Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
A non-profit research program for talented, low-income high school students.
Incubated by Lumiere Education —one of the world's largest 1-on-1 research initiatives for high school students— the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation aims to provide the same world-class independent research opportunities to low-income high school students who can't afford traditional programs.
Our goal is to help talented and high-achieving low-income students from around the world become the next generation of researchers.
Our Impact
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98
Countries Reached
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22,465+
Applications Received
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1,101
Students Supported
Why We Exist
Research Changed Our Lives. Now We're Paying It Forward.
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation grows out of our financial aid initiative at Lumiere Education. We are committed to scaling research opportunities for talented, low-income students.
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FounderHarvard College, AB Economics
Oxford University, DPhil & MPhil International DevelopmentGrowing up, I didn’t know many researchers. I attended a school in Chennai (that’s in southern India!), where I studied commerce. My family would not have been able to afford a research program and I didn’t know how to get started on my own till I began debating internationally for India. The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation’s goal is to help students like me who are excited to engage in research, but do not have the resources to do so!
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FounderHarvard College, AB Statistics
Harvard Business School, PhD Organizational BehaviourI grew up surrounded by research, but my family didn’t always have that opportunity. My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor who never got the opportunity to complete his schooling. My father, as a result, grew up poor in Hawaii where he picked pineapples to pay for expenses in junior high and high school. It was only in college that he began to think about research for himself. Though it took him seven years to finish college, he eventually went on to do a PhD and become a professor. At the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, we focus on students with need because we believe that the world’s best researchers are out there - and they are often not the people who have the resources to pay for it. It’s a way for us to pay it forward, for people like my father and grandfather.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program
A highly selective research mentorship program for exceptional low-income high school students worldwide — offered at zero cost to accepted scholars.
Selected Breakthrough Scholars work one-on-one with mentors from top universities around the world to write a research paper over the course of 12-weeks.
Our Breakthrough Scholars
“Dhruva has been more than a mentor to me as he has always helped me out, even after my program concluded. I feel blessed to have been part of such an ambitious group of people and to be mentored by the best instructors in the world.”
Ali Azan Ahmed, Kaizen High, Pakistan
“My mentor was simply the best! He was very helpful throughout the whole program. I came out of the programme with so much more than I had gone in with. Thank you, Lumiere, for kick-starting my research journey!”
Tarun Mathew Doss, The Doon School, India
“I cannot speak more highly of the Lumiere Foundation! The sheer dedication and zeal with which everyone works is genuinely what made this journey so memorable for me. I'm very happy to be part of this community!”
Ashwini Battu, Delhi Public School Bangalore North, India
Our Mentors
“I really enjoyed following my student’s development throughout the research program. Her success is another impressive instance of the dedication and eagerness to learn exemplified by Lumiere Scholars!”
Avery Baumann, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Mentored Ashwini Battu, Delhi Public School Bangalore North, India & Le Xuan Ai Phan, Atlanta Girls' School, United States
“Working with my student was inspiring! He taught me that determination can overcome even dire obstacles. Well done to Lumiere for creating opportunities for learning beyond borders.”
Anay Nangalia, PhD, Oxford University
Mentored Denis Taban Okeny, Amala High School, Kenya
“Barriers in science only work to keep brilliant scientists like Aral from contributing to the human pursuit of knowledge. Much-needed programs like Lumiere will make science both a more inclusive but also a more expansive discipline.”
Andrea Salazar, PhD, Harvard University
Mentored Aral Çay, Cevre College, Turkey
FAQs
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We are looking for high school seniors from around the world who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges. We do not have any strict cut-offs for GPA, income, or test scores. However, we expect that most students will be in the bottom half of income in their country and could be identified as coming from a low-income family. Check our application page for more details!
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The first step to becoming a scholar is to fill out the application form. Each cohort has an application deadline, so ensure that you submit your application before that date! You are not required to submit any supporting documents. If your application is shortlisted, you move to the interview round, where you will elaborate on your research interests and ideas!
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Our Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Program at Lumiere Education. During the 12-week program, students meet 1-on-1 with their mentors 9 times. The final product is an independently written research paper by the student. Check our program page for more details!
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The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is an independent non-profit born out of the financial aid program of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. Though the two organizations operate independently legally, they work together on programming for students.
