your paper, and not vice versa.

Organize your notes into the order that makes most sense in your paper. Use them to guide an outline of your paper. Once they are in order, write out a rough outline of your paper.

Prewriting is an important step to writing your paper. It allows you to go into the drafting phase with as much preparation as possible so that your writing will have a clear direction when you begin.

5. Write Your Paper

After your organization and prewriting, you’re ready to draft your paper. Try to break this phase up into smaller pieces so that you don’t burn out. Your final product will probably be one of the longest papers you’ve ever written, usually ranging from 15-30 pages depending on your subject, so you’ll want to pace yourself.

Break up your writing deadlines into more specific sub-deadlines to help guide your work. Set goals for completing the introduction, various sections of the body, and your conclusion.

6. Edit Your Paper

There will be multiple stages of editing that need to happen. First, you will self-edit your first draft. Then, you will likely turn a draft of your paper in to your mentor for another round of editing. Some students even choose to have a peer or family member edit a draft at some point. After several rounds of editing, you will be prepared to publish your work.

7. Publish Your Work

Publication sounds like a very official completion of your project, but in reality publishing can take many different forms. It’s really just the final draft of your project, however you decide to produce it.

For some students, publication means submitting a draft of your project to an actual journal or formal publication. For others, it means creating a polished draft and a display board that you will present at a school or public event. For still others it might just be a polished, final draft bound and turned into your mentor.

However you decide to publish your work, be mindful that this should be a reflection of an entire semester or year of work, and it should reflect the very height of your learning and abilities. You should be proud of your final product.

If you’re a high school student with in-depth interests in a subject area that doesn’t fit neatly into any of your existing extracurriculars or academic courses, you should consider pursuing a research project to reflect your interest and dedication. Not only will your pursuit allow you to further explore a subject that’s interesting to you, but also it will be a clear example of your independence and commitment on your college applications.

Looking for help navigating the road to college as a high school student? Download our free guide for 9th graders and our free guide for 10th graders . Our guides go in-depth about subjects ranging from academics , choosing courses , standardized tests , extracurricular activities , and much more !

For more information about research and independent projects in high school, check out these posts:

Ultimate Guide to the AP Research Course and Assessment
How to Choose a Project for Your AP Research Course
How to Get a Research Assistant Position in High School
An Introduction to the AP Capstone Diploma
How to Choose a Winning Science Fair Project Idea
How to Plan and Implement an Independent Study in High School

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Research Projects

Getting started in research projects.

Cal provides a variety of research opportunities for undergraduate students:

What is research.

Research is, in short, the generation of new knowledge. Generally, it is a curiosity-driven exploration that addresses shortcomings in the field. More specifically, it is self-generated questioning that is structured by methodical engagement with both the object of study and scholarly literature.

Research is a noun (a product) and a verb (a process).

The products of research, known as outputs or deliverables, can take many forms:

Research can be inwritten form, as in peer-reviewed articles, scholarly monographs, poster presentations, or policy briefs.

Creative outputs, such as exhibitions, performances, multimedia productions, and interactive installations, also entail research and scholarly inquiry.

The process of researching is also wide-ranging even within a single field of study:

The daily practice of research depends on the object of study, the methodologies employed, and the intellectual predispositions of the researcher.

Some research projects may be driven by a single person, while others engage members of a specific community or organize collaboration between teams of researchers from multiple disciplines.

Why do research?

To personalize your learning and ground it in your own vision and worldview. Research is often referred to as “me search.”

To connect your academic studies with your extracurricular activities, personal experiences, and social commitments

To find a through line that gives purpose and intentionality to your education

To learn who you are as a thinker and test out your aptitudes and discover where your passions and interests truly lie

To hone skills (critical thinking, creative problem solving, risk taking, resilience and persistence, the ability to incorporate criticism and feedback) that matter in today’s job market and in the pursuit of advanced study

How do undergraduates at UC Berkeley get involved in research?

Although research typically starts in coursework, particularly within the context of small seminars, being at a research university like Cal, provides undergrads with many other opportunities to participate in cutting edge research.

Become a research assistant with faculty and graduate student led research projects through programs such as URAP , Biology Scholars , and SMART

Become a research assistant with faculty and graduate student led research projects through programs such as URAP , Biology Scholars , MPS Scholars , Rose Hills Summer Scholarships , and Visiting Scholar Undergraduate Summer Research Program .
Propose an independent research project of your own design. Juniors and Seniors may be eligible to apply for funding to support their independent research projects from programs like SURF L&S , Cal NERDS , Rose Hills Summer Scholarships , and Haas Scholars .
Join a diverse cohort of student researchers. Low income, minoritized, and historically marginalized students may apply to programs such as the Haas Scholars Program , Miller Scholars Program , Firebaugh Scholars Program , and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship .
Work on a peer-led research project such as the Undergraduate Laboratory at Berkeley (ULAB) , Data Science Discovery Program , and OURS student-led initiatives like UROC (Underrepresented Students of Color) .
Learn from and get inspired by current undergraduate research through events like the Undergraduate Research Symposium and follow @BerkeleyDiscovery Instagram for student stories.
See another list of undergraduate research programs curated by UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division.

How do you get started in research?

The Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarships is an essential resource hub for students

Identify some interests you want to explore and consider how these interests relate to your major or courses of study in various fields or impacts you want to have on the world.

Talk to faculty and graduate students whose work inspires you; attend their office hours and ask them about their own research interests.

Visit the Discovery Opportunities Database : a centralized database for finding undergraduate opportunities like research, internships, fellowships, and more; for great information on STEM research at UCB check out the STAR Database

Meet with an OURS Peer Advisor and attend an OURS Workshop to support you in applying to URAP or any of the opportunities above! Sign up for the OURS newsletter to get regular updates about research opportunities and deadlines within and beyond campus.

Identify possible faculty mentors by exploring the faculty expertise database or explore the list of UC Berkeley Research Centers

Utilize library research resources , book a research appointment with a research librarian , or attend a library workshop including Research 101

Once you become engaged in research pursue nationally competitive scholarships opportunities that will help you continue to recognize your potential

Student Discovery Stories

View and learn more about student projects

Download the one-pager PDF guide

1000+ FREE Research Topics & Title Ideas

Select your area of interest to view a collection of potential research topics and ideas.

Or grab the full list 📋 (for free)

PS – You can also check out our free topic ideation webinar for more ideas

How To Find A Research Topic

If you’re struggling to get started, this step-by-step video tutorial will help you find the perfect research topic.

Research Topic FAQs

What (exactly) is a research topic.

A research topic is the subject of a research project or study – for example, a dissertation or thesis. A research topic typically takes the form of a problem to be solved, or a question to be answered.

A good research topic should be specific enough to allow for focused research and analysis. For example, if you are interested in studying the effects of climate change on agriculture, your research topic could focus on how rising temperatures have impacted crop yields in certain regions over time.

To learn more about the basics of developing a research topic, consider our free research topic ideation webinar.

What constitutes a good research topic?

A strong research topic comprises three important qualities : originality, value and feasibility.

Originality – a good topic explores an original area or takes a novel angle on an existing area of study.
Value – a strong research topic provides value and makes a contribution, either academically or practically.
Feasibility – a good research topic needs to be practical and manageable, given the resource constraints you face.

To learn more about what makes for a high-quality research topic, check out this post .

What's the difference between a research topic and research problem?

A research topic and a research problem are two distinct concepts that are often confused. A research topic is a broader label that indicates the focus of the study , while a research problem is an issue or gap in knowledge within the broader field that needs to be addressed.

To illustrate this distinction, consider a student who has chosen “teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom” as their research topic. This research topic could encompass any number of issues related to teenage pregnancy such as causes, prevention strategies, health outcomes for mothers and babies, etc.

Within this broad category (the research topic) lies potential areas of inquiry that can be explored further – these become the research problems . For example:

What factors contribute to higher rates of teenage pregnancy in certain communities?
How do different types of parenting styles affect teen pregnancy rates?
What interventions have been successful in reducing teenage pregnancies?

Simply put, a key difference between a research topic and a research problem is scope ; the research topic provides an umbrella under which multiple questions can be asked, while the research problem focuses on one specific question or set of questions within that larger context.

How can I find potential research topics for my project?

There are many steps involved in the process of finding and choosing a high-quality research topic for a dissertation or thesis. We cover these steps in detail in this video (also accessible below).

How can I find quality sources for my research topic?

Finding quality sources is an essential step in the topic ideation process. To do this, you should start by researching scholarly journals, books, and other academic publications related to your topic. These sources can provide reliable information on a wide range of topics. Additionally, they may contain data or statistics that can help support your argument or conclusions.

Identifying Relevant Sources

When searching for relevant sources, it’s important to look beyond just published material; try using online databases such as Google Scholar or JSTOR to find articles from reputable journals that have been peer-reviewed by experts in the field.

You can also use search engines like Google or Bing to locate websites with useful information about your topic. However, be sure to evaluate any website before citing it as a source—look for evidence of authorship (such as an “About Us” page) and make sure the content is up-to-date and accurate before relying on it.

Evaluating Sources

Once you’ve identified potential sources for your research project, take some time to evaluate them thoroughly before deciding which ones will best serve your purpose. Consider factors such as author credibility (are they an expert in their field?), publication date (is the source current?), objectivity (does the author present both sides of an issue?) and relevance (how closely does this source relate to my specific topic?).

By researching the current literature on your topic, you can identify potential sources that will help to provide quality information. Once you’ve identified these sources, it’s time to look for a gap in the research and determine what new knowledge could be gained from further study.

How can I find a good research gap?

Finding a strong gap in the literature is an essential step when looking for potential research topics. We explain what research gaps are and how to find them in this post.

How should I evaluate potential research topics/ideas?

When evaluating potential research topics, it is important to consider the factors that make for a strong topic (we discussed these earlier). Specifically:

Originality
Feasibility

So, when you have a list of potential topics or ideas, assess each of them in terms of these three criteria. A good topic should take a unique angle, provide value (either to academia or practitioners), and be practical enough for you to pull off, given your limited resources.

Finally, you should also assess whether this project could lead to potential career opportunities such as internships or job offers down the line. Make sure that you are researching something that is relevant enough so that it can benefit your professional development in some way. Additionally, consider how each research topic aligns with your career goals and interests; researching something that you are passionate about can help keep motivation high throughout the process.

How can I assess the feasibility of a research topic?

When evaluating the feasibility and practicality of a research topic, it is important to consider several factors.

First, you should assess whether or not the research topic is within your area of competence. Of course, when you start out, you are not expected to be the world’s leading expert, but do should at least have some foundational knowledge.

Time commitment

When considering a research topic, you should think about how much time will be required for completion. Depending on your field of study, some topics may require more time than others due to their complexity or scope.

Additionally, if you plan on collaborating with other researchers or institutions in order to complete your project, additional considerations must be taken into account such as coordinating schedules and ensuring that all parties involved have adequate resources available.

Resources needed

It’s also critically important to consider what type of resources are necessary in order to conduct the research successfully. This includes physical materials such as lab equipment and chemicals but can also include intangible items like access to certain databases or software programs which may be necessary depending on the nature of your work. Additionally, if there are costs associated with obtaining these materials then this must also be factored into your evaluation process.

Potential risks

It’s important to consider the inherent potential risks for each potential research topic. These can include ethical risks (challenges getting ethical approval), data risks (not being able to access the data you’ll need), technical risks relating to the equipment you’ll use and funding risks (not securing the necessary financial back to undertake the research).

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30 Engineering Research Ideas for High School Students

By Eric Eng

If you’re a high school student interested in engineering, finding the right research idea is key to making your mark in the scientific community. It’s your chance to dive into innovation and problem-solving.

Learn to turn your interest in engineering into projects that matter! Let’s find and develop standout engineering research ideas. Whether you want to address environmental issues or make strides in technology, we’ll help you find the starting point for your engineering ambitions.

Engineering Research Area #1: Renewable Energy Technologies

Renewable energy technologies are crucial for sustainable development and combating climate change. High school students interested in engineering can find valuable research opportunities here. Engaging in these projects not only prepares students for a college major in renewable energies but also contributes to global solutions for energy needs.

Young maintenance engineer team working in wind turbine farm at sunset

Here are specific topics you can explore:

1. Compare the efficiency of different types of solar panels (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, thin-film) under varying light conditions to optimize energy output.

This topic is relevant because it addresses the need for efficient solar energy solutions. Students can approach this by measuring the output of each panel type under different lighting, using basic photovoltaic theory and solar power meters.

2. Investigate the impact of blade design on the efficiency of wind turbines by testing different blade shapes and angles in a wind tunnel.

Blade design is key to maximizing wind turbine performance. Research in this area can be conducted using a wind tunnel and various blade models, focusing on aerodynamics principles to find the most efficient designs.

3. Analyze the influence of water flow rate and turbine design on the power output of a small-scale hydroelectric generator.

Understanding the relationship between water flow, turbine design, and power output is essential for optimizing hydroelectric systems. Students can use fluid dynamics concepts and small-scale models to conduct this research.

4. Design and build a prototype of a solar-powered water desalination system to provide clean drinking water in regions with limited access to fresh water.

Tackling water scarcity through renewable energy demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of engineering challenges. This project involves principles of thermal energy, solar power, and desalination technology, offering hands-on experience in designing sustainable solutions.

5. Explore the feasibility of using piezoelectric materials to harvest energy from vibrations in urban environments and power small electronic devices.

The application of piezoelectric materials for energy harvesting is an innovative approach to power generation. Students can explore this by measuring energy output from piezoelectric devices placed in different urban settings, utilizing principles of materials science and circuitry.

Engineering Research Area #2: Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineering plays a pivotal role in addressing pollution and sustainability challenges. For high school students exploring engineering research ideas, this field offers a chance to directly impact environmental conservation and public health. Engaging in these projects provides practical experience and knowledge beneficial for a college major in environmental engineering or related fields.

6. Develop a filtration system using locally available materials (e.g., sand, activated charcoal) to remove microplastics from water samples collected from local waterways.

Removing microplastics is crucial for water quality and ecosystem health. Students can experiment with different combinations of materials to design an effective, low-cost filtration system, applying principles of chemistry and environmental science.

7. Compare the effectiveness of natural erosion control methods (e.g., vegetation, bioengineering techniques) with engineered solutions (e.g., riprap, gabions) through field experiments and analysis.

This research is relevant for sustainable land management. By conducting field experiments and analyzing soil stability under various conditions, students can assess the viability of different erosion control methods, utilizing knowledge in soil science and engineering.

8. Investigate the degradation rates of different types of biodegradable plastics in various environmental conditions (e.g., soil, water) to assess their suitability as alternatives to conventional plastics.

Understanding biodegradable plastics’ behavior is key to reducing pollution. Students can study degradation processes in controlled experiments, applying biological and environmental principles to evaluate these materials’ environmental impact.

9. Design and test a prototype of a floating litter trap to capture plastic debris in rivers or coastal areas before it enters the ocean.

Preventing ocean plastic pollution starts with interception. This project combines mechanical design with environmental science, as students create and test devices that can efficiently capture debris in moving water.

10. Explore the potential of using mycoremediation (fungal-based remediation) to degrade plastic waste in landfills and contaminated soil.

Mycoremediation offers a novel approach to waste management. Students can investigate how specific fungi species break down plastic waste, employing microbiology techniques and environmental testing to measure degradation efficacy.

Engineering Research Area #3: Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering combines engineering principles with medical and biological sciences to improve healthcare. High school students looking into this field have a unique opportunity to tackle projects that can make a real difference in people’s lives. Through such research, students can gain invaluable experience and prepare for a college major in biomedical engineering or a related discipline.

11. Design and build a prototype of a low-cost prosthetic hand using 3D printing technology and assess its functionality and usability through user testing.

Affordable prosthetics are vital for improving the quality of life for amputees. Students can use 3D printing to create a prosthetic hand, testing its effectiveness with actual users to learn about design, manufacturing, and user experience.

12. Develop a wheelchair ramp with adjustable slope and height to accommodate individuals with varying mobility needs and assess its effectiveness in improving accessibility.

Enhanced accessibility is crucial for inclusivity. By designing an adjustable wheelchair ramp, students can explore engineering and design principles, evaluating the ramp’s usability through real-world testing.

13. Investigate the use of electromyography (EMG) signals to control prosthetic limbs and develop a simple EMG-based control system for a robotic arm.

EMG technology represents a significant advance in prosthetics. Students can experiment with EMG sensors and signal processing to control a robotic arm, gaining insights into biomedical engineering and neurology.

14. Design and build a wearable device for monitoring vital signs (e.g., heart rate, temperature) of elderly individuals living alone and assess its usability and accuracy.

Monitoring vital signs can significantly impact health outcomes. This project allows students to delve into wearable technology and health monitoring systems, evaluating the device’s performance through accuracy and user-friendliness testing.

15. Explore the potential of using exoskeleton technology to assist individuals with mobility impairments in performing daily tasks and assess its impact on quality of life.

Exoskeletons offer a groundbreaking way to enhance mobility. Researching this technology, students can design and test prototypes, assessing how these devices improve task performance and overall quality of life for users.

Engineering Research Area #4: Smart Cities and Urban Planning

Smart cities and urban planning are at the forefront of creating sustainable, efficient, and livable environments. For high school students exploring engineering research ideas, this area offers a chance to address complex urban challenges through technology and design. Projects in this field can provide practical experience and prepare students for college majors in urban planning, civil engineering, or environmental science .

16. Analyze traffic patterns and congestion hotspots using data from traffic cameras or GPS devices and propose optimization strategies (e.g., signal timing adjustments, lane management) to improve traffic flow.

Traffic optimization is key to reducing urban congestion. Students can use data analytics tools to analyze traffic data and propose solutions, learning about transportation engineering and data science.

17. Design a smartphone app for real-time parking availability tracking in urban areas using IoT sensors installed in parking lots or street parking spaces.

Improving parking efficiency can significantly ease urban congestion. This project involves app development and IoT technology, allowing students to explore software engineering and urban informatics.

18. Develop a simulation model of pedestrian movement in crowded urban environments and evaluate the impact of different urban design interventions (e.g., sidewalk widening, pedestrian-only zones) on pedestrian flow.

Pedestrian flow analysis is crucial for urban planning. Students can use simulation software to model pedestrian movement, applying concepts from urban design and computer science to assess the effectiveness of various interventions.

19. Design and prototype a compact vertical garden system for urban balconies or rooftops using IoT sensors for automated irrigation and monitoring of plant health.

Vertical gardens are a sustainable solution for urban greening. This project combines principles of environmental science and technology, as students design a system that integrates IoT sensors for garden management.

20. Investigate the feasibility of using drone technology for urban air quality monitoring and develop a prototype of a low-cost air quality sensor payload for drones.

Monitoring air quality is essential for public health. By developing a drone-based sensor system, students can delve into aerospace engineering and environmental science, exploring innovative ways to gather critical environmental data.

Engineering Research Area #5: Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing how we interact with the world around us, making everyday objects smarter and more connected. For high school students diving into engineering research, IoT projects offer a fantastic way to apply computer science and engineering principles to real-world problems. These projects can help students prepare for college programs in computer science, electrical engineering , or IoT itself, providing hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.

21. Design and build a smart home energy monitoring system using IoT sensors to track energy usage of different appliances and optimize energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is crucial for sustainability. Students can learn about electrical engineering and software development as they create a system that monitors and analyzes energy consumption, suggesting improvements.

22. Develop a low-cost IoT-based air quality monitoring device using sensors for measuring pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Monitoring air quality is essential for public health. By building a device with various sensors, students can explore environmental science and data analysis, contributing to community health initiatives.

23. Design and implement a smart irrigation system for home gardens or urban farms that adjusts watering schedules based on soil moisture levels measured by IoT sensors.

Efficient water use is key in agriculture. This project teaches students about agricultural engineering and IoT development by designing a system that conserves water while maintaining plant health.

24. Create a prototype of a wearable health tracker using IoT sensors to monitor activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns, and develop a smartphone app for data visualization and analysis.

Wearable technology is growing in popularity for health monitoring. Students can gain experience in biometrics and app development as they create a device that helps users track and improve their health.

25. Investigate the potential of using IoT-enabled smart waste bins with sensors for waste level monitoring and optimization of waste collection routes to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Improving waste management is crucial for urban environments. Through this project, students can learn about sustainable urban planning and software engineering by designing a system that makes waste collection more efficient.

Engineering Research Area #6: Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, enhancing efficiency, and solving complex problems in innovative ways. For high school students interested in engineering research, AI offers a vast field ripe with opportunities to innovate and make significant impacts. Engaging in AI projects prepares students for college majors in computer science , AI, and related fields, providing a deep understanding of machine learning, data analysis, and algorithm development.

26. Develop an AI-powered educational platform that adapts learning materials and pace based on individual student performance and preferences, aiming to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.

Personalized education can significantly improve learning experiences. Students can approach this by employing machine learning algorithms to tailor content, using data analytics to track progress and adjust teaching strategies.

27. Create an AI model capable of analyzing sentiment in social media posts or comments to identify trends, public opinion, or potential risks (e.g., cyberbullying) and develop strategies for promoting positive interactions online.

Monitoring online sentiment is crucial for understanding public opinion and ensuring safe digital spaces. This project involves natural language processing and machine learning to analyze text, providing valuable insights into social media dynamics.

28. Investigate the application of machine learning algorithms in medical diagnosis, such as developing an AI model to analyze medical images (e.g., X-rays, MRIs) for early detection of diseases or abnormalities.

AI in healthcare can revolutionize early diagnosis and treatment. Students can use machine learning techniques to process and interpret medical images, contributing to advances in diagnostic accuracy.

29. Build a virtual assistant (e.g., chatbot) with natural language processing capabilities to answer questions, provide information, and assist users in various tasks, leveraging AI techniques to understand and generate human-like responses.

Virtual assistants are becoming an integral part of daily life. By developing a chatbot, students can explore natural language processing, enhancing user interaction with AI through conversational interfaces.

30. Develop AI algorithms for autonomous navigation of robots in dynamic environments, such as indoor spaces or outdoor terrains, enabling them to plan paths, avoid obstacles, and adapt to changing conditions without human intervention.

Robotics with AI navigation can significantly impact various sectors. This project allows students to delve into robotics and AI, designing algorithms that enable robots to understand and navigate their surroundings independently.

How does engineering research impact college admissions?

Engaging in engineering research projects can significantly bolster a high school student’s college application. Colleges look favorably upon students who demonstrate curiosity, initiative, and the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems. Such experiences show admissions committees that a student is ready to take on the challenges of an engineering program.

Moreover, engineering research ideas can serve as excellent topics for college essays or interviews, allowing applicants to showcase their passion , creativity, and problem-solving skills. Highlighting these projects can set a student apart from the competition, making their application more compelling and memorable.

What tools and technologies are essential for high school engineering research?

For high school students embarking on engineering research, familiarity with certain tools and technologies is crucial. Basic programming knowledge, along with an understanding of software like MATLAB or Python for data analysis, can be invaluable. Additionally, CAD software for design and 3D printing technology are essential for prototyping and testing ideas.

Access to online platforms and journals is also important for staying up-to-date with the latest engineering research trends and findings. This ensures that students can base their projects on cutting-edge knowledge, making their work more relevant and impactful. Engaging with these tools and technologies prepares students for the rigors of college-level engineering coursework and research.

What are the latest trends in engineering research for students?

The field of engineering is constantly evolving, with new trends emerging that redefine what’s possible. For students, areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning , and sustainable energy solutions are at the forefront of current research. These trends not only offer a glimpse into the future of engineering but also present unique opportunities for high school students to contribute to meaningful and impactful projects.

Exploring these trends allows students to work on projects that tackle real-world problems, such as climate change or healthcare innovation. By focusing on cutting-edge topics, students can develop skills and knowledge that are highly valued in both academic and industry settings. This approach ensures their research remains relevant and can even influence their career paths.

How do I secure funding for my high school engineering research?

Securing funding for engineering research can be a daunting task for high school students, but it’s not impossible. Start by looking into local science and engineering fairs, as many offer grants or awards for promising projects.

Additionally, reaching out to local businesses and professional organizations related to engineering can yield sponsorship opportunities, as many are eager to support education and innovation in their fields.

Crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo and social media can also be effective tools for raising funds. By sharing their engineering research ideas and the potential impact of their projects, students can attract donations from a wider audience. Crafting a compelling narrative around their project and its benefits can help engage potential donors and secure the necessary funding to bring their ideas to life.

How can high school students publish or present their engineering research?

High school students have several avenues to publish or share their engineering research, starting with school and local science fairs , which often provide a platform for presenting projects to the public.

Additionally, many professional engineering societies offer journals and competitions specifically for students, where they can submit their work for publication or review.

Online platforms and blogs dedicated to STEM education are another great option, as they allow students to reach a wider audience. Creating a detailed project report or video presentation and sharing it on these platforms can not only showcase their work but also inspire other students to undertake their engineering research projects.

Conducting engineering research as a high school student is a powerful way to kickstart a future in innovation and problem-solving. By exploring the latest trends, securing funding, and sharing your findings, you can make significant contributions to the field while bolstering their college applications and career prospects.

The journey of discovery you begin today can shape the world of tomorrow in ways you’ve yet to imagine. Let your curiosity and creativity lead the way to a brighter, more innovative future.

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13 Free Online Research Programs for High School Students

Research programs are a great way for you to dive into a topic you’re interested in. These programs offer a unique and enriching experience that can significantly boost your college applications by showcasing your dedication to a particular subject. Admission committees highly value candidates who demonstrate a genuine commitment to their chosen field.

However, it's important to recognize that research programs are not a one-size-fits-all experience. For students who prefer hands-on, practical projects and learn better by building, creating, or experimenting, these programs may not be the best match due to their online format. Research programs typically involve a great deal of deep reading, data analysis, and critical thinking and you should ensure that this aligns with your learning styles. To help pick the right fit for you, we have detailed 10 free online research programs designed specifically for high school students.

1. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation’s Breakthrough Scholar Program

Application Deadline : There are 4 annual cohorts - summer, spring, winter, and fall (You can apply here!)

Program Dates : 12 weeks starting from when you and your mentor start the project

Eligibility :

You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall of 2024.

Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note. Students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)

No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!

Note: While there is no cut-off for income, past scholars have typically come from households earning less than $50,000 annually (for a typical household of 4) with minimum assets.

The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Born out of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program (one of the largest 1-on-1 research initiatives for high school students), the foundation offers the same independent research opportunities at no cost. The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education.

In this flagship program, talented high school students will be paired with top Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll learn about the cutting edge of your field and develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more.

2 . Veritas AI - AI Fellowship

Location : Virtual

$1,790 for the 10-week AI Scholars program

$4,900 for the 12-15 week AI Fellowship

$4,700 for both

Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here .

Application deadline : On a rolling basis. Applications for fall cohort have closed September 3, 2023.

Program dates : Various according to the cohort

Program selectivity : Moderately selective

Eligibility : Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.

Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions pertaining to the students background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.

Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.

The AI Fellowship program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project. Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects here .

Location : Virtual

Application Date: May 21, 2024 for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024 for the fall cohort

Program Dates:

Summer seminar - June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024

Fall seminar - October 23, 2024 - February 19, 2025

Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.

Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here .

Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!

Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.

This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student, as well as detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and on college applications. Apply here !

4. SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers at Stanford University

Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.

Program dates: June 17, 2024 - August 9, 2024

Eligibility: Students who will be in grades 11-12 at the time of application, OR full-time community college students (within the first 3 years of community college), are eligible to apply.

The SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers at Stanford University is a solid, prestigious opportunity for you to virtually explore research projects during the summer. This program is designed to provide early exposure to research that goes beyond what is typically taught in school . You will be grouped into multifaceted projects that align with your interests and strengths, while simultaneously introducing you to new and unexplored areas. These projects are diverse and integrative, covering a broad spectrum of fields including the science of information and communication, engineering, arts, linguistics, psychology, biology, neuroscience, computer science, technology, philosophy, and design, among others . Mentoring is a key component of the program, with guidance provided by Stanford Compression Forum’s students, faculty, and staff, as well as its affiliated organizations.

The goals of the SHTEM program is to provide high school and community college students with early exposure to cutting-edge research in an academic setting, and help them develop essential research, analysis and writing skills. The program places a strong emphasis on the inseparability of humanities and the human element from STEM research . By integrating these aspects, the SHTEM program fosters a holistic approach to learning and research, encouraging you to explore the interconnectedness of different fields.

5. EnergyMag Research Internship

Application Deadline : Applications are open all year-round, you can apply here .

Program Dates : Flexible. Students may request lengthening an internship by a week or two because of conflicting time pressure from school.

Eligibility : Sophomores, juniors and seniors who have taken at least one honors science or honors English class, with a minimum GPA of 3.25, can apply.

Note: Students can expect a competitive selection process as this program is open to college students as well!

This internship program is perfect for students interested in renewable energy and the energy storage industry. Offered in both half-time and quarter-time formats, these internships cater to different availability and commitment levels. Half-time internships, ideal for a more immersive experience, are available during the summer and run from 2 to 8 weeks, requiring about 20 hours of work per week. On the other hand, quarter-time internships are offered throughout the year, ranging from 1 to 9 months, with a commitment of approximately 8 hours per week.

During the internship, you will engage in various activities focused on renewable energy and energy storage. You will conduct research on emerging technologies, analyze market trends, or contribute to articles and reports that EnergyMag publishes. The final outcome often involves a substantial research project or a series of smaller projects.

6. The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Science Program (JHIBS): Project Pipeline Baltimore

Application Deadline: March 1, every year.

Program Dates: 8 weeks, June 2024 - August 2024 (in-person); 5 weeks, July 2024 - August 2024 (virtual)

Eligibility:

Juniors and seniors from around the country are eligible to apply to the 5-week, virtual program.

Juniors and seniors residing in Baltimore City and the metro area, who have a strong passion and interest in science and medicine, are from underrepresented groups, and have an academically strong background are eligible for the in-person program.

Note: This program offers both virtual and in-person options. The in-person program will be held at the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology on the East Baltimore campus.

The program also offers a stipend: In-person participants receive an hourly stipend (amount varies), while virtual interns receive a stipend of $500.

This 5-week virtual research program is for bright high school students from underrepresented communities. The program aims to make the field of neurological sciences more inclusive and representative. During the program, students will participate in research under the guidance and mentorship of leading researchers in the field and will take part in hands-on projects, discussions, scientific seminars, weekly personal and professional development sessions, and interactions with leading neuroscientists at JHU. At the end of the program, you will present your research via an oral or poster presentation. Get an idea of past projects here !

7. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships

Application deadline: Varies from internship to internship. Spring programs typically have an August deadline, summer internships have an October deadline, and fall internships come with a January deadline.

Program dates: These internships are offered in 3 sessions – Fall (16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December) | Spring (16-week program, from mid-January to early May) | Summer (10-week program, from late May or early June to August).

Eligibility: Internships are available for full-time high school students who meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement.

Note: These internships are offered across NASA facilities, along with several virtual options.

The NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) provides an opportunity for high school students to participate in ongoing research at the agency through this internship program. You will have the chance to contribute to current projects at NASA, working under the guidance of experienced NASA mentors. Internships are offered in a range of subjects and disciplines, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, space microbiology, ecology, and even outreach and communications.

This program allows students to work with the best science, engineering, financial, information technology and business minds in the world. During this internship, you may be involved in designing experiments, analyzing data from space missions, or developing new technologies – engaging in real-world experiences, gaining valuable experience and insight into NASA's work. These internships also include a component on personal and professional development.

You can check out a complete list of positions here - you may have to use the “Filter” option to see opportunities only open to high school students.

8. Internships at the American Psychological Association (APA)

Application Deadline: Rolling, see the application portal for open opportunities

Program dates: Year-Round

Eligibility: High school student, specific details vary based on the internship

Note: These internships are offered both in-person (Washington, D.C.) and remotely.

Internships at APA are intended for students passionate about applying psychological knowledge for societal benefit, with roles in policy, communications, operations research, IT and financial services. As an intern, you will have a variety of responsibilities, depending on the needs of the office you’re assigned to and your particular interests and skills. You may participate in research, writing and web-based projects, and assist staff with administrative tasks and special projects. Interns will have an opportunity to engage in different activities in their office, applying theoretical knowledge to practice and foster a better understanding of a workplace environment in professional psychology. Interns will report directly to their supervisor for daily tasks and support for overall learning objectives. Interns may also attend workshops, discussions, participate in group projects, or other various tasks.

9. MITES Semester

Application Deadline: February 1, 2024

Program dates : Six months from June to December

Eligibility : High school juniors; underrepresented, underserved, and first generation students are especially encouraged to apply.

The MITES Semester Program offers high school students a unique six-month, hybrid learning STEM and college preparation experience that will equip you with the foundational knowledge you need to know for future research experiences. This national program, running from June through December , combines engaging, rigorous online courses with weekly virtual webinars, including social events, workshops, and meetings, to build students' skills and confidence necessary for success .

You will tackle two courses in science and engineering disciplines, ranging from Machine Learning to Thermodynamics and Astrophysics, and engage in one project-based course alongside a supplemental core course in areas such as Calculus, Physics, Computer Science, or Science Writing and Communication . This curriculum will prepare you for your future research pursuits and the college application process through admissions counseling and networking opportunities with STEM professionals. With live, online classes held in the evenings, this program will also allow you to balance it with other commitments. The fall schedule primarily focuses on college application support through tailored weekly webinars .

10. Medicine Encompassed

Application Deadline : Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Program Dates : Internships with ME are offered year-round.

Eligibility : All high school students are eligible.

Medicine Encompassed is best for students interested in exploring the medical field through active participation in various committees focused on researching and developing medical education resources. In this program, you primarily take on the roles of researchers, writers, and resource creators across 18 diverse committees.

You will be tasked with creating educational content and resources that contribute to an inclusive medical curriculum. This may involve researching medical topics, writing informative articles or guides, and developing educational materials that can be used by others to learn about various medical fields. Additionally, you can contribute to the ‘Project Cultivation’ outreach initiative, which aims to increase awareness and accessibility of medical education. The final outcome of the program typically includes a comprehensive set of educational materials that students have contributed to or created.

11. Crowd Math

Application Deadline : November 30

Program Dates : Year long program

Eligibility : Everyone is eligible

CrowdMath is a joint program between MIT PRIMES and the Art of Problem Solving. It is a massive online collaborative year-long research project open to all high school and college students around the world. At Crowdmath, you are invited to participate in a free, year-long program that is an extraordinary opportunity for high school students to engage in advanced research . In this program, you will work on individual and group research projects, as well as participate in reading groups. The program encompasses mathematical concepts like number theory, linear algebra, etc, .

Every year, PRIMES offers a crowdmath project where high school students from around the world can collaborate with undergrads to conduct independent research projects . For 2024, the project is on Generalizations of the Notion of Primes . 2023’s project was on Arithmetic of Power Monoids and 2022’s program was on Factorizations in Additive Structures . These projects are a great way for students to get a sense of what college level research looks like and is especially valuable for those who want to pursue computational research in the future.

12. Building-U High School Internship

Cost : Free

Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines, it is recommended that you apply as soon as possible.

Program Dates: Usually 3 months from June to August. If the intern is keen, the internship can be extended!

Eligibility: All high school students can apply.

The Building-U High School Internship is oriented around its mission to research and compile a comprehensive database of opportunities including internships, scholarships, contests, and educational programs specifically tailored for high school students. The organization is looking for interns to assist in the administrative/business aspect of the organization.

Once selected as an intern, you join one of their teams – these include R&D roles, student ambassador roles, Business Development roles, and others that you can read about here . These teams might concentrate on areas like digital marketing, content writing, web development, or data analytics. This structure not only allows interns to employ research skills in areas that align with their interests and skills but also promotes teamwork, leadership, and project management skills.

13. Stanford AI4ALL: Live Virtual Program

Need blind financial aid

Application Deadline : January 8, 2024

Program dates : Three weeks (late June to mid-July)

Eligibility : Rising high school sophomores (summer between freshman and sophomore year)

At Stanford AI4ALL, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of a pioneering program that focuses on increasing diversity in artificial intelligence (AI). This three-week live virtual program is designed to immerse you in the world of AI through a unique blend of lectures, hands-on research projects, and mentoring activities . You will learn about how AI can be applied to critical areas like medicine, disaster response, and combating poverty.

During your time at Stanford AI4ALL, you'll benefit from a learning approach that allows you to explore how AI tools can be used to better the world. You'll find yourself in a supportive community of peers, connecting and learning with students from diverse backgrounds, all sharing a passion for AI . This is a chance to not just learn about AI but to engage with it actively, guided by mentorship from outstanding professionals and researchers in the field . The program emphasizes the practical application of AI, encouraging you to think about how this technology can be used to solve problems that you care about.

One other option - Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are interested in building a university-level research project this summer, you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here .

Jessica attends Harvard University where she studies Neuroscience and Computer Science as a Coca-Cola, Elks, and Albert Shankar Scholar. She is passionate about educational equity and hopes to one day combine this with her academic interests via social entrepreneurship. Outside of academics, she enjoys taking walks, listening to music, and running her jewelry business!

Image Source: Lumiere logo

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Independent project ideas.

This Page is a listing of current faculty projects. If these look interesting to you, go ahead and contact the faculty member!

Blockchain network security: Network attackers have been shown able to violate the security properties of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Can we automatically find such vulnerabilities using ML-based techniques? Can we build networks with appropriate security properties?

Buffer management on network devices: To absorb transient drops, network devices are equipped with memory that is shared across all queues in the device. Can we optimize the sharing of the buffer for certain traffic patterns or deployments? Can we leverage this sharing to attack a device?

Network Function Profiling: Networking resources are becoming more sparse especially for programmable devices. Can we use profiling to optimize the resource allocation of a network (device)?

I am happy to discuss ideas that are initiated by students, especially if they are related to Networks, Security and Blockchain.

Although I have not yet listed specific project ideas, please feel free to contact me if you are interested in exploring possibilities.

We explore all different ways to “electrify” the world. We manage electrical power for sensing, computing, and actuation. The research topics that may fall in my group’s expertise include:

Power management in all scale: from electric vehicles to more electric aircrafts/drones, from cellphones to IoT sensors
Power delivery in all frequency: from dc to 60Hz ac, from sub-Hz to radio frequency
Electrical actuation in all formats: mechanical, sound, wave, light, heat
Fundamentals of power electronics: device, circuits, systems, control, power magnetics
Design methods for power electronics: device modeling and abstraction, machine learning guided design tools
New qubits for quantum communication: We are exploring making new defects in diamond to act as long-lived quantum memories for long distance communication. This is highly interdisciplinary project across quantum optics, atomic spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, materials science, and device physics.
Quantum nanophotonics: To enhance atom-photon interactions, we will also embed these defects in nanophotonic cavities, integrated in functional nanophotonic chips. This effort will explore novel fabrication methods in diamond to create these integrated nanophotonic devices, as well as methods for controllable interfaces between the nanophotonic cavity and the diamond color center.
Nanoscale sensing: Diamond color centers can have spin degrees of freedom with long coherence times at room temperature, and they are localized to the nm scale, making them excellent point sensors. We are developing technologies for using color centers for nanoscale NMR and MRI, and this project involves spin resonance and quantum control techniques, optics and microscopy, and surface science and device physics.
Big sound from small speakers. We will use new methods of signal processing to improve the sound quality of small speakers, such as those in cell phones.
Removing speckle in biomedical ultrasound. This project focuses on enhancing images in clinical ultrasound.
Imaging blood vessels. This project will image blood vessels and flow using visible light.
3D photography. We are developing methods to convert existing cameras into 3D imaging devices.

Our lab develops bioimaging, bioelectronics and computational tools to quantitatively understand living organisms, from the molecular to multicellular scales.

Bioimaging: We work on the development of novel optical microscopy technologies, including super resolution, light sheet, and adaptive optics, for imaging and manipulation of living organisms with high resolution and minimum invasiveness.

Bioelectronics: We develop polymer based multifunctional flexible electronics and apply them to seamlessly interface with multicellular organisms.

Computational tools: We apply cutting edge machine learning methods to extract quantitative principles of large-scale bioimaging and electrophysiology datasets.

Wireless communication and sensing in the mmWave and THz range. Our lab focuses on the design and implementation of novel devices (e.g., antennas) and wideband beam steering solutions for directional link discovery and real-time link adaptation above 100 GHz. We are interested in architectures for joint communication and sensing that can realize non-coherent millimeter-scale localization accuracy together with terabit/sec wireless connectivity.

Wireless Security. Resiliency against eavesdropping and other security threats has become one of the key design considerations for communication systems. As wireless systems become ubiquitous, there is an increasing need for security protocols at all levels, including the physical layer. We are interested in exploring the security vulnerabilities of next-generation wireless systems and introducing cross-layer counter-measure solutions.

Smart and adaptive wireless networks. We are interested in building intelligent surfaces that can enhance the coverage, reliability, and security of mmWave networks. We design new data-driven AI protocols in order to learn and predict wireless channel dynamics via distributed low-cost passive components. Through experimental evaluations, we investigate new cross-layer PHY/MAC protocols to dynamically reprogram the channel properties and create favorable transmission characteristics.

ML/AI for Enhanced Wireless Communication: Exploiting a data-driven approach to learn and predict the structures in the wireless environments and user mobility patterns to enhance the communication metric, such as data rate and resilience, particularly when the conventional physics-based models are not comprehensive.

I am also open to advising projects where the ideas are initiated by students.

Design and testing of Quantum Cascade lasers
Design, fabrication, and characterization of semiconductor devices, especially devices based on intersubband transitions
Mid-infrared photonics (materials, devices, systems)
Possibilities for “suggest-your-own” projects in the fields of semiconductors, lasers, optics, etc.

I am broadly interested in quantum information and statistical physics, particularly the phases and phase transitions of far-from-equilibrium quantum many-body systems. Here are some descriptions of potential projects:

Measurement and decoherence in quantum systems. One can think of an open quantum system as a system that is continuously being "measured" by its environment. Information about the system leaks into the environment, and some fraction of it can be retrieved (e.g., by an eavesdropper). I have a set of projects that involve characterizing how much these effects degrade the ability of a system to store quantum information, and another set of computational projects studying the persistence of entanglement in realistic open-system experiments, e.g., in quantum optics and superconducting circuits.
Finding compressed representations of quantum states. To represent a general quantum state of N qubits, one requires an amount of data that is exponential in N. However, much of this data is irrelevant for computing realistic experimental observables. I am interested in ways of compressing quantum states that do not compromise our ability to predict realistic observables.
Electronic structure, phases, and phase transitions of quasicrystals, as well as other structured random systems (e.g., random hyperuniform patterns).
Building new circuit elements for quantum computers. We are interested in building the pieces for a quantum computer, and in particular need to build new and improved qubits to store quantum information, high quality directional couplers to route quantum information around a chip, and new types of isolators to protect fragile quantum information from environmental noise.
Optical quantum processors. We are beginning to look into optical properties of defects in SiC which could act as room temperature quantum sensors or quantum bits
I am always interested in exploring new directions and in engineering more broadly. If you have a crazy idea that you'd like to try, let me know and we might be able to put together a good and feasible project
Predictive, preventive, and personalized healthcare
Transformer synthesis, acceleration, and accelerator-model co-design
Causal inference: Synthetic control and intervention
Prospective learning: continual learning, knowledge priors, curiosity, counterfactuals
Differentiable logic networks
Graph language models and knowledge graphs

My group focuses on developing better machine learning foundations and algorithms for decision making/Reinforcement Learning (RL). Potential projects for undergraduate thesis/independent work include but not limited to:

Multiagent decision making: develop multiagent RL algorithms for strategic games such as street fighter; leverage the power of LLM for decision making problems that require extensive knowledge such as Pokemon games.
AI for math: develop learning-based methods for proving inequality/combinatorics.
Large-scale optimization: develop faster optimization algorithms for machine learning.
LLM fine-tuning and alignment using reinforcement learning with human feedback.
Mathematical foundations of reinforcement learning, transfer learning, and game theory.

Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in any of these directions or exploring other possible related topics.

Work in my lab revolves around new materials (semiconductors, insulators) for organic and other types of thin film electronics, and ways these materials come together in devices. Below are two possible topics for independent work.

Molecular dopants in organic semiconductors: investigation of new molecular dopants (n- and p-type) for polymer semiconductors. Fabrication of doped structures and investigation of carrier transport as a function of dopant concentration and temperature.
2D and 3D Metal Halide Perovskites: fascinating new materials for PV and other thin film electronics; electronic structure, charge carrier transport.
Study of electronic structure, carrier transport and surface doping in transition metal dichalcogenides.

Happy to talk with students to hear their research ideas in the broad areas of machine learning and pattern recognition.

With the information explosion in big data, there is an eminent need of new machine learning methods and novel computational paradigms to make the artificial intelligence tools more actionable, personalized and contextually relevant. More specifically, some relevant and relatively new research problems are as follows:

Dimension-Reduction techniques, Feature Selection and subspace projection are vital for big data analyses.
Unsupervised Cluster Discovery with application to the segmentation of social and media networks.
A hybrid learning model, named Ridge-SVM, which combines two classical models: KRR (Kernel Ridge Regressors) and SVM (Support Vector Machines).
Non-imputed kernel approaches to incomplete data analysis (IDA), where the data is likely to be collected from a divergent of sources and may be highly incomplete.

Generally speaking, the research projects will embrace their theoretical and/or application aspects. The preferred (though not necessarily required) academic backgrounds will involve multiple disciplinaries including matrix theory, signal processing, regression analysis, discrete mathematics, and optimization theory.

Jason D. Lee

Happy to talk to students to hear their research ideas.

Much of the work in my lab is centered on figuring out how to build a quantum computer. We have a variety of projects, ranging from more EE-like to more physics-like. For example:

Designing and testing cryogenic silicon circuits. The quantum computers we are building will operate very close to absolute zero. We need regular silicon chips to work at these temperatures. We design specialized CMOS circuits, which we then need to measure, and we also test regular commercial CMOS chips to see which ones can be made to work at low temperature
Automating experiments and data acquisition. Lots of times we need to take a bunch of data or upload complicated instructions to instruments. Some of these projects are mostly software (we use Matlab to run some of the equipment), and some are a combination of software and hardware. Recently we used a Raspberry Pi (small single-board Linux computer) for automating a measurement, which worked well, and we plan to keep playing with the Pi's.
Simulating electron transport on superfluid helium. One of the approaches we are taking to building the quantum computer uses electrons "floating" on the surface of superfluid helium. As part of that we have been developing programs (combination of Python and C) to simulate their motion as we change the voltages on gate electrodes. Projects in this are would mostly be programming, though a longer project could involve both programming and experiments on electron motion.
Low-noise and precision circuits. We need to measure very small signals (for example, sensing the charge of individual electrons), and must control voltages with very high precision. We need to design and build circuits to do this, and then control them (probably with a Raspberry Pi).
Designing and building new resonators for Electron Spin Resonance experiments. Electron spin resonance is one of the ways we measure the "quantum bits" we might use in the quantum computer. These experiments use microwave resonators, and we want to develop new ones, both large "bulk" resonators(~ few inches) and superconducting micro-resonators. For example, we want to make resonators which allow us to excite our samples with circularly-polarized microwaves.

My research deals with methods for designing emerging computing systems. In particular, my focus is on designing correct and secure systems. This involves studying and developing techniques for debugging, finding security flaws, and proving functional and security correctness for these systems. Research projects typically involve system modeling, developing and implementing algorithms that can work for industrial scale designs, and running experiments to improve and check these algorithms.

I am also open to advising projects where the ideas are initiated by students-these could involve hardware, software or theory-I am very open!

Internet security and privacy: The insecurity of Internet protocols and services threatens the safety of our critical network infrastructure and billions of end users. How can we defend end users as well as our critical network infrastructure from attacks?
Trustworthy social systems: Online social networks (OSNs) such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter have revolutionized the way our society communicates. How can we leverage social connections between users to design the next generation of communication systems?
Privacy Technologies: Privacy on the Internet is eroding rapidly, with businesses and governments mining sensitive user information. How can we protect the privacy of our online communications? The Tor project ( https://www.torproject.org/ ) is a potential application of interest.

NOTE: Professor Poor will be on sabbatical academic year 2024-2025 and is unable to supervise IW during that time.

Low latency analog photonic interfacing and adaptation using an FPGA
Information security in optical networks: trustworthy communication with “noise”
Photonic neuron and neural networks: brain-inspired computing with lasers
Interference cancellation in wireless communications: optical noise-cancellation for radios
Adaptive beam forming with phased array antennas: making smart antennas using light
Also willing to supervise “non-research” project
Machine learning both theory and applications
Analysis of functional MRI data or other biological data
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in exploring specific projects in machine learning.
Work on a new class of photovoltaic materials: metal halide perovskite semiconductors. We have >20% efficient devices in our lab, and are investigating ways to improve this as well as understand material and device stability.
Study the crystallization processes of organic semiconductors and their thin films - linking these material properties to electronic and optical properties
Study epitaxy (growth) of crystalline organic semiconductors
Within the "Campus as a lab" initiative, I would like to analyze data from Princeton's solar farm on the other side of the lake, looking at variability and intermittency issues. Let me know if interested. Could be joint with various other departments.
If you have other ideas within thin film electronic and optoelectronic devices, please feel free to contact me.

We engage theoretical questions in the field of nanophotonics—the study of light in wavelength-scale structures—at the intersection of classical and quantum electromagnetism, by employing a combination of analytical and computational techniques. Our interests revolve around new kinds of electromagnetic effects and device functionalities, including light emission/absorption, light–matter coupling in quantum and fluctuating media, dispersion interactions, and low-power nonlinear devices. Current research directions/projects include:

Deriving physical limits on both naturally occurring and technologically relevant optical phenomena (device and wave performance bounds derived from Maxwell's equations) through the machinery of quadratic optimization
Inverse design (large-scale optimization) of photonic nano-structures for controlling light-matter and nonlinear devices
Investigation of thermal emission and radiative heat transfer in structured media

Currently, we focus on the next-generation integrated electronic and photonic circuits and systems to address various emerging and high-impact applications, including high-frequency and high-speed communications, sensing, imaging, and onchip bio-sensing and actuation. Everything which is integrated, small yet powerful and sophisticated, that pushes the boundary of science and engineering through innovations, often by exploring the spaces between traditionally different fields, interest us. Our research approach is to leverage concepts from different fields and merge them together to create high-performance systems. The broad themes of research are:

CMOS based biosensors: We are developing novel techniques that leverage CMOS chip-based technology to be used as diagnostic tools. The project involves conceptualizing new technologies for bio molecular detection on chip, design and biomolecular measurement of fabricated systems-on-chip.
Terahertz silicon chips: We are investigating new techniques, architectures and systems that can push operation frequencies of silicon based systems to 100s of GHz, opening up opportunities for 10s of Gb/s of wireless communication. This can open up a world of exiting applications in communication to imaging and wireless sensing.
Programmable RF chips: Silicon transistors have shrunk into dimensions, where variation in the countable number of dopant atoms cause significant change in performance and behavior. Added to this, parasitic and process variations, modeling inaccuracies, aging, environmental changes cause a severe degradation in system performance. Imagine a self-healing chip which has onchip sensing mechanisms that monitor the `health' of the circuits and systems and takes appropriate actuation measures to automatically `heal' and optimize system performance by itself without external intervention. Imagine such a flexible radio which can be programmed to replace all different radio receivers in your cell phone into one Master wireless chip. This needs fundamental rethinking of conventional wireless architectures and circuits.
Fabrication and characterization of low-dimensional semiconductor structures (quantum wells, quantum wires, quantum dots, etc.)
Low temperature magneto transport measurements of low-dimensional semiconductor structures.

Prof. Sturm will be on sabbatical in the fall, so he is not available to advise.

We work on nanophotonics, quantum optics and atomic physics, both with laser-cooled atoms and impurities in solids. Possible projects include:

Design, fabrication and characterization of nanophotonic structures
Design and construction of laser systems and associated electronics, in fiber or free space
Quantum optics calculations, exploring new directions for quantum networks based on quantum repeaters
Experimental control hardware and software (we use a lot of FPGAs, DDSs, various microwave electronics, etc.)
Lastly, I am happy to discuss any crazy physics- or engineering-related idea that you might have, to see if we can turn it into a well-posed project that I could advise

We are looking for curious and motivated undergraduates to carry out research with our group on following projects. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

Development of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms on cloud-based superconducting quantum computing platforms (e.g. IBM, Rigetti). Requires minimal exposure to quantum mechanics [a basic quantum mechanics/engineering course such as ELE342 or ELE396 is perfectly sufficient].
Research into neuromorphic computing with physical systems — Hardware examples: Coupled microlasers, superconducting non-linear oscillators, optical parametric oscillators [requires only competency with basic engineering mathematics e.g. solving coupled ODEs in python; will employ in-house developed computational solvers for accurate modeling of the physical system].
Hardware-based Reservoir Computing for forecasting — (you likely have never heard of it. If so, read this recent research from UMD researchers for fun: https://www.quantamagazine.org/machine-learnings-amazing-ability-to-predict-chaos-20180418/ ) [basic engineering mathematics e.g. solving coupled ODEs in python; will employ in-house developed computational solvers for accurate modeling of the physical system].
Several other projects on quantum information processing systems also are available for more advanced students [exposure to quantum master equations is helpful for these projects]
Theoretical and computational research into frequency comb generation with microlasers and superconducting oscillators — dynamics and coherent-feedback based stabilization [will work with SALT (Steady-state Ab-inito Laser Theory), an in-house computational modeling tool for dynamics of complex lasers. If you are curious read this commentary on SALT: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/320/5876/623.summary ]

I'm open to advising student-driven projects. My research interests are in the broad areas of hardware design, machine learning and pattern recognition, and their intersections.

The research in my group explores integrated circuits and systems for advanced sensing applications. Basically, we are interested in creating electronic systems that can perform extensive and sophisticated interactions with the real world. Since the signals presented by the real world are numerous and physically complex, electronic systems must overcome major challenges. Our research spans the areas of emerging electronic devices (flexible, large-area electronics), new circuit architectures, advance algorithms for signal analysis (machine learning, statistical signal processing), and full-system synthesis. The applications we focus on are medical sensors (for neurological and cardiovascular diseases), smart cities (infrastructure monitoring), smart homes (highly sensorized spaces), ubiquitous energy harvesting...

System for electroencephalogram (EEG) replay: In my lab we build devices that perform functions on physiological signals (such as EEGs). To test these devices, we would like to perform digital-to-analog conversion on EEGs we have previously recorded from patients, and replay the signals so that they can be used to test our devices. This project involves the use of bench-top laboratory equipment, LabView software, and custom devices built in the lab.
System for real-time EEG acquisition and streaming: We have a system for many-channel EEG acquisition in my lab. We would like to adapt this to stream EEG recordings in real time to the custom electronics we build in our lab. This project involves the use of a EEG-recording system, Mac drivers and system software, and FGPA platforms.
Application design for specialized machine-learning processor: In my lab, we have build a custom microprocessor that includes a CPU (capable of executing software compiled from C) along with custom hardware accelerators for machine-learning functions. This project involves using this microprocessor to implement applications for advanced embedded sensing that were never possible before. Think about performing gesture recognition using a cell-phone camera for gaming applications, etc.
Algorithms for computing using 'broken' hardware: As CMOS technology continues to scale, it is becoming impossible to ensure the correct operation of the transistors underlying our computing systems. The question is whether a system can 'learn' and compensate for its own faults, performing high-value computations despite highly-broken hardware. We have discovers some algorithms that can enable this. This project involves emulation of such systems and algorithms on FPGAs by injecting models for various physical faults.
Audio processing using a large array of microphones: We are developing flexible sheets that integrate arrays of microphones with active electronics. Using microphone arrays, we can perform beam forming, where our array effectively 'listens' to specific points in a room. This project will involve using the acquired audio data to perform speech recognition.

1. Bandit and reinforcement learning theory (mathematical proofs)

2. Machine learning for drug discovery

Tracking and photographing near earth objects and in-orbit objects such as artificial satellites has remained a challenge. This is primarily driven by the problem that these objects move quite fast across the sky and are typically not very bright. To solve this challenge, we propose to construct a computer controlled camera mount to track and photograph interesting objects which have otherwise been impossible to photograph. A successful student or team of students is sought to create such a camera mount to photograph objects such as satellites whose configuration is currently unknown.
Construct and modify a open source 3D printer which is then used to print biodegradable motherboards and computer cases.
In our research group, we are building a new manycore microprocessor, we are looking for an undergraduate to study whether it is possible to use Crowd-sourcing to test the functionality of this new microprocessor. This would involve working with Amazon's Mechanical Turk along with setting up experiments to see if Crowd-sourcing can be effective at finding bugs. This would involve using untrained labor to to write test cases for a processor. Finally, we would like a student to use crowd-sourced computing to help verify the chip by using altruistic peoples' computer power. Think of SETI-at-Home for chip verification.
Multi-heterodyne spectrometers based on quantum- and interband-cascade lasers – performance analysis and spectroscopic applications
Field deployment of remote methane sensor based on chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy
Development of interference fringe-free multi-pass gas absorption cell for trace-gas sensing applications.
Laser spectroscopic wireless sensor networks for chemical detection
Field deployment of water vapor isotope analyzer for study of water cycle in urban environment
Telescope with fully automatic active Sun-tracking system for laser heterodyne spectro-radiometry.

Utility Menu

Undergraduate Science Education at Harvard

A world of exploration. a world of expertise..

Research Opportunities and Funding

• Look below to find summer and term-time Harvard research opportunities on campus and abroad. • For summer programs at other sites, see Summer Programs Away in the tab on the right. • For selected undergraduate science research opportunities at Harvard, see the Undergraduates: Open Research Positions & Projects tab on the right.

Funding For Research at Harvard
Research Away Harvard Programs

Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (BCMP) Summer Scholars Program Brigham Research Institute Undergraduate Internships Broad Institute at Harvard Summer Program CARAT Cell Biology Research Scholars Program (CRSP) Center for Astrophysics Solar Research Experience for Undergraduates Program CURE, Dana Farber Harvard Cancer Center DaRin Butz Research Internship Program on Biology of Plants and Climate Ernst Mayer Travel Grants in Animal Systematics E3 Evolution, Ecology and Environment REU Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program Harvard College Funding Sources Database Harvard College Research Program (HCRP) Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology Harvard Global Health Institute Funding for Independent Projects and Internships Harvard Global Health Institute Cordeiro Summer Research Fellowship Harvard Global Health Institute Domestic and Global Health Fellowships Harvard Medical School Undergraduate Summer Internship in Systems Biology Harvard Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) Program Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology HST Summer Institute Harvard Origins of Life Initiative Harvard School of Public Health Summer Program in Biological Sciences Harvard School of Public Health Summer Program in Biostatistics & Computational Biology Harvard Stem Cell Institute Harvard Student Employment Office Harvard Summer Research Program in Kidney Medicine Harvard University Center for the Environment Undergraduate Fund Herchel Smith-Harvard Undergraduate Science Research Program (any science area) International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) McLean Hospital Mental Health Summer Research Program MCZ Grants-in-Aid for Undergraduate Research MGH Orthopedic Trauma Undergraduate Summer Program MGH Summer Research Trainee Program MGHfC Digestive Disease Summer Research Program Microbial Sciences Initiative Mind, Brain, Behavior Summer Thesis Award PRISE (any science or engineering area) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Summer Institute in Biomedical Informatics, HMS Summer Program in Epidemiology, HSPH STARS - Summer Training in Academic Research Training and Scholarship Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard Summer Research Program, Division of Newborn Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH) Radcliffe Institute Research Partnership Program Ragon Institute Summer Program The Arnold Arboretum The Joey Hanzich Memorial Undergraduate Travel and Research Fellowship Undergraduate Research in Mathematics Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Oceanography Undergraduate Summer Immunology Program at Harvard Medical School Undergraduate Summer Research in Physics

Harvard College Funding Sources Database - Database of both Harvard and outside funding sources for a variety of educational purposes, including research. Additional database: https://uraf.harvard.edu/find-opportunities/resources-your-search/campus-partners

The Harvard Student Employment Office manages a Jobs Database , the Faculty Aide Program and the Federal Work Study Program . All of these programs may offer student research assistant opportunities. The site also provides information about Job Search Resources and Research Opportunities .

CARAT – CARAT (Common Application for Research and Travel) is used by all the major funding sources at Harvard.

Harvard College Research Program (HCRP) – Summer (or term time) stipend. Applications from the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships at 77 Dunster Street.

Deadlines: Fall term funding: 12 noon (EST), Tuesday, September 14, 2021 Spring term funding: 12 noon (EST), Tuesday, February 1, 2022 Summer funding: 12 noon (EST), Tuesday, March 22, 2022 [TENTATIVE]

Late applications will not be accepted for term-time or summer cycles.

Conference funding: rolling application deadline

Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard

The Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH) program connects undergraduates interested in a PhD with first-class researchers working in the life and physical sciences, humanities, and social sciences. This program is offered through GSAS and the Leadership Alliance .

During this 10-week program, SROH interns conduct research and participate in discussions with Cambridge-based Harvard faculty, build their presentation and research discussion skills, and take part in field trips with other Harvard summer programs. Students in the program live in Harvard housing and enjoy access to the outstanding resources of the university.

Note that we also have funding for students interested in atmospheric sciences as part of the NSF-supported International Partnership in Cirrus Studies project. Please see pire.geosci.uchicago.edu for information on participating faculty. Research focuses on modeling and measurement of high-altitude clouds.

PRISE – The Program for Research in Science and Engineering (PRISE) is a summer residential community of Harvard undergraduates conducting research in science or engineering. By the application deadline students must be progressing toward finding a lab or research group but do not need to have finalized their research group or project. Participants must be in residence and be active participants for the entire duration of this ten week program.

Deadline: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 12:00 noon (EST)

Herchel Smith-Harvard Undergraduate Science Research Program – Primarily directed toward students intending to pursue research-intensive concentrations and post-graduate study in the sciences. Undergraduate research either at Harvard or elsewhere, including internationally. Applications from the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships .

Deadline: Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 12:00 noon (EST) via CARAT

Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program -- The Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard is a 10-week faculty-mentored residential summer research program in biotechnology for sophomores (with four quarters or three semesters of college experience), juniors, or non-graduating seniors (who are returning in the fall to continue undergraduate studies)

Deadline : Tuesday, February 1, 2022, 12 noon

Harvard Origins of Life Initiative

Research Grants: Harvard undergraduates can apply for grants to support their research during the academic year.

Summer Undergraduate Program: Summer Undergraduate Research Grants are available for undergraduates working in Origins member faculty on Origins-related projects. Possible research areas include astronomy, astrophysics, chemical biology, geophysics, chemistry, genetics, and earth and planetary sciences.

iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team - The iGEM team is a research experience targeted toward undergraduates interested in synthetic biology and biomolecular engineering.

Mind, Brain, Behavior – Summer Thesis Awards for rising seniors in the MBB track. Applications through MBB.

If interested, contact Shawn Harriman in March of your junior year.

Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Internship Program (HIP) – for students interested in stem cell biology research. Students conduct research in labs affiliated with the HSCI. Accepted students are matched with a research laboratory group. or any college or university across the United States and internationally. Harvard University will sponsor the visas for international students who are selected for this program.

Deadline: Feb 7, 2022

Harvard Summer Research Program in Kidney Medicine (HSRPKM) - an introduction to nephrology (kidney medicine) for the undergraduates considering career paths spanning science and medicine. The Program includes nephrology divisions of four Harvard-affiliated hospitals – Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston’s Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

Deadline : check the program website: https://hskp.bwh.harvard.edu/

BCMP Summer Scholars Program at Harvard University is organized by the The Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (BCMP) at Harvard Medical School. This 10-week program is open to both Harvard undergraduates and to students from other colleges and universities. Students must be authorized to work in the United States.

Deadline: contact program for details

Undergraduate Summer Immunology Program at Harvard Medical School - a ten week summer research internship with a stipend. The program consists of laboratory research, lectures, and workshops and is open to Harvard undergraduates and students from other colleges and universities. Applicants must be eligible for employment in the US.

Deadline: contact program

Microbial Sciences Initiative - Summer research with Harvard Faculty. Email applications to Dr. Karen Lachmayr .

Deadline: contact program

Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH) offers Harvard undergraduates the opportunity to research critical issues in global health under the direction of a Harvard faculty or affiliate mentor. Students in SURGH receive housing in the Harvard Undergraduate Research Village and a stipend for living expenses. The summer savings requirement is also provided for students who are on financial aid. Throughout the summer, participants in SURGH have the opportunity to interact with students in the other on-campus research programs.

Domestic and Global Health Fellowships (DGHI) offers Harvard undergraduates the opportunity to work in field-based and office-based internships in both US health policy and global health. Sites can be domestic or international. Students receive a stipend to cover travel expenses to and from their site, living expenses, and local transportation. Unfortunately DGHI cannot cover the summer savings requirement for students who are on financial aid.

Harvard Global Health Institute Funding for Independent Projects and Internships

Funding for projects in the United States and abroad.

Deadline: contact program

The Joey Hanzich Memorial Undergraduate Travel and Research Fellowship provides up to $5000 to a rising junior or rising senior enrolled in the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy (or another field) who pursues a summer internship, project or research in health policy or global health, either in the United States or abroad.

Cordeiro Summer Research Fellowship Registered GHHP students may apply for a Cordeiro Summer Research Fellowship for the summer before their senior year. Each year 12 to 15 fellowships allow students to get a head start on their senior theses or research projects related to global health or health policy without incurring major costs to themselves.

Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology HST Summer Institute - The HST Summer Institute offers hands-on research experience for undergraduates in two areas of study: Biomedical Informatics and Biomedical Optics . Participating institutions include the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School.

Deadline : contact program

MCZ Grants-in-Aid for Undergraduate Research -The Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), the Harvard University Herbaria (HUH), and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University (AA) award small grants in support of faculty-supervised research by Harvard College undergraduates.

Deadlines: contact program

Ernst Mayer Travel Grants in Animal Systematics

Proposals are reviewed two times a year.

The Arnold Arboretum : Fellowships are available to support undergraduate research

Ashton Award for Student Research
Cunin / Sigal Research Award
Deland Award for Student Research
Shiu-Ying Hu Student/Postdoctoral Exchange Award
Summer Short Course in Organismic Plant Biology
Arnold Arboretum Genomics Initiative and Sequencing Award
Jewett Prize
Sargent Award for Visiting Scholars
Sinnott Award

Living Collections Fellowship – Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Hunnewell Internships – Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Summer Short Course in Organismic Plant Biology Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology - The Harvard Forest Summer Research (REU) program is an intensive 11-week residential research and education experience at the Harvard Forest, a 3,700-acre outdoor laboratory and classroom in central Massachusetts. Students conduct research on the effects of natural and human disturbances on forest ecosystems, including global climate change, hurricanes, forest harvest, changing wildlife dynamics, and invasive species. The program includes a stipend, free housing, all meals, and the travel cost of one round trip to Harvard Forest. This program is open to not only Harvard undergraduates, but also students from all colleges and universities in the United States.

Harvard University Center for the Environment Undergraduate Fund provides financial support for student research projects related to the environment. In the context of this program, 'environment' refers to understanding the relationships and balances of the natural and constructed world around us, with a particular emphasis on understanding how anthropogenic activities and policies affect the environment, including the intimate relationships between energy use and demand, environmental integrity and quality, human health, and climate change. Two types of funding are available: 1) Funds for independent research (preference given to rising seniors seeking funds for senior honors thesis research) and 2) Research Assistantships (directed summer research experiences under Harvard faculty guidance). Award are intended to be applied towards living expenses (room, board), travel expenses related to research activities, and minor research expenses (for students doing independent research projects) for up to 10 weeks. Awards are not intended to serve as a salary stipend for students.  

Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Oceanography : The Harvard Oceanography Committee has funding and fellowships for both term time and summer research.

Harvard School of Public Health Summer Program in Biological Sciences - This intensive 8 week laboratory-based biological research program is for undergraduates during the summer following their sophomore or junior years.

Additional programs at the HSPH:

Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) – for undergraduate students outside of Harvard
Additional summer programs – for undergraduate students outside of Harvard
Additional summer programs – for undergraduate students at Harvard
Boston-based undergraduate students looking for coop or other research internship positions are encouraged to contact faculty members directly.

STARS - Summer Training in Academic Research Training and Scholarship - provides underrepresented minority (URM) medical and undergraduate students an opportunity to engage in exciting basic, clinical and translational research projects during the summer at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS). Housing and stipend provided.

Radcliffe Institute Research Partnership Program -- The Radcliffe Institute Research Partnership Program matches students with leading artists, scholars, scientists, and professionals. Radcliffe Fellows act as mentors and students provide research assistance, acquire valuable research skills, and participate in the Institute’s rich intellectual life.

Harvard School of Public Health Summer Program in Biostatistics & Computational Biology

The Summer Program is a relatively intensive 6-week program, during which qualified participants receive an interesting and enjoyable introduction to biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health research. This program is designed to expose undergraduates to the use of quantitative methods for biological, environmental, and medical research.

MGH Summer Research Trainee Program

The goal of the MGH Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) is to inspire students who are underrepresented in medicine (URM) to consider careers in academic medicine by immersing them in cutting-edge research opportunities. Each summer, fifteen students are selected from a nationwide competition to join SRTP. Each student is assigned to a specific MGH laboratory, clinical site, health policy, or health services research area where they undertake an original research project under the mentorship and guidance of a Mass General Hospital (MGH) investigator. Assignments are carefully considered and are made with the student's research and career interests in mind. In addition to this unique research experience, students will gain knowledge through weekly didactic seminars, both at the MGH and at Harvard Medical School, attend career development workshops and networking event, and have opportunities for clinical shadowing.

Application deadline: contact program

MGHfC Digestive Disease Summer Research Program

Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) Digestive Disease Summer Research Program provides support for 10 students at the undergraduate or medical school level. Each student will be matched with a research mentor to perform an independent research project focused on digestive diseases over a 10-week period during the summer months within a laboratory or collaborating laboratory of the MGHfC. MGHfC collaborating laboratories at MGH possess unique expertise in engineering and computational sciences in support of various projects centered on digestive disease research.

Contact: Bryan P. Hurley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor & Program Director, Mucosal Immunology & Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, [email protected] , http://www.massgeneral.org/mucosal-immunology/Education/summer-research-program.aspx

Broad Institute at Harvard Summer Program

Broad Summer Research Program BSRP is a nine-week undergraduate research program designed for students with an interest in genomics and a commitment to research. Students spend the summer in a laboratory at the Broad Institute, engaged in rigorous scientific research under the guidance of experienced scientists and engineers. Underrepresented minority students enrolled in a four-year college are eligible to apply.

Broad Summer Scholars Program BSSP invites a small number of exceptional and mature high school students with a keen interest in science to spend six weeks at the Broad Institute, working side-by-side with scientists in the lab on cutting-edge research. Rising seniors who live within commuting distance to the Broad Institute are eligible to apply.

DaRin Butz Research Internship Program The program gives undergraduates in the life sciences a unique opportunity to experience research from start to finish while gaining training and connections among scientific colleagues. DaRin Butz Interns will not only conduct research, but will also develop their project with their advisors and be guided through the process of sharing their research through written reports and oral presentations, an important component of scientific research.

MGH Orthopedic Trauma Undergraduate Summer Program

The Harvard Orthopedic Trauma Service provides number of undergraduate opportunities:

Orthopedic Internship

This internship is for undergraduate and graduate/medical students who are looking for exposure to Orthopaedic clinical and basic research.

Orthopedic Trauma Undergraduate Summer Internship

Our program is intended for undergraduates interested in healthcare careers. Our interns are introduced to the hospital experience through orthopedic research and observation.

Women's Sports Medicine Summer Internship Program

Learn more about this month long internship open to medical and premedical students.

Summer Research Program, Division of Newborn Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital

Summer Student Research Program sponsored by the Harvard Program in Neonatology, an academic program which includes Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). The objective of the Summer Student Research Program is to provide motivated students with an intensive laboratory and clinical research experience under the guidance of Faculty and Fellow mentors from the Academic Program. The Summer Program experience includes:

Brigham Research Institute Undergraduate Internships

The internship programs hosted by the Brigham Research Institute provides undergraduate students with a focused and challenging summer research experience in a cutting-edge science laboratory. Interns will have the opportunity to obtain a research training experience in a laboratory or research setting at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Deadlines: check program website

Undergraduate Summer Research in Physics

Undergraduate Research in Mathematics

CURE, Dana Farber Harvard Cancer Center

The CURE program introduces scientifically curious high school and college students from groups currently underrepresented in the sciences to the world of cancer research. Students are placed in laboratories and research environments at the seven DF/HCC member institutions: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as research environments at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Ragon Institute Summer Program

The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard brings together scientists and engineers from diverse fields to better understand the immune system and support human health.

Deadline: check program website

Harvard Medical School Undergraduate Summer Internship in Systems Biology

The Undergraduate Summer Internship is our headline program enabling undergraduate students to collaborate with our researchers, as well as their own peers, through Harvard's Quantitative Biology Initiative and the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. Participants work in our labs, gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art tools, learn cutting-edge scientific techniques in our dynamic research environment. Students interested in pursuing a PhD or MD/PhD, and students from under-represented minorities or disadvantaged backgrounds, are especially encouraged to apply.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is a 10-week program that introduces undergraduates to bioengineering, materials research, nanoscience, and engineering while providing a coordinated, educational, and dynamic research community that inspires them to seek a graduate degree.

Center for Astrophysics Solar Research Experience for Undergraduates Program

Scientists from the Solar and Stellar X-Ray Group (SSXG) and the Solar, Stellar, and Planetary Group (SSP) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) host undergraduate students from around the US. Please visit the website for more information .

E3 Evolution, Ecology and Environment REU

We are seeking rising sophomores, juniors and seniors majoring in the life sciences who would like to join a new Research Experience for Undergraduates program based in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) at Harvard University. Members of the program will enjoy cutting edge research experiences within the context of a strong mentorship community made up of faculty, graduate students, and peers. In addition, members will participate in a professional development program that is aimed at preparing students for the graduate school application process, building confidence to succeed in graduate school, and exploring long-term career opportunities. These professional development activities will include attendance of the annual Leadership Alliance National Symposium (LANS) research and mentoring conference. The E3 REU is part of a larger umbrella program, hosted by the Harvard GSAS Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH) .

Program website: https://reu.oeb.harvard.edu/sroh

Harvard Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) Program

The 10-week Systems Biology Summer Internship Program enables interns to work on research projects spanning many scientific fields, including systems biology, biophysics, bioinformatics, genomics, applied mathematics, and computation.

McLean Hospital Mental Health Summer Research Program

This competitive program seeks to engage scientific curiosity , create research opportunities , and promote academic success in mental health fields for promising young Black, Indigenous and underrepresented People of Color (BIPOC) interested in science . We had our first, very successful MMHRSP last summer, and applications are now open for next summer. MMHRSP is an intensive, 10-week, full-time mental health/neuroscience research experience at McLean Hospital. McLean is the primary psychiatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and is located in Belmont, MA ( https://www.mcleanhospital.org/ ). Chosen Fellows will receive a $7,000 stipend for the 10-week program.

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/training/student-opportunities#research

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/news/new-summer-research-program-welcomes-undergraduates-color

Cell Biology Research Scholars Program (CRSP)

The Cell Biology Research Scholars Program provides a 10-week full-time research opportunity to undergraduate students with a passion for scientific discovery and fundamental biology. Students will be hosted by faculty investigators to work on cutting-edge research projects and participate in training workshops and mentoring activities in preparation for a productive scientific research career.

Summer Institute in Biomedical Informatics , now entering its 15th year, is a 9-week full-time extensive research opportunity with a curriculum including didactic lectures, clinical case studies, a mentored research project, and presentation of findings.

The Summer Program in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is an intensive 5-week program that integrates mathematics and quantitative methods to provide students with an understanding of the skills and processes necessary to pursue a career in public health.

Biodiversity of Hispaniola Booth Fund Fellowship Cognitive Neurosciences at the University of Trento, Italy Darwin and the Origins of Evolutionary Biology, Oxford, England David Rockefeller International Experience Grant Harvard-Bangalore Science Initiative Harvard Summer School Study Abroad in the Sciences HCRP Herchel Smith-Harvard Undergraduate Science Research Program International Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (I-SURGH) RIKEN Center for Allergy and Immunology, Japan RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan Rosenkrantz Travel Grants Study Abroad in Paris, France The Office of Career Services (OCS) awards Undergraduate Research in Engineering and Applied Sciences Undergraduate Research in Mathematics Undergraduate Summer Research in Physics Weissman International Internship

Harvard Summer School Study Abroad in the Sciences

In 2015 Harvard Summer School Science Study Abroad programs will be offered in the Dominican Republic, England, Italy, France, and Japan. See below for links to information on each of these programs.

Darwin and the Origins of Evolutionary Biology - Oxford, England.

Prerequisites: None. Apply through Harvard Summer School.

Information: Andrew Berry

RIKEN Center for Allergy and Immunology - Yokohama, Japan.

Laboratory research in immunology. Students will also receive some Japanese language training. Apply through Harvard Summer School.

Accepted students may apply to the Reischauser Institute for scholarships to help defray the costs of the program.

RIKEN Brain Science Institute – Laboratory Research in Neurobiology, Tokyo, Japan.

Prerequisites: Neurobiology of Behavior (MCB 80) or Animal Behavior (OEB 50); laboratory experience preferred but not required. Apply through Harvard Summer School.

Biodiversity of Hispaniola - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This six-week course covers basic prinicples of ecology, evolution, and island biogeography in the context of the diversity of habitats and organisms on the island of Hispaniola.

Prerequisites: course work in biology

Information: Brian Farrell

Cognitive Neurosciences at the University of Trento - Trento, Italy

This eight-week program at the University of Trento, Italy, organized by the Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative, provides students a unique opportunity to study the mind/brain. Taught by leaders in the fields of neuroscience and cognitive science, the program includes daily, hands-on, laboratory sessions (e.g., neuroimaging demos) and Italian language classes, all while surrounded by the breathtaking Italian Alps.

Information: Alfonso Caramazza

Study Abroad in Paris, France

Biology and the evolution of Paris as a Smart City.

Information: Robert Lue

Bangalore, India; The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)
National Centre of Biological Sciences (NCBS)
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

Note: This is not a Harvard Summer School Program.

Prerequisites: Introductory coursework in basic biology, chemistry, physics, and math.

Information: Venkatesh N. Murthy or Ryan Draft

International Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (I-SURGH) I-SURGH offers Harvard undergraduates the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge global health research in an international setting. Students in I-SURGH receive a stipend to cover travel costs to and from their site, living expenses, and local transportation. Unfortunately Harvard Global Health Institute cannot cover the summer savings requirement for I-SURGH students who are on financial aid. Once accepted to their site, participants in I-SURGH meet with a Harvard faculty member to develop a project that falls within the research agenda of the site. Throughout the summer, students work with a local mentor who supervises their daily work. While all returning Harvard College undergraduates are eligible to apply for an I-SURGH placement, preference is given to sophomores and juniors.

The Office of Career Services (OCS) awards funding for research abroad, including both Harvard Summer School Study Abroad and non-Harvard International programs. The David Rockefeller International Experience Grant , which is a need-based grant aimed at students who have not previously received Harvard international funding, supports many of these awards. Award amounts vary. The purpose of the grant is to afford all students the opportunity to take part in a significant international experience, regardless of financial background. See the Office of Career Services Summer Funding webpage for more information.

Harvard College Research Program (HCRP) – Summer stipend that can be applied towards travel expenses. Applications from the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships at 77 Dunster Street.

Weissman International Internship – Research abroad for returning Harvard undergraduates. Average award ~$4000. More information and applications available through OCS.

Deadline: See the Office of Careers Summer Funding webpage

Booth Fund Fellowship - For seniors to engage in a program of travel, study, research or observation that will further expand and challenge an existing interest in a particular field.

Rosenkrantz Travel Grants

This grant program is exclusively for concentrators in History and Science. It allows motivated rising juniors (who have completed sophomore tutorial) and who are concentrating in history and science to devise a short but meaningful plan of travel and academic discovery in the United States or abroad. This grant program may serve as the first stage of research towards a senior thesis or junior research paper, but there is no requirement that it do so. The only requirement is a sincere passion for adventure and exploration, and a willingness to prepare well for the experience.

Please visit the Department of Physics webpage for more information: https://www.physics.harvard.edu/academics/undergrad/summer

Please visit the Harvard Mathematics Department webpage for more information: http://abel.harvard.edu/research/index.html

Undergraduate Research in Engineering and Applied Sciences

Please visit SEAS website for more information: https://www.seas.harvard.edu/faculty-research/research-opportunities

David Rockefeller International Experience Grant The David Rockefeller International Experience Grants were established in 2009 by David Rockefeller SB ’36, LLD ’69 to give students the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of the world beyond the U.S. or their home country, and to learn about other countries and peoples by spending time immersed in another culture. The purpose of the grant is to afford all students the opportunity to take part in a significant international experience, regardless of financial constraints.

A significant international experience may consist of:

summer study abroad programs
internships and service projects
research assistantships (under the direction of a principle investigator)
experiential learning projects.
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How to do a research project for your academic study

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Writing a research report is part of most university degrees, so it is essential you know what one is and how to write one. This guide on how to do a research project for your university degree shows you what to do at each stage, taking you from planning to finishing the project.

What is a research project?

The big question is: what is a research project? A research project for students is an extended essay that presents a question or statement for analysis and evaluation. During a research project, you will present your own ideas and research on a subject alongside analysing existing knowledge.

How to write a research report

The next section covers the research project steps necessary to producing a research paper.

Developing a research question or statement

Research project topics will vary depending on the course you study. The best research project ideas develop from areas you already have an interest in and where you have existing knowledge.

The area of study needs to be specific as it will be much easier to cover fully. If your topic is too broad, you are at risk of not having an in-depth project. You can, however, also make your topic too narrow and there will not be enough research to be done. To make sure you don’t run into either of these problems, it’s a great idea to create sub-topics and questions to ensure you are able to complete suitable research.

A research project example question would be: How will modern technologies change the way of teaching in the future?

Finding and evaluating sources

Secondary research is a large part of your research project as it makes up the literature review section. It is essential to use credible sources as failing to do so may decrease the validity of your research project.

Examples of secondary research include:

Peer-reviewed journals
Scholarly articles
Newspapers

Great places to find your sources are the University library and Google Scholar. Both will give you many opportunities to find the credible sources you need. However, you need to make sure you are evaluating whether they are fit for purpose before including them in your research project as you do not want to include out of date information.

When evaluating sources, you need to ask yourself:

Is the information provided by an expert?
How well does the source answer the research question?
What does the source contribute to its field?
Is the source valid? e.g. does it contain bias and is the information up-to-date?

It is important to ensure that you have a variety of sources in order to avoid bias. A successful research paper will present more than one point of view and the best way to do this is to not rely too heavily on just one author or publication.

Conducting research

For a research project, you will need to conduct primary research. This is the original research you will gather to further develop your research project. The most common types of primary research are interviews and surveys as these allow for many and varied results.

Examples of primary research include:

Interviews and surveys
Focus groups
Experiments
Research diaries

If you are looking to study in the UK and have an interest in bettering your research skills, The University of Sheffield is a world top 100 research university which will provide great research opportunities and resources for your project.

Research report format

Now that you understand the basics of how to write a research project, you now need to look at what goes into each section. The research project format is just as important as the research itself. Without a clear structure you will not be able to present your findings concisely.

A research paper is made up of seven sections: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and results, discussion, conclusion, and references. You need to make sure you are including a list of correctly cited references to avoid accusations of plagiarism.

Introduction

The introduction is where you will present your hypothesis and provide context for why you are doing the project. Here you will include relevant background information, present your research aims and explain why the research is important.

Literature review

The literature review is where you will analyse and evaluate existing research within your subject area. This section is where your secondary research will be presented. A literature review is an integral part of your research project as it brings validity to your research aims.

What to include when writing your literature review:

A description of the publications
A summary of the main points
An evaluation on the contribution to the area of study
Potential flaws and gaps in the research

Methodology

The research paper methodology outlines the process of your data collection. This is where you will present your primary research. The aim of the methodology section is to answer two questions:

Why did you select the research methods you used?
How do these methods contribute towards your research hypothesis?

In this section you will not be writing about your findings, but the ways in which you are going to try and achieve them. You need to state whether your methodology will be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed.

Qualitative – first hand observations such as interviews, focus groups, case studies and questionnaires. The data collected will generally be non-numerical.
Quantitative – research that deals in numbers and logic. The data collected will focus on statistics and numerical patterns.
Mixed – includes both quantitative and qualitative research.

The methodology section should always be written in the past tense, even if you have already started your data collection.

Findings and results

In this section you will present the findings and results of your primary research. Here you will give a concise and factual summary of your findings using tables and graphs where appropriate.

Discussion

The discussion section is where you will talk about your findings in detail. Here you need to relate your results to your hypothesis, explaining what you found out and the significance of the research.

It is a good idea to talk about any areas with disappointing or surprising results and address the limitations within the research project. This will balance your project and steer you away from bias.

Some questions to consider when writing your discussion:

To what extent was the hypothesis supported?
Was your research method appropriate?
Was there unexpected data that affected your results?
To what extent was your research validated by other sources?

Conclusion

The conclusion is where you will bring your research project to a close. In this section you will not only be restating your research aims and how you achieved them, but also discussing the wider significance of your research project. You will talk about the successes and failures of the project, and how you would approach further study.

It is essential you do not bring any new ideas into your conclusion; this section is used only to summarise what you have already stated in the project.

References

As a research project is your own ideas blended with information and research from existing knowledge, you must include a list of correctly cited references. Creating a list of references will allow the reader to easily evaluate the quality of your secondary research whilst also saving you from potential plagiarism accusations.

The way in which you cite your sources will vary depending on the university standard.

If you are an international student looking to study a degree in the UK , The University of Sheffield International College has a range of pathway programmes to prepare you for university study. Undertaking a Research Project is one of the core modules for the Pre-Masters programme at The University of Sheffield International College.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best topic for research .

It’s a good idea to choose a topic you have existing knowledge on, or one that you are interested in. This will make the research process easier; as you have an idea of where and what to look for in your sources, as well as more enjoyable as it’s a topic you want to know more about.

What should a research project include?

There are seven main sections to a research project, these are:

Introduction – the aims of the project and what you hope to achieve
Literature review – evaluating and reviewing existing knowledge on the topic
Methodology – the methods you will use for your primary research
Findings and results – presenting the data from your primary research
Discussion – summarising and analysing your research and what you have found out
Conclusion – how the project went (successes and failures), areas for future study
List of references – correctly cited sources that have been used throughout the project.

How long is a research project?

The length of a research project will depend on the level study and the nature of the subject. There is no one length for research papers, however the average dissertation style essay can be anywhere from 4,000 to 15,000+ words.

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5 Free Virtual Research Opportunities For High School Students

Virtual research opportunities for high school students are programs that provide hands-on experience and research projects in various STEM fields, such as mathematics, computer science, computational biology, physics, neuroscience, and engineering. These programs are designed to deepen students’ understanding of STEM and help them develop the skills needed to succeed in their academic and professional careers.

Participating in these programs can also help high school students expand their knowledge and skills in their areas of interest and work on exciting, unsolved problems with established researchers from top-tier universities.

Virtual research opportunities are especially useful for high school students who are unable to attend in-person programs due to distance, cost, or other factors. They offer a flexible and accessible way to gain valuable experience and knowledge from the comfort of their own homes. In this article, we will discuss five free virtual research opportunities available for high school students.

1. MIT Primes

MIT PRIMES is a free, year-long after-school program that provides research projects and guided reading to high school students in the areas of mathematics, computer science, and computational biology. The program is designed for students living within driving distance from Boston, and it offers four sections: PRIMES, PRIMES-USA, Menezes Challenge PRIMES Circle, and Yulia’s Dream.

PRIMES is a research-focused program in which participants work with MIT researchers to solve exciting, unsolved problems. PRIMES-USA is a distance mentoring math research section for high school juniors and sophomores from across the United States. Menezes Challenge PRIMES Circle is a math enrichment section for underrepresented groups living within commuting distance from Boston. Yulia’s Dream is a math enrichment and research program for exceptional high school students from Ukraine.

In addition to these sections, PRIMES runs two collaborative initiatives: MathROOTS, a two-week summer program for high-potential high school students from underrepresented backgrounds or underserved communities, and CrowdMath, a year-long online collaborative research project open to all high school and college students worldwide.

Finally, PRIMES STEP is a year-long math enrichment program for middle school students from Greater Boston.

Overall, MIT PRIMES aims to provide challenging and engaging opportunities for students with a passion for mathematics and science. Through research projects, guided reading, and collaborative initiatives, PRIMES seeks to foster the intellectual growth and development of high school and middle school students, and to inspire them to pursue their interests in these fields.

MIT PRIMES is a prestigious year-long after-school program that offers research projects and guided reading to high school students interested in mathematics, computer science, and computational biology.

The admissions for the 2023 cycle are closed, and the admission decisions are made by February 1. However, for the 2024 cycle, new problem sets will be posted on October 1, 2023, and applicants will have until November 30, 2023, to solve the relevant problem set(s).

To apply for MIT PRIMES, you must be a high school student (or a home-schooled student of high school age) living in the Greater Boston area, able to come to MIT weekly from February to May.

To apply, you need to fill out a questionnaire, ask for two or three letters of recommendation, and submit your solutions of the PRIMES problem set. Applicants to the Math section must solve the Math problem set (at least 70%), and applicants to the Computer Science and Computational Biology sections must solve the Computer Science problem set (100%) and the General part of the Math problem set (at least 70%). Admission decisions are based on all components of your application, and there is no application fee.

MIT PRIMES suggests a list of recommended readings as a preparation for entering the program and as a background for further research. By participating in MIT PRIMES, students can gain hands-on experience working on exciting, unsolved problems with MIT researchers and expand their knowledge and skills in these areas.

The Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) is a program that provides opportunities for underrepresented high school students to explore STEM fields. The program is designed to deepen students’ understanding of STEM through traditional classroom instruction, hands-on projects, and sustained engagement with faculty and staff mentors.

SAMS Scholars are taught by renowned faculty and staff who are deeply committed to their success. They also have the opportunity to collaborate and develop meaningful relationships with peers from across the country. Through SAMS and other outreach initiatives, the program aims to develop a diverse and supportive community of STEM Scholars interested in attending top-tier universities.

The program consists of two parts: Part one is a virtual jumpstart that will occur prior to the start of the residential program. This will focus on skill-building that will be needed for the in-person program. Part two is a 5-week in-person Pre-College program where students will move into the residence halls and attend full days of courses and meetings. The academic portion of the program will conclude with a symposium, and students will move out of the residence halls at the end of the program.

SAMS is a fully funded, merit-based program, and there is no cost for scholars to participate. To be eligible for the program, students must be at least 16 years old, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and a junior in high school at the time of application submission. Scholars are expected to participate fully for the duration of the program and cannot participate in any other programs if selected for SAMS.

3. University of Illinois – High School Summer Research Program

The High School Summer STEM research program invites current 9th-11th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, or Wisconsin to apply for an authentic six-week STEMM research experience at a world-class research university. Participants will be matched with another student, and in some cases, a teacher from their school.

The program aims to provide hands-on experience in various STEMM fields, including cancer immunology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, physics, quantum mechanics, bioengineering, and electrical engineering.

Participants will work with established researchers in engineering, computer science, and medicine and attend weekly seminars on topics such as college admission processes and support available, communicating scientifically, and preparing research posters etc. Students will also interact with faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and local high school teachers.

Participants will showcase their research with a research poster and symposium at the end of the program. They should plan for 30-35 hours per week of research and professional development time, with a majority of activities taking place on the University of Illinois campus.

The program covers some transportation/parking expenses, meals, and a monetary award.

High school teachers play an essential role in the program, with some research projects requiring a teacher to be a co-researcher, and others having a teacher mentor who checks in weekly with the students to discuss their research progress and address any issues or challenges.

Teachers and students do not need to come from the same school, and interested individuals should apply regardless of whether they can recruit others from their school to apply.

The program also invites research faculty, staff, and graduate student researchers affiliated with The Grainger College of Engineering and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine to propose a high school research project for consideration. The proposals will be mentored by POETS YS, GEnYuS, or SpHERES research teams, which will guide two high school juniors/seniors from limited understanding to completion of a related project of their own and poster presentation explaining their research.

In summary, the High School Summer STEM research program provides high school students with an opportunity to engage in authentic STEMM research and develop professional and college-ready skills. Participants work with established researchers, attend weekly seminars, and showcase their research at the end of the program.

The program aims to provide hands-on experience and build confidence in students as scientists and engineers.

4. Simons Summer Research Program

The Simons Summer Research Program is a highly selective program that offers high school students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research with Stony Brook faculty mentors. Founded in 1984, the program attracts applicants from all over the country, with Simons Fellows being paired with a faculty mentor, joining a research group or team, and taking responsibility for a project. Students are encouraged to demonstrate independence, creativity, and an aptitude for hands-on work, with a strong interest in science. The program takes place during the summer before the student’s senior year of high school, with students participating in the program from June 26, 2023 to August 11, 2023.

In addition to working on their research project, Simons Fellows attend weekly faculty research talks, special workshops, tours, and events. At the closing poster symposium, students present their research project through a written research abstract and a research poster. Participants receive a stipend award.

The Simons Summer Research Program is supported by the Simons Foundation and is open to US citizens and/or permanent residents who are at least 16 years of age by the start of the program. The program is an opportunity for high school students interested in science to learn valuable techniques, experience life at a major research university, and develop independence, creativity, and an aptitude for hands-on work. The program aims to give students a glimpse into the world of scientific research and inspire them to pursue careers in science.

5. EnergyMag Internship

EnergyMag is offering virtual internships for high school and college students interested in increasing the share of renewable energy in the world and gaining work experience in the energy storage industry.

The internships aim to provide students with research and analysis skills that will be valuable for their future professional lives. The virtual internship allows students to complete their internship hours virtually, providing flexibility to fit the experience into their busy personal and professional lives. Additionally, virtual interns enjoy the unique rewards of learning from experts regardless of their geographic location and strengthening their information and computer skills.

The internships are strong resume boosters for employers, graduate college programs, and undergraduate programs.

EnergyMag offers half-time and quarter-time virtual internships. Half-time internships are available in the summer for two to eight weeks, with interns expected to work approximately 20 hours per week. Quarter-time internships are available all year round for one to nine months, with interns expected to work approximately eight hours per week. The internships are unpaid, and interns work from home while maintaining daily electronic contact with EnergyMag and their mentor.

Depending on the student’s graduation date, academic record, and experience, interns will be asked to research and analyze a specific company, technology, or market. The intern will be mentored, briefed, supervised, and assisted in producing a draft analysis report. If the report is publishable, EnergyMag will give the intern an internship Letter of Accomplishment.

The application process for college and high school internships requires an application explaining why EnergyMag should grant an internship, a Skype or voice interview, and a writing sample upon request. College interns are also required to provide their academic record, and high school interns should have at least one honors science or English class with a GPA above 3.25.

EnergyMag believes that internships provide the opportunity for students to learn on-the-job skills that are not easy to acquire at school but will make a big difference in their future professional success, such as learning how to research a scientific or business issue, approach strangers with positions of authority in a friendly and professional manner, analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources, and communicate professionally in writing.

The blog highlights five virtual research opportunities for high school students, providing hands-on experience and research projects in various STEM fields such as mathematics, computer science, physics, neuroscience, and engineering. These virtual research opportunities aim to provide students with a deeper understanding of STEM and develop the necessary skills to succeed in academic and professional careers. Furthermore, these programs help expand knowledge and work on unsolved problems with established researchers from top-tier universities.

Virtual research opportunities for high school students provide a flexible and accessible way to gain valuable experience and knowledge from the comfort of their own homes. These programs aim to foster the intellectual growth and development of high school and middle school students, and inspire them to pursue their interests in these fields.

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Top 50+ Final Year Project Ideas For IT Students [Revised 2024]

In the world of IT education, final year projects are like the grand finale of a thrilling adventure. These projects aren’t just assignments; they’re the culmination of years of learning, exploration, and innovation. Choosing the right final year project ideas for IT students can be both exhilarating and challenging. But fear not! In this blog, we’ll explore a variety of exciting final year project ideas tailored for IT students, ranging from web development to cybersecurity and beyond.

What Are The 4 Types Of IT Based Projects?

Table of Contents

There are various types of IT-based projects, each focusing on different aspects of information technology. Here are four types explained with examples:

Software Development Projects: These projects involve creating software applications or systems to solve specific problems or cater to user needs. For example, developing a mobile banking application for a financial institution to enable users to perform transactions securely from their smartphones.
Web Development Projects: These projects revolve around creating websites or web applications to serve various purposes, such as e-commerce, social networking, or information dissemination. An example would be building an online marketplace like Amazon or eBay, allowing users to buy and sell products conveniently.
Data Science and Analytics Projects: These projects involve analyzing and interpreting data to extract valuable insights or predictions. For instance , developing a predictive maintenance system for manufacturing plants by analyzing equipment sensor data to anticipate machinery failures and prevent downtime.
Cyber Security Projects: These projects aim to keep our online stuff safe from bad guys who try to mess with it. An example would be implementing a network intrusion detection system (NIDS) to monitor and identify suspicious activities on a corporate network, helping prevent potential security breaches.

Each type of IT-based project requires different skill sets and methodologies but plays a crucial role in advancing technology and addressing real-world challenges.

50+ Final Year Project Ideas For IT Students: Beginners To Advanced

Beginner level projects.

Personal Portfolio Website: Create a website to showcase your skills, projects, and resume.
ToDo List Application: Develop a simple app to manage tasks and deadlines.
BMI Calculator: Design a basic calculator to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI).
Quiz Application: Build an interactive quiz app with multiple-choice questions.
Weather App: Create an app to display weather forecasts based on user location.
Expense Tracker: Develop an app to track expenses and generate monthly reports.
Recipe Finder: Design a web app to search for recipes based on ingredients.
Student Management System: Build a system to manage student records, grades, and attendance.
Blogging Platform: Create a platform for users to write and publish blog posts.
Online Resume Builder: Develop a tool to help users create professional resumes.

Intermediate Level Projects

E-commerce Website: Build a website for buying and selling products online.
Social Media Dashboard: Create a dashboard to monitor and analyze social media activity.
Task Management Tool: Develop a tool for managing tasks, deadlines, and team collaboration.
Stock Market Tracker: Design an app to track stock prices and analyze market trends.
Hospital Management System: Build a system to manage patient records, appointments, and billing.
Fitness Tracker App: Create an app to track workouts, calories burned, and fitness goals.
Online Learning Platform: Develop a platform for delivering courses, quizzes, and assignments.
Real-Time Chat Application: Build a chat app for real-time communication between users.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Create a system to manage customer interactions and sales leads.
Issue Tracking System: Design a system for tracking and resolving software bugs and issues.
Parking Management System: Develop a system for managing parking spaces and payments in a city or campus.
Event Management Platform: Build a platform for organizing and managing events, including ticketing and attendee registration.
Language Learning App with AI Tutor: Create an app that uses artificial intelligence to personalize language learning lessons and provide feedback.
Smart Agriculture System: Develop a system to monitor soil moisture, temperature, and crop health for precision agriculture.
Ride-Sharing App: Build an app for arranging ridesharing and carpooling among users in the same area.
Online Marketplace for Freelancers: Create a platform for freelancers to offer their services and connect with clients.
IoT-Based Home Security System: Design a system that uses Internet of Things (IoT) devices to monitor and secure homes against intruders.
Virtual Classroom Platform: Develop a platform for hosting virtual classrooms, including video conferencing, whiteboarding, and screen sharing features.
Document Management System: Build a system for organizing, storing, and retrieving documents in digital format.
Travel Planning App: Create an app that helps users plan trips, book accommodations, and discover attractions at their destination.

Advanced Level Projects

Artificial Intelligence Chatbot: Develop a chatbot using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.
Blockchain-Based Voting System: Create a secure voting system using blockchain technology.
Virtual Reality (VR) Tour App: Build an app to provide virtual tours of destinations using VR technology.
Predictive Maintenance System: Develop a system to predict equipment failures in manufacturing plants using machine learning.
Autonomous Drone: Build a drone capable of autonomous flight and navigation using computer vision.
Augmented Reality (AR) Game: Create an AR game that overlays digital elements onto the real world.
Autonomous Vehicle: Develop a self-driving car using sensors, cameras, and machine learning algorithms.
Cybersecurity Training Platform: Build a platform for cybersecurity training and simulations.
Smart Home Automation System: Design a system to control home appliances and devices remotely.
Personalized Health Monitoring System: Develop a system to monitor and analyze health data for personalized recommendations.
Quantum Machine Learning Algorithms: Develop machine learning algorithms optimized for quantum computing platforms.
Brain-Computer Interface for Rehabilitation: Design a system that uses brain signals to control robotic limbs for rehabilitation purposes.
Autonomous Delivery Drone Fleet: Build a fleet of autonomous drones capable of delivering packages to customers.
Smart City Infrastructure Management System: Develop a system for managing various aspects of a smart city, such as traffic, energy, and waste management.
Predictive Healthcare Analytics Platform: Create a platform for analyzing healthcare data to predict disease outbreaks, diagnose illnesses, and recommend treatments.
Advanced Robotics for Disaster Response: Develop robots capable of navigating and performing tasks in disaster scenarios, such as search and rescue missions.
Quantum Cryptocurrency: Design a cryptocurrency protocol based on quantum-resistant encryption techniques.
Space Exploration Mission Planning Software: Develop software for planning and simulating space exploration missions, including trajectory optimization and resource management.
AI-Powered Personalized Shopping Assistant: Create a virtual shopping assistant that uses artificial intelligence to recommend products based on user preferences and shopping history.
Autonomous Ocean Exploration Vehicle: Build a self-navigating underwater vehicle equipped with sensors for mapping and studying marine environments.

Expert Level Projects

Quantum Computing Simulator: Create a simulator for quantum algorithms and computations.
Neural Network Framework: Develop a framework for building and training neural networks from scratch.
Swarm Robotics Project: Build a group of autonomous robots capable of collaborating on tasks.
Genome Sequencing Software: Develop software for analyzing and interpreting genomic data.
Brain-Computer Interface: Design a system for controlling devices using brain signals.
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV): Build a self-driving submarine for underwater exploration.
Humanoid Robot: Create a humanoid robot capable of interacting with humans and performing tasks.
Advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) Tool: Develop a tool for sentiment analysis, language translation, and text generation.
Quantum Cryptography System: Build a secure communication system using quantum key distribution.
Fusion Energy Research Project: Conduct research on nuclear fusion as a potential source of clean energy.

How Do You Plan An IT Project?

Planning an IT project involves several key steps to ensure its success. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to plan an IT project effectively:

Define Project Objectives:
Clearly explain what you want to achieve with the project. What’s the problem you’re trying to fix, and what do you hope will happen as a result?
Make sure your goals are clear, can be measured, are possible to achieve, matter to the project, and have a set timeframe (SMART).
Conduct Stakeholder Analysis:
Identify all stakeholders involved in the project, including clients, end-users, project sponsors, and team members.
Understand their interests, expectations, and potential impact on the project.
Communicate with stakeholders regularly to gather feedback and address concerns.
Develop a Project Scope:
Define the scope of the project, including deliverables, features, functionalities, and constraints.
Clearly document project requirements, both functional and non-functional, to ensure a shared understanding among stakeholders.
Create a Project Plan:
Break down the project into manageable tasks and activities.
Develop a project timeline with milestones, deadlines, and dependencies.
Allocate resources, including budget, manpower, and technology, based on project requirements.
Identify Risks and Mitigation Strategies:
Make sure to carefully check for anything that could go wrong with the project.
Come up with plans to deal with these problems and make them less harmful.
Continuously monitor and evaluate risks throughout the project lifecycle.
Define Project Governance:
Establish project governance structures, roles, and responsibilities.
Clarify decision-making processes, escalation procedures, and communication channels.
Ensure accountability and transparency among project stakeholders.
Select Project Management Methodology:
Choose an appropriate project management methodology based on project requirements, constraints, and organizational culture.
Common methodologies include Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, Kanban, and Lean.
Tailor the chosen methodology to suit the specific needs of the project.
Create a Communication Plan:
Develop a communication plan to ensure effective and timely communication among project stakeholders.
Define communication objectives, audience, messages, channels, and frequency.
Foster a culture of open communication and collaboration throughout the project.
Allocate Resources:
Allocate resources, including human resources, budget, equipment, and software tools, based on project requirements and constraints.
Ensure that resources are adequately trained and equipped to perform their assigned tasks.
Establish Monitoring and Control Mechanisms:
Implement monitoring and control mechanisms to track project progress, performance, and compliance with project plans.
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v.81; 2022 Sep

Undergraduate students' involvement in research: Values, benefits, barriers and recommendations

Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi

a Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

b Global Health Focus, Abuja, Nigeria

Developing, maintaining, and sustaining undergraduate research initiatives can benefit academic institutions, faculty mentors, and students. As the world evolves, more research is required to advance knowledge and innovation in all fields. This implies that students must be prepared for today's knowledge-driven world. Research in the medical and health sciences has stalled in many developing countries, where a dual burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases is prevalent. In this article, I discuss the values and benefits of undergraduate healthcare students participating in research and scientific publishing, as well as the challenges they face. I also make recommendations to encourage undergraduates to get involved in research. The potential of undergraduate research has not yet been fully realized. Undergraduate research's main objectives are to teach students how to do research and to help them acquire skills that they can use beyond the academic environment. Undergraduate research will complement rather than conflict with university education and should go beyond the mandatory terminal year thesis and must cover the entire course of their studies. The key to successful undergraduate research participation is for students to see and understand the importance of rigor, academic integrity, and responsible research conduct. This means academic institutions should carefully plan research programs, activities, and courses for students. Building capacity in research has a long-term impact on valuable learning outcomes as undergraduate students prepare for professional service. Stakeholders and educational authorities must invest in strengthening undergraduate involvement in research.

1. Introduction

As the world evolves, the need for research grows, and it remains a factor of key importance in creating a knowledge-driven economy and supporting development initiatives as well as driving innovations across all fields [ 1 ]. It is becoming more and more important to increase undergraduate student involvement in research [ 2 ]. Academic institutions, faculty mentors, and students can all benefit from developing, maintaining, and sustaining undergraduate research initiatives. By integrating research into their academic courses and giving them a strong academic foundation, students can strengthen their autonomous critical thinking abilities as well as their oral and written communication skills, among others. As students are ready for professional service, the research process affects important learning goals that have a lasting impact. All students should be prepared for the contemporary knowledge-driven world because, today, doing research is not just for academics but also for individuals and institutions interested in knowledge creation and advancement.

The advancement and innovation of all fields, including the health sciences and related areas, depends on research [ 3 ]. Society can benefit greatly from health-related research [ 4 ], which can provide vital insights into disease trends and risk factors, treatment outcomes or public health interventions, care patterns, costs and usage of healthcare services, and more. By doing research to find solutions to problems that are currently unknown, we can close knowledge gaps and change the way healthcare professionals work as well as how we respond to public health issues. With the increase in health concerns ravaging the world [ [5] , [6] , [7] ], it is clear that research is indispensable – whether it be tackling diseases of poverty, performing clinical trials, responding to the rise of chronic diseases, improving access to medicines, increasing vaccines uptake, containing local epidemics, developing innovation in treatment plans, or ensuring that marginalized populations have access to HIV care treatments, among others. This suggests that there is a pressing need to advance knowledge creation and utilization, and that gathering local, grassroots data at all levels of healthcare is important.

Research in the medical and health sciences has seen a downturn in many developing countries [ 8 ], where a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases is highly prevalent. The development of undergraduate health sciences students' research capacity is a key intervention to address this issue. With the support of faculties, it is possible for undergraduate students to learn about and participate actively in research. In this article, I discuss the values and benefits of undergraduate healthcare students' involvement in research and scientific publishing, as well as the challenges they face. I also provide recommendations to advance undergraduates’ involvement in research.

2. Values and benefits of undergraduate research

Involving undergraduate students in research should go beyond the mandatory terminal year thesis and must cover the entire course of their studies. There are myriads of benefits to involving (healthcare) students in research and scientific publishing at the undergraduate level. Research is a methodical process of investigation that includes data collection and analysis, the recording of significant information, and subsequent analysis and interpretation of that information in accordance with the protocols defined by specific academic and professional disciplines [ 9 ]. This implies that conducting research is an important way to improve students’ ability to think critically and solve problems, both of which are essential throughout their career as healthcare professionals. Critical thinking abilities have been linked to better patient outcomes, higher patient care quality, and improved safety outcomes [ 10 ]. While problem-solving focuses on identifying and resolving issues, critical thinking entails asking insightful questions and critiquing solutions. Early exposure of healthcare students to the value of research is a critical strategy for increasing their interest in and attitude toward it. Table 1 highlights the achievements of some students that engaged in research as undergraduates.

Examples of students that got involved in research as undergraduate and their achievements.

Name	Achievement
Adeola Bamisaiye	She contributed to a research effort to advance knowledge on AMR surveillance in Nigeria, as a pharmacy student.
Niel Stensen	He was a medical student when he discovered the parotid duct in sheep.
Joseph Black	He discovered fixed air, now called CO , as a medical student.
Alaka Hassan Olayemi	A microbiology student contributing to research effort in the field of antimicrobial resistance and one health.
Jay Mclean	He discovered Heparin, as a medical student.
Adriana Viola Miranda	She is a medical student contributing to research efforts in using digital technology to advance public health, earning her several awards.
Lorenzo Bellini	He was only 19 years when he published his discovery of the kidney tubules.
Melody Okereke	He developed the first framework for Nigerian industrial pharmacists to combat substandard and counterfeit medicine in his third year in pharmacy school.
Aminat Olaitan Adebayo	While still an undergraduate, she is actively contributing to research efforts to advance the field of planetary health.
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi	He was the first undergraduate healthcare student to publish more than 50 research articles on global public health issues in peer-reviewed journals, while attending pharmacy school, earning him the prestigious Diana Award and many other global accolades.
Isaac Olushola Ogunkola	One of the leading young researchers advancing research and innovation in the field of harm reduction, health justice and drug policy.
Charles Herbert Best	His contribution to medicine nearly won him a Nobel Prize.
Goodness Ogeyi Odey	She was a recipient of the prestigious Diana Award because of her involvement in research geared towards advancing health equity.
Esther Ejiroghene Ajari	She is one of the leading undergraduate students championing research and innovation in the advancement of menstrual health equity.

The elements required for professional competency in the health fields are covered in healthcare student curricula. This includes understanding of the fundamental theories and literature in the field of study, as well as knowledge of the terminology or technical language specific to health sciences. Incorporating research methodology and the hypothesis-driven scientific process can help to build on this foundation while also stimulating independent critical thinking. By involving undergraduate students in research, they can build trust in the scientific process. Besides that, independent thinking can give an undergraduate student the confidence to draw their own conclusions based on available evidence. No doubt that undergraduate students who took part in research projects will have greater thought independence, a stronger intrinsic motivation to learn, and a more active role in their learning. As a result, as undergraduates prepare for their respective professions, the research process has a very positive impact on their practice.

Students who participate in research may have the chance to develop the advanced writing abilities needed for science publishing and communication [ 11 ]. Even though healthcare students write a lot throughout their time in college, many still struggle to write in a way that is considered acceptable. This is due to the fact that students frequently plagiarize in writing assignments since there is usually little to no formal training on academic writing, and some institutions pay less attention to this. It has also become more challenging for students to express themselves in their own words during academic assessments as a result of the encouragement to memorize academic information verbatim by some teachers. Writing is difficult, but it is a skill that can be honed. Improving students' writing skills is much easier if proper attention is paid to strengthening their capacity for and involvement in the academic research process. This will be useful to them throughout their career, whether they choose to be academic or not.

Investing in academic writing skills among students, particularly in developing countries, is critical for improving scientific outputs on health issues confronting the region. It is not enough to know how to conduct research; academic writing is also important. Additionally, it is crucial for academic institutions to encourage students to present their research work at scientific conferences, which are frequently restricted to postgraduate students. This gives them the chance to collaborate more frequently with faculty members while also giving them another learning opportunity and boosting their confidence and presentation skills. Students who make significant contributions to the intellectual aspect of a research should not be relegated to acknowledgement section of the paper but should be included as co-authors. Furthermore, students should not be denied first authorship because of power dynamics. This will definitely improve students’ attitude towards research.

Through research, students can observe how the theories and concepts they have learned are applied. The active learning aspect of research allows students to connect with their own interests, which is not possible in a passive learning setting. If a research culture and thought process are instilled in healthcare students as they progress through the academic institution in a more systematic, logical, and integrated manner, it will be easier for them to understand what they are learning and will promote active participation in class. This is due to the fact that students who conduct research will be able to understand the research process and how scientists think and work on problems; learn about different lab techniques (as needed); develop skills in data analysis and interpretation; and be able to integrate theory and practice. Further, undergraduates should be involved in research as early as possible because it allows them to identify, develop, and nurture their interests while being open-minded to other areas. This will make choosing and transitioning into research area of choice much easier for them as they pursue postgraduate studies. Because of the high-level of interest and fundamental knowledge gained through undergraduate research participation, it will be possible to increase the enthusiasm, completion rates, and quality of academic research at the postgraduate level. Besides that, undergraduate research allows students to decide whether or not they want to pursue a career in research.

Due to the opportunity for students to pursue their individual interests, research experiences have been linked to a boost in students' motivation to learn [ 12 ]. This means undergraduates will have the chance to take more control over their own learning experiences and have their intellectual curiosity piqued by research. Student-faculty research mentoring relationships frequently develop over time. In contrast to what is possible in the classroom, students form a distinct type of interaction with their research mentor. Most of the time, the interaction is more intense and lasts longer. It frequently serves as the foundation for lifelong friendships and career guidance. When students are looking for jobs or graduate schools, faculty research mentors are an excellent source of recommendations and advice. Additionally, students gain experience working in a research team, which typically involves group work, stronger relationships with colleagues and faculty members, and the development of communication skills. All of which are qualities that employers are increasingly looking for. The key to successful undergraduate research participation is for students to see and understand the importance of rigor, academic integrity, and responsible research conduct. This means academic institutions should carefully plan research programs, activities, and courses for students.

One of the most significant benefits of student research participation is the possibility of publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals. This will also give students early exposure to the process and concept of scientific publishing. Students who submit their manuscript to a reputable journal for publication can also benefit from peer review, which allows them to improve their paper and learn more from the reviewers’ comments. Also, undergraduate students who are exposed to the scientific publishing process early on will be less likely to become victims of predatory journals. Students with publishing experience may be inspired and motivated to pursue a career in research. Having publication allows students to improve their resumes and graduate school applications. Publishing counts as research experience and demonstrates that undergraduate students who have published are enthusiastic about research. As an active learning process, research requires students to frame questions, devise a strategy for testing their hypotheses, analyze data, and write clearly to report their findings, among other things. The research experiences, skills, and knowledge students acquire at the undergraduate level will better prepare them for many of their future endeavors, including careers and postgraduate study. In addition to exposing students to conducting original/primary research, it is important to engage them in secondary research activities including writing reviews, correspondence, commentary, viewpoints, book chapters, and more. Secondary research improves students' writing abilities and thought processes, enables the construction of intelligent arguments, enhances their capacity to use scientific databases to find evidence, and teaches them how to engage in constructive criticism, among others.

While the benefits of undergraduate research to students have been highlighted in the preceding paragraphs, academic institutions can also benefit from engaging undergraduates in research [ 13 ]. Teams conducting research benefit from the enthusiasm and energy of curious undergraduate students. They frequently keep asking for more tasks to complete since they are eager to learn. Undergraduate students often pose inquiries that can be quite perceptive and, perhaps rather unintentionally, alter the way advisors approach research problems and better improve the quality of scientific output from such institutions. In contrast to how faculty research mentors interact with graduate students and other senior team members, undergraduate researchers need responses to inquiries in unique ways, which usually facilitate an opportunity for multidirectional intense learning.

Furthermore, undergraduate students' contributions to peer-reviewed publications and local, regional, national, or international research presentations at conferences and other scientific gatherings will benefit the university or institution's visibility in the scientific community and attract more funding. Students can actively contribute to scientific knowledge provided they are motivated and have the necessary research knowledge and abilities. I serve as a practical example. At the undergraduate level, I published more than 50 articles (including both primary and secondary research) in peer-reviewed journals on a diverse range of public health issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic. While still an undergraduate, I received research and travel grants and presented scientific papers both locally and internationally. This captured the attention of the media, and many undergraduates are now inspired to participate in research more than ever. With the right support systems in place, undergraduates' contributions to scientific literature can be valuable, benefiting not only the student but also the academic institution and society. Imagine a university where students receive the assistance they require to develop their capacity for scientific publishing and research. Such an institution would contribute more to science and knowledge creation, raising their profile in the process. Undergraduate research initiatives are an untapped gold mine if they are nurtured, funded, and supported adequately.

3. Barriers and challenges facing involvement of undergraduate students in research

Healthcare undergraduates interested in research face a number of challenges that have been documented in academic literature. In this section, I conducted a rapid unsystematic review of primary studies and used Table 2 to summarize the challenges and barriers facing undergraduate research identified in randomly selected academic papers.

Barriers and challenges facing healthcare students’ involvement in research.

Study	Country of study	Identified barriers and challenges
Kiyimba B et al. (2022) [ ]	Uganda	Participants cited a lack of funds, mentorship and guidance, and collaboration opportunities as major barriers to their participation in research. The majority of the study respondents identified design research studies and manuscript writing as the most difficult steps in the research process.
Assar A et al. (2022) [ ]	Six Arab Countries (Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Jordan, Syria and Palestine)	The top ten perceived barriers towards research practice in the entire sample were lack of access to lab equipment for research, priority of education over research, lack of time because of educational tasks, generally poor attention given to researchers, lack of fund, poor collaboration between different academic departments and research centers, Insufficient research skills, lack of suitable research space, lack of faculty input and lack of familiarity with research studies.
Ferdoush J et al. (2022) [ ]	Bangladesh	Majority of the respondents reported that inadequate time and priorities, insufficient guidance, inadequate familiarities with research methodology and statistical analysis were the barriers of research.
Mugabo E et al. (2021) [ ]	Rwanda	The most significant barrier to research participation was students' belief that they lacked knowledge of research processes. Other significant barriers included a lack of mentors, a lack of funds, and undergraduate students believing they are unqualified to conduct research.
Alsaleem SA et al. (2021) [ ]	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia	Lack of time, skills, funding, facilities, and limited access to medical journals and related databases were the significant barriers found.
Kanmounye US et al. (2020) [ ]	Cameroon	Barriers to research included lack of funding, obsolete patient information management systems, and limited understanding of biostatistics.
Awofeso OM et al. (2020) [ ]	Nigeria	Reported barriers included lack of funding for research, lack of research and biostatistics curriculum, inadequate training in research methodology, insufficient time allocation to undergraduate research, lack of professional supervisors and proper mentoring, and lack of equipped laboratory facilities to conduct research.
El Achi D et al. (2020) [ ]	Lebanon	Students found the lack of mentoring and guidance to be the main barrier in conducting medical research.
Kumar J et al. (2019) [ ]	Pakistan	Lack of knowledge as a barrier was identified by students. The second most common barrier identified by the students was lack of time, followed by lack of mentoring as the third most common barrier.
Chellaiyan VG et al. (2019) [ ]	India	Difficulty in choosing topic, difficulty in collecting data, and allocation of time amidst academic activities were considered as a barrier
Pallamparthy S et al. (2019) [ ]	India	Barriers identified were lack of awareness, interest, funds, time, and difficulty in follow-up of patients.
Dadipoor S et al. (2019) [ ]	Iran	The two most common personal barriers were a lack of research technique expertise and poor research skills. Access to information sources was the most pervasive organizational barrier, but it was also the least common. The findings revealed that during their studies, research students encountered more personal challenges than organizational constraints.
Kyaw Soe HH et al. (2018) [ ]	Malaysia	The majorly cited barriers were the lack of time, lack of knowledge and skills, lack of funding and facilities, and lack of rewards.
Noorelahi MM et al. (2015) [ ]	Saudi Arabia	The most important obstacle predictors implicated in not conducting research among all the studied subjects were inadequate facility for research, lack of interest by faculty or guide, and unavailability of the samples or patients.
Memarpour M et al. (2015) [ ]	Iran	Inadequate financial support was cited as the main barrier, followed by a preference for academic instruction over research, limited time and lack of research skills and knowledge.

The rapid review of the fifteen (15) original studies in Table 2 revealed the major barriers and challenges limiting undergraduate student involvement in research across different countries. The findings of the reviewed studies were clearly similar. The key barriers and challenges to undergraduate involvement in research can be divided into three categories: a significant lack of knowledge and skills to participate in research; little to no faculty support, mentorship, funding and motivation for undergraduates to participate in research; and structural barriers limiting student involvement in research such as lack of time due to the loaded curriculum, dearth of research facilities as well as lack of major plans and strategies for undergraduate research.

4. Recommendations

There is an urgent need for stakeholders all over the world to look into the issues and devise tailored strategies to increase the involvement of (healthcare) students in research. Here are my eight (8) recommendations to advance the involvement of undergraduate students in research:

1. Research methods and processes should be taught to students as early as their second year of college. Even though some universities only cover research methodologies in the final year, it is essential to include more content on scientific writing and research methods as a mandatory course throughout the whole academic program. Undergraduate teaching curricula and approaches should promote inquiry-based learning. All professional classes' academic curricula might include regular discussions of new advances in the medical and health sciences, and the academic departments might be tasked with organizing these conversations. Long-term, this practice would foster a research aptitude in undergraduate students since opportunity like these would stimulate their minds.
2. As part of academic program, students should be evaluated for their interest in research and assigned suitable researchers to serve as their research mentors. Faculty research mentors must also be compensated. Lecturers do not receive credit for mentoring students for publications or research projects. Credit points should be awarded for each peer-reviewed publication attributed to such mentorship to encourage faculty-student research collaboration and motivate them to serve as research mentors for undergraduates. Mandatory structured mentorship programs are desperately needed.
3. During the undergraduate program, students should have the opportunity to participate in more research trainings, internships, and placements locally and internationally. This will contribute significantly to students' research skills and experience.
4. Students should be encouraged to publish at least two papers, either primary or secondary research, in peer-reviewed journals before graduation. Besides that, the final year thesis must be published and must be on a topic with the potential to make or drive impact.
5. Encourage undergraduate students to participate in scientific meetings, conferences, and seminars and to present their research, project, ideas or innovation in such gathering. Funding should be provided for undergraduate research conferences so that students can share their work, learn from the experiences of others, and improve institutional collaboration. This is a worthwhile investment towards advancing knowledge creation and utilization.
6. Existing undergraduate journals (e.g., International Journal of Medical Students), student research capacity building initiatives (e.g., Global Health Focus), undergraduate research funding initiatives, and other efforts aimed at promoting student involvement in research should be supported in order to provide more opportunities for students to participate in research.
7. A platform should be established to celebrate, provide incentives, and awards to undergraduates who contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge. More students will be inspired to participate in research as a result of this. Funding (e.g., travel grant, research grant, etc.) should be made more accessible to students that have demonstrated remarkable passion for knowledge creation.
8. More research should be conducted across academic institutions to better understand the local barriers that prevent undergraduates from participating in research.

5. Conclusion

Undergraduate research is a treasure trove that has yet to be fully tapped. The primary goal of undergraduate research is to teach students how to conduct research and to develop necessary skills that can be applied outside of the academic setting. Bolstering undergraduate research will complement, rather than conflict with, university education. There is an urgent need to develop global and local initiatives as well as strengthen current initiatives to further encourage undergraduate students to participate in research and scientific publishing.

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1. Introduction. As the world evolves, the need for research grows, and it remains a factor of key importance in creating a knowledge-driven economy and supporting development initiatives as well as driving innovations across all fields [].It is becoming more and more important to increase undergraduate student involvement in research [].Academic institutions, faculty mentors, and students can ...

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10. Traffic Predictor

11. AI Art Generator

12. Movie Recommender

13. Voice-Controlled Home Automation

14. Wildlife Conservation

15. AI-Powered Fitness Tracker

16. Disease Outbreak Predictor

17. AI-Powered Tutor

18. Earthquake Predictor

19. Sentiment Analysis

20. AI-Powered Scheduler

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Top 12 Engineering Research Grants: Oregon State Secures Millions for Cutting-Edge Projects

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Graduate Research PhD Project Scholarships

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The La Trobe University end-of-year scholarship round is now open and will close on 30 September 2024 for international applicants, and 31 October 2024 and domestic applicants.

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How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students

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The Complete Guide to Independent Research Projects for High School Students

Indigo Research Team

What is an Independent Research Project?

Why Should High School Students Do Independent Research?

Develop Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

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Earn Scholarship Opportunities

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Develop Time Management Skills