Please complete the application to be considered for admission and read the FAQ below:
What is the New Researchers Summer Program?
The New Researchers Summer Program was created to address the lack of support and resources for high school students to lead research projects and publish, especially in the social sciences. Students in New Researchers will be equipped, through lessons from esteemed academics, nonprofit leaders and peer-researchers, 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. All accepted New Researchers will be enrolled in an ethics training program with the University of Maryland and receive credentials to conduct and publish the research in the summer program.
How is the New Researchers program organized?
The research program is split up into three parts where high school students will be:
- Trained on what is political science research, and how to ethically, effectively and comprehensively conduct research and read advanced social science articles.
- Conduct focus groups and novel qualitative research as part of a research study on "what motivates high school students to become activists?" This research will ultimately be published, with all New Researchers as co-authors alongside academics and faculty at prominent universities.
- Create an original research proposal on youth civic engagement that they will pitch to a panel of accomplished researchers from highly esteemed universities and nonprofits for an award from the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland. Students will also receive personalized feedback on their proposals through "Innovation Office Hours" with faculty, graduate students and other researchers.
When is the program?
The program will run from June 16th to August 11th. The 90 minute sessions be held on Sundays from 2-3:30pm EST, Tuesdays at 6-7:30pm EST, and Fridays at 2-3:30pm EST. There is a 3-absence maximum policy (with the exception of unanticipated emergencies). If you know that you will be absent more than three times, there is still the option to become a part of the program asynchronously, so please apply and indicate your unavoidable conflicts!
Who is a good fit for the New Researchers Program?
Any high school-aged person with an interest in conducting research while contributing to their community! 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.
What is the New Voters Research Network?
New Voters is a national, student-run 501(c)(3) working to register the youth of America through a college mentorship program and have registered over 80,000 high school students to vote across the country to become civically engaged. As a non-partisan organization, our sole mission is to promote civic engagement among young adults across the country, and we welcome a variety of viewpoints and opinions.
The New Voters Research Network brings together academics, youth-serving organizations and high school students to empirically identify the best ways to increase the civic engagement of high school students. We have established partnerships with academics and centers at leading research institutions, including Harvard University, CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts, SNF Agora at Johns Hopkins University, the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, the Youth Act Lab at Bates College, Indiana University South Bend, University of Delaware, Delaware State University, LaGrange College, University of Sheffield and the University of Edinburgh.
How can I find out more?
If you would like to learn more please join us for our information session on Sunday, March 10th at 3:00PM ET, Wednesday, March 27th at 8:00PM ET, or Wednesday, April 17th at 8:00PM ET.
Timeline:
Application Opens: Monday, February 26th, 2024
Information Session: Sunday, March 10th, 2024
Priority Deadline: Monday, April 1st, 2024
Priority Application Decision: Wednesday, April 17th, 2024
Rolling Deadline: Thursday, June 1st, 2024
Program Begins: Sunday, June 16th
We look forward to reading your responses! If you have any questions, please email josephine@new-voters.org and advait@new-voters.org.
