The Effective Thesis Co-Lab

Make your thesis matter.

Join our 8-week fellowship program to craft a high-impact thesis that addresses the world’s most pressing challenges.

Sign up to be notified when applications are released.

Your thesis is more than an academic milestone — it can be your opportunity to make a difference.

As a student, you'll invest hundreds, if not thousands, of hours into your thesis.

What if all those hours could help solve the world’s biggest challenges?

The Effective Thesis (ET) Co-Lab is an 8-week fellowship program designed to help students develop impactful theses that tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

Through curated modules, mentorship, and peer collaboration, the Co-Lab equips students with the tools to produce a high-impact thesis while setting the foundation for a meaningful career.

Why complete a high-impact thesis?

Through your thesis, you can address the world’s most pressing challenges, build a high-impact career, and connect with a global community of change-makers.

🚀 Turn Your Research into Impact

Tackle the world’s most pressing challenges through your thesis — fill critical research gaps and drive meaningful change to improve lives.

🌱 Lay the Foundation for a Meaningful Career

Build valuable skills, gain credibility, and develop expertise to shape a career focused on creating meaningful change.

🌍 Join a Community of Change-Makers

Connect with a global network of passionate students and mentors dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing challenges.

Program Features

Our 8-week program is fully remote.

Learn the fundamentals of a high-impact thesis and career

Through weekly modules and workshops, learn how to develop a high-impact thesis and career — from identifying a high-impact research question to developing a research plan.

Gain expert mentorship

Receive personalized mentorshipend related cause areas, helping you to refine your research, develop key skills, and navigate impactful career paths.

Showcase your achievements

Earn a Certificate of Completion and have your research featured on our website — highlighting your commitment and contribution to solving key global challenges.

Discover your high-impact research focus

Identify and develop your high-impact research proposal that address critical global challenges such as AI safety, global health, and animal welfare.

Collaborate with like-minded peers

Work alongside peers from diverse disciplines to exchange ideas, share feedback, and collaborate on research projects that address shared global challenges.

Lay the foundation for a high-impact career

Learn how to leverage your thesis to launch a meaningful, action-oriented career. Build skills, gain mentorship, and position yourself for high-impact career opportunities post-graduation.

Who is this for?

University Students: Undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD students currently choosing or developing their thesis.

Impact-Driven Individuals: Students motivated to use their thesis to solve real-world problems and create change.

Interdisciplinary Thinkers: Students eager to collaborate across fields and approach problems creatively.

Research Areas & Focuses

AI Safety

AI Safety research aims to ensure that artificial intelligence systems remain beneficial to humanity as they become more capable and influential.

Global Health & Development

Global health and development research aims to improve health and economic empowerment for all people worldwide.

Biosecurity

Biosecurity research aims to safeguard humanity from emerging biological threats and reducing pandemics risk.

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare research aims to ensure ethical treatment and enhance the of life for animals in all settings.

Ready to make an impact through your thesis?

Sign up below to be notified when we are open for applications.

 FAQs

  • Yes! The Co-Lab is completely free to join.

  • That’s perfectly fine. You do not need to have a fully developed thesis idea to join.

    The Co-Lab is designed to help you generate ideas, identify high-impact research questions, and develop a clear focus for your project. Regardless of where you are in the process, our goal is for you to leave with a well-developed research proposal that is ready for submission or further refinement.

  • Yes! The Co-Lab is designed to be fully remote. Though, we encourage students who are in the same city to meet up and collaborate.

  • At the end of the program, our goals are for you to leave with:

    • A Chosen High-Impact Research Question

    • A Research Proposal and Thesis Plan that’s ready for submission or further refinement.

    • Practical Skills and Tools to complete your high-impact thesis.

    • Valuable Connections and Mentorship to support your journey towards creating impact.

    • Ongoing Access to the Effective Thesis Community for continued support, collaboration, and resources beyond the Co-Lab.

  • Yes, we are actively looking for more mentors! If you're passionate about supporting students in developing high-impact research, we'd love to hear from you.

    Generally, we seek experts who have completed or are currently pursuing a Master's or PhD, or have several years of research experience. However, if you're uncertain whether you meet these criteria, we encourage you to sign up and mention your concerns on the form.

    Sign up to be a mentor here.

Any additional questions? Contact us at admin@effectivethesis.org.