9th-12th Grade • Standalone 16-Week Global Impact Fellowship • Limited to 12 Students

Global Impact Fellowship

Lead the change with the excellence of research and the impact of leadership projects.

New cohorts coming soon
Application DeadlineTo be announced

Sundays, 9:00 - 10:30 AM EDT (Weeks 15 & 16: 9:00 - 11:00 AM EDT)

Zoom-led interactive delivery + 1-on-1 mentorship sessions

16-Week Standalone Fellowship
Research Paper + Passion Project
LOR Advisor Strategy
1-on-1 Harvard student mentors
About the Fellowship

A group of selected high-school students from across the world will embark on their journeys to take learning to the next level with the Global Impact Fellowship. With guidance from dedicated Harvard student mentors, Fellows will produce a peer-reviewed research paper in the first 8 weeks and then solve real-world problems they are passionate about through a community-facing passion project in the second 8 weeks.

Impact & Research Fellowship Advantage

8 Pathways. 8 Sets of Doors.
All Unlocked by Your Fellowship Trajectory.

Your research paper isn't just a credential - it's a master key. Our 16-week Fellowship teaches you exactly how to use it.

Research Fellowships

Get accepted to MIT RSI, Stanford SIMR, and 25+ competitive programs

✓ Access to our database of 25+ fellowships with deadline tracking

Professor Connections

Have university researchers know your name, work, and respond to your emails

✓ Proven cold email system with 40%+ response rate

Competitions & Conferences

Present your work, win awards, and build your public presence

✓ Regeneron, science fairs, academic conferences guidance

College Applications

Stand out in 8 minutes with proof of impact, not just promises

✓ Essay narrative that connects research → project → future

Recommendation Letters

Get letters that compare you to undergraduate researchers

✓ Strategy for leveraging mentor and professor relationships

Policy & Advocacy

Turn insights into advocacy that influences real decisions

✓ Connections to think tanks, policy orgs, community leaders

Innovation & Startup

Build the product your research proved is needed

✓ MVP development, pitch decks, incubator applications

Extended Research

Double your publication record or pivot to new questions

✓ Second publication pathway with established methodology

The 16-Week Global Impact Fellowship Journey

Two comprehensive 8-week phases: build a peer-reviewed research paper, then deploy it as a real-world passion project.

New cohorts coming soon

1
Weeks 1-8

Research Project

First 8 Weeks: Build your research paper from topic selection through methodology, drafting, and presentation to Harvard student mentors and judges.

2
Weeks 9-16

Passion Project

Second 8 Weeks: Translate your research into a real-world passion project - case studies, design, alpha/beta launches, peer review, and a final showcase presentation.

16 Weeks • New cohorts coming soon

Global Impact Fellowship

Lead the change with the excellence of research and the impact of leadership projects.

A standalone 16-week Fellowship for high school students (Grades 9-12). The first 8 weeks build your published research paper from topic to peer-reviewed submission. The second 8 weeks translate that paper into a real-world passion project: professor connections, LOR advisor strategy, digital portfolios, and a final showcase to Harvard student mentors and judges.

16-Week Fellowship: Research Paper (Weeks 1-8) + Passion Project (Weeks 9-16).
Perfect for: High school students (Grades 9-12). No prior published research required - the first 8 weeks build it for you.

Timeline

New cohorts coming soon

Schedule

Sundays, 9:00 - 10:30 AM EDT

Weeks 15-16: 9:00 - 11:00 AM EDT · Zoom-led

What You'll Walk Away With

  • Published 1500-2000 word research paper (Weeks 1-8)
  • Launched community-facing passion project with measurable impact (Weeks 9-16)
  • Outreach database targeting 20+ professors with high-response cold email system
  • Actionable LOR (Letter of Recommendation) advisor strategy
  • Completed digital academic portfolio showcasing all milestones
  • 1-on-1 mentorship with Harvard student mentors across all 16 weeks
Early Applicant Pricing
$1,299$1,799one-time fee
Explore Research Tracks

Meet Your Mentors

Connect with elite Harvard student mentors who will guide you step-by-step from research discovery to college credentialing and global showcase.

Simran
​

Simran

Sophomore

Biomedical Engineering & Anthropology

Bacterial microbiome research at ADA Forsyth Institute; Radcliffe Research Partner studying climate change impacts on women in South Asia

Sophia
​

Sophia

Student

Applied Math (Econ focus), Psychology secondary

DOE National Labs researcher, research intern, and mentor; experience presenting at national conferences

16-Week Comprehensive Trajectory

16-Week Research & Impact Fellowship Curriculum

A premium, scroll-free week-by-week curriculum. Click on any of the 4 logical phases below to explore our detailed weekly interactive sessions and peer milestones.

Currently Viewing: Phase 1: Research Foundation

Topic selection, database search, and literature review discovery.

Sundays, 9:00 - 10:30 AM EDT (Weeks 15-16: 9:00 - 11:00 AM EDT)
W1
Research Phase

Introduction to Research

Types of research, finding opportunities, forming a thesis, and fundamentals of research writing

Jul 26, 2026 - Sunday|9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
  • •Icebreaker & Introductions (15 min) - Meet your cohort, share backgrounds and interests
  • •Research 101 Presentation (20 min) - What is research? Why publish? Academic standards overview
  • •Interest Mapping Exercise (20 min) - Socratic questioning to uncover genuine interests and curiosities
  • •Week 1 Assignment (5 min) - Complete interest audit worksheet, identify 3 potential topics
Mentor Focus & Mindset Shift

"Build capability from "No clue what to research, feeling overwhelmed by choices" to "Has 3 potential topics they genuinely care about, understands what research means". Focus: Socratic questioning, Interest audit worksheet, Newspaper headline test."

W2
Research Phase

Empirical Method

Defining the problem statement, forming the research question, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions

Aug 2, 2026 - Sunday|9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
  • •Topic Share-Out (15 min) - Each student pitches their top 2 topic ideas to the cohort
  • •FINER Framework Workshop (15 min) - Learn Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant criteria
  • •1-on-1 Topic Refinement (20 min) - Individual mentor sessions while peers work on preliminary searches
  • •Academic Database Demo (10 min) - Google Scholar, JSTOR, PubMed basics for preliminary research
Mentor Focus & Mindset Shift

"Build capability from "Unsure if their idea is "good enough" or feasible" to "Has a refined, focused research question and knows it's publishable". Focus: FINER framework, Scope ladder technique, Example paper analysis."

W3
Research Phase

Beginning Research Writing

Evaluating cases, reading a research paper and critiquing it, and how to publish and present your paper

Aug 9, 2026 - Sunday|9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
  • •Source Check-In (10 min) - Quick review of preliminary sources students found
  • •Three-Pass Reading Method (25 min) - Live demo: how to read an academic paper efficiently (title/abstract → structure → details)
  • •Critical Reading Exercise (15 min) - Cohort analyzes a sample paper together, identifying key elements
  • •Source Evaluation Criteria (10 min) - CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose)
Mentor Focus & Mindset Shift

"Build capability from "Intimidated by academic papers, reading word-by-word" to "Can efficiently extract key info from papers, knows what makes a credible source". Focus: Three-pass reading method, CRAAP test, Citation chaining, Keyword mapping."

W4
Research Phase

Paper Format and Sources

Content and structure for a logical research paper, and how to find sources and create citations

Aug 16, 2026 - Sunday|9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
  • •Annotated Source Review (15 min) - Peer feedback on annotations - what are common themes?
  • •Literature Map Construction (20 min) - Visual mapping: how do your sources connect? Where are the gaps?
  • •Gap Identification Workshop (15 min) - The "So What?" test - what hasn't been studied? What's missing?
  • •Thesis Statement Draft (10 min) - Transform your question + gap into a clear thesis
Mentor Focus & Mindset Shift

"Build capability from "Has sources but no sense of how they fit together" to "Sees the research landscape clearly, knows exactly where their paper fits". Focus: Visual literature mapping, Theme color-coding, Gap analysis matrix, Combination technique."

Explore next phase

Real Projects. Real Impact.

Impact Fellows don't just talk about change - they create it. Here's what your peers have built.

Technology

Mental Health App for Teens

Built an app connecting teens with peer support resources based on research on adolescent mental health.

Reached 500+ students in local schools
Education

Environmental Education Curriculum

Created a climate change curriculum for middle schoolers based on environmental science research.

Adopted by 3 local schools
Health

Community Health Workshops

Organized nutrition workshops for underserved communities based on public health research.

200+ families educated
Technology

Coding Bootcamp for Girls

Founded a coding program for underrepresented girls based on gender gap research in tech.

50+ girls introduced to programming
Policy

Youth Policy Advocacy

Presented research findings to local government, influencing youth mental health policy.

Policy recommendation adopted
Business

Sustainable Business Launch

Started an eco-friendly product line based on sustainability research findings.

Generated $2,000+ for charity

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our fellowship programs.

Your Research Has Potential.
Let's Unlock It.

Join the students who aren't just publishing papers - they're opening doors, making connections, and building the trajectory that defines their future.