Why Student Research?
- Often times, research inspires students to achieve higher goals in their education while sharpening their life-long skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, inquiry, analysis, collaboration and communication. In addition, it gives students a head start in forming a professional network in their area of interest. HERE is an excellent article by AACU explaining the evidence-based benefits of undergraduate research.
- Read about benefits of undergraduate (and high school) research HERE from a student perspective by the Mentor at the Penn State University.
- In addition to all those benefits, students who complete a research internship at the Quest are eligible to apply college scholarship at the Quest if they pursue a major relevant to their internship. Also, here at Quest, we strive to publish student data in peer-reviewed journals and being a co-author on a research paper as a HS/UG student would certainly be proven beneficial in their college/graduate school applications particularly for competitive colleges and universities.
Stipends up to $3,200 for Eligible Students
Research internships at Quest not only at no charge to all participating students but also we pay eligible students stipends in the form of fellowships. Throughout the year, we apply for grants and organize fundraising activities so that this program will be at no cost to the students or we are able to financially support eligible students. Each grant has different requirements (such as low income or disabled students) and may be specific to certain research projects.
- Students with disabilities, minorities, Deaf/HoH students, and students from low income families are particularly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply?
Find the project that you are interested in working in summer 2020 (continue scrolling down) and follow the APPLY HERE link provided under the specific project description. If no link is provided or you are not eligible, then; send an email to quest@questsri.org with the following information by May 20, 2020 (Deadline for cryptography project application is May 30, 2020).
1. One-page resume
Your resume should include your full name, current school, relevant courses taken (if any) with grades, relevant experience (if any), extracurricular activities
2. One-page Letter of Interest
Your letter of interest should mention the project(s) that you are interested and explain the following
- What makes you a good candidate for the position
- Why you should be selected
- How do you think this experience may be beneficial to you
3. Unofficial HS/College transcript
All college students and high school students in 10th grade and up are eligible to apply.
The Process
Selected candidates will be asked to have one letter of recommendation submitted on their behalf and may be called for an interview.
At the Quest, we use a two step selection process, where a first pool of candidates are made based on merit and eligibility and then a second selection step insuring diversity in each research group.
Both paid and unpaid internships are available. Students from historically underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged t apply.
Find the project that you are interested in working in summer 2020 (continue scrolling down) and follow the APPLY HERE link provided under the specific project description. If no link is provided or you are not eligible, then; send an email to quest@questsri.org with the following information by May 20, 2020 (Deadline for cryptography project application is May 30, 2020).
1. One-page resume
Your resume should include your full name, current school, relevant courses taken (if any) with grades, relevant experience (if any), extracurricular activities
2. One-page Letter of Interest
Your letter of interest should mention the project(s) that you are interested and explain the following
- What makes you a good candidate for the position
- Why you should be selected
- How do you think this experience may be beneficial to you
3. Unofficial HS/College transcript
All college students and high school students in 10th grade and up are eligible to apply.
The Process
Selected candidates will be asked to have one letter of recommendation submitted on their behalf and may be called for an interview.
At the Quest, we use a two step selection process, where a first pool of candidates are made based on merit and eligibility and then a second selection step insuring diversity in each research group.
Both paid and unpaid internships are available. Students from historically underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged t apply.
What if I'm not accepted?
We receive many applications and unfortunately have to turn down many smart and hardworking students. Here are some other similar opportunities that you can apply (a short list):
We receive many applications and unfortunately have to turn down many smart and hardworking students. Here are some other similar opportunities that you can apply (a short list):
- ASSIP Young Researchers Program at George Mason University - Students pay a tuition of $2,000 for the 8-week program
- Gifted & Talented Program at Johns Hopkins University - Students pay a tuition of ~$4500 for a 3-week program
- Jefferson Lab High School Honors Program - Nuclear Physics research located in Newport News, VA
- Naval Research Laboratory Student Volunteers Program - Various locations
- American Chemical Society Project Seed sites - Pays $3,200 stipend for low income students, check here for other 2020 sites
Summer 2020 Projects
Feel free to contact the professors at quest@questsi.org to learn more about specific projects or Irem Guner @iguner@questsri.org for logistics. Check our calendar for exact internship dates in 2020. Be advised that some projects require prior completion of a short online training course at the Quest. Students are expected to attend 4-5 hours per day and present their work at Quest Summer Student Research Symposium.
Feel free to contact the professors at quest@questsi.org to learn more about specific projects or Irem Guner @iguner@questsri.org for logistics. Check our calendar for exact internship dates in 2020. Be advised that some projects require prior completion of a short online training course at the Quest. Students are expected to attend 4-5 hours per day and present their work at Quest Summer Student Research Symposium.
Project: Designing New Cryptosystems, Implementation in Phyton Programming Language.
Cryptography is the science of secure communication; how can Alice send a private message to Bob and at the same time prevent an adversary, Oscar, from knowing the content of the message?
In the past, cryptography was mainly used for military applications, Julius Caesar used a simple shift cipher to communicate with his generals in the battlefield. Nowadays, cryptography provides most of the methods to secure online communications that require privacy and security such as emails, bank transactions, voting systems, and in Bitcoins. In this project, students will first learn about several classical cryptosystems, including the Substitution, the Permutation, the Rail-fence, and the RSA ciphers, then they will design new cryptosystems, implement them using Python, investigate their strengths and weakness, and present their findings.
Cryptography is the science of secure communication; how can Alice send a private message to Bob and at the same time prevent an adversary, Oscar, from knowing the content of the message?
In the past, cryptography was mainly used for military applications, Julius Caesar used a simple shift cipher to communicate with his generals in the battlefield. Nowadays, cryptography provides most of the methods to secure online communications that require privacy and security such as emails, bank transactions, voting systems, and in Bitcoins. In this project, students will first learn about several classical cryptosystems, including the Substitution, the Permutation, the Rail-fence, and the RSA ciphers, then they will design new cryptosystems, implement them using Python, investigate their strengths and weakness, and present their findings.
Chemistry/Medicine/Biology/Biochem/Computer Science:
Project: Computational Investigation of Rare Monogenic Diseases. There are about 10,000 known rare genetic diseases without a cure (for nearly all of them). This project will investigate DNA mutations related to specific diseases and their harmful effects at the protein level. Through this hands-on research experience, students will learn about genetics, rare diseases, details of protein structure and intermolecular interactions, thermodynamics, computer simulation techniques. In addition to collecting data, they will be given a chance to contribute to a manuscript to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Students are required to complete introductory level online Molecular Modeling modules (taught by Quest professors) prior to starting the project. 
Game Design/Interdisciplinary:
Project: Designing and testing of board games for chemistry education. Students are required to complete online modules about basics of game design prior to starting the project. in the end, each intern will be trained and expected to design a professional game throughout the internship. Steps include initial training, mod a game, game development & prototyping. In addition, students will collect and analyze data for potential of their games in learning as well as player experience including enjoyment and motivation. In the end, there will be a game fair showcasing the games developed by interns. We are hoping to work with DC chapter of ACS to coordinate the event. Several other opportunities include publishing their games and designing digital games (android, mac and windows). THIS PROJECT IS ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19 |
Chemistry/Medicine/Biology/Biochem:
Project: Synthesis and Characterization of Nicotinic Ligands. Available pharmacotherapies for smoking addiction are not adequate in efficacy. During the summer, the synthesis of new analogues of compounds capable of binding to and modulate the function of receptors associated with nicotine addiction in the central and peripheral nervous system will be investigated. Students will synthesize small molecules that act as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands and then characterize the newly made compounds through a variety of methods including NMR and mass spectroscopy. 
Chemistry/Biochemistry/Medicine/Computer Science:
Project: Extraction and Computational/Spectroscopic Investigation of Medicinal Seed Oils Students will extract oil from several different medicinal seeds including nigella sativa using our state-of-the-art green extraction methods. The extracted oils will then be investigated through UltraViolet-Visible spectroscopy. Students will systematically search the literature for the content of the oils and compare their data with NIST data (if available). In addition, students will perform quantum mechanical simulations to decipher the structures and IR spectra of selected active chemicals expected to be found in medicinal oils. Students are required to complete an online Molecular Modeling module prior to start working on this project. THIS PROJECT IS ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19 |