Student research
Open to all middle and high school students. Investigate a biological question with public data or published research, then present your work in person or online.
Dry-Lab Research
EBS research is dry-lab: no wet-lab experiments, pipettes, or specialized equipment required. Every project uses computational analysis, publicly available datasets, literature synthesis, or statistical modeling — the kind of work you can do with a laptop and internet connection.
This makes original research accessible regardless of what lab access your school has. Your project should ask a real biological question and answer it with a method reviewers can follow and verify.
Product design welcome. Research does not have to be wet-lab or experimental. Computational analysis, literature synthesis, epidemiological modeling, genomic data analysis, and biology-adjacent product design all qualify.
Valid Research Areas
Not sure if your topic qualifies? Check the FAQ or reach out to the organizing team — we'd rather help you scope a project than turn you away.
Timeline
The research cycle runs from October 2026 through Symposium Day on April 24th, 2027.
Submit your interest via the registration form. Share your research area and any initial ideas.
Orientation session covering how EBS works. Narrow your research question using the EBS resource library and organizing team support.
Literature review, data collection or analysis, and iterative development of your project, with support from the resource library and organizing team.
Submit a 250-word abstract describing your research question, methodology, findings, and conclusions.
Prepare your poster presentation. Receive feedback from the organizing team. Practice Q&A with peers.
Present your research in-person at Phillips Exeter Academy or online. Receive judge feedback, attend guest speaker talks, and connect with the broader EBS community.
Presentation Format
EBS uses a single, consistent format so every participant is judged the same way.
Poster Presentation
Design a research poster and present it to judges and attendees during the poster session. Judges spend approximately 15 minutes per poster. Standard academic poster format — EBS provides a template.
In-personPoster Presentation, Online
Same format, presented over video — walk judges and attendees through your poster during the same live sessions as in-person presenters.
OnlineResearch support
Every registered researcher gets full access to the EBS resource library and organizing team support — no prior research experience needed to get started.
The organizing team is available throughout the research cycle, whether you're presenting in-person or online, from October through Symposium Day in May.
Register Your Interest