How can I come up with a unique research question?

Hey guys! I've been looking into starting a research project lately, but I'm having trouble thinking of what question I want to explore specifically. I'm doing math research right now under a mentor, so I'm mostly dealing with computations and simulations instead of lab work. I'm mainly interested in biochemistry, since my mentor had me work on protein prediction models and read papers on kinases for a while. What are the steps I need to take in order in ensure that I end up with a question I'm passionate about exploring and actually hope to make a change with?

Also another quick question, when are the deadlines for most regional competitions? I was thinking of spending the rest of this year working on my project and possibly apply next Spring, that way I could potentially qualify for bigger competitions like ISEF. But I don't know, for some reason I'm panicking that I don't have a research project planned in mind as a rising junior.

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