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Build an engineering research proposal with Polygence during 2 weeks at UC Berkeley for high school students, then continue through 10 mentor sessions.
Instructors were rated 4.4 out of 5 by students surveyed across the broader program in 2026.
Course Description
An engineering question becomes research when there is a way to investigate it. Find the gap you want to explore, then plan how evidence could help you answer it.
In this course you will read scientific literature, compare research approaches, and shape a question into a proposal. Research-design exercises, cases, and workshops explore qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Check source quality, define variables, and consider ethics before choosing an approach that fits your problem. Peer and instructor feedback help you narrow the question and explain your choices.
This hybrid academy combines campus study with Polygence’s Core Research Program. On campus, you’ll develop an engineering research proposal, abstract, and professional scientific poster, then present in a symposium-style setting. Afterward, join a virtual cohort and work 1:1 with a Polygence research mentor matched to your field of interest. Across 10 virtual sessions, you’ll continue at an individual pace toward a research paper, symposium presentation, podcast, or another appropriate final format.
This two-week full-day academy for high school students is part of Summer Discovery at UC Berkeley, held on the university’s campus in Berkeley, California. Students focus on one intensive academy for the full program. Residential and commuter options are available.
What You Will Do
• Turn an engineering interest into a research question
• Evaluate scientific sources and compare research methods
• Plan variables, evidence, and safeguards for a study
• Draft an abstract, proposal, and scientific poster
• Present your plan and answer symposium-style peer questions
• Continue research through 10 one-to-one virtual Polygence mentor sessions
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Formulate a focused engineering question grounded in existing research
• Choose and justify methods suited to a proposed investigation
• Communicate a research plan and the reasoning behind it
You’ll leave with your campus research proposal, scientific poster, plan for continuing through Polygence mentorship and a certificate of completion.
Why Engineering Research Skills Matter
Engineering research skills help students turn curiosity into a question that can be tested. A strong proposal requires more than an interesting idea. Students must examine what is already known, identify a gap, choose methods that can produce useful evidence, and anticipate limitations.
That process strengthens analytical reading, project planning, ethical reasoning, and communication. Revising a question after feedback teaches students to treat iteration as part of serious inquiry rather than as a setback. Creating a poster also pushes them to organize complex information for an audience. These skills support future work in engineering, science, design, and other fields where decisions depend on evidence and clearly stated assumptions.
Who Should Attend?
For students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade.
If you keep asking why a system works or how it could be improved, this academy lets you investigate what research involves. It suits interests in engineering, applied science, technology, and design. No finished research idea is required at the start. Reading technical material and revising after feedback help your question take shape. The commitment continues after campus through 10 one-to-one virtual sessions with a Polygence mentor matched to your interests.
Recommended Program
Based on students surveyed in Summer Discovery’s 2026 UC Berkeley program.
Your Summer at UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley gives high-school students the opportunity to pursue serious academic exploration in a campus environment shaped by scientific inquiry, new ideas, and an active connection to the wider Bay Area. The Berkeley Hills, distinctive architecture, and green spaces make the experience feel different from an ordinary school routine.
Students learn alongside peers, become more independent, and experience the pace and possibility of university life. The Bay Area context adds exposure to a region influenced by research, technology, entrepreneurship, culture, and public debate. For families, the value is not campus prestige alone. It is the combination of academic depth, community, and a student gaining clearer insight into the subjects, environments, and possible directions that genuinely motivate them.
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive