A research program for high school students.
The Ivysion Research Institute is a 10-week high school research program for grades 9–12. Next cohort begins October 1 — application deadline September 10.
Open for Applications
Grades 9–12 · Virtual · International Students Welcome
College admissions consulting firm — not a third-party research vendor.
Research Coaches are college and graduate students; Track Advisors are experienced researchers.
Top teams nominated for submission to peer-reviewed nationwide academic conferences.
Small cohorts across 5 tracks — no oversized classes, no bot mentors.
Research the way it actually works.
Most programs produce a paper. IRI produces researchers — students who understand the process, own their findings, and build experience that strengthens their college applications.
Team-Based & Multi-Disciplinary
You work in a team of 4–6 students across five tracks — AI, health, engineering, business, and social sciences — open to any academic background. That's how real research works: collaboratively, across disciplines, with shared ownership of findings.
Authentic Full Cycle
From research question to symposium presentation — students complete every phase of the scholarly research process, including peer review, midpoint review with a Track Advisor, and a public Research Symposium.
Conference Submission Pathway
Top-performing teams are nominated for submission to peer-reviewed nationwide academic conferences — an outstanding-paper track for the strongest work in the cohort.
Expert Mentorship at Every Level
A three-tier team — Research Coaches (college and graduate students), Track Advisors, and the IRI Program Director — supported by an Academic Affiliates Network that contributes perspectives and insights on research direction.
Academic Affiliates Network
A community of university faculty, researchers, scientists, and professionals who contribute perspectives on emerging topics, educational priorities, and research trends — helping shape meaningful, intellectually engaging research experiences for students.
Built by an Admissions Firm
IRI is the only high school research program operated by a professional college admissions firm, so the research experience is designed with future college applications in mind.
Curiosity is the entry point. Craft is what students leave with.
IRI students collaborate in small, mentored teams — asking real questions, defending real methodology, and shipping research they own.
Every phase builds toward something real.
The IRI program follows the authentic research lifecycle — from foundations to findings to a public symposium.
Two full days of live, synchronous training give every student the same strong foundation — regardless of prior research experience. You'll learn what research actually is, how to ask a good question, how to use literature ethically, and how AI tools fit (and don't fit) into scholarly inquiry.
You meet your research team, connect with your Research Coach, and spend two weeks developing a focused, researchable question. By Week 4, every team submits a Research Concept Brief — a structured document that commits you to a direction and gets reviewed by your Track Advisor.
The heart of the program. Your team meets weekly with your Research Coach, conducts literature review, collects and analyzes data, and develops your findings. A Track Advisor Midpoint Review at Week 6 provides critical feedback before the final push. A guest speaker from the academic or corporate world joins the cohort to share perspective on a trending industry or topic.
You transform your research into professional outputs: a research paper, a conference-style poster, an executive summary, and a presentation for the final Research Symposium — where you present your findings to faculty, parents, and industry guests. Outstanding papers are nominated for submission to nationwide academic conferences.
Follow your curiosity. We have a track for it.
IRI is intentionally multi-disciplinary. Whether you're drawn to machine learning or mental health, market dynamics or human development — your intellectual interests are the research agenda.
Artificial Intelligence & Data Science
- Generative AI & LLMs
- Machine Learning
- AI Ethics & Policy
- Data Analytics
- Human-AI Collaboration
Health & Medicine
- Public Health
- Healthcare Innovation
- Digital Health
- Mental Health
- Precision Medicine
Engineering & Innovation
- Systems Engineering
- Product Design
- Sustainability
- Human Factors
- Emerging Technologies
Business, Economics & Society
- Entrepreneurship
- Consumer Behavior
- Economic Trends
- Technology & Society
- Innovation Strategy
Social Sciences & Human Behavior
- Psychology
- Education Research
- Media & Communication
- Human Development
- Social Change
Built for curious, ambitious students.
You don't need a lab résumé or a published paper. IRI is built for curious, motivated students ready to do real scholarly work — across the sciences, engineering, business, humanities, and social sciences.
Three tiers of expert guidance.
IRI's mentorship model mirrors how real research institutions work — a hierarchy of expertise, each tier providing distinct kinds of support, supported by an Academic Affiliates Network.
College and graduate students who lead your weekly team meetings, provide ongoing feedback on deliverables, and serve as your primary research guide throughout the 10 weeks.
Experienced researchers who provide domain expertise, oversee research quality, and conduct formal midpoint and final reviews for each team.
Oversees all academic quality, leads the Bootcamp, and coordinates the mentorship team throughout the cohort.
University faculty, researchers, scientists, and professionals who contribute perspectives and insights on research direction, emerging topics, and educational priorities.
What you'll walk away with
A co-authored research paper (3,000–5,000 words, APA-formatted, peer-reviewed within the cohort)
A conference-format research poster and executive summary ready for competitions and applications
A verified digital credential (IRI Research Fellow Certificate) shareable on LinkedIn and college applications
Symposium presentation experience in front of faculty, parents, and industry professionals
Optional nomination to peer-reviewed nationwide academic conferences for top-performing teams
60 hours of research experience — the kind admissions offices at top universities recognize as genuine intellectual engagement
Academic Affiliates Network
A community of distinguished faculty, researchers, and scholars contributing perspectives that shape the Institute's programs.
- OA
Onur Asan, PhD
Stevens Institute of Technology
Professor of Systems Engineering
- SB
Sabah Bushaj, PhD
State University of New York
Professor of Business Analytics
- CL
Carlo Lipizzi, PhD
Stevens Institute of Technology
Professor of Engineering Management, AI and Data Science
- TH
Tae Huh, MS
Mayo Clinic
Healthcare Strategy & AI Implementation
- HI
Hasan Imanli, MD, FACP
SomaX
Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer
- FH
Fuad Hamidli, PhD
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Cybersecurity Leader & Security Architect
- KA
Kadir Ayhan, PhD
James Madison University
Associate Director of Research Development
- ZO
Zeliha Ozdogan, PhD
Penn State Harrisburg
Professor of Economics
Academic Affiliates participate in their individual capacities and are not involved in the management, operations, admissions decisions, or day-to-day administration of the Institute. Affiliation with IRI does not imply endorsement by an affiliate's institution, employer, or organization.
Selective. Not exclusive.
IRI welcomes students who are genuinely curious — not just students with perfect transcripts. We actively seek diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and grade levels.
Submit Your Application
Complete the online application: personal statement (400–600 words), research interest essay (150–250 words), unofficial transcript, and one teacher or counselor recommendation. No prior research experience required.
Application Review
A two-person admissions committee reviews every application holistically across five dimensions: intellectual curiosity, academic ability, research readiness, communication skills, and collaborative potential.
Receive Your Decision
Decisions are communicated within three weeks of the application deadline. Accepted students receive a personalized letter, a $300 enrollment deposit request, and their full onboarding package.
Enroll & Prepare
Secure your seat with the enrollment deposit (credited to tuition), complete onboarding, join the cohort Slack, set up your tools, and attend the optional Tech Orientation 5 days before Bootcamp.
Begin Your Research
Show up to Bootcamp ready to think. The research begins in Week 1 — and so does your IRI story.
What researchers say about IRI.
I came in thinking I needed to know how to code to be in the AI track. My coach showed me that the most interesting AI research questions are about behavior, ethics, and society — not just algorithms. My team's paper on algorithmic bias in hiring systems became something I could genuinely talk about in interviews.
The Midpoint Review felt terrifying going in — presenting to a Track Advisor felt like a real academic moment. But the feedback we got completely changed our study design. We ended up with much stronger findings, and I now know what it actually feels like to defend a methodology.
Working in a real team, defending my ideas, and shipping a paper I'm proud of — that changed how I think about what I'm capable of. The research experience gave me something real to write about and talk about.
Learn more about high school research
Answers for families evaluating IRI.
The six questions we hear most from parents and students during inquiry calls.
Use Tab to move between questions, Enter or Space to expand, and arrow keys to navigate.
Your research begins here.
Next cohort begins October 1. Application deadline is September 10. Spots are limited to 40 students across all five tracks.