HSBDC Independent Research Pathway

2026–2027 HSBDC Independent Research

Independent Research Pathway

Lead your own open-data and AI research project

Participants form a team of up to five students to investigate an open environmental and socioeconomic data carting out a scholarly research project using analytics, AI and science communication resources.

HSBDC Independent Research Pathway is a four-month self-paced inquiry program for high school and CEGEP students.

How the Independent
Research Pathway Works

1. Register

2. research Focus

Choose a research question connected to the annual environmental-resilience theme, carry out literature review, and identify appropriate open data for research

3. Analysis Prep

Use STEM Fellowship recorded workshops, open datasets, analytics and AI tools of your choice to support the project

4. Investigate

Analyze the data, interpret findings and develop an evidence-based solution or recommendation

5. Present

Submit the team project manuscript and 5-minute YouTube presentation of research findings, then prepare a physical research poster and one-slide three-minute thesis presentation for an HSBDC conference

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Registration & Fee

It includes:

Online recorded workshops supporting data science, AI and science communication.

Links to real‑world datasets relevant to the annual environmental‑ resilience theme.

A student‑led research workflow where teams assign responsibilities and manage milestones.

Guidelines and an opportunity to present a research poster and a three‑minute thesis at the HSBDC conference.

Conference participation, including poster presentation and one-slide, three-minute thesis presentation for conference participation.

$250

per participant

*All prices are in Canadian dollars

Frequently Asked Questions

2. How are team responsibilities and research workflow managed?

Independent Research is a self-paced, student-led pathway. Unlike Scholar Internship, it does not include weekly university instruction, dedicated scholarly mentorship, or Cisco certification. Instead, students manage their own workflow using provided recorded workshops, open-access datasets, and industry-level tools.

2. How are team responsibilities and research workflow managed?

Independent Research teams are fully autonomous. Students manage their own timeline, assign internal roles (for data analysis, scientific writing, project coordination, and presentation preparation), and track their own project milestones.

3. What is included in the Independent Research pathway?

The pathway includes access to recorded workshops on selected research topics, open-access datasets, analytical tools, entry into the academic conference, and official publication of your team's project abstract in the conference proceedings.

4. Will student work be published, and is full journal publication guaranteed?

Publication of the team’s project abstract in the STEM Fellowship Journal conference proceedings is included. Full project manuscript publication is an optional next step: teams may independently submit their full manuscript for the Journal’s standard peer-review process (subject to editorial review and publication fees).

5. Are awards available, and does STEM Fellowship cover travel expenses?

Yes! Independent Research teams are fully eligible to compete for poster, 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) presentation, and manuscript awards. However, STEM Fellowship does not cover travel, accommodation, meals, or accessibility expenses related to conference attendance.

6. When are registration, payment, and cancellation deadlines?

Registration and payment are due by October 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. If you need to cancel your participation, the cancellation deadline is October 17, 2026.

7. What will be covered during the live Q&A session?

The live Q&A session will address program delivery, conference logistics, submission details, and general participation questions.

8. Where can I find general policies or contact the program?

General eligibility, award, publication, and participation policies are available on our Program Details page. For any further questions, email us at bigdata@stemfellowship.org.