Young Scholars’ Program (YSP)

Young Scholars’ Program (YSP)

YSP offers future scientists and engineers a unique opportunity for a hands-on research experience while still in high school. This free program is open to Massachusetts residents (within commuter distance) who have completed their junior year of high school (i.e. rising seniors).

Laboratory research experiences. Work in research laboratories within Northeastern University’s Colleges of Engineering, Science, and Health Sciences (Bouve). In the past, students have worked with a variety of faculty such as: Professor Sara Hashmi, using agent-based modeling simulation to explore questions about active particles in flow; Professor Shelley Lin, designing new model compression algorithms that can facilitate FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) implementation and optimization; Professor Mike Kane, exploring and optimizing battery chemistries that can be combined to meet the energy demands of remote islands; and Professors Mansoor Amiji/Lara Milane, evaluating new cancer therapies and exploring how to overcome multi-drug resistance.

Information about past labs: (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023).
Alumni Information

Career exploration. Participate in a special seminar series, Introduction to Engineering, with presentations by Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Mechanical, and Industrial Engineering professors and graduate students. Topics include radar, environmental issues, superconductivity, lasers, microwave materials, biotechnology, chemical analysis, and robotics.

Education and career counseling. A general overview of engineering education for undergraduate students will be presented by the Dean’s Office of the College of Engineering. The Department of Cooperative Education will acquaint students with the ‘nuts and bolts’ of careers for scientists and engineers. Also, each Young Scholar participates in college and career counseling with the program’s coordinators and mentors.

Assistant professor Matthew Eckelman shares his yearbook from his time as a high school student in the Young Scholars Program with 2016 scholars MaryBeth Rockett and Louis Sokolow. Article

Field trips to a variety of corporate and government sites to see and speak with engineers in action. In the past, students have traveled to Biogen, the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center, Akamai, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and the MIT Chemical Engineering Labs.

Experience college life. Young Scholars become acquainted with college life and students at various points in their academic careers, and have access to the University’s Snell Library and Curry Student Center.

Northeastern’s dedication to encouraging industry-relevant experiences along with classroom education is the major thrust of the program. The University’s outstanding facilities and staff, coupled with Northeastern’s hands-on approach, provide a challenging opportunity.

Key Dates

• 2023 Program Dates: Monday, June 26 – Thursday, August 3
• Applications Open: Closed for 2023. Next summer applications open January 2024.
• Applications Close: Are closed, but we will accept recommendation letters until March 31st.
• Results Posted By: April 2023
• Program time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Mondays through Thursdays

Eligibility:

• Students must be permanent Massachusetts residents (live and go to school in MA throughout the year).
  • Priority is given to those students who have low access to similar programs and live within commuting distance of Northeastern University.
• Only students entering 12th grade in the fall following the program (current juniors) are eligible to apply. Students from any school (public, private, homeschooled, etc) are eligible.
• An even number of males and females will be selected, from a diverse range of demographic backgrounds.
• Due to government grant funding, students must be US Citizens or Permanent Residents
• Absences are NOT permitted unless in a documented emergency.

*Each summer, the selected topics depend on what faculty we host. These topics may not be final but as of January 2023, these are the ones we have so far:

• BioEng: Uncovering Cardiopulmonary Dysfunction following Chronic Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure
• BioEng/MechEng: Assessing Forces in Gait
• BioEng/MechEng: Biomechanical Assessment of the Tricuspid Valve
• ChemEng: Development of High-Throughput Organs on a Chip
• Chemistry: Machine Learning for Computational Chemistry
• Elect/Comp. Eng: Learning Visual Representations of Motor Function in Infants as Prodromal Signs for Autism
• Elect/Comp. Eng: Programmable Acquisition of Output Signals from Temperature Sensors for Detection of Power Dissipation
• Elect/Comp. Eng: Terahertz Communications for 6G Networks
• Elect/Comp. Eng: Very Low Frequency Magnetoelectric Antennas
• Mech+IndustEng: Healthcare Analytics

Application Process

Applications are closed for Summer 2023.