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Build an engineering research proposal with Polygence during 3 weeks on Yale’s campus for high school students, then continue through 10 mentor sessions.
Rated 4.3 out of 5 for overall experience by students surveyed across the broader program in 2026.
Course Description
A paper bridge gives an engineering idea a test it has to meet. Use the results to explore how a research question becomes a plan for finding evidence.
In this course you will explore the research cycle through questions connected to areas such as biomedical devices, smart cities, sustainable energy, computing, and aerospace. Teams test constraints and compare results in a paper-bridge design challenge.
Find and evaluate scholarly sources, then choose an approach that fits your question. Experimental, computational, design-based, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods offer different ways to investigate. Workshops cover descriptive and inferential statistics, citations, abstracts, data visualization, and peer review. Ethics in collecting data belongs in the plan from the beginning.
During the campus portion of this hybrid academy, develop an engineering research proposal, abstract, and professional scientific poster, then present in a symposium-style setting. The work continues through Polygence’s Core Research Program: join a virtual cohort and meet one-to-one with a mentor matched to your interest across 10 virtual sessions. At your own pace, continue toward a research paper, symposium presentation, podcast, or another appropriate final format.
This three-week full-day academy is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on Yale University’s campus. Students spend the full program focused on one intensive academy. The academy is available to residential and commuter students.
What You Will Do
• Frame an engineering question and compare research methods
• Evaluate scholarly sources for a focused literature review
• Analyze data with attention to ethics and limitations
• Create a research proposal, abstract, and scientific poster
• Pitch and defend your project at a mock symposium
• Continue through Polygence’s Core Research Program with 10 one-to-one virtual sessions
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Formulate a focused engineering research question and select an appropriate method
• Evaluate sources, evidence, ethics, and limitations when developing a proposal
• Communicate a research plan through an abstract, scientific poster, and oral presentation
You’ll leave with your engineering research proposal, scientific poster, plan for continuing through Polygence mentorship, and a certificate of completion.
Why Engineering Research Skills Matter
Engineering research asks students to connect creative ideas with evidence. Defining a testable question prevents a broad interest from becoming an unfocused project, while selecting a method requires students to think carefully about constraints, variables, and the kind of data a claim needs.
The process strengthens quantitative reasoning, source evaluation, ethical judgment, and clear technical communication. Iterating after a test or peer critique also teaches that revision is part of serious problem-solving. These habits support advanced coursework and collaborative projects because students learn to explain not only what they propose, but why their design and evidence justify the next step.
Who Should Attend?
For students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade.
A technical question you want to investigate can become the starting point for this academy. Possible interests include biomedical, environmental, computer, electrical, mechanical, and aerospace engineering; there is room to discover which direction appeals to you. Reading research, working with data, exchanging peer feedback, and presenting several times help your proposal develop.
Institute for the Gifted eligibility requirements apply; see the program FAQ.
After the campus program, continue through 10 one-to-one virtual sessions with a Polygence mentor matched to your field of interest.
Recommended by Nearly 9 out of 10 Students
Based on students surveyed in 2026 about Summer Discovery programs at Yale University campus.
Your Summer at Yale University
The Institute for the Gifted program takes place on Yale University’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut.
The campus’s courtyards, architecture, libraries, and academic spaces create a vivid setting for learning beyond a familiar school environment, while New Haven’s connections to law, theater, science, and the arts extend that context into the city. Students learn alongside peers with similar interests, navigate campus life, and gain independence through everyday choices. The experience creates space to deepen an interest, test it in a more advanced setting, and consider what they may want to study or pursue next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive