2,893 Inspirational Passion Project Ideas

Turn inspirations into your passion project.

This collection of project ideas, shared by Polygence mentors, is meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Check out some projects

Research Project on Youth Vaping Epidemic

I researched data related to a Public Heath crisis of the youth vaping epidemic. This was a 25 page research project in which I received an A. I also had to make a ppt and present my findings to a group. I would love the opportunity to present my entire paper and project.

Philosophy, Ethics, Psychology, Public Health, Finance, Organizational Leadership

Candice

Write, Design, and Edit Your Own Zine!

First appearing in science-fiction circles as early as the 1930s, zines are a creative outlet that has become synonymous with counter-culture and self-expression. From 1980s punk zines to photography and poetry zines, this versatile art and literary form is meant to be self-published and shared to create networks with like-minded people. In this project, I will guide you through the wonders of zine-making, to create your very own self-published zine! Whether you are looking to expand your creative writing skills, considering a more journalistic approach, or even want to connect to a fan community through your writing and art, this project will be the perfect opportunity to expand your writing and crafting abilities!

Philosophy, Literature, Languages

Lucia

Social Psychology In The Modern World

This project could take multiple forms, such as a theoretical paper conceptualizing current events/issues (e.g. mass shootings, COVID-19 impacts on social behavior, etc.) based on social psychological theories or a review article on recent social psychology research/theory. Any paper format would involve some form of literature review, and could be written in different frames (e.g. narrative, persuasive, etc.). Ideally, the goal would be to publish this paper in a peer-reviewed journal or similar forum.

Philosophy, Cognitive, Statistics

Alexander

Politics and Op-ed Journalism

Ever thought about writing a political op-ed for a national magazine? In this project, we'll read some works of political philosophy and their approaches to hot button political topics like the welfare state, universal health care, universal basic income, feminism, and affirmative action. We'll also look at some examples of successful op-ed writing in the political arena. The project will include both a political and writing component: we'll look at how to formulate good political arguments while learning how to craft a well-written op-ed. The project will culminate in your own op-ed piece, which I will help to try and get published.

Philosophy

Chang

Conduct a Qualitative Study

While quantitative studies provide important information about population level differences, qualitative studies allow us to understand psychological processes with more detail and specificity. Qualitative studies use methods such as interviews, observation, and focus groups to collect data, and can be a rewarding way to examine processes of interest.

Philosophy, Psychology, Creative Writing

Jacqueline

Let's talk psychology (podcast)

There are so many fascinating topics in psychology --- from understanding the causes of mental illness to unraveling how children develop a sense of right and wrong. For this project, we would develop a podcast together and interview top psychologists around the world about their favorite topics in contemporary psychology.

Philosophy, Psychology, AI/ML, Cognitive

Madeline

How to do Nothing

Activities and reflections geared around "doing nothing". To find cracks and gaps in a busy day to be nothing: not a student, not a sibling, not a friend, not even a member of society. Just be nothing. Just exist and everything else with unfold by itself. Do "nothing" and see what "somethings" can happen!

Philosophy, Psychology, Literature, Creative Writing

Kelley

Philosophy and Digital Technologies

In this project, you will learn about some of the key political thinkers of the Western canon and their relevance for thinking about problems in the digital age. What might Plato, Aristotle, Walter Benjamin, Niccolo Machiavelli, Jean Jacques Rousseau, or Emmanuel Kant have to say about the Internet, social media, and AI? We'll look at primary sources along with some contemporary theorists who approach digital technologies from a theoretical standpoint. The project will culminate in a research paper in which you will do the same: discuss a problem of your choice related to new technologies and show how political theory might provide some answers.

Philosophy

Chang

Is consent sufficient for permissible sex?

Consent is sometimes thought of as "moral magic." A physical act that would otherwise constitute (at least) battery is magically transformed into something morally permissible if there's consent. Is it really that powerful? Even assuming it's necessary to not be, say, charged with sexual assault --- is it all that is needed for decent sex? Put together an educational project for high school or college students that would convince them that consent is (or isn't) as important as our culture makes it out to be.

Philosophy

Stanley

Review Paper

A review paper is a great way to become a mini-expert in a subject. I will help you find research papers pertaining to your interest and help you craft a paper that synthesizes the research and provides ideas for future study.

Philosophy, Psychology, Creative Writing

Jacqueline

Art Interpreting Art: Where One Medium Meets Another

Though my own work is mostly about the interface between music and literature, we can explore any kind of art that combines art forms, such as music and painting, painting and poetry, drama and music, and so for. The possibilities are endless!

Music, Philosophy, Linguistics

R.J

What Can fMRI Tell Us About the Brain?

In the mind sciences, the use of fMRI in research is ubiquitous. Not only is it a noninvasive and fairly cost-effective research technique, but it allows us to see large scale functional connectivity between brain regions whose observation would escape more invasive techniques. On the other hand, fMRI suffers from numerous issues in collecting and interpreting the data it generates. In this project, we can explore how fMRI works in detail, generating a paper at the end that explores, in philosophical and scientific detail, the epistemology and methodology of fMRI research with an eye towards evaluating currently existing fMRI studies.

Philosophy, Neuroscience, History, Literature

Jake

Histories of the Early Republic

From the perspective of the 2020s, the early United States can sometimes seem otherworldly: usually strange, sometimes inspiring, often disturbing, and always a source of endless historical intrigue: What role did enslaved people play in the Revolutionary War? Why did the Haudenosaunee call George Washington "Conotocarious," or "town destroyer"? How did early Americans understand and respond to natural disasters, like epidemics and earthquakes? Where did material goods and resources—like coal, livestock, or textiles—come from and what were the conditions of their production? How did revolutions elsewhere—such as in Haiti or France—shape the course of U.S. politics? For this project, students will have the opportunity to explore a question or topic related to the early United States, and develop a manageable research and writing plan.

Philosophy, History

Gustave

Metamathematics and its influence on the development of mathematics and philosophy during the 20th century

In this project you will explore metamathematics and its influence on the development of mathematics and philosophy during the 20th century. You will learn about Frege's Foundations of Arithmetic, Cantor's diagonal argument, Russell's paradox, Wittgenstein's Tractatus, Gödel's incompleteness theorem and Kripke's intuitionistic logic. You will research the technical and philosophical implications of these important results and write a philosophical treatise on these topics. Some background in philosophy is preferred, but not absolutely necessary.

Philosophy

Janos

Graph Theoretic Model of Procrastination

In this project we'll look at an existing model of procrastination in graph theory. Procrastination can be significantly expensive, so can we augment the model to help agents? For example, my M.S. thesis added competition to reduce the impact of procrastination. What other tools help combat procrastination, and how can we formally analyze their effectiveness? This project requires significant mathematical maturity (e.g., ability to write and read proofs, familiarity or ability to quickly learn discrete math, etc.).

Philosophy, Computer Science, Economics, Math

Aditya

Void

How do we represent nothingness? Is it even possible? Curated art exhibit featuring visual representations of oblivion, nothingness, the formless. Also features clippings from literature and the arts that touch upon the things that exist in this void: ghosts, monsters, dreams, and the ethereal.

Philosophy, Psychology, Literature, Creative Writing

Kelley

An era of gene editing

The 2020 Nobel prize in chemistry was awarded to two scientists who pioneered the CRISPR gene editing system. CRISPR allows us to make precise edits in a genome, arming researchers with a shiny tool and hopes of making a world with less disease and better crops. With this project, you will choose a question or problem that you think could be addressed using gene editing with CRISPR. After learning how CRISPR works on a technical level, you can design an experiment to edit a gene of interest. The last phase of this project has you consider the broader consequences of gene editing. You can share your insights in an educational video, infographic, or other mediums.

Philosophy

Miwa

Morality + artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is becoming a part of our social world. What does this mean for morality? In this project, we'll read and discuss papers concerning people's beliefs and judgments concerning AI (e.g., self-driving cars, humanoid robots). Then, we'll figure out which area you're most interested in. For example, what do children think about robots? Does this differ from adults? Do people think that robots have minds? We'll develop a project together, based on your interests. This could involve whatever you want it to! We could run an experiment, analyze data, and write a paper; we could put together a podcast and interview experts across moral philosophy and psychology. This is one of my favorite topics, and I'd love to work on something cool together.

Philosophy, Psychology, AI/ML, Cognitive

Madeline

The Qur'ān and Literary Narrative

This project would engage how the semiotics (meaning-making narrative) of the Qur'ān is structured. The Qur'ān is often thought to be a disconnected and 'non-linear' text. This project would engage how, while discursive, the Qur'ān displays coherent thematic connectivity (i.e ring composition) and rhetorical structure. The learning outcomes would be applicable to different literacy genres in general, not simply sacred scripture, and could highlight how semantic shifts, pronominal shifts, shifts in narrator voice, and other features of 'post-modern' literature can still create a thematically connected 'text'.

Philosophy, Languages

Stephen

What Does Normal Aging Look Like?

This project could take multiple forms, with the main focus being to discuss what makes up a normal aging process (e.g. Physical, cognitive, social, and other changes) and challenging aging myths and stereotypes). A project could look like: -A post on an academic or professional blog (Ex. the American Psychological Association Aging Blog, etc.) -A presentation/talk that could be given to members of the scientific community, fellow peers, or to members of one's local community -A review article discussing the differences between normal aging and pathology-affected aging -A Youtube video for a general or targeted audience, or other technology-based formats (e.g. a TikTok video series, a digital feature for a CV/resume) And many more!

Philosophy, Cognitive, Statistics

Alexander