Research Project - 4EU4PRE6

Goal(s)

The primary aim of the Research Project is to provide second-year students with an initial immersion in academic research, conducted within a partner laboratory affiliated with the school. This experience is designed to foster the development of engineering skills through research-driven learning.

By engaging students early in the research process, the program seeks to enhance their ability to address complex problems by applying rigorous methodologies commonly employed in scientific research environments.

Each project is aligned with an active research program led by a faculty member or laboratory researcher. Students will be introduced to the research ecosystem and scientific reasoning, while applying their technical and analytical skills to a defined research question.

Depending on the nature of the project, the work may involve developing experimental prototypes to validate theoretical concepts, conducting numerical simulations, or designing innovative technical solutions in response to specific challenges.

Throughout the project, students receive structured guidance and mentorship from two dedicated coordinators appointed by the school.

The Research Project is embedded in the student’s academic curriculum through a dedicated course unit (UE). The choice of UE is made in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and is based on the research theme, the overall training objectives, and the student’s professional aspirations. A learning agreement must be signed and submitted to the academic registry within the first 15 days of the second semester.

Content(s)

The Research Project spans a total of 240 hours of work per student over the course of the semester. This includes 120 hours of scheduled laboratory presence—typically organized as two half-days per week—and 120 hours of personal work, corresponding to an estimated eight hours per week throughout the semester. In addition, students are required to attend a mandatory 4-hour training session on bibliographic research, provided by the Science Library on the Saint Martin d’Hères campus.

During the project, students are expected to take responsibility for organizing and carrying out the following tasks:

Understand the research question and identify the scientific challenges involved;

Situate the project within its scientific context by conducting a comprehensive literature review;

Identify and plan the key stages of the research process;

Propose possible approaches and assess their relevance in collaboration with the supervising team;

Apply their technical and scientific skills to implement concrete solutions;

Present and critically assess the outcomes of their work, identifying both limitations and potential future directions;

Ensure proper documentation and knowledge transfer to support the continuity of the project.

By the end of the project, students are expected to demonstrate their ability to manage a research project independently, as well as to showcase their technical proficiency and a professional attitude consistent with the expectations of future engineers or scientists.

Effective project management adapted to the specific demands of research will be essential to ensure smooth progress. To support this, two assessment checkpoints are planned:

Mid-term reporting (mid-March): Students (working individually or in pairs) will deliver an oral presentation to confirm their understanding of the project’s objectives and challenges. A written summary and the presentation will be used to evaluate the team’s ability to contextualize the research problem within the current state of the art. Preliminary results are expected at this stage. A first grade will be assigned.

Final defense (end of May): The project will conclude with an oral defense and the submission of a final report, addressed to the project’s research supervisor. This evaluation will serve as the final assessment of the student’s engagement and achievements within the Research Project.

Basic scientific konwledge