THINK caters to students who have done extensive research on the background of a potential research project and are looking for additional guidance in the early stages of their project. Selected finalists have weekly mentorship meetings with THINK team members for technical guidance, helpful resources, and updates on the projects progress and are given up to $1,000 in funding for their project. Additionally, finalists are invited to a four-day all-expenses paid trip to MIT's campus, where they tour labs, present their research to MIT students and faculty, and hang out with members of the THINK team.
THINK project proposals are science, technology, and engineering ideas that span many fields, from green technologies and practical devices to software applications. As long as it can be completed in one semester with a $1,000 budget, almost anything is fair game! A good proposal has an insightful idea, clearly defined goals, and a well thought-out procedure for implementation.
Location(s)
- This is a remote program.
- Finalists are invited to a four-day paid trip to MIT's campus.
Schedule
- Application Deadline: January 1
- Finalist Decisions: Mid January
- Finalist Trip to MIT: Early February
- Project Completion Deadline: June
Cost/Compensation
- Finalist will receive a $1000 budget to implement their project.
Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants must be full-time high school students (i.e. attending a public, private, or home school) at the time of application.
- Applicants must have permanent U.S. residency during the 2022-2023 academic year.
- U.S. citizenship is not required.
- U.S. citizens living outside the country are not eligible.
- Applicants may only submit one proposal per academic year.
- Proposals may be written by either an individual or a group of two students.
Deadline
- January 1
Application or Entry Requirements
- Register: create an account and enter the required personal information.
- (Optional) Find a partner: applicants can work alone or with one partner
- Submit a proposal: upload written project proposals, making sure to follow the instructions outlined below:
- Use 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double spaced (1.5 not allowed) with 1 inch margins
- Page limit: 10 pages. (References will not count against the 10 page limit.)
- Cite all references and include a list of references at the end of the project proposal.
- All images and diagrams that are not your own should also be cited.
- Include any tables and figures in the body of the text.
- The project proposal should be divided into the following sections:
- Title and abstract
- An explanation of the project motivation and approach
- Project logistics and organizations
- Personal interest in the project.
Notifications of Decisions
- Mid January
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
- Program application opens in November each year.
Have other questions?
The MIT THINK Scholars Program was founded in 2008 by a group of MIT undergraduates. The name comes from a vision to promote Technology for Humanity through Innovation, Networking, and Knowledge. Rather than requiring students to have completed a research project before applying, THINK caters to students who have done extensive research on the background of a potential research project and are looking for additional guidance in the early stages of their project. THINK accepts research project proposals from high school students across the US, providing mentorship and funding to a select few to make their idea a reality.
