Society and people
Investigate attitudes, behaviour, schools, rights, communication, social media, democracy or the everyday lives of young people.
Project ideas
What can a project be?
A project for Ungt vísindafólk can begin with a question, problem, observation, experiment, prototype, data collection or idea that you want to investigate further.
A good idea does not need to be complicated. It should be clear, interesting and possible to investigate, test or explain.
Start here
A good project often starts with a simple question.
You do not need to invent something completely new. You can build on previous knowledge, a school project, your own observations or a problem you have noticed. What matters most is that you can show what you wanted to investigate and how you worked on it.
Project areas
Projects can come from many different fields.
Environment and climate
Explore energy use, waste, recycling, pollution, nature, ecosystems, climate or solutions that could improve the environment.
Technology and computer science
Develop software, a website, data analysis, an AI solution, a technical prototype or a digital solution to a real problem.
Health and wellbeing
Study sleep, exercise, nutrition, wellbeing, accessibility, assistive tools or ways to improve health and quality of life.
Natural sciences
Run an experiment, measure effects, study organisms, materials, light, heat, water, geology or other natural phenomena.
Design and engineering
Design, build, test and improve a solution, device, model or prototype that solves a specific problem.
Questions to begin with
If you are unsure, start with “why?” or “how?”.
Many good research projects do not begin with a complete solution. They begin with curiosity. Try writing down a few questions before deciding exactly what your project will be.
Why does this happen?
A good starting point for a project that tries to understand causes, connections or patterns.
How can this be measured?
A good starting point for a project that collects data, compares results or studies changes.
Can this be improved?
A good starting point for design, innovation, programming, engineering or solution-focused projects.
Example project ideas
Here are examples of questions that could become projects.
Society
How do students experience the use of AI in learning? What effect does social media have on sleep or concentration? How can a school environment be made more accessible?
Environment
How much food is wasted at school? Can a simple change reduce plastic use? How does temperature vary between different areas in the local environment?
Technology
Can a simple app help students organise their studies? Can sensors be used to measure air quality? How can data be used to find patterns in everyday life?
Health
What habits affect sleep? How does heart rate change with different types of exercise? Can a better assistive tool be designed for a specific need?
Natural sciences
What conditions affect plant growth? How does the acidity of water change? Which materials work best in a specific experiment?
Design and engineering
How can a simpler solution be designed for an everyday problem? Which materials or shapes work best? How can a prototype be tested and improved?
Scope
Make the project small enough to finish.
A common mistake is starting with an idea that is too large. Try to narrow the project so that you can collect data, test a solution or explain your results clearly.
Too broad
“How can we solve climate change?”
Better
“How much energy could our school save by making a simple change to lighting?”
Why?
The second question is clearer, more measurable and easier to explain through method and results.
Next step
Choose one question and try writing a short description.
The description does not need to be long. Write what you want to investigate, why it is interesting, how you might work on the project and what you hope to find out.
Short project description
“I want to investigate … because … I plan to do this by … I hope to find out whether …”
A good idea can come from your own experience.
If you have noticed a problem at school, at home, in society or in your local environment, it can be a good starting point for a project.