If you’re a middle school student interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), you could consider pursuing an independent research project. Starting early is always a good idea and working on a STEM research project as early as middle school can give you an advantage over your peers and help fuel your curiosity and interest in research. 

Research projects introduce you to the scientific method, data collection, and presentation skills. These foundational skills are valuable not only in academia but also in various careers. Whether pursuing a STEM field, social sciences, or the arts, the ability to conduct research equips you with tools to explore complex issues, contribute to knowledge, and make informed decisions.

To help you get started, we have curated a list of 10 research topics in STEM that are suitable for middle school students! 

1. Renewable Energy & Clean Technologies Research Topics

Renewable energy is the need of the hour and reducing the global reliance on fossil fuels for power production is a key issue for nations across the world. Clean energy technologies offer less environmentally invasive ways to generate power. Some of the most common examples of clean energy sources include solar, wind, water, geothermal, bioenergy, natural gas, and nuclear power. Thus, exploring a research project in this field will help you become aware of the challenges and future solutions. 

• The potential of next-generation solar cell technologies: Solar energy is the most abundant form of renewable energy source present on the planet. It is also readily available in the retail market. The major issue in harnessing sunlight and converting it to electricity is the efficacy of the photovoltaic materials. 

You can refer to this article from Penn State University to read up more about Perovskites, a promising Calcium-based mineral that is more eco-friendly to manufacture than traditional materials. 

• The social and environmental aspects of renewable energy deployment: Renewable energy requires a lot of infrastructure development and you can conduct research to study how these projects impact the environment and people living in it. 

• Discovering the potential of decentralized energy systems: Many people want to take their homes off the central power grid, using renewable sources. You can research what will happen if the majority of people shift to renewable energy completely and cut off their connection to the grid.

• The potential of hydrogen energy, including production, storage, and utilization: Some scientists believe hydrogen energy may be a cleaner, more efficient way to power our world. Hydrogen is a naturally occurring gas, and it is the most abundant substance in the universe. You can research how hydrogen can be produced in a carbon-free method and stored safely to avoid accidents. 

2. Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering merges the principles of chemistry, biology, physics, and math to develop processes that turn raw materials into valuable products. It plays a pivotal role in numerous industries, from pharmaceuticals to petrochemicals. Working on topics in this field will familiarize you with the composition of organic and inorganic compounds, how they behave in various conditions, and their impact on our environment.

• Eco-Friendly Plastic Alternatives: Research the development and viability of biodegradable or recyclable plastic substitutes.

• Potential of Biofuels: Dive into the production, benefits, and challenges of bio-derived fuels. Algal Biofuels are said to be the next promising avenue in biofuels, and you can find more about the research here. 

• Efficient Water Purification Systems: Design and evaluate systems that ensure safe drinking water with minimal environmental impact.

• Synthesis of Novel Materials: Investigate the creation and applications of materials with unique properties.

3. Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution, patterns, and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It was at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 and will be useful to overcome future pandemics, if any. You can choose a research project in this field if you like to explore data and patterns and are curious as to how a disease like COVID-19 turns into a pandemic and how it impacts the population.

• Analyzing the effectiveness of various personal protective equipment (PPE) in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses: While masks are highly effective as a protective measure against airborne diseases, proper PPEs are required for people involved in the medical profession. You can research to find out which PPE is most suitable to ensure their safety. 

• Studying the impact of lockdown measures on air quality and pollution levels in urban areas: The lockdown saw a total shutdown of air travel during the initial phase, which resulted in an improvement in air quality in cities. You can refer to this article and begin your research. 

• Studying the efficacy of different disinfection methods on various surfaces: Viruses can survive on surfaces and you can come in contact with them even if you take all precautions. This puts a lot of importance on disinfection. 

• Investigating the role of contact tracing apps in tracking & controlling the spread of infectious diseases: Many governments implemented the use of contact tracing apps during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can conduct a study and find out which one of the apps was the most efficient. 

4. Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineering is a field of study that promotes a broad understanding of sciences, such as chemistry, biology, soil science, and water to improve human and ecological health through impactful engineering applications. Scientists in this field are expected to provide practical solutions to real-world problems to tackle pollution and promote sustainability, using research in environmental sciences. 

• Industrial Impact on Water Quality: Assess how industries affect freshwater sources and potential purification methods.

• Innovative Wastewater Treatment: Design systems that effectively treat industrial effluents, reducing environmental harm. There are multiple challenges in wastewater treatment because there is no single type of pollutant. This website has a great collection of research papers on wastewater management. 

• Phytoremediation in Polluted Sites: Explore the use of plants in cleaning up contaminated sites.

• Air Pollution and Human Health: Investigate the direct and indirect effects of various pollutants on human health.

5. Physics

Physics has a lot of subdomains, with every one of these areas having important applications of their own. You might’ve heard about advances in the fields of classical mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics, all of which are important theories and models based on the laws of physics. 

• Cosmological mysteries and their explanations: The existence of dark matter has been established as a fact and scientists believe that 85 percent of all matter in the universe is made up of dark matter. But no one has been able to observe the same. So this is a promising research area. 

• Protein Folding Dynamics: Biophysics is an important subdomain of physics, which deals with physical interactions inside living beings. One of the research areas is how proteins function inside the cells. You can uncover the relationship between protein structure and function, essential for understanding diseases and developing drugs. This research paper is a great source material for studying protein folding and dynamics.

• Quantum Computing: Quantum computing is a multidisciplinary field that utilizes aspects of computer science, physics, and mathematics alongside quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than on classical computers. Quantum computing uses quantum bits, or qubits, which process information very differently. This is an emerging field and makes for a great research area. You can explore how it can be used in AI and ML.

6. General Chemistry

Chemistry is actually the study of matter, not the study of chemicals. It is a vast field and can explain everything from how firecrackers work to why we get muscle cramps. While grasping some basic concepts can be a bit tricky, once you have developed a hold on basic chemical fundamentals, you can use that knowledge to make some real change to society at large!

• Advanced Chemical Storage: Analyzing different energy storage options and comparing and contrasting different technologies' chemistries, performance, lifetime, cost, geographic and resource constraints, and more. You can learn more about advanced storage solutions here. 

• Green Innovations: Investigating how startups and the private sector’s newest technologies are critical to the transition to a green future and how products are commercialized from lab to market.

• Nanotechnology: Understanding how material nano-structure can create specific properties and take advantage of "structure-property" understanding to engineer new materials. Nanotechnology in drug delivery is a useful and commercial application of the science. 

7. Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering is one of the fastest-growing interdisciplinary sciences. Biomedical engineering has become increasingly important given its value in making incredible advancements in healthcare. Think of things like wearable gadgets that monitor your health or even growing new organs! It's like science fiction, but it's real.

• Wearable Health Devices: Delve into the potential of wearables in real-time health monitoring and early disease detection. Researchers are exploring all stages of their design, production, and use to get the most out of future wearables.

• Tissue Engineering in Organ Transplants: Investigate the feasibility of lab-grown organs as a solution to donor shortages. The waitlist for finding a suitable organ donor is increasing with every passing day and many people, and one of the solutions proposed to deal with it is lab-grown organs or organoids, which are derived from stem cells. The RESTORE trial is a joint research initiative by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and the University of Bristol, in 2022, conducted the first-ever clinical trial of laboratory-grown red blood cells being transfused into another person. You can read more about it here. 

• Advanced Prosthetics: Research the development of prosthetics that offer enhanced mobility and sensory feedback. 3D printing allows for customizable prosthetics to be built for patient requirements and AI is also used to provide enhanced autonomy and control in prosthetic limbs, especially fingers. 

8. Particle and wave science

If you are interested in the mysteries of the universe and want to know about the science behind stars, black holes, and more you should consider doing research in particle physics. While there are many topics that you can choose to research in this field, some of the concepts can be too complex for a middle school student.

• Investigating the behavior of subatomic particles in high-energy particle accelerators: Particle accelerators are devices that speed up the particles that make up all matter in the universe and collide them together or into a target. This allows scientists to study those particles and the forces that shape them.

• Exploring the science behind the formation of auroras and their cultural significance: 2024 saw large solar storms which led to some of the strongest auroras in decades. The vibrant show of colors lit up the sky and you can use this opportunity to learn more about their causes and effects.

• Exploring the physics of gravitational waves and their detection: Gravitational waves are 'ripples' in space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the Universe. Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916 in his general theory of relativity and they were first detected in 2015. 

• Measuring the effect of different light wavelengths on plant growth: The visible spectrum of light is between 400 nm to 700 nm but Earth is showered with many other radiations not visible to us. You can research how light of different wavelengths impacts plant growth. 

9. Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy is a promising field of medical research that aims to help patients suffering from diseases through the manipulation of gene expression or through altering the biological properties of living cells. The technology is in its earlier stages and going forward, it can replace the need for invasive surgeries and reduce the risk associated with them. Pursuing research in this field will help you understand a technology that is going to help a lot of people in the future.

• Investigating the potential use of CRISPR-Cas9 for gene therapy in genetic disorders: CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria and archaea. CRISPR-Cas9 uses a specially designed RNA molecule to guide an enzyme called Cas9 to a specific sequence of DNA.

• Exploring the ethical implications of gene editing in humans: The potential for gene therapy to address human disease has been evident for some years, and much progress has been made in its applications. Gene therapy refers to the replacement of faulty genes, or the addition of new genes as a means to cure disease or improve the ability to fight disease. Genome editing is one aspect of gene therapy. You can research how the general public feels about such technologies. 

• Investigating the genetics of longevity and factors influencing human lifespan: The best way to increase lifespan is to eat well, get quality sleep, exercise regularly, get regular medical checkups, and avoid bad habits such as smoking and drinking excessive alcohol. However, scientists are exploring how manipulating genes can help enhance the lifespan. 

University of California, San Diego, has managed to extend the lifespan of a simple organism by around 80% by manipulating the genetic circuit that controls aging. You can read more about this research here.

• Investigating the mechanisms of stem cell differentiation for regenerative medicine: Stem cell research has come a long way and is one of the most promising medical technologies, especially in organ transplant. 

10. Computer Science and Engineering

Computer science as a field of study does not need a special introduction. It has been one of the most popular areas of research. If you are comfortable with coding, and understanding algorithms and want to explore what all lies in the field of computer science besides coding, consider doing research in this field. 

• Social Media Analysis: Analyzing the impact of social media usage on the mental health of a certain age group is a growing concern in today’s society. You could perform an analysis by conducting surveys and interviews, and make inferences about the correlation between social media engagement and mental health indicators in that demographic. 

• Create an AI chatbot to help catch warning signs of mental health issues in students. The chatbot could engage in conversations with the students and make sure that if they’re struggling with depression or emotional distress, they get the help that they deserve and require. This project would involve using NLP, data processing, and possibly speech recognition if you want to create a project that is multi-modal and much more accessible. Detail the process of creating your chatbot and the responses to develop an interesting paper in the field of AI and mental health. 

• Explore Natural language processing (NLP) techniques: Analyze how NLP techniques can be used to extract emotional tones and opinions in tweets. This research could be used to optimize the process of parsing through content and making sure community guidelines are met.

One more option - The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program

The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about.  Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.

The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure! 

To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.

Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for 2024, you can refer to this page!