The Research Internship for Young Academics (RIYA) Program is a ten-week research experience run by The Ohio State University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. It was established in 2014 for undergraduate engineering students at leading institutes in India who show exceptional research aptitude.
The summer 2027 cohort will be entirely virtual, with participants working from India as volunteers alongside Ohio State faculty and research teams. Projects depend on the availability of research mentors and are intended to build research, leadership, and graduate-study awareness.
Benefits & funding
- Participants complete a ten-week faculty-guided research project from May to July 2027, with some flexibility in timing.
- The 2027 virtual cohort receives no participant allowance and works from India on a volunteer basis.
- Participants work with Ohio State MAE faculty and a research team in a participating laboratory, subject to mentor availability.
Eligibility
- Applicants must have completed three years in a recognized mechanical engineering Bachelor of Technology program or a combined bachelor’s/master’s program in a related discipline.
- The program is intended for undergraduate engineering students at leading institutes in India who demonstrate exceptional research aptitude.
- The official page states no separate nationality, residence, gender, age, or work-experience requirement.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
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Application process
- 1Submit the linked initial Microsoft application form by 5 October 2026.
- 2The most promising applicants are invited to complete the formal application.
- 3Invited applicants submit the formal form, a transcript covering the first two or three years, two recommendation letters, and a passport or government-issued ID by 15 November 2026.
- 4Qualified applicants may interview by Zoom between November 2026 and January 2027.
Program timeline
Initial application deadline
5 October 2026
Formal application and supplemental-material deadline for invited applicants
15 November 2026
Zoom interviews typically take place
November 2026–January 2027
Ten-week virtual internship, with some date flexibility
May–July 2027