Become a Published Researcher
Publish in prestigious journals, win science fairs, and build Ivy League credentials — under 1:1 PhD mentorship in just 10 weeks.
Student Results
Real students. Real results.
Our students publish in
The same peer-reviewed journals where PhD researchers publish
How It Works
From student to published researcher
Three steps. Ten weeks. One transformation.
Match with a PhD Mentor
Get paired with a researcher from Harvard, MIT, or Stanford who guides your project 1-on-1.
Conduct Original Research
Design experiments, collect data, and write a paper worthy of peer-reviewed publication.
Publish & Win Competitions
Submit to IEEE, Springer, or Nature. Enter ISEF, Regeneron, and regional science fairs.
Student Spotlight
Aditya Singla wins Best Oral Presentation at IEEE Tokyo
Aditya presented his research on a multi-step neural network approach for improving anomaly detection in large-scale cloud systems at AAIML (Advances in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning), an IEEE Conference in Tokyo, Japan.
His presentation stood out among researchers from around the world, earning him the Best Oral Presentation award for his session.
Aditya credits his YRI research mentor for guiding him through the research process — from developing the methodology to preparing for the international stage.
At IEEE AAIML 2026 Conference
From YRI Fellow to Ivy League
She got into Brown University
with a research profile built through YRI
Sadaf Shireen
“YRI didn't just help me publish. They helped me build a profile that got me into Brown and Johns Hopkins. The mentorship was unlike anything I've experienced.”
Suriya Dev
YRI Fellow · IEEE EMBC 2026
IEEE
Published
EMBC
Conference
10th
Grade
Alzheimer's Disease Detection Research
“My son published research in IEEE and presented at an international medical conference — all before finishing high school. The mentorship he received through YRI was extraordinary. As a parent, seeing your child accomplish something this meaningful is incredible.”
— Suriya's Father
What Actually Gets You Into the Ivy League
It's not a 4.0 GPA. It's not a perfect SAT. It's what you've done beyond the classroom that makes you unforgettable.
"When I review applications, I'm looking for students who've gone beyond the classroom to pursue genuine intellectual curiosity. A published research paper or ISEF recognition immediately signals that a student can handle college-level work and has the initiative to contribute to our academic community."
Research experience is one of the few activities that directly demonstrates college-level capability—making it a powerful differentiator in competitive admissions.
Our Scholars
Real stories from students who transformed their academic trajectory through mentored research at the YRI Fellowship.
I was obsessed with gravitational waves and wanted to build a detection system without expensive hardware. My mentor helped me work through the signal processing. Making it to ISEF with something I actually cared about was surreal.
I wanted to prove you could do real ML research without a GPU cluster. My mentor helped me scope it to something achievable. Presenting at ISEF felt like validation that the idea had legs.
I joined YRI as a 9th grader with zero research experience. Within months, my eye-tracking Alzheimer's detection research was accepted at IEEE EMBC - the world's top biomedical engineering conference.
My research on AI-driven virtual dance therapy for addiction recovery was accepted to present at Stanford and won 3rd place at my science fair.
I designed a novel drug candidate for Tardive Dyskinesia using AI-augmented molecular modeling. YRI's mentorship helped me publish computational pharmacology research.
My research won 1st place at my science fair and I qualified for state. I never imagined achieving that in 9th grade.
My mentor helped me develop a novel ECG analysis algorithm that got published in IEEE. The structured research process transformed my understanding of what's possible.
The best part of YRI Fellowship was the positive attitude of the mentors, as they guided me to finish my research paper. The program creates a space where individuals can learn and succeed.
I built an AI-powered anomaly detection system for cloud computing. YRI's structured approach helped me get my paper accepted to the IEEE Advanced AI & ML Conference.
I applied astronomy techniques like pulsar timing to detect Alzheimer's from brain scans achieving 88.9% accuracy. YRI helped me bridge astrobiology and neuroscience.
I wanted to create something that not only detects traffic, but also uses the information to predict future problems.
The YRI Fellowship gave me PhD mentorship, publication opportunities, ISEF coaching, and lasting support beyond the program.
Selected as 1 of 14 global finalists from 8,000+ participants and secured 3rd place with a $500 cash award.
Publishing medical research as a high schooler seemed impossible. YRI helped me co-author a computational drug discovery study.
YRI helped me apply machine learning to public health research. My work was accepted to the IEEE International Conference on Public Health.
I analyzed 132 immune escape mutations in Omicron variants using genomic surveillance. YRI helped me get published at IEEE RCSM 2025.
I went from no plan to a week-by-week roadmap. We scoped a real study, drafted my first manuscript, and got published in IEEE.
I was obsessed with gravitational waves and wanted to build a detection system without expensive hardware. My mentor helped me work through the signal processing. Making it to ISEF with something I actually cared about was surreal.
I wanted to prove you could do real ML research without a GPU cluster. My mentor helped me scope it to something achievable. Presenting at ISEF felt like validation that the idea had legs.
I joined YRI as a 9th grader with zero research experience. Within months, my eye-tracking Alzheimer's detection research was accepted at IEEE EMBC - the world's top biomedical engineering conference.
My research on AI-driven virtual dance therapy for addiction recovery was accepted to present at Stanford and won 3rd place at my science fair.
I designed a novel drug candidate for Tardive Dyskinesia using AI-augmented molecular modeling. YRI's mentorship helped me publish computational pharmacology research.
My research won 1st place at my science fair and I qualified for state. I never imagined achieving that in 9th grade.
My mentor helped me develop a novel ECG analysis algorithm that got published in IEEE. The structured research process transformed my understanding of what's possible.
The best part of YRI Fellowship was the positive attitude of the mentors, as they guided me to finish my research paper. The program creates a space where individuals can learn and succeed.
I built an AI-powered anomaly detection system for cloud computing. YRI's structured approach helped me get my paper accepted to the IEEE Advanced AI & ML Conference.
I applied astronomy techniques like pulsar timing to detect Alzheimer's from brain scans achieving 88.9% accuracy. YRI helped me bridge astrobiology and neuroscience.
I wanted to create something that not only detects traffic, but also uses the information to predict future problems.
The YRI Fellowship gave me PhD mentorship, publication opportunities, ISEF coaching, and lasting support beyond the program.
Selected as 1 of 14 global finalists from 8,000+ participants and secured 3rd place with a $500 cash award.
Publishing medical research as a high schooler seemed impossible. YRI helped me co-author a computational drug discovery study.
YRI helped me apply machine learning to public health research. My work was accepted to the IEEE International Conference on Public Health.
I analyzed 132 immune escape mutations in Omicron variants using genomic surveillance. YRI helped me get published at IEEE RCSM 2025.
I went from no plan to a week-by-week roadmap. We scoped a real study, drafted my first manuscript, and got published in IEEE.
Why Parents Trust YRI
We understand your concerns. Here's how YRI protects your investment and delivers real results for your child's future.
ROI That Matters
Research publications and science fair wins are among the strongest signals for top university admissions — often more impactful than test prep or tutoring.
Risk-Free Guarantees
Mentor Match Guarantee: If the mentor isn't a fit, we rematch within 2 weeks. Completion Guarantee: Extended support at no cost until manuscript is ready.
Who We're Looking For
YRI isn't for everyone — and that's by design. We invest deeply in each student, so we're selective about who joins.
What We Look For
Genuine Curiosity
You ask "why" and "what if." You're excited by ideas, not just grades.
5-10 Hours Weekly
You can commit consistent time alongside school and activities.
Goal-Oriented
You want tangible outcomes — publication, competition, or college edge.
Coachable
You take feedback well and trust the process, even when it's challenging.
What's NOT Required
We care about mindset, not credentials. You don't need:
- Prior research experience
- Perfect grades or test scores
- A specific major in mind
- Connections to professors
We select for drive and curiosity — everything else, we teach.
Sound like you? Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Comprehensive answers to common inquiries about the YRI Fellowship program. Learn more about the YRI Fellowship and how it works.
⚡ Limited availability — Apply now before spots fill up