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.
- AI/ML
- Animation
- Arts
- Biology
- Biotech
- Business
- Cancer
- Chemistry
- Cognitive
- Comp Sci
- Creative Writing
- Dance
- Dentistry
- Economics
- Engineering
- Entomology
- Environmental Science
- Ethics
- Fashion
- Finance
- Game Design
- Healthcare
- History
- Illustration
- Languages
- Linguistics
- Literature and Languages
- Math
- Medicine
- Music
- Neuroscience
- Nutrition
- Organizational Leadership
- Philanthropy
- Photography
- Physics
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Quantitative
- Social
- Social Science
- Sports Analytics
- Statistics
- Surgery
Dance, Meditation, and Self
Do you love dancing? Do you meditate? Have you ever thought that they can be the same thing in a magical way? How can a mix of sound, non-judgmental space, and beats bring out the joy and gratitude from a self that is moving freely? If you are interested in designing a dance meditation workshop for people to share their life experiences through mindful dance improvisation. Come and we can talk about all the ideas and try them out!
Languages, Social Science
Analysis of the Effect of Interest Rate on Stock Prices A Case Study of Ghana Stock Exchange
This research used quantitative methodology and was performed using regression analyses to assess the relationship between interest rates and stock prices on the Ghana stock exchange. The ordinary least square regression was estimated with stock price as the dependent variable and interest rate as the independent variable. The variables were transformed into their natural logarithm forms
Economics, Finance, Social Science
High School Club
Are you interested in creating any kind of club at your school? Let's collaborate! Anything that you and your peers are interested in, let's make it happen!
Organizational Leadership, Social Science
Parent Evaluation of the UCLA TIES Infant Mental Health (IMH) program.
Develop an online parent survey as well as conduct qualitative interviews with referred foster/adoptive parents. The objective would be to obtain input from foster and adoptive parents participating in IMH to analyze the effectiveness of this program, perceptions of relationships with TIES, and if perceptions of relationships differed between families and UCLA TIES clinicians. The survey should include demographic and family history data that can be used to identify children that have been placed in care with higher risk factors (e.g., prior abusive history, number of placements, age of placement) who are statistically likely to experience emotional, social, and academic dysregulation in life. This evacuation is intended to be used to improve the quality of services received by adoptive/foster parents so that children placed in resource care are wholly supported.
Psychology, Social Science, Public Health, Cognitive, Organizational Leadership, Nutrition, Psychiatry, Music, Social, Neuroscience
Or, if you're open to one of my research interests...
I'm interested in anything that has to do with social decision-making. I've worked on dating-app behavior, jury decision-making on criminal cases, and in-game player social behavior. We can find a cool project for you along those lines!
Psychology, Statistics, Social, Social Science
Environmental Impacts of ChatGPT & AI Technologies
In this project, students will create a research paper, poster presentation, or visual essay that asks: what are the environmental impacts of advanced computing, including new AI technologies like ChatGPT? Drawing on academic research papers, journalistic articles, and environmental impact studies students will learn about the environmental consequences of various dimensions of computing, datacenters, and/or the manufacture of hardware. Together, we will explore the physicality of the "Cloud."
Social Science, History
LGBTQ school climate
Is your school a friendly environment for LGBTQ+ students? We can work together to create a survey or conduct interviews to learn more about how LGBTQ students feel in your school or how non-LGBTQ students and staff perceive LGBTQ students. With a quantitative survey, we can answer questions such as "Do white LGBTQ students feel more comfortable than non-white LGBTQ students?" or "What percentage of school staff would say they support LGBTQ students in your school?" With a qualitative survey, we can answer questions such as "How do LGBTQ students describe their experiences in the cafeteria?" or "What changes could be made to events such as school dances to make LGBTQ students feel more included?"
Psychology, Creative Writing, Social, Social Science
"History is Written by Victors"
Choose one event in history that you are interested in. Research three different memorials, monuments, or museums dedicated to this event. This is a good opportunity to examine bias in historical records and public memory—what gets remembered and what is lost over time? What is important to people now versus what was important to people in the past? Who is history written for?
Creative Writing, Social Science, History, Literature and Languages, Arts
Comparison/Contrast of Cultural Differences
As a world traveler, educator, philosopher, and sociological enthusiast, I have had the unique opportunity to analyze and experience the world first-hand. This has allowed me to explore the real challenges and struggles that individual nations face and given me a broad understanding of how our world has developed. Through this study, we ask the question: What would it look like to discover specific similarities and differences between cultures? Within this project you will gain specific knowledge of two world regions in an in-depth and practical way and have the opportunity to develop an impactful response. You can choose between a musical, philosophical, religious, or political comparison, analyzing the impact of your chosen concept upon the country as a whole. During the research phase, you will examine writings from and about each region, watch interviews from individuals within those places (or interview individuals yourself, if you're lucky), and lastly, acquaint yourself with the recent developments of your concept in the culture. Using your research, you will then develop one of the following: 1) a presentation to share your findings in an engaging and interactive way (imagine the TedX presentation style). 2) a research paper illuminating your discoveries and including a personal commentary on your perspective. 3) a series of art (poems, songs, or paintings) that elaborates your findings in a meaningful and understandable way. This can also include written descriptions. Throughout this project you will develop: 1) Strong research and analysis skills. 2) The ability to synthesize information. 3) Your personal artistic and analytical voice 4) A deep understanding of your content area and its current regional and global impact
Music, Social Science, Arts
Norms of Cooperation: Politics and Science
Much of American society holds scientific practice and debate as the gold standard for objective and successful cooperation. By contrast, American political life is considered an abject failure: divisive, polarized, and gridlocked. What explains this discrepancy and is it accurate? Are the motivations of scientists or their subject matter what accounts for their comparative success? Are structural features of scientific practice or its norms responsible for this percieved discrepancy? What can the political sphere learn from scientific practice?
Social Science
Welcome to my Ted Talk
Identify a social issue, a cultural phenomenon, an education policy, or come up with your own topic and learn to present like an expert Ted Talker. You'll not only research something you are passionate about but you'll learn important public speaking skills for life.
Social Science, History, Arts, Languages
Food and food systems
Exploring the process of how your food gets to your table and the different political and social factors that contribute to food insecurity.
Nutrition, Organizational Leadership, Social Science, Public Health, Arts
Arabian Nights
Students can choose from any of the “Arabian Nights” tales, and depending on language expertise, we will work through it reading in either English or Arabic (or a mix of the two). We will explore, analyze, and attempt to define some of the most common themes in the text: the power of storytelling, magic, adventure, fate, etc.
Creative Writing, Literature and Languages, Languages, Linguistics, Social Science
Beauty in the Everyday: The Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) and the Production of Imperial Identity, 1903-1918
In 1903, the painter Koloman Moser and architect Josef Hoffmann established Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) with Fritz Waerndorfer in Vienna. The design workshop brought together architects, artists, and artisans to create objects for everyday use. At the time, Vienna was one capital of a duel-monarchy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Home to close to a dozen different ethnolinguistic groups, which desired sovereignty in the form of a nation-state, the empire (particularly the Austrian half) struggled to develop a cohesive and coherent imperial identity for its subjects. This project examines the way the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) produced a unique aesthetic expression in the applied arts in order to instill an imperial identity among it's patrons during the short period of its existance under Austro-Hungarian rule, 1903-1918.
History, Social Science
The Persuasive Potential of Message Framing, Temporal Orientation, and Self-Affirmation in Anti-Vaping Campaigns
This is a project I am currently working on that aims to better understand what aspects of anti-vaping messages are most persuasive. Additionally, the project looks to establish how successful certain messages might be in changing attitudes and behaviors among individuals who use e-cigarettes.
Psychology, Quantitative, Public Health, Social, Social Science
Behavioral Economics on Consumer Behavior in the United States' Healthcare Industry
Are you interested in understanding the factors that influence consumer behavior in the healthcare industry? Would you like to explore how behavioral economics principles can be applied to improve healthcare decision-making? This student mentorship project provides an exciting opportunity for you to delve into the field of behavioral economics and its impact on consumer behavior in the United States' healthcare sector. Guided by experienced mentors, you will gain insights into the intersection of psychology, economics, and healthcare, and develop a deeper understanding of how individuals make choices in this complex industry. Expected Outcomes: 1) In-depth understanding of behavioral economics principles and their application to consumer behavior in the healthcare industry. 2) Knowledge of psychological biases and heuristics that influence healthcare decision-making. 3) Ability to analyze and evaluate the impact of healthcare policies and interventions on consumer choices and outcomes. 4) Research and analytical skills to conduct studies or analyze existing research in the field. 5) Critical thinking skills to propose actionable recommendations for improving healthcare decision-making processes.
Business, Social Science, Literature and Languages, Finance
Social support and its impacts on mental health among adolescents
Social support is fundamental to mental health. For adolescents in particular, having a strong support system among friends and family is key to practicing good mental health. Using publicly available data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, you will examine the relationship between social support and mental health. You will also explore whether this relationship varies by social factors, such as gender, sexual orientation, and race and ethnicity.
Public Health, Quantitative, Social Science
How do college students borrow and manage their student loans?
Do you know the difference between student loans and student debt? Are you aware that college students are faced with a growing financial burden due to student loans as higher-education tuition increases? If you keep wondering “why” and “how” when reading news about student loans and try to piece together the answers from small conversations that your friends or family occasionally have about student loans, this might be a fascinating project to work on! Along the same line of this idea, have you ever wondered how come the student loan bubble has gotten so big? What is the role of the federal government in shaping the borrowing and repayment policies? How are borrowers coming from different backgrounds managing their student loan debt after graduation? What are some practical policy suggestions you might provide if you are a policymaker? How do you plan to implement them?
Languages, Social Science
Where Science Meets Policy: Design Your Own Intervention!
After we discover a social problem or disparity, the next step is often to ask: What can we do about it? One solution is to come up with an intervention, or a program/policy that seeks to address the problem. For example, if we identify that low math test scores and frustration learning new mth material is a problem, we may decide to create an after school math tutoring program to address these issues. We need to decide the format and structure of the program, such as how many days per week it will meet, who is eligible to join, and who will tutor the students. Further, it is common to test whether or not the intervention "works." Did test scores increase from before to after the program? Is there a control group that we can compare? For this project, you will research a social "problem" that you want to help solve, then design your own intervention to address it. We will also cover research design and statistical analysis to test for intervention effects. This project is perfect for anyone wants to bridge the gap between social science and social policy!
Psychology, Social Science, Public Health
The Relationship Between Time Spent in Nature and Psychological and Physical Well-being
A survey study to measure how much time high school students spend in nature, and how this is related to both their psychological and physical health. Questions may include the types of nature activities that students are engaging in (hiking, going to the beach, biking, etc.), how often they are engaging in these activities, stress level, anxiety rating, depression rating, and self-rated physical health.
Psychology, Statistics, Social Science
