STEM for
the Future
Mentee Selection
Applicants are high school students. To apply, they answer questions about what they want to research, what experience they have in that field, and why they want to be a mentee. Mentees are selected based on the passion demonstrated in their application, how much participating would benefit them (e.g. if they won’t have the chance to experience research otherwise), and whether they are hard-working, responsible, mature, and likely to complete the program. Most mentees do not have prior research experience and some may lack access to advanced STEM courses.
When Accepted:
Students who are accepted into the program will receive an email that also includes the information of their assigned mentor. Before January, it is recommended that students and mentors begin communicating by email to get to know each other.
Mentors are expected to reach out to schedule the first meeting. Additional meetings can be arranged as needed. While mentors are not required to meet in person or provide lab access, students who are interested in those opportunities are encouraged to respectfully express their interests.
Preparation and ideas
Before the first meeting, students will receive guidance on how to prepare. This may include reading about the mentor’s work and thinking of possible research ideas. During the first meeting, students and mentors will get to know each other and choose a research topic. This topic could relate to an existing project in the mentor’s lab, or it could be a new idea suggested by the mentor. Here are some example for research topics:
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Impact of Ocean Acidification
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Chatbot in Enhancing Alzheimer's Drug Trials
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Cybersecurity Models (A Machine Learning Approach)
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Impact of Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy (ACM)
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Chimeric Endolysins to Combat Antibiotic Resistance
1
Week 1
During the first meeting, the mentor should introduce the project and required techniques and assess the mentee’s understanding of the project. The mentor should provide additional materials to assist understanding and give the mentee homework to prepare for the start of the project such as reading these materials etc.
2/3
Week 2-3
During the meeting(s), the mentor should introduce the mentee to the procedure and give them guidance on how to complete the project. During this week, the mentee should collect data or complete other necessary work to do the project.
3
Week 4/5
The mentee should continue working on the project if it is not complete. During the meeting, the mentor should introduce formal scientific writing and help the mentee analyze results if applicable. After the meeting, the mentee should begin drafting their paper. Further information on the format and requirements of the paper will be provided.
Guidelines
for the program
Week 6 - The final week
The mentee should submit a complete draft of their paper to their mentor. During the meeting, the mentor can give suggestions and help the mentee make final edits.
Last step!
Once you are satisfied with the paper, you will independently submit the paper through a link provided via email. Your research paper will be published on STEM for the Future's website and we hope to hold an online conference where participants can showcase their projects!