Apply Now to the 2024 New Researchers Summer Program!
For high school students to learn how to conduct research for impact alongside leading research institutions, nonprofits, and motivated peers.
Are you a high school student who wants to make a difference in the world? Are you interested in research but struggling to find opportunities to meaningfully conduct it? Then you should apply to New Researchers, a completely free 8-week virtual summer research program running from June 16th to August 11th, dedicated to equipping high school students with the tools to conduct and publish original research and leverage research to create impact in the real world. New Researchers is held by the New Voters Research Network and the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland. Throughout this program, students will:
Attend three sessions a week to learn foundational research skills
Receive personalized guidance and lectures from professors and academics from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and more.
Complete a training with and receive a research CIRTificate* from the University of Maryland allowing them to conduct and publish research
Conduct original qualitative research and lead focus groups
Win prizes for research, judged by a panel of academic and nonprofit leaders
Present and be co-authors on published original research
Students who successfully complete the program will also have the opportunity to apply to become a Research Assistant at the New Voters Research Network, joining other high school students in collaborative research initiatives that are shared, read and used by a wide audience (two high school student researchers had their paper on youth early voting published in the Oxford Political Review last year)!
The New Researchers Summer Program is committed to public service, translating research insights to impact, and empowering high school students to lead research projects. Apply before April 1st for the chance to be selected for this highly selective research program.
Read on to see:
An overview of the program
A guide to a successful application
Testimonials from last year’s participants
To ask questions and meet some of the New Voters Research Network team, join us at our information session on March 10th at 3 PM EST. The link to register is below!
Forward this application to any high school students you know who may be interested in becoming a part of this year’s cohort!
The New Researchers Summer Program ("New Researchers") was created to address the lack of support or resources for high school students to lead research projects and publish, especially in the social sciences and areas of civic engagement. Students in New Researchers will be equipped with the unique skill-set of applying research insights to public service work and translating research into impact, a critical but under-invested in aspect of academia. The 8-week New Researchers program curriculum will be split into thirds:
In the first third, high school students in the program will be trained on foundational research skills including the nuances of research overall and social science research, guidelines for reading and understanding academic articles, and how to conduct qualitative and quantitative research studies. Students will also be enrolled in the University of Maryland’s “CIRTification: Community Involvement in Research Training Program,” where they will receive a certificate* that allows them to conduct and publish research with subjects.
In the second part of the program, students will conduct focus groups and novel qualitative research as part of a research study on “what motivates high school students to become activists?” This research will ultimately be published, with all New Researchers as co-authors alongside academics and faculty at prominent universities.
The final third of the program prepares students for a research competition, where they create an original research proposal on youth civic engagement. They will go through multiple rounds of feedback and judging, with finalists presenting to a panel of accomplished professors and professionals from esteemed universities and nonprofits. The winners will be announced widely and receive an award from the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland and New Voters. You can find a video of last years research pitch competition winner, alongside all finalists, at our YouTube channel.
Throughout the final third of the program, students will be able to attend “Innovation Office Hours” with faculty, graduate students and nonprofit researchers to get personalized feedback on their proposal.
*Please note that students will complete the University of Maryland’s “CIRTification: Community Involvement in Research Training” a human research protections training program designed especially for community partners. Students will need to complete the required CITI training to conduct and publish research outside of the summer program.
The application is simple and comprehensive to give everyone, regardless of their prior experience and age, an equal chance to be accepted to the program.
Who would be a good fit for the New Researchers Program:
Any high school-aged person with an interest in conducting research while contributing to their community and society! The New Researchers program is unique in that it encourages students to retain agency and actively lead their own projects, as well as apply research insights to public service and organizing work. Applicants who have a history of public service are highly welcomed, and no research background is expected.
In our New Researchers, we look for: an interest in civic engagement, curiosity to learn, and a desire to make a positive impact on the world.
What we don’t require: any previous experience in research and organizing.
Resume
In our application, we ask for you to submit a resume. No worries if you do not already have one! We have created a template resume for you to use - if you click the link, you will be prompted to create a copy which you can then submit on the application.
If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out or refer to this resource on creating a resume from the University of Maryland: UMD Resume How-To.
Attendance Requirement:
We will have three 90-minute sessions each week between June 16th and August 11th. These sessions will take place on Sundays at 2:00 PM EST, Tuesdays at 6:00 PM EST, Fridays at 2:00 PM EST.
You may not miss more than 3 sessions (with the exception of unanticipated emergencies), and will be asked to indicate any conflicts on the application. If you know that you will be absent more than three times, there is still the option to join as part of the asynchronous program, so please still apply and indicate your conflicts!
In Summer 2023, we hosted our inaugural New Researchers Summer Program with 24 students. The program was a resounding success. Students deeply enjoyed (1) hearing from New Voters RA’s and guest lecturers from leading academic and nonprofits institutions, (2) creating “doctoral level of original research proposals” (a real quote from one of our academic judges!), and (3) the process of being co-authors on our literature review of all high school voting research to date. We have complied a few quotes about their experiences below (gathered through an anonymous feedback form):
Thank you for reading, your continued engagement with the New Voters Research Network, and for supporting efforts by young people for young people. We look forward to reading applications and getting this year’s program started soon!
This newsletter was created by Research Assistants Josephine Murphy (Brooklyn Technical High School) and Advait Rajan (ASU ‘27).
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