Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a mentored research program for talented students. In the program, students work one-on-one with a researcher from a top university to produce an independent research project. Lumiere prides itself on having distinguished mentors from top universities, namely Columbia, Princeton, the University of Chicago, Brown, UCLA, Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Oxford. The research guides and mentors are PhD fellows and post-doctorates. It also has a credit partnership with the University of California, San Diego, Extended Studies. This means that students completing the program, are eligible to receive three post-baccalaureate credits and a digital transcript from UCSD Extended Studies!
The research areas available are broad, helping students identify their interests and align their research in that domain.
The STEM research includes the following topics:
- Data Science
- Physics & Astrophysics
- Biology
- Computer Science
- Neuroscience
- Medicine
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Architecture
The Social Sciences Research includes the following topics:
- Economics
- Psychology
- Business
- International Relations
- Environment Studies
- Gender Studies
- History
- Philosophy
- Education
- Classics
- Law
- Linguistics
- Sociology
The application form contains information regarding updated topics. The program also offers flexibility for students to customize their research topics.
Types of programs
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program offers various types of programs that students can choose from. These programs are; Individual Research Program, Topic-Focused Research Program, Premium Research, and Publication.
- Individual Research Program: One of the main features of the Individual Research Program is the freedom for scholars to choose their field of study and research topics. Students have the flexibility to dig deeper into areas of passion, curiosity, and personal interest, allowing them to pursue research that aligns closely with their academic and career goals. Despite the autonomy that students have to choose their research topics, guidance and mentorship are still provided to each of the scholars. The mentors help the scholars refine their research questions and develop robust research methodologies. The duration of this program is 12 weeks. The outcome of this program is a college-level academic paper.
- Topic Focussed Research Program allows scholars to choose from pre-determined areas decided by the faculty based on their relevance and demand in the academic fields. Some of the topics that are being covered in the Individual Research Program are also considered here. Under this program type, students receive guidance from experienced faculty who are experts in their fields. There also exists a high level of peer collaboration and interaction that fosters a sense of community. Topic-focused program courses are for students who are looking for the opportunity to interact with and collaborate with other students while creating their research papers.
- Premium Research and Publication Program This is a specialized academic program that provides scholars with a pathway to producing and publishing high-quality research papers. The duration of this is longer compared to the Individual Research Program. This extended timeframe allows scholars to conduct more in-depth research to produce a comprehensive research paper that meets the standards of academic publication. Scholars get nearly 3–4 months of research time, followed by 1-4 months of publication time.
You can learn more about the program here: Programs | Lumiere Education (lumiere-education.com)
Application Process:
- Online application: The application form for the Lumiere Research Scholar Application (airtable.com) requires you to fill out your details and answer a few questions.
- Interview round: Once your application is reviewed, you will receive an invitation for an online interview. You will be required to articulate your research interests and ideas.
- Mentor matching: After the interview, the team will find a mentor to match your interests and aims. At this stage, they will notify the students regarding their acceptance into the program.
- Starting your research: Once selected and matched with your mentor, your journey as a Lumiere Research Scholar will begin.
Application questions are mandatory to respond to in 300 words or less:
- Why are you interested in the above area(s) of research?
- Please describe any previous coursework or experience in the fields mentioned above.
- Why are you a good candidate for the Lumiere Research Scholar Program?
Each Lumiere program is run at least four times a year, with Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter sessions. You can find more details on the dates and application deadlines here.
Ivy Central recommends high schoolers take advantage of the Lumiere Research program to get an in-depth understanding of how research is done. This will be a huge differentiator when applying to U.S. colleges.
Ivy Central can help you with your Lumeire application process. Embark on a transformative higher education journey and elevate your path to academic success with the expert guidance and personalized support of an Ivy Central college counselor.
