Transitioning from broad research areas to a focused, well-defined dissertation or thesis topic is a critical step for graduate students. The topics below are designed to be specific enough to be feasible for a multi-month or multi-year research project, while being firmly rooted in the most current debates and challenges of 2026 .
Drawing on the latest calls for research, faculty expertise, and institutional priorities, this list of 50 topics spans a wide range of disciplines, from the technical to the theoretical.
Drawing on the latest calls for research, faculty expertise, and institutional priorities, this list of 50 topics spans a wide range of disciplines, from the technical to the theoretical.
Artificial Intelligence & Technology
- 1. Quantifying the "AI Satisfaction Gap" in Knowledge Work: An empirical study measuring the disconnect between AI-driven productivity gains and employee job satisfaction, and identifying organizational interventions to bridge it .
- 2. A Framework for Detecting and Mitigating Ideological Bias in Large Language Models: Moving beyond simple output analysis to investigate bias in training data, filtering procedures, and post-training alignment layers of models like ChatGPT and Claude .
- 3. The Impact of AI-Generated Search Overviews on Political Information-Seeking Behavior: A controlled experiment examining how different AI-generated search results shape users' keyword choices and reinforce existing political beliefs .
- 4. Designing High-Fidelity Physical Simulation Platforms for "Physical AI" in Robotics: Developing and testing simulation environments that enable robots to learn complex tasks for unstructured settings like disaster response or infrastructure inspection .
- 5. Evaluating the Performance and Energy Efficiency Trade-offs of Novel Semiconductor Architectures for AI: A technical analysis of new chip designs specifically optimized to maximize computational throughput per watt for large AI models .
- 6. Formalizing a Classification of Speaking Styles in Political Speech Using Computational Linguistics: Developing a systematic taxonomy (e.g., narrator, simplifier, rhetorician) and an operationalization strategy to identify these styles in parliamentary or congressional records .
- 7. Developing and Testing a Personalized Federated Learning Framework for Privacy-Preserving Medical Data Analysis: Creating a system that enables collaborative model training across multiple hospitals without centralizing sensitive patient data .
Sustainability, Climate & Energy
- 8. The Collision Course: Modeling the Impact of AI Data Center Growth on Regional Electricity Grids and Decarbonization Goals: A case study analysis of the friction between surging power demand from the digital economy and the physical limits of aging grid infrastructure .
- 9. A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Climate Adaptation Measures in Commercial Real Estate: Evaluating how investments in flood-resilient materials and elevated foundations affect asset valuation, insurance premiums, and leasing demand .
- 10. The Governance and Accuracy of Corporate Emissions Data: A Longitudinal Study of S&P 500 Revisions: Analyzing the frequency, magnitude, and disclosure patterns of corporate greenhouse gas data corrections to assess the reliability of voluntary reporting .
- 11. From Linear to Circular: A Comparative Analysis of Business Models in the Consumer Packaging Sector Under New EPR Regulations: Investigating how firms are adapting to Extended Producer Responsibility rules (like the EU's PPWR) through material innovation and supply chain redesign .
- 12. Assessing the Long-Term Degradation and Scalable Manufacturing of Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cells: A materials science and engineering study focused on overcoming stability issues to commercialize next-generation high-efficiency solar panels .
- 13. Integrating Nature-Related Risks into Investment Portfolios: An Application of the TNFD Framework: Developing and testing a methodology for institutional investors to assess and manage risks related to biodiversity loss drivers .
- 14. The Feasibility of Sodium-Ion Batteries as a Large-Scale Alternative to Lithium-Ion for Grid Storage: A comparative life-cycle and techno-economic assessment of alternative battery chemistries for renewable energy storage .
- 15. Climate Risk and the Insurance Industry: How Weather-Related Events are Reshaping Underwriting and Market Signals: Analyzing the insurance sector's response to increased climate volatility and its role as a broader market signal for physical risk .
- 16. The Impact of Major Sporting Events on Local Climate Adaptation Planning: A case study of the 2026 Winter Olympics or FIFA World Cup, examining how these events influence host cities' infrastructure and climate resilience strategies .
Health, Biomedicine & Wellbeing
- 17. Developing and Validating Cross-Ancestry Polygenic Risk Scores for Type 2 Diabetes Using Multi-Omics Data: A genomics study aimed at creating more equitable and accurate risk prediction tools for diverse populations .
- 18. The Causal Pathways of the Gut-Brain Axis in Metabolic and Neurological Disorders: An investigation into the links between gut microbiota composition, insulin resistance, and neurological outcomes like depression or cognitive decline.
- 19. A Clinical Trial Protocol for a Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation System for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Designing a study for a smart neurostimulator that detects and preemptively cancels pathological brain activity .
- 20. Mapping the Opioid Supply and Overdose Trends in 2026: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Shifting Drug Markets and Harm Reduction Outcomes: Combining drug sample testing with epidemiological data to understand changing overdose patterns and the impact of interventions like naloxone access .
- 21. The Impact of Social Media on Youth Body Image and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study: Tracking the effects of digital environments on emotional development, sleep patterns, and overall well-being in adolescents .
- 22. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Scalable, Community-Anchored Interventions for Family Mental Health and Economic Hardship: Designing and assessing whole-family, trauma-informed care models for economically disadvantaged families with young children .
- 23. Barriers to Naloxone Access in Rural Communities: A Mixed-Methods Study of Technology, Policy, and Awareness Gaps: Investigating the suboptimal distribution of this life-saving drug and evaluating tools to improve access .
- 24. The Intersection of Autism Visibility and Misinformation: A Discourse Analysis of Social Media Narratives and Their Impact on Public Trust: Examining how fear-based narratives and genuine advocacy coexist and shape the lived experiences of autistic individuals and their families .
- 25. Long-Term Outcomes of Adolescent Bariatric Surgery: A 5-10 Year Follow-up Study: Analyzing data on weight loss, comorbidity resolution, nutritional deficiencies, and quality of life in young adults who underwent the procedure as adolescents.
- 26. The Role of Environmental Exposomics in Chronic Disease: A Case Study on PFAS and Metabolic Function: Investigating the long-term health effects of persistent organic pollutants on human metabolism and hormone function.
Business, Economics & Policy
- 27. The Affordability Crisis and AI Labor Disruption: A Sectoral Analysis of Job Displacement in Knowledge-Intensive Industries: Examining how AI-driven efficiency gains are leading to a contraction in high-value jobs and the subsequent impact on consumer affordability .
- 28. Tariff Volatility and Supply Chain Adaptation: How U.S. Importers are Rerouting Trade and Managing Compliance Risk: A qualitative study of firm-level responses to persistent trade policy uncertainty, including the use of transshipment and flexible procurement contracts .
- 29. A Framework for "Sustainable Digital Infrastructure" as a New Asset Class: Developing the financial and regulatory parameters for treating energy-efficient data centers as a distinct and critical form of public infrastructure .
- 30. Tectonic Leadership: A Case Study Analysis of How Firms Navigate Deglobalization, Demographic Shifts, and Technological Convergence: Examining how leaders in various industries are building institutional foresight to adapt to accelerating structural change .
- 31. The Political Economy of Strategic Sovereignty: A Comparative Analysis of European Efforts to Secure Supply Chains for Semiconductors and Critical Minerals: A policy analysis of Europe's strategic choices in response to a fragmenting world order .
- 32. Measuring Reputation-Based Political Influence: A Social Network Analysis of Swiss Parliamentary Cosponsorships: Comparing survey-based and network-based approaches to identify the most influential MPs and parliamentary groups .
- 33. The Impact of Affective Polarization in Direct Democracy: A Panel Study of Swiss Voters Before and After a Referendum Campaign: Investigating how issue-based group identities and emotions fluctuate during a political campaign .
- 34. The Impact of Tariffs on Medical Equipment Costs and Patient Out-of-Pocket Expenses: A health economics study tracing how increased input costs for hospitals are passed on to patients .
- 35. Urban-Rural Divides in Referendum Voting: A Geospatial Analysis of Swiss Ballot Data and Environmental Factors: Using satellite data to determine if voting patterns are driven by the "built" environment or actual proximity to nature .
- 36. The Role of the State in Financing Innovation and Strategic Priorities: A comparative analysis of national policies for funding research in defense, energy, and technology as an act of sovereignty .
Advanced Science, Materials & Space
- 37. Generating Control Structures for Aesthetic 3D Geometric Design in High-Performance Industries: Developing algorithms for creating smooth, continuous surfaces for use in automotive and consumer product design .
- 38. Developing Low-Carbon Concrete Mixes Using Industrial Waste Streams for Sustainable Construction: Formulating and testing new building materials with a significantly reduced CO2 footprint .
- 39. In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) for Lunar Base Construction: A Feasibility Study of 3D Printing with Regolith: Researching the extraction and processing of lunar materials to support long-duration human exploration.
- 40. The Dynamics of the Solar Photosphere and Its Impact on Earth's Climate: A study using high-resolution solar observations and computational models to understand the link between solar fluctuations and the Earth's energy balance .
- 41. Developing New Algorithms for Flare Now-Casting and CME Forecasting to Improve Space Weather Prediction: Creating computational tools to better predict solar events that can disrupt technology on Earth .
- 42. The Commercial Viability of Space-Based Manufacturing: A Techno-Economic Assessment of Producing ZBLAN Fiber Optics in Microgravity: Evaluating the economic case for manufacturing specialty materials in the unique environment of space.
- 43. Design and Testing of Optical Cavity Interferometers for Space-Qualified Spectropolarimetry: An engineering project to build and test a prototype interferometer for future solar observation missions .
- 44. Developing Cross-Domain Generalization Frameworks for Autonomous Robots: Researching control architectures that allow robots trained in one environment (e.g., a simulation) to adapt and perform reliably in a completely new, unstructured setting .
- 45. A Feasibility Study of Long-Duration Energy Storage Using Iron-Air Batteries for a Renewable-Heavy Regional Grid: Analyzing the technical and economic viability of 100-hour storage solutions .
Education & Society
- 46. Pedagogical Models for Integrating Engineering Thinking into K-12 Science Curricula: A comparative study of different instructional approaches to teaching design principles and problem-solving in primary and secondary education .
- 47. The Impact of Generative AI on Student Writing and Critical Thinking Skills: A Longitudinal Study Across Disciplines: Tracking how reliance on AI writing tools affects the development of core composition and analytical skills in undergraduate students .
- 48. AI-Powered Personalized Learning and Educational Equity: A Critical Evaluation of Adaptive Learning Technologies in Diverse School Districts: Investigating whether these technologies reduce or exacerbate the achievement gap between different student populations .
- 49. Developing and Testing a Data Science Literacy Curriculum for Non-STEM Majors: A design-based research project to equip all students with the skills to think critically about data, algorithms, and statistical claims.
- 50. The Role of Universities as Anchors for Regional AI Talent and Innovation Ecosystems: A case study analysis of how universities can coordinate communities of students, researchers, and entrepreneurs to drive regional economic growth in AI .
