Engineering the Next Generation (ENG)

The ENG Summer 2025 application is now live!

Current 11th-grade students, click here to apply! (After clicking the link, please select "Log in" or "Create an account" near the top of the page to be taken to the ENG application. Do not click the apply now button)

*Note: The ENG program is open only to current 11th graders (rising seniors in summer 2025) who reside in and attend school in 5 boroughs of NYC or the Palm Beach, FL area. Students interested in the Foundations of Research track must also complete the DYCD's Ladders for Leaders application, which is now live, as this is how stipends are received. Applicants interested in the CS3 My Streetscape track do not need to complete the Ladders for Leaders application and will receive compensation through CS3. ALL participants must receive a stipend to be on campus. Read more information about Ladders for Leaders and each ENG track below.

The deadline to apply to Ladders for Leaders is February 3rd, 2025, and anyone looking to join the Foundations of Research track must complete it.  The CS3 MyStreetscape track deadline is March 3, 2025, and does not require the Ladders for Leaders application. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; apply sooner rather than later for the best chance at acceptance.

 

Ladders for Leaders

All students who wish to join the Foundations of Research track must complete the Ladders for Leaders application in addition to the ENG application. The Ladders for Leaders Application window is from Monday, December 9th 2024 - Monday, February 3rd, 2025. 

When completing the application, applicants must choose "PENCIL" as their provider if they wish to be matched to the ENG program.

For more information on completing the Ladders for Leaders application, watch this video.

 

Deadlines

Ladders for Leaders - February 3rd

ENG (Foundations of Research and MyStreetscape) - March 3rd

 

 

 

For six weeks, students work with Columbia Engineering researchers and participate in programming to develop their academic and professional skills. Students gain practical research experience, collaborate with research faculty, staff, and students, practice new skills, and take part in multi-level mentorship.
  • Program components include experience in working on genuine engineering research projects, research skills and college prep workshops, science communications workshops, and additional supplemental seminars and opportunities. 
  • Students are provided with a stipend to support them over the summer. 
  • We encourage all rising seniors (current 11th graders) with an interest in engineering and research to apply.

Note: Admitted students must follow Columbia University's public health protocols, which include vaccination against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR).

Program Information

11th-grade high school students (rising seniors) work with Columbia Engineering researchers for six weeks to gain practical research experience, collaborate with research faculty, staff, and students, and participate in multi-level mentorship. Students earn a stipend to support them over the summer. The program will run from 9 am-4 pm Monday- Thursday, July 7th - August 14th, 2025.

  • Open to all rising seniors (current 11th graders) with an interest in engineering
  • High-schoolers learn and conduct research alongside Columbia faculty 
  • Research will include Biomedical, Computer Science, Environmental Engineering, and more
  • Students will develop research skills and attend college prep workshops, science communications workshops, and additional supplemental seminars and opportunities
  • Stipend provided: $15/hour at 25 hours/week

Click here to apply!

For Harlem and surrounding area applicants:

Students can apply for the CS3 track of the ENG program through the My Streetscape Summer Research Institute. This interdisciplinary education program on urban technology and trust organized by the Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3) and the Trust Collaboratory. The program is designed for 11th-grade high-school students (rising seniors) from Harlem and the surrounding area who are interested in engineering and the social sciences. The program will run from 9 am-4 pm Monday- Thursday, July 7th - August 14th, 2025.

What to Expect:

  • Conduct engineering and social science research with Columbia University faculty and graduate students
  • Develop AI tools, improve your coding and data science skills, learn about computer vision and Internet of Things (IoT), explore transportation engineering and urban mobility applications
  • Investigate how tech can shape urban life in Harlem with a focus on trust, safety, privacy, and community needs
  • Potential presentation to city officials to impact NYC streetscapes and research paper publication
  • Stipend provided: $15/hour at 25 hours/week

Click here to apply!

 

For Palm Beach, FL applicants:

The My Streetscape Summer Research Institute is an interdisciplinary education program on urban technology and trust organized by the the Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3), in partnership with the Trust Collaboratory at Columbia University and the Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering (I-SENSE) at Florida Atlantic University. 

High school students from Palm Beach County, FL can apply for this CS3 cohort as part of the Columbia Engineering ENG program to hone their interests in engineering and the social sciences, regardless of their level of experience or knowledge.

This opportunity is a 6-week, full-time summer research program at Columbia University and Florida Atlantic University for rising high school seniors (i.e. current juniors). High school students will be matched with faculty and graduate student mentors at Columbia University and Florida Atlantic University. 

Students will receive training in the fundamentals of streetscape technology and social science research methods from scholars at Columbia University and Florida Atlantic University. Possible extensions of the program include continuing research through the following academic year, publication and paper co-authorship, and a letter of recommendation from the research lab’s supervising professor.

Click here to apply!

Partnerships

ENG serves many partners from independent organizations to Columbia's internal centers. Here are some of our partnerships that make ENG possible:

My Streetscape Summer Research Institute

Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3)

Trust Collaboratory at Columbia University

Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering (I-SENSE) at Florida Atlantic University

 The Artificial and Natural Intelligence Institute (ARNI)

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)

Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP)

Center for Precision Assembled Quantum Materials (PAQM)

National Science Foundation

 

The ENG program is an excellent opportunity for members of the Columbia Engineering community to connect with high school students.

  • Undergraduate summer researchers can be involved in college preparation workshops
  • Graduate students can serve as mentors for ENG students
  • Postdocs can teach research skills seminars and contribute to career planning workshops
  • Faculty host ENG students in their labs

ENG Cohort Research Projects

In 2024, our students conducted research in various projects, from studying ACL injuries in biomedical engineering to partnering with the Center for Smart Street Scapes (CS3) to engage in social science and communication. To learn more about the 2024 ENG cohort and their projects, click here!

 

In 2023, our students conducted research in various projects, from studying organic dyes in chemical engineering to partnering with the Center for Smart Street Scapes (CS3) to engage in social science and communication. To learn more about the 2023 ENG cohort and their projects, click here!

In 2022, our students focused on doing computational research with their labs and mentors. The program included daily research skills and science communications workshops, which culminated in multiple projects. To learn more about the 2022 ENG cohort and their projects, click here!