Watch how the IGlobal Research Fellowship introduces students to academic research, mentorship, and university life at Illinois.
The IGlobal Research Fellows Program is not a typical extracurricular experience. It is a structured academic pathway designed for students ready to engage in real research, guided by university faculty and grounded in the standards of a leading research institution.
Work directly within supervised research environments guided by University of Illinois faculty and graduate researchers.
Develop disciplined reading, analytical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning through a formal research framework.
Explore complex global challenges across sustainability, global studies, communication, and the social sciences.
Learn in focused, faculty-guided teams that allow for individualized mentorship and deeper engagement.
Conclude the program with a formal research proposal and academic presentation grounded in your work.
Build the habits of mind associated with advanced academic work, including critical analysis, clarity of thought, and intellectual accountability.
A selective, faculty-led research pathway for students ready to engage seriously with academic inquiry.
Designed for students ages 15 and above who are ready for advanced academic engagement.
Offered twice annually with a structured research schedule and faculty-led academic model.
Fellows work in focused research groups supported by faculty mentors and Illinois graduate researchers.
Students commit approximately 15 hours weekly to seminars, meetings, reading, analysis, and writing.
Research connects sustainability, global studies, education, communication, and digital collaboration.
The program culminates in a formal academic presentation and an individualized research proposal.
The IGlobal Research Fellows Program is a competitive global cohort for high school students ages 15 and above who demonstrate intellectual maturity, academic readiness, and sustained commitment to inquiry.
The program is intentionally interdisciplinary. Fellows engage with research questions that draw from sustainability studies, digital media, communication, global studies, linguistics, and the social sciences. Rather than isolating inquiry within a single field, Fellows examine how complex global challenges require integrated perspectives and methodological range.
Participants receive structured research training led by University of Illinois faculty and graduate researchers. Fellows contribute to ongoing IGlobal research initiatives while developing the habits of mind associated with advanced academic work: disciplined reading, careful analysis, evidence-based reasoning, and intellectual accountability.
Each cycle runs for eight weeks and enrolls a maximum of 40 Fellows per cohort globally.
Fellows work closely with designated faculty mentors and are supported by Illinois graduate research leaders.
Fellows commit time to seminars, discussions, research meetings, independent reading, analysis, and writing.
The program operates alongside the Foundation Program while maintaining distinct scholarly expectations and research responsibilities.
Fellows begin with faculty-led seminars introducing research paradigms, methodological design, qualitative and quantitative approaches, research ethics, academic integrity, citation practices, scholarly writing conventions, and responsible data stewardship.
This phase establishes the intellectual and ethical foundations necessary for advanced academic work and interdisciplinary inquiry.
Fellows join supervised research teams aligned with ongoing IGlobal studies and other research projects from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Under faculty oversight, Fellows participate in structured data analysis, coding and interpretive exercises, examination of research artifacts, and collaborative research discussions.
In the final phase, Fellows conduct a structured literature review and develop a formal research proposal that functions as an individualized research plan.
Each plan includes a research question, literature-informed rationale, proposed methodology, ethical considerations, and future directions.
Admission to the Research Fellows Program is selective and merit-based. Applicants are reviewed for intellectual curiosity, analytical capacity, clarity of purpose, and readiness for disciplined scholarly engagement.
Prior participation in the IGlobal Foundation Program is preferred but not required.
The application process includes nomination by a designated educator or liaison, submission of a formal written application, and faculty review conducted by the University of Illinois IGlobal leadership team.
Review may include a virtual or in-person interview and additional materials such as documented coursework or supplementary essays. Scholarship determinations are conducted independently of admission decisions.
Fellows prepare a written research brief or proposal and deliver a formal academic presentation at the IGlobal Research Fellows Showcase, the annual IGlobal Symposium, or selected research forums by invitation.
All Fellows activities operate under direct faculty supervision and comply with University of Illinois research policies, including Institutional Review Board standards when applicable.
Fellows who successfully complete the program receive an official University of Illinois IGlobal Research Fellow Certificate, formal documentation of completion, a digital academic distinction badge, recognition at the IGlobal Symposium, and faculty-based letters of recommendation when appropriate.
Join a selective, faculty-led research pathway designed for students ready to engage deeply with academic inquiry at the University of Illinois.