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Amplified Studios Application

Amplified Studios is a new, term-based program for students who want to continue developing promising design projects beyond the classroom. Selected individuals and teams receive funding, advising, lab access, and a small cohort structure to help turn strong course projects into stronger prototypes, pilots, exhibitions, research artifacts, portfolio pieces, or even venture concepts.
The program is designed for student projects emerging from human-centered design, engineering, and other design-driven courses at Dartmouth. It is supported by the Design Initiative at Dartmouth (DIAD).
This is a co-curricular program, not a course. You will need to make the time yourself.
What each selected project receives

• Up to $500 in project support for materials, prototyping, user research, fabrication, software, testing, or presentation needs

• Faculty and staff advising to help sharpen the project direction and next steps

• Access to relevant labs, tools, and campus resources where available

• A studio cohort with other student teams continuing high-potential design work

• A final opportunity to share the work through a studio showcase

Who should apply
Students may apply as individuals or teams. We are looking for projects that have already shown promise in a course or design setting and would benefit from additional time, support, and structure.
Projects may include physical products, digital tools, service concepts, AI-enabled experiences, campus or community interventions, speculative design work, research-driven prototypes, or early venture ideas.
What we look for
Strong applications will show:

• A clear human-centered problem or opportunity

• Evidence of thoughtful design work already completed, for example multiple iterations with early user-testing validation

• A realistic plan for what the project could become next

• A good fit between the project’s needs and DIAD’s support

• A commitment to learning through prototyping, testing, and iteration

Timeline
Amplified Studios runs every term. The first accepted team began in Summer 2026. Students may apply throughout the academic year.