Lumiere Individual Research Program

The Individual Research Program (IRP) is a 12-week-long academic research program that offers students the opportunity to learn research skills and gain expertise in an area of their academic interest. The program functions as an independent study module with a PhD mentor (a content expert in the student’s field of choice) who serves as a guide and a supervisor to the student. In the first four weeks of the program, students read widely in their field and decide on a research question. In the following two months, students design a research plan to answer that question, and write up their process and findings in a 15-20 page academic paper. This course is intended for intellectually curious and academically talented high school and college students who are interested in research. This course is important because it allows students to gain academic expertise in an area that they are passionate about and learn research skills that help them contribute to scientific innovation and knowledge creation. This enables them to make more informed decisions about their academic paths in college and beyond, and strengthens their critical thinking, reading and writing skills.