Poly Research Initiative
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why would I consider the Poly Research Initiative?
If you want to develop real-world skills to nurture your curiosity for biology and/or other disciplines and, find a
context to apply them to the society that you are a part of, you should consider the Poly Research Initiative.
Specifically, students will:
Develop research questions that are testable and connected to a national or global challenge
Examine primary research literature to inform question and experimental design
Generate reproducible data to test hypotheses, analyze and refine design
Present their findings to and use feedback from researchers at academic institutions
Submit their writing and/or data to an academic journal, national database and a university research review program.
2. Do I have to take a series of courses to engage with the Poly Research Initiative?
Students have four options to engage with the Poly Research Initiative:
Through the year-long PolyEnriched Biological Research course in 11th grade
Through a one-month Summer Research Intensive after their 11th grade
Through the year-long Neuroscience & Humanities: Food course in their 11th or 12th grade
Through the Research Elective during 12th grade.
Note, a student can engage with all four or fewer options progressively based on their interest.