Terms and Conditions

Welcome to Research Ignited. These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) are a legal agreement between you and Research Ignited LLC (“Research Ignited,” “we,” “us”). They govern your access to and use of the Research Ignited website at researchignited.com and your enrollment and participation in any Research Ignited program. By using the Website, enrolling a Student, or participating in a Program, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Definitions

1.1. “Website” means researchignited.com and any related pages, forms and web applications operated by Research Ignited.

1.2. “Services” means the Website together with all programs, labs, cohorts, courses, fellowships, mentorship, instruction, curriculum, guidance, software setup, technical support, materials, communications and related activities provided by Research Ignited, whether delivered online or otherwise. Where these Terms refer to your use of the Website, that reference includes enrollment in and participation in any Program.

1.3. “Program” means any individual Research Ignited offering, including without limitation 1:1 research programs, research fellowships, small-group research labs, AI and computer-science labs, robotics and drone labs, aerospace, satellite, CanSat and space-systems labs, quantum computing, bioinformatics, entrepreneurship and academic-preparation programs.

1.4. “Student” means the enrolled participant. “You” means the person using the Website or accepting these Terms. Where a Student is under 18, “you” includes the parent or legal guardian who enrolls the Student and accepts these Terms on the Student's behalf. A Student who is 18 or older may enroll and accept these Terms directly.

1.5. “Responsible Adult” means the Student's parent or legal guardian where the Student is under 18, and means the Student where the Student is 18 or older.

2. Use of the Website

2.1. You may use the Website for lawful purposes only. You agree not to use the Website:

• In a way that violates any applicable law or regulation.
• For any purpose that is prohibited by these Terms.
• In a manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the Website.
• To attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Website or any computer systems or networks connected to the Website.
• To interfere with another user's use and enjoyment of the Website.

2.2. Account Security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any account information you create on the Website. You are also responsible for all activities that occur under your account.

2.3. SMS Messaging Program. By providing your mobile number and opting in on our website forms, you agree to receive text messages (SMS/MMS) from Research Ignited LLC.

• Purpose: Messages may include program application updates, interview reminders, and educational program notifications.
• Frequency: Message frequency varies based on your interaction with our programs.
• Rates: Message and data rates may apply.
• Opt-Out: You can cancel the SMS service at any time. Just text “STOP” to 833-632-2463. After you send the SMS message “STOP” to us, we will send you an SMS message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. After this, you will no longer receive SMS messages from us. If you want to join again, just sign up as you did the first time.
• Help: If you are experiencing issues with the messaging program you can reply with the keyword “HELP” to 833-632-2463 for more assistance, or you can get help directly at contact@researchignited.com.
• Interruption: Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

3. Enrollment, Eligibility & Parent/Guardian Responsibility

3.1. Programs are primarily intended for middle-school and high-school students, many of whom are minors. Where a Student is under 18, enrollment must be completed by a parent or legal guardian who represents that they have authority to enroll the Student and to accept these Terms on the Student's behalf. A Student who is 18 or older may enroll and accept these Terms directly.

3.2. Individual Programs may state additional eligibility requirements, including age or grade ranges, prerequisites, equipment requirements, residency or other conditions of participation. Research Ignited may verify eligibility and may decline or withdraw an enrollment that does not meet the stated requirements.

3.3. Supervision. For a minor Student, the parent or legal guardian remains responsible for age-appropriate supervision of the Student at the Student's location. Direct adult supervision is required whenever a minor Student uses soldering equipment, hand tools, rechargeable batteries, motors, propellers, drones, kites, tethered balloons or other physical equipment that could create a safety risk. Research Ignited provides remote instruction and guidance only; it does not provide childcare and does not provide in-person supervision at the Student's location.

3.4. Environment and equipment. The Responsible Adult is responsible for providing a suitable and safe learning environment, a working internet connection, and any computer, software or equipment a Program requires.

4. Educational Purpose Only

4.1. All instruction, mentorship, feedback, designs, simulations, calculations, source code, datasets, analyses, reports and other materials produced or provided in connection with the Services are supplied solely for educational purposes.

4.2. Nothing provided through the Services constitutes professional engineering, architectural, medical, clinical, psychological, legal, financial, aviation or safety advice, and nothing should be relied upon as such.

4.3. No output of the Services constitutes an engineering certification, a professional engineering service, a flight or operational authorization, a regulatory approval or clearance, or a determination that any design, device, activity or item is safe, compliant or lawful to build, possess or operate. Simulation and modeling results are estimates and may differ materially from real-world behavior.

5. Programs, Schedules & Changes

5.1. Research Ignited may change instructors, mentors, session dates and times, cohort composition, session order, curriculum detail, software tools, platforms and delivery methods where reasonably necessary. Where a change is material, we will notify enrolled families using the contact details provided at enrollment.

5.2. Sessions may be rescheduled, shortened, combined or, where reasonably appropriate, replaced or supplemented with asynchronous instructional material because of instructor illness, technical failure, weather-related disruption, insufficient enrollment or other circumstances outside reasonable control.

5.3. Research Ignited may cancel a cohort that does not reach minimum enrollment. Where we cancel a cohort before it begins, you may transfer to another available cohort or receive a full refund of tuition paid for that cohort.

5.4. Attendance at live sessions is the Student's responsibility. Research Ignited is not obliged to provide individual make-up sessions for missed classes, though recordings or other materials may be made available where permitted and appropriate.

5.5. If Research Ignited cancels a Program after it has started, or is unable to deliver a material portion of the Program for reasons not caused by the Student or family, Research Ignited may offer a reasonable replacement instructor or mentor, rescheduled delivery, transfer, or credit. If Research Ignited cannot reasonably provide the undelivered portion, the family may receive a prorated refund of tuition attributable to the material portion Research Ignited did not deliver. Hardware and third-party charges are governed separately by clause 10.

6. Hardware, Tools & Materials

6.1. Some Programs use physical hardware. Unless a Program page expressly states otherwise, hardware is sold separately and is not included in tuition, and may be either self-sourced by the family from a published parts list or purchased from Research Ignited as a component kit or other hardware package described on the applicable Program page.

6.2. Research Ignited does not manufacture third-party components. Manufacturer warranties, safety notices and recalls, if any, remain those of the applicable manufacturer. Except as expressly stated by Research Ignited or required by applicable law, Research Ignited does not provide a separate warranty for third-party components. Specific components may be substituted with reasonably comparable alternatives based on availability. Component prices and availability are outside our control and may change.

6.3. Safety. Programs involving hardware may include hand tools, soldering, small electronic components, motors, propellers and rechargeable lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries. Minor Students must use these only with direct adult supervision and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and any safety guidance we provide, including guidance on charging, storage and disposal of batteries.

6.4. The Responsible Adult is responsible for deciding whether the Student may use any tool, component or battery and, where the Student is a minor, for directly supervising that use. Research Ignited does not inspect, test, certify or approve hardware assembled or modified by a Student at the Student's location.

6.5. Where a Student keeps hardware after a Program ends, subsequent use is at the family's or adult Student's own risk, and Research Ignited has no ongoing responsibility for its condition, maintenance, storage or use, except to the extent applicable law provides otherwise.

7. Optional Activities Conducted by Families

7.1. Certain Programs describe optional activities that a family may choose to pursue independently. These may include outdoor or dynamic activities and activities involving elevated placement of hardware, extension poles, kites, tethered balloons, parachutes or drop testing, drones or other unmanned aircraft, model rocketry, aviation, or field testing of student-built hardware.

7.2. All such activities are optional, are not required to complete any Program or to receive any certificate or portfolio, and are arranged, supervised and carried out by the Responsible Adult at their own discretion and risk. Where an activity is weather-dependent or location-dependent, it is not guaranteed to take place.

7.3. In relation to any such activity, Research Ignited does not: operate, conduct, organize, schedule, supervise or control it; select, approve or provide any site or location; inspect, test, approve or certify any equipment, vehicle, line, tether or payload; supply motors, propellants, igniters, explosives, compressed or lifting gases, or aircraft; make weather, safety or go/no-go decisions; act as a range safety officer, remote pilot in command, launch controller or operator; obtain, hold or apply for any licence, waiver, authorization or permission from any authority; or determine whether the activity complies with any federal, state, local or other applicable law, rule or regulation.

7.4. Responsibility for all matters listed in clause 7.3 rests with the Responsible Adult and, where the family chooses to involve one, with the third-party organization the family selects.

7.5. Educational information provided about regulations, safety codes, checklists or organized-activity frameworks is general educational information only. It is not legal advice, is not a determination about any specific activity, equipment, site or condition, and may not be current. It remains the Responsible Adult's responsibility to identify and comply with the rules that apply to them and to decide whether and how to proceed.

7.6. Additional terms applying specifically to aerospace and space-systems Programs are set out in Schedule A, which forms part of these Terms.

8. Third-Party Organizations, Software & Opportunities

8.1. The Services may reference, describe or link to third parties, including clubs, associations, competitions, external programs, scholarship or opportunity providers, aviation organizations, datasets, hardware vendors, and software tools (including free and open-source software).

8.2. Unless expressly stated in a signed written agreement, such references do not create a partnership, sponsorship, endorsement, accreditation, affiliation or agency relationship between Research Ignited and the third party, and do not imply that the third party endorses Research Ignited.

8.3. Research Ignited does not control third parties and is not responsible for their operations, eligibility criteria, application processes, decisions, availability, pricing, fees, rules, safety procedures, insurance, conduct or services. Any interaction with a third party is between you and that third party, and is subject to their own terms, requirements, waivers and fees.

8.4. Research Ignited does not guarantee that any third party will accept, admit, permit or continue to involve any Student, or that any third-party opportunity described will remain available.

8.5. Third-party software and services are governed by their own licences and terms. Their availability, functionality, pricing and licensing may change at any time and are outside our control.

9. No Guaranteed Outcomes

9.1. Research Ignited does not guarantee any particular outcome, including admission to any school, college, university or program; scholarships or financial awards; internships or employment; competition entry, eligibility, placement or results; publication or acceptance by any journal; credentials, credit or accreditation; or any specific academic, competitive or career result.

9.2. Program descriptions state what Students will study and what they are expected or intended to produce. They are not a representation of what any individual Student will achieve. Outcomes depend on the Student's effort, participation, ability, circumstances and independent decisions by third parties.

9.3. Examples of past student work, placements or achievements are illustrative only and are not a promise of similar results.

9.4. Publication support. Where a research Program includes publication support, that means educational guidance in preparing, revising and, where appropriate, submitting a manuscript or other research output. It does not guarantee journal acceptance, peer-review outcome or publication. Any journal, conference, submission, open-access or publication fee charged by a third party is separate from tuition unless the applicable Program page expressly states otherwise. For a group research project, any such external fee may be allocated among participating families as communicated before submission.

10. Payment, Cancellation & Refunds

10.1. Tuition and any hardware charges are payable as stated during enrollment. A seat or mentor allocation is reserved once payment is received.

10.2. To cancel, email contact@researchignited.com. A cancellation takes effect on the date we receive your written request, and refunds are calculated from that date.

10.3. Refunds are issued to the original payment method and are calculated on tuition only unless these Terms expressly state otherwise. Clause 10.6 governs hardware and clause 10.11 governs third-party fees.

10.4. Cohort Programs. A Cohort Program is any Program delivered to a group with a scheduled cohort start date — this includes the AI and computer-science labs, the Robotics & Drone Lab, the Quantum Computing Lab, the Aerospace Engineering & Mission Design Lab, the CanSat Space Engineering & Mission Control Lab, the AI Scholars Program, the Startup Launch Lab and the AP Summer Bridge programs. Refunds are calculated against the cohort's scheduled start date:

• 30 or more days before the start date — full refund of tuition.
• 15 to 29 days before the start date — 50% refund of tuition.
• Fewer than 15 days before the start date, or at any time once the cohort has started — no refund, except where clause 5.5 applies.

10.5. Mentored Programs. A Mentored Program is any 1:1 or mentor-led Program that does not have a fixed cohort start date — this includes the High School Research Program, the AI Research Fellowship, the Aerospace Research Fellowship, and the Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Research Lab. Refunds are calculated against scheduled sessions:

• Cancellation before completion of the third scheduled mentor or Program session — 70% refund of tuition.
• Once the third scheduled session has been completed — tuition is nonrefundable, except where clause 5.5 applies.

For the purposes of clause 10.5, a scheduled session is treated as completed when Research Ignited has provided the mentor or instructor and the session has been held or made reasonably available, even if the Student does not attend. Student non-attendance is governed by clauses 5.4 and 10.9 and does not constitute a failure of delivery by Research Ignited under clause 5.5.

10.6. Hardware and kits. Where a hardware kit or package has been shipped, the hardware charge is non-refundable except for any return, replacement or refund right that Research Ignited is required to provide by applicable law or expressly offers in writing. Where a kit has been paid for but has not yet shipped, the hardware charge is fully refundable upon timely cancellation. Self-sourced components are purchased by the family directly from third-party suppliers and are subject to those suppliers' own return policies.

10.7. Transfers. Where a cohort has not yet started, we may be able to move a Student to a later cohort instead of cancelling. Transfers are at our discretion and subject to availability. Transfers within a Mentored Program may also depend on mentor availability and project continuity.

10.8. Where Research Ignited cancels a cohort before it begins, clause 5.3 applies. Where Research Ignited is unable to deliver a material portion after a Program has started, clause 5.5 applies.

10.9. Missed sessions, non-attendance, or withdrawal after a Program has started do not create a right to a refund, credit or individual make-up session beyond what clauses 5.4, 5.5 and 10.5 provide.

10.10. Prices are stated in U.S. dollars. Where hardware is shipped, shipping is to U.S. addresses unless otherwise agreed.

10.11. Third-party fees. Journal, conference, competition, certification, membership, travel, aviation, software, shipping or other third-party fees are not included in tuition unless the applicable Program page expressly states otherwise. Amounts paid directly to a third party are governed by that third party's refund policy and are not refundable by Research Ignited.

11. Student Conduct & Live Sessions

11.1. Students are expected to participate respectfully and constructively, to follow instructor directions, and not to disrupt sessions or other participants.

11.2. Research Ignited may remove a Student from a session, or withdraw a Student from a Program, for conduct that is disruptive, harassing, unsafe, dishonest, unlawful, or in breach of these Terms.

11.3. Session recordings. Some live sessions may be recorded for instructional delivery, quality assurance or training. Where recording is used, Research Ignited will provide notice to participants and obtain consent as required by applicable law. A recording may capture a participant's audio, video, display name, chat messages, screen shares and Student work. For a minor Student, any required consent must be provided by the parent or legal guardian; an adult Student may consent directly. If you do not consent to recording, please notify us before the Program begins so we can advise whether a reasonable non-recorded participation method or alternative access is available. Session recordings are not used for public marketing under this clause.

11.4. Marketing use of Student work or likeness. Research Ignited may wish to feature Student projects, work products, quotes, images, audio or video in marketing materials. We will only do so with separate permission from the parent or legal guardian for a minor Student, or from the Student if the Student is 18 or older. That permission may be declined, or withdrawn prospectively, by contacting us.

12. Content & Intellectual Property

12.1. The Services contain content provided by Research Ignited, its licensors, mentors and other users (“Content”), including curriculum, materials, worksheets, templates, example code, checklists and recordings. This Content is protected by intellectual property rights, including copyrights, trademarks and service marks. Except for the limited personal educational use granted through the Program, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, publish, resell or commercially exploit Content without permission from the applicable owner.

12.2. Student-created work. Subject to clauses 12.3 and 12.4, Students retain ownership of original work they independently create during a Program, including original designs, code, analyses, reports and presentations.

12.3. Collaborative research and pre-existing materials. Research projects may involve multiple Students, mentors or third-party materials. Each participant retains rights in pre-existing materials they contribute. Research Ignited retains rights in its curriculum, templates, frameworks and pre-existing materials; mentors and other contributors retain rights in their pre-existing materials; and third-party datasets, software, publications and other materials remain subject to their applicable licences or terms. Rights in genuinely jointly created work may be shared or otherwise determined by applicable law, an applicable collaboration agreement, or publication requirements.

12.4. Research authorship. Participation in a research Program, payment of tuition, or payment of a publication fee does not guarantee authorship, first-author status or any particular author order. Authorship and acknowledgements should reflect actual scholarly contribution and the requirements or standards of the applicable journal, conference or research venue.

12.5. User-Generated Content. The Services may allow you or the Student to submit comments, reviews, project submissions or other information (“User-Generated Content”). The contributor retains ownership of their User-Generated Content. By submitting it, the contributor grants Research Ignited a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, modify, store, display and transmit it as reasonably necessary to operate, administer and deliver the Services. Public marketing use of Student work or likeness is governed by clause 11.4.

12.6. You are responsible for ensuring that User-Generated Content you submit does not unlawfully infringe the intellectual property, privacy or other rights of a third party.

13. Privacy & Student Information

13.1. Our handling of personal information is described in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

13.2. Because many Students are minors, enrollment and account information for a minor Student must be provided by or with the involvement of the parent or legal guardian, and primary administrative communications may be directed to the parent or legal guardian. We ask families not to submit sensitive personal information that a Program does not require.

13.3. When you accept these Terms at enrollment, we may record the fact of acceptance together with the date and time, the version of the Terms accepted, the name of the accepting person, and technical information such as the originating IP address, as a record that acceptance took place.

13.4. Where applicable law requires parental notice, consent or other protections before collecting personal information from a child, Research Ignited will require the applicable parent or legal guardian involvement before that information is collected through the Program. Further detail on collection, use, retention and disclosure of personal information is set out in the Privacy Policy.

14. Assumption of Risk & Release

14.1. You understand that participation in Programs involving physical hardware, tools, soldering, batteries, or optional outdoor activities carries inherent risks, including the risk of property damage and personal injury and, in the case of outdoor activity, risks arising from weather, terrain, overhead obstructions, equipment failure and the acts of others.

14.2. You voluntarily accept those risks for yourself and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, for a minor Student for whom you are responsible. The Responsible Adult decides whether a Student may participate in any hands-on or optional outdoor activity.

14.3. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including any legal limits applicable to releases involving minors, you release Research Ignited, its officers, directors, employees, instructors, mentors, contractors and agents from claims that you may lawfully release arising out of an optional activity described in clause 7 or Schedule A, or arising out of the use of hardware, tools, components or batteries outside Research Ignited's direct control.

14.4. Nothing in this clause excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for gross negligence or willful misconduct where applicable law so provides.

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

15.1. The Services are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Research Ignited disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

15.2. Research Ignited does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the Website or the server that makes it available is free of viruses or other harmful components.

15.3. You use the Services at your own risk. You are responsible for any damage to your computer system or other devices, or loss of data, that results from your use of the Services.

16. Limitation of Liability

16.1. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Research Ignited shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, special or exemplary damages, or for lost profits, lost opportunities, or loss of data, arising out of or related to the Services, however caused and on any theory of liability.

16.2. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Research Ignited's total aggregate liability arising out of or related to the Services shall not exceed the total amount actually paid by you to Research Ignited for the Program giving rise to the claim in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

16.3. Without limiting clauses 7, 8 and Schedule A, Research Ignited shall not be liable for any loss, damage or injury arising out of an optional activity conducted by a family, the acts or omissions of any third-party organization, or the use of hardware outside a live instructional session.

16.4. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

17. Indemnification

17.1. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Research Ignited, its officers, directors, employees, instructors, mentors, contractors, agents and licensors from third-party claims, demands, losses, liabilities, damages, costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to the extent arising out of or caused by: your or the Student's material breach of these Terms; an optional activity described in clause 7 or Schedule A that is conducted under the family's control; the Student's construction, possession, operation or use of hardware outside Research Ignited's direct control; unlawful conduct by you or the Student; or infringement of a third party's rights by content you or the Student submit. This clause does not require you to indemnify Research Ignited for liability that applicable law does not permit to be shifted to you.

18. Termination

18.1. Research Ignited may suspend or terminate access to the Website, and may withdraw a Student from a Program, for material breach of these Terms, for conduct described in clause 11.2, for nonpayment, or where reasonably necessary to protect participants, mentors, instructors or staff.

18.2. Unless applicable law requires otherwise or Research Ignited determines otherwise in writing, withdrawal of a Student because of the Student's or family's material breach, unsafe conduct or serious misconduct does not create a right to a refund. If Research Ignited withdraws a Student for a reason not caused by the Student or family and cannot reasonably provide the remaining Program, clause 5.5 applies.

18.3. Clauses which by their nature should survive termination — including clauses 4, 6 to 9, 10.3, 10.6, 10.9 to 10.11, and 12 to 20, together with Schedule A — survive termination of these Terms.

19. Governing Law & Disputes

19.1. These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules, except to the extent mandatory law applicable to you provides otherwise.

19.2. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, you agree that the state and federal courts located in North Carolina shall have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

19.3. Before commencing a formal proceeding, you agree to contact us at contact@researchignited.com and attempt in good faith to resolve the matter informally, unless applicable law gives you a right to proceed without doing so.

20. Entire Agreement & Severability

20.1. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Schedule A and any Program-specific terms presented at enrollment, constitute the entire agreement between you and Research Ignited regarding the Services, and supersede any prior understanding on that subject.

20.2. If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

20.3. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.

21. Changes to These Terms

21.1. Research Ignited may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the revised Terms on the Website and update the effective date and version shown at the top of this page.

21.2. Existing enrollments. The version of the Terms recorded with an enrollment governs that enrollment unless you separately agree to a later version, except that Research Ignited may make changes reasonably required by law, safety, security or platform operation to the extent permitted by applicable law.

21.3. Future use and enrollment. Revised Terms apply to enrollments accepted after their effective date. For Website use not tied to an existing enrollment, continued use after the effective date of revised Terms constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by applicable law.

22. Contact Us

22.1. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these Terms, please contact us at contact@researchignited.com.

Schedule A — Aerospace & Space-Systems Programs

A.1  Educational engineering only. Aerospace and space-systems Programs teach general scientific, mathematical and engineering principles of the kind commonly taught in schools, colleges and universities, using publicly available information and commercially or freely available educational software. They do not provide, and Students do not receive, classified information, proprietary aerospace-company technical data, or controlled military technical data. Programs do not cover weapon, missile, guided-weapon, military-targeting or military-propulsion applications.

A.2  Nature of student-built payloads. A CanSat built in a Program is an atmospheric engineering payload and satellite engineering prototype. It is not an orbital satellite, is not space-qualified hardware, and is not designed, tested or certified for spaceflight. Nothing in a Program should be understood as producing hardware capable of, or intended for, orbital or space operations.

A.3  Mission testing is static and elevated by default. The core CanSat curriculum is designed around static bench testing and elevated-station testing — the payload placed at height at the Student's own location while the ground station operates below. This requires no gas, no field, no permissions and no particular weather, and every Student captures their own mission data from it. A Responsible Adult should place and retrieve the payload; Students should not climb onto roofs or lean from windows or ledges.

A.3.1  Optional dynamic extensions. Any elevated, dynamic or recovery activity conducted outdoors — including holding the payload on a telescoping extension pole, lifting it beneath a single-line kite, a tethered (moored) balloon ascent, or a parachute drop test — is a strictly optional extension conducted entirely at the family's discretion, supervision and risk. Research Ignited supplies the mission-ops briefing, safety checklist and flight-readiness review only; it does not operate, supervise, schedule, or make go/no-go decisions for the activity, and does not select or approve any location. Program completion, the portfolio and any certificate do not depend on conducting any of these extensions.

A.3.2  Overhead hazards and outdoor siting. Where a family elects any outdoor extension, the Responsible Adult is responsible for choosing a site clear of overhead power lines, structures, roadways and people. The safety checklist provides for a non-conductive pole rather than a metal one, protective gloves where line is under tension, no operation in wet, stormy or high-wind conditions, and, for a kite-lifted profile, total kite and payload weight kept below the weight at which FAA kite rules begin to apply. Research Ignited does not inspect the site, the pole, the kite, the line, the tether or the payload.

A.3.3  Balloon parameters. Where a family elects the balloon extension, the safety checklist provides for a small, helium-rated, continuously tethered (moored) balloon flown at low height, with an envelope below the dimensional and gas-capacity thresholds at which FAA moored-balloon rules apply and well below the height at which notice requirements begin, using a primary and an independent backup tether, with no pyrotechnic or cut-down device, in calm conditions, and away from airports, power lines and roadways. It is not a free-flying, high-altitude, or rocket-launched operation. Helium is obtained locally by the family; Research Ignited does not supply or ship compressed or lifting gases.

A.4  Rocketry Programs are design and simulation only. Where a Program addresses rockets or launch vehicles, it is delivered as an online engineering design and simulation program. Research Ignited does not conduct, organize, supervise, approve or certify any physical rocket launch, and does not supply, ship, store or provide rocket motors, propellants, igniters, explosives or ignition systems. Students do not manufacture propellant, rocket motors, igniters or explosive devices as part of any Program, and Programs do not provide operational training in high-power rocketry. Digital designs, simulations and reviews produced in a Program are educational exercises and are not certification or approval of any vehicle for physical construction or flight.

A.5  Drones and unmanned aircraft. Where a Program involves a drone, the drone is purchased and owned by the family and is operated by the Student or family at their own location, with appropriate adult supervision where the Student is a minor, entirely outside Research Ignited's direction or control. Research Ignited does not operate, direct, supervise or conduct any flight of any aircraft. The Responsible Adult is responsible for identifying and complying with any registration, identification, airspace or operating requirements that apply.

A.6  Aviation opportunities. Where a Program references introductory flight experiences, ground-school access or other aviation opportunities, those are optional and independently operated by outside organizations, and are subject to each organization's own age, membership, location, scheduling, weather and safety requirements. Research Ignited provides the academic Program and general guidance only. Research Ignited does not operate aircraft, employ pilots for those third-party activities, schedule or supervise flights, provide flight instruction, or guarantee that any Student will be accepted or able to participate.

A.7  Simulation results. Simulation, modeling and analysis outputs are estimates produced from assumptions and simplified models. They may differ materially from real-world behavior and must not be relied upon as predictions of how any physical object will actually perform.

A.8  No regulatory role. Research Ignited does not determine whether any Student activity, vehicle, payload or launch complies with any law or regulation; does not obtain, hold or apply for any licence, waiver, certificate or authorization on any Student's behalf; does not inspect or approve flight hardware; does not select or approve any site; and does not act as a range safety officer, remote pilot in command, launch controller or operator. Those responsibilities rest with the Responsible Adult and, where the family involves one, with the third-party organization it selects.

A.9  Program eligibility restrictions. Because of the subject matter of certain Programs and Research Ignited's conservative compliance posture, enrollment in a particular Program may be limited to eligible participants. Any such restriction will be stated on the Program page and confirmed during enrollment, and you agree that the information you provide about eligibility is accurate. Research Ignited may decline or withdraw an enrollment where eligibility requirements are not met.