IRIS Intensive Research Program — Indigo Research

IRIS Intensive Research Program is a 6-week online research program for high school students designed to provide hands-on experience in academic research and guide students through the creation of an individual research paper. Students choose a research area and work in small groups with faculty instructors and PhD teaching fellows. The program takes students from subject exploration and research-question development through bibliography building, writing, peer review and final presentation. The final outcome is an individual research paper prepared to a standard suitable for potential submission to an academic journal or research conference. No prior research experience is required.

Hands-on academic research experience. Individual research paper. Faculty and PhD-level mentorship. Research-question and methodology development. Academic source analysis. Academic writing and citation skills. Annotated bibliography development. Peer review and feedback. Final research presentation. Preparation for potential academic publication. Potential conference presentation. Eligibility for two transferable UCSB Extension credits. International cohort representing 30+ countries. No prior research experience required.

Target audience: high school students. Open to international students. No prior research experience is required. Students choose a subject/research area. The current application form asks for information including country of residence, school and expected high-school graduation year. An introductory call can be scheduled after submitting the initial form. A separate motivation essay is not listed as a required IRIS application component. A recommendation letter is not listed as a required application component. An interview is not presented as a standard mandatory stage; an introductory call is optional. Previous research experience is not required. Students must be prepared to participate actively throughout the six-week program.