Apply Now
To apply to the CSF Programme you are required to submit a research paper in a subject area of your choice. This is to give us an insight into your current interests, knowledge and academic skills.
If you'd like to be part of our exciting programme follow these steps...
Step 1…
Register your interest
To make sure you have lots of support with this project, Register your interest now!
Sign up here if you’re interested in applying – this will allow us to make sure you have lots of support with your research project between now and 23rd February.
Step 2…
The Research Project
We’ve given you a list of potential research questions below. If you need any help at all please speak to your subject teacher, they’ll be happy to give you some ideas to get started.
The requirements of the project for written essays are:
- You can choose a question from the list below, or you can come up with your own.
- Essays should be a maximum of 1000 words.
- We’d like you to use Harvard referencing. You can find out more about this at the link here! We’ll teach you much more about this but we’d like you to have a go here first!
- Submit your work by Friday 23rd February.
Subject Research Questions
| Faculty/Subject | Example of research question for application for your subject |
| Art | Art is life: Consider this statement in relation to contemporary art and society. Select an artwork that you think reflects this and produce a visual analysis including practical studies from the work and a minimum of 500 words to explain why this artwork is a reflection of society today. |
| Chemistry | Write 1000 words on the process of developing pharmaceutical drugs for retail and the moral issues around drug development and profit. |
| Classics / Ancient History | The discovery of which ancient site or artefact interests you the most and why? |
| Comp Sci | Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly important in today’s society. Explain how this could be a force for good and a force for bad now and into the future. |
| Criminology & Law | ‘The risks involved in the trial by jury system outweigh the benefits’. Discuss this statement drawing on real-world examples to support your ideas. |
| Drama | “The theatre is the only institution in the world which has been dying for four thousand years and has never succumbed. It requires tough and devoted people to keep it alive.” – Steinbeck. Who’s keeping it alive for your generation, and how? |
| Economics and Business | Is an increase in the Bank of England base rate always the best way to curb inflation? |
| English | A word after a word after a word is power’ – Margaret Atwood. How do you interpret this quotation? What does it suggest about Literature, voice, identity and ownership? |
| Environmental science / biology / geography | Write 1000 words to discuss how we can use biodiversity to reverse the effects of climate change. |
| Film and Media | Are streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney killing off cinemas and with it the big screen experience? |
| French | ‘L’uniforme scolaire n’a plus sa place dans l’école du XXIe siècle.’ Dans quelle mesure êtes-vous d’accord avec cette affirmation? |
| Geography | Technology cannot solve climate change without the support of political action. To what extent do you agree? / Climate change is less an issue of science or economics and more an issue of justice. To what extent do you agree? |
| German | Soll die private Verwendung von Feuerwerk an Silvester verboten werden? |
| Greek | What is more important, faithfulness to Greek original literature or our reactions to it as modern readers? |
| History | “Revolutionary changes only ever occur due to war.” How far do you agree? Explain your answer, drawing on examples from different time periods. |
| Latin | What is more important, faithfulness to Latin original literature or our reactions to it as modern readers? |
| Maths | Choice of 4 topics to write between 500-1000 words on explaining the maths behind: 1) Explain the importance of proof in mathematics including and contrasting at least proofs of Pythagoras’ Theorem. 2) Explain the mathematics behind the Monty Hall problem 3) Explain Zeno’s paradox and the matematical ideas it eplores 4) Show why if you have at least 23 people in a room the probability that at least two of them will share the same birthday is more than 50% |
| Music | ‘This piece should be studied by every GCSE music student’. Choose a piece of music that you feel strongly every GCSE music student should study: a song or piece from any genre, style and period is welcome. Explain why, analysing the context and content of the music to explain your thinking. |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | Why are we dying to live if we’re living to die? Discuss this statement considering different points of view using examples to support your points. |
| Photography | Art is life: Consider this statement in relation to contemporary photography and society. Select an artwork that you think demonstrates this and produce a visual analysis. This should include a colour image of the artwork, your own photography inspired by the artwork and a minimum of 500 words to explain why this artwork is a reflection of society today. This could be presented in any format. |
| Physical Education | Performance enhancing drugs should be legalised in sport. Discuss the costs, benefits and impacts, and ethical issues of legalising performance enhancing drugs. |
| Physics | Write 1000 words on how the understanding of sub-atomic particles has helped science progress. |
| Politics | Based on your research do you believe that the Brexit referendum should have taken place in 2016? |
| Psychology | Write 1000 words on the brain, how it works and psychodynamic approach to psychology |
| Sociology | Based on your own research and your knowledge on the topic, what can you say about the distribution of household tasks? |
| Spanish | “La tauromaquia es una parte integral de la cultural española y entonces, tiene que seguir existiendo hoy en día y en el futuro.” Hasta que punto estás de acuerdo con esta afirmación. |
