ARP IPT Team
Join a multi-university team built to combine complementary strengths from students across the country. Investigate open-ended physics problems and compete to represent the USA at the International Physicists' Tournament.
Free and open to undergraduate and master's students from any U.S. university
Questions before applying? hello@arpconnect.com
Multi-university by design
Bring together complementary strengths in physics, engineering, computing, mathematics, data analysis, and experimentation.
Open-ended physics research
Take a physical phenomenon from an initial question to a defensible explanation.
Physics, engineering, and computing
Bring theory, experimental design, simulation, software, mathematics, or data analysis to the same investigation.
Learn through investigation
Build your physics foundation while working on open questions. Learning and research happen in parallel.
Online and part-time
Plan for about four to six hours per week, including a weekly Zoom meeting.
Compete to represent the U.S.
Prepare for the national selection and a chance to participate in IPT 2027.
What you will do
The IPT (ipt.science) is an international research competition for university students. Teams receive seventeen open problems with no answer key. The problems are approachable without advanced physics knowledge or sophisticated equipment. Members learn new physics in parallel with the investigation, as each question reveals what the team needs to understand next. The problems become challenging as the team investigates them more deeply.
Over the year, teams design experiments, build models, write simulations, analyze data, and test their explanations. At the tournament, they present their work, examine another team's reasoning, and guide a scientific discussion. This format is called a "Physics Fight." A panel of physicists provides scores and feedback.
Examples from the 2027 problem set
Why does a shaken soda can roll downhill more slowly than an unshaken one? What makes ice crack when water is poured over it? When does airflow make a soap film unstable? Each starts with an observable phenomenon, then asks the team to build a model, determine which parameters matter, and test the explanation. Read all seventeen problems.
Watch the tournament in action
Who can join
We welcome students age 30 or younger who are enrolled in an undergraduate or master's program at a U.S. university. Students may come from physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, or a related field. A physics major, a particular sequence of physics courses, and prior competition experience are not required.
Some applicants may have completed advanced physics courses; others may still be taking introductory physics. Both can contribute because members bring different strengths and learn additional physics as the investigation develops.
ARP is building the team across universities by design. Bringing together students from different fields and campuses gives the team a broader mix of strengths in physics, engineering, mathematics, computing, data analysis, and experimentation. You apply as an individual and do not need to bring a group of classmates.
What matters most
- Genuine interest in open-ended physics problems and the drive to investigate them without a prescribed path.
- Strength or growing experience in an area the team can use, such as physics, engineering, mathematics, programming, simulation, data analysis, or experimentation.
- A willingness to learn from others and contribute your own perspective.
- Reliability and readiness to participate across the year.
How the final team is formed
We aim for a six-person competition team and may begin with a few additional students while everyone explores the problems and finds where they can contribute. Final team composition will reflect sustained participation, collaboration, and the mix of strengths the work needs.
Eligibility for early-stage PhD students
A PhD student without a master's degree may also be eligible if they have not advanced to PhD candidacy.
What participation involves
The team works online and part-time alongside your studies. Team leads provide structure and feedback, while members bring different skills to the same shared investigation.
- One weekly Zoom meeting, roughly 1 to 1.5 hours.
- About four to six hours of work in a typical week, including the meeting. The exact workload depends on your role, the problem, and how the team organizes its work.
- Regular communication, steady progress, and early notice when a plan needs to change.
What happens after you apply
Apply as soon as you are interested, as the team is actively forming. We recommend browsing the problem set to see what the team will work on, but you do not need to choose or solve a problem before applying. If we invite you to a conversation, we will discuss your interests and how you might contribute.
The path to IPT 2027
Qualification for IPT will be determined through the United States Physicists' Tournament (USPT).
- The team has formed and started working on the 2027 problems. There is still an opportunity to join.
- December 19–20, 2026: compete at the USPT. The tournament will be held at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. At least two students must attend in person; the remaining team members may participate online. Teams are encouraged to attend together in person whenever possible.
- After the USPT: complete international qualification if required. A nominated team may need to submit a preselection report before advancing to IPT 2027.
- IPT 2027: Milano, Italy. The international tournament will take place in Milano. Dates are still to be announced.
Who guides the team
Dr. Sergey Samsonau, co-founder of Authentic Research Partners, and Dr. Yury Deshko co-lead the team. They bring experience building and leading multidisciplinary teams and organizing work across different specialties. They help students structure feasible investigations and improve their reasoning without supplying solutions. Students make the research decisions.
Meet the team guides
Dr. Sergey Samsonau
Sergey is a physicist, educator, and research-program builder. He is a co-founder of Authentic Research Partners, where he develops programs for multidisciplinary teams working on open research problems. His work combines experiments, simulation, AI, research software, and research education.
Previously, he taught university physics at CUNY and founded and led the AI for Scientific Research program at NYU. Across seven consecutive semesters, the program engaged more than 100 students, from first-year college students to master's candidates, in multidisciplinary work for natural-science researchers, as documented in the program's published framework.
To foster multidisciplinary collaboration in AI and science, he organized the AI Meets Science conference, bringing together scientists and research leaders from NASA, NIST, the Simons Foundation, Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and SandboxAQ.
For this team, Sergey brings experience turning open-ended questions into manageable work, organizing multidisciplinary collaboration, and helping students strengthen their reasoning without prescribing solutions. LinkedIn.
Dr. Yury Deshko
Yury is an applied physicist and educator with more than twenty years of research across academia and industry. His work spans physical modeling, numerical simulation, electro-optical device design, experimental characterization, data analysis, and production testing.
His earlier research includes gravitation theory, spectroscopy of optically active defects in solids, and electronic transport in novel materials. He also teaches and mentors researchers. When working with teams, Yury brings experience connecting theory, simulation, experiments, measurement, and engineering so members can combine their strengths. LinkedIn.
Interested, even if physics is not your major? Apply now. You do not need to have chosen a problem or know exactly what your role would be.
Questions before applying? hello@arpconnect.com
Information for donors
The team is free to join. It runs as a nonprofit program, fiscally sponsored by NOPI, a registered 501(c)(3). Donations keep the program open to students from any campus, regardless of ability to pay.
Companies and foundations can sponsor the team as donors. Funding is undesignated and supports the program as a whole. Donors are recognized as supporters, and the benefit of the work flows to the students.
Authentic Research Partners is organizing a U.S. team for the International Physicists' Tournament (ipt.science), an independent international competition. Eligibility and the U.S. selection are determined by the IPT organizing committee.
The ARP IPT team is a nonprofit program, fiscally sponsored by the Nonprofit Organization for Philanthropic Initiatives, a program of NOPI INC, a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 81-5089505. Learn more at https://thenopi.org.