If you’re a high school student in Kansas preparing to work on an advanced skillset before college, this list of research programs is for you. A strong academic profile is super important and attending a rigorous research program/lab program can help you stand out while applying to future projects and internships. These programs provide hands-on experience, deepen your knowledge, and allow you to work with experts in your field of interest.
Research opportunities provide experiences that demonstrate your skills and make your resume and portfolio stand out, especially if you’re considering a career in academia.
Here are the top 10 research programs for high school students in Kansas:
1. Kansas Youth Institute
Subject Areas: Research
Location: Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Program Dates: March 14.
Cost: None. Participants receive a $500 stipend and recognition as a Borlaug Scholar
Eligibility: All high school students
Application Deadline: February 28.
The Kansas Youth Institute, hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation, is a one-day event focused on global challenges. To participate, you must submit a research paper on a global issue like water scarcity, sustainable agriculture, or climate change, guided by a teacher or mentor.
During the program, you’ll present your research, receive feedback, and engage with leaders. Exceptional participants may be selected for the Global Youth Institute, a week-long conference in Iowa. Learn more about participating in the Kansas Youth Institute here.
2. Wichita State University’s Astronautics Experience for High School Students
Subject Areas: Astronomy
Location: Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
Program Dates: June 24 – 28.
Stipend: $650
Eligibility: All high school students
Application Deadline: June 17.
This five-session summer workshop, sponsored by NASA, focuses on astronomy and aeronautics. The curriculum covers four key topics: NASA mission overview, NASA tools, Earth science, and CubeSats and operations, with the fifth session dedicated to research.
Workshops run from 9:30 a.m. to noon, after which you’ll have to complete an independent task. With only three spots available, admission is highly competitive.
3. Newman University’s Investigative Summer STEM Program
Subject Areas: biology and chemistry
Location: Newman University, Wichita, KS
Program Dates: June 2 – 7.
Fee: $350. Scholarships are available
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have completed at least one high school science course
Application Deadline: May 24.
The Investigative Summer STEM Program offers research experience in interdisciplinary biology and chemistry topics. Working in small groups, you’ll conduct a research project, from literature review to lab experiments and presenting results.
Faculty will guide you through one-on-one meetings and group discussions. Completion of the program will also earn you two college credits.
4. Bethel College Summer Science Institute
Subject Areas: Research
Location: Bethel College, North Newton, KS
Program Dates: June 23 – 28.
Fee: $50 registration fee. Registration fee waivers are available for those who need it
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Application Deadline: April 15.
The Bethel College Summer Science Institute offers hands-on research in two chosen fields. You’ll explore various aspects of research, including data collection, hypothesis testing, statistical software, and lab or fieldwork.
Available topics include nutritional chemistry, exploring nature, psychology of film, probability, protein biochemistry, and molecular genetics methods. You will earn a certificate and one college credit upon completion.
5. University of Kansas’s Learning, Exploration, and Application for Prospective Engineering Students
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Program Dates: The program generally offers two camps:
- Math and Aerospace Engineering: June 2 – 7
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence: June 9 – 14.
Fee: Free
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
Application Deadline: May 1
The LEAPES program is a residential STEM camp offering two tracks: math and aerospace engineering or computer science and artificial intelligence. The aerospace track covers linear algebra, probability, aircraft dynamics, and autonomy, while the computer science track focuses on optimization algorithms, coding, and neural networks. Both tracks emphasize hands-on projects, including flight tests and building an autonomous car.
6. University of Kansas’s Advanced Aerospace Technologies Exploration Experience
Subject Areas: aerospace and computer science
Location: The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Program Dates: June 16 – 28.
Fee: Free
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
Application Deadline: The deadline is usually in the first week of May
The Advanced Aerospace Technologies Exploration Experience is a two-week camp for high schoolers focused on aerospace and computer science. You’ll study applied physics, Python, and robot operating systems while conducting experiments with open-source autopilot systems like NVIDIA Racer RTX, Dronecode, and ArduPilot.
The program includes hands-on research projects involving race cars or drones. Apart from working on your projects, you will also receive career advice and an introduction to college life.
7. University of Kansas’s Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) Program
Subject Areas: oncology and biomedical science
Location: The University of Kansas Cancer Centre, Lawrence, KS
Program Dates: June 2 to July 11
Stipend: $2,580
Eligibility: High school students in Wyandotte County, Kansas, and Jackson County, Missouri
Application Deadline: March 26
The University of Kansas’s Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) program provides an opportunity to study oncology and explore biomedical science careers. You’ll work on a cancer research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor in a lab, clinic, or office setting. The program concludes with a poster session where you present your findings. This 6-week program will give you hands-on experience to help you explore a potential career path.
8. Kansas State University’s Health Professions Exploration Program
Subject Areas: Healthcare, health management, medicine, biomedical engineering, nutrition, nursing, and other related fields
Location: K-State College of Health and Human Sciences campus in Manhattan, KS
Program Dates: The week-long program is typically held in June or July
Cost: $350, which covers accommodation, staffing cost, and program activities
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors can apply.
Application Deadline: TBA
The Health Professions Exploration Program is a week-long residential program for high schoolers to explore healthcare careers. You’ll learn about fields such as nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, biomedical engineering, nutrition, food safety, haematology, financial health, sports medicine, public health, and medical ethics.
The program includes interactions with health professionals and university alumni in healthcare, offering insight into human health and collaborative work in the field. Admission is limited to 20 students.
9. Children’s Mercy STAR 2.0 Program
Subject Areas: Medicine and Healthcare
Location: Children’s Mercy Research Institute (CMRI) Kansas City, MO (Open to Kansas high school students)
Program Dates: June 16 to July 24
Cost: No cost. A stipend of $2,600 is offered.
Eligibility: Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in public or charter schools can apply. Applicants must be from backgrounds currently underrepresented in medicine and science. Preference is given to Kansas City (MO) and Kansas City (KS) students.
Application Deadline: TBA
The Summer Training in Academic Research (STAR) 2.0 is a six-week paid research program for high school students. Guided by faculty from Children’s Mercy Research Institute, you’ll work on a hands-on research project and gain insight into medical research.
The program covers clinical and translational research methods, research paper writing, statistical data analysis, medical ethics, and healthcare career development. You’ll interact with researchers and healthcare professionals, and get the opportunity to publish your research in a peer-reviewed journal.
Bonus: The program below is virtual, but students from Kansas can apply!
10. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Subject Areas: data science, machine learning, political theory etc.
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon also offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research.
Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to journals for publication as a high school student.
The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
Image source –
