Apply Now to the 2025 New Researchers Summer Program!
For high school students to learn how to conduct research for impact alongside leading research institutions, nonprofits, and motivated peers. Deadline is May 11
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 the week of June 16th to August 4th, 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.
Conduct original qualitative research in local communities
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 (a pair of our Research Assistants were published in the Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences 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 May 11th 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 past participants
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.
In the second part of the program, students will conduct qualitative research in their local communities. This research will ultimately be compiled and contribute to larger civics scholarship.
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.
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 4th. These sessions will take place on 6PM EST on Tuesdays, 2PM EST on Fridays, and 2PM EST on Saturdays
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 the summer of 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):
In Summer 2024, we welcomed 24 remarkable students into our second cohort — and the program was a huge success. Participants appreciated the chance to:
Connect with leading researchers and nonprofit experts
Draft what one judge called “doctoral-level” research proposals
Create research posters with peers that several groups presented at the New Voters Research Conference in August 2024
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 (UCLA ‘28) and Advait Rajan (ASU ‘27).