Updated October 2026
TL;DR
This guide covers 15 research bootcamps and intensive research programs for high school students in the U.S., from free lab programs at MIT, Stanford, and Rockefeller University to paid stipend programs in New York City and the Bay Area, plus fee-based and virtual options. You’ll find each program’s cost or stipend, cohort size, 2027 dates and deadlines where announced, and eligibility. Several 2027 deadlines fall early, including RSI on December 11, 2026, and Rockefeller’s SSRP on January 4, 2027. If you want to build your own research project with one-on-one guidance from a professor or PhD mentor, you can apply to the Horizon Academic Research Program.
A research bootcamp teaches you how research actually works. Depending on the program, you might form a research question, read scientific papers, run experiments in a lab, analyze a dataset, or build a model in Python. Most programs end with a poster, presentation, or paper that you can talk about in college applications and interviews. The hard part is finding the right fit, because these programs vary widely in cost, length, location rules, and grade requirements. This list compares 15 options so you can see where you’re eligible and plan your applications. For more options, see our list of high school research programs you need to check out.
What is a research bootcamp for high school students?
A research bootcamp is a short, structured program that trains you in research methods and then has you apply them to a real project. Most run for one to ten weeks in the summer, and a few continue year-round.
The programs on this list fall into three groups:
- Lab placements: You work full-time in a university or institute lab with a mentor. RSI, SIMR, SSRP, and MSK follow this model.
- Structured research courses: You learn methods through classes, then complete a project or paper. The UT Dallas workshops and the Stanford AIMI programs fit here.
- Ongoing research groups: You join a research team and can continue across several terms. ASDRP works this way.
Which research bootcamps are free, paid, or fee-based?
Many of the most selective programs on this list are free. RSI, SIMR, Rockefeller’s SSRP, and GRIPS charge no program fee, though SIMR and GRIPS have application fees with waivers available.
Four programs pay you or may pay you. NYU ARISE pays a $2,000 stipend on completion, UCSF’s program pays high school students $3,000, and MSK pays $1,200. SIMR and SSRP also offer limited need-based stipends.
Fee-based programs include UCSB RMP, ASDRP, UT Dallas, and the two Stanford AIMI programs, all of which offer some form of financial aid or discount. If earning money matters to you, our list of paid internships for high school students has more options.
How competitive are these research programs?
Most are highly selective. RSI admits about 100 students at MIT each year, and in 2027 it is adding a second site at Stanford for 50 more scholars. Rockefeller’s SSRP accepts 32 to 40 students, and ASDRP’s most recent summer acceptance rates were 31%, 12%, and 3% across its three deadlines.
Location rules also shape your chances. SIMR strongly favors Bay Area students, ARISE accepts only NYC residents, and MSK accepts only students living within 25 miles of New York City. A focused research interest helps in every application, so read our guide to picking a broad vs. niche research topic before you start writing your essays.
When do applications for research bootcamps open and close?
Applications cluster between October and April:
- October to December: ASDRP’s summer cycle opens in mid-October. RSI closes December 11, 2026, and UCSB RMP and SIMR open in mid-December.
- January: Rockefeller’s SSRP closes January 4, 2027.
- February: Stanford AIMI’s two programs close February 1, 2027, MSK closes February 5, 2027, and SIMR closes in late February.
- March to April: In the most recent cycle, Scripps closed March 31, UT Dallas used a March 1 priority deadline, and ASDRP’s final summer deadline was April 15.
Which research bootcamp fits your goal?
| If you want | Consider |
| A free, highly selective summer research program | RSI, SIMR, Rockefeller SSRP |
| To get paid for your research | NYU ARISE, UCSF SSRP, MSK Summer Student Program |
| To research online from anywhere in the U.S. | Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship, Stanford AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp, ASDRP (remote option), UT Dallas (virtual workshops) |
| Computer science or AI research | UT Dallas, Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship, NYU ARISE |
| Biomedical or cancer research | SIMR, MSK Summer Student Program, UCI YSFP, UCSF SSRP |
| A program that ends in a research paper and earns college credit | UCSB RMP |
| An entry-level program with no research experience required | GRIPS, ASDRP |
Research bootcamps for high school students
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA; a new site at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, opens in 2027 (in person, residential)
Cost: Free to attend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 100 students at MIT
Program Dates: TBA (six-week summer program)
Application Deadline: December 11
Eligibility: Current high school juniors
RSI, run by the Center for Excellence in Education, takes you through the full research cycle in one summer. You start with a week of intensive STEM classes taught by professors. You then spend five weeks on an individual research project with an experienced scientist or researcher as your mentor. Along the way, you read current literature in your field and carry out a detailed research plan. In the final week, you write up your findings and deliver conference-style written and oral presentations.
Who is it right for? Juniors with a strong record in math and science who want one of the most selective free research programs in the country.
2. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (in person; housing is not provided, and you must live with a family member or legal guardian)
Cost: No program cost; $50 application fee, waived for families with gross income under $80,000. Limited need-based stipends are available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 50 students in the most recent cycle. The acceptance rate is not published.
Program Dates: June 7 to July 29, 2027 (tentative)
Application Deadline: Late February 2027; applications open December 18
Eligibility: Juniors or seniors as of fall 2026 (class of 2027 or 2028) who will be 16 by the start date, live in and attend high school in the U.S., and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Selection strongly favors Bay Area students.
SIMR places you in a Stanford lab for eight weeks of medically oriented research. You rank the research institutes you’re interested in, then choose from faculty who have offered to host students. Day-to-day mentoring comes from Stanford graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Most of the summer is full-time lab work, about 40 hours a week on campus. The summer ends with a poster session for family, teachers, and the Stanford community.
Who is it right for? Bay Area juniors and seniors who want full-time biomedical lab experience at no cost.
3. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (in person, about 35 hours per week)
Cost: Free; an OMNY card covers public transit, and stipends may go to students facing financial hardship.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 32 to 40 students, split into four research teams of 8 to 10. The acceptance rate is not published.
Program Dates: June 21 to August 5, 2027
Application Deadline: January 4, 2027, including the recommendation letter
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors who will be at least 16 by the start of the program
At SSRP, you join a research team led by scientific trainees from Rockefeller, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Weill Cornell Medicine. In week one, you learn your team’s topic and lab techniques. In week two, you choose your own research question and spend the next three weeks investigating it with your mentors. You use the final two weeks to analyze data and build a poster for the closing symposium.
Who is it right for? Juniors and seniors who want a team-based biology lab experience in New York City and can commit to all seven weeks.
4. UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program (RMP)
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA (short virtual component, then six weeks in person; residential or commuter)
Cost: TBA (last cohort: $5,675 for commuters and $13,274 for residential students, including the $75 application fee). Limited need-based scholarships are available, with priority for California residents.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: June 14 to July 30, 2027 (virtual component June 14 to 17)
Application Deadline: TBA; applications open December 15, 2026 (last cohort: early March)
Eligibility: 10th or 11th graders with a minimum 3.80 weighted GPA. Outstanding 9th graders are considered case by case. International students do not need English proficiency scores.
At RMP, you pick a project from disciplines across UCSB, from neuroscience and engineering to economics and history, and work with a graduate student, postdoc, or faculty mentor. You spend 35 to 50 hours a week on research, which can involve lab work, fieldwork, data collection, or library research. You also take two courses in research writing and presentation techniques, which together earn you 8 university credits. The program ends with a technical research paper and a formal symposium presentation.
Who is it right for? High-achieving sophomores and juniors who want university credit and a full research paper from their summer.
5. Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP)
Location: Fremont, CA; remote research is available for students outside the Bay Area
Cost: $1,070 per semester. Several partial and full scholarships are awarded each year.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: In the most recent summer cycle, 31% for the priority deadline, 12% for the second, and 3% for the regular deadline
Program Dates: Summer term TBA (last cycle: June 1 to August 30)
Application Deadline: Summer applications open in mid-October; priority deadlines February 1 and March 1; final deadline April 15
Eligibility: Students currently in or entering grades 9 to 12, from the Bay Area, other U.S. states, or abroad. No prior research experience or recommendation letters are required.
ASDRP is a nonprofit research institute where you join a research group in biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, psychology, engineering, or another field. You work on an original project under ASDRP researchers and learn the methods your project needs, such as lab techniques, computational analysis, or scientific writing. Most researchers stay for several terms, which gives you time to take a project further than a single summer allows.
Who is it right for? Students in any grade who want to start research early and keep building on one project across terms.
6. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual (two-week program offered in two sessions)
Cost: $2,400 program fee and $45 application fee. Financial aid can waive up to the full program fee.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (summer 2027)
Application Deadline: February 1, 2027; applications open November 10, 2026
Eligibility: High school students. The program is designed for students with a strong foundation in computer science, math, or biology (last cohort: open to students attending a U.S. high school and living in the U.S.).
Run by Stanford’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging, this internship has you do mentored, hands-on research in health AI. You work with real-world health data and explore problems at the intersection of AI and medicine. The program is project-based and led by Stanford students and researchers. AIMI is holding a free online information session on November 10, 2026, from 5 to 6 p.m. PT.
Who is it right for? Students with coding or math experience who want a short, project-based introduction to AI research in medicine.
7. Stanford AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp
Location: Virtual (two-week program offered in two sessions)
Cost: $2,000 program fee and $45 application fee. Financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (summer 2027)
Application Deadline: February 1, 2027; applications open November 10, 2026
Eligibility: High school students of all technical backgrounds
The bootcamp is AIMI’s introductory option. You learn foundational machine learning concepts and explore how AI is applied in healthcare through lectures, discussions, and guided activities. AIMI designed it for learners of all levels, while its Summer Research Internship is for students with stronger technical backgrounds. You’re expected to attend all live virtual sessions during program hours.
Who is it right for? Students curious about AI in medicine who don’t yet have coding experience.
8. UT Dallas Computer Science Summer Research Program
Location: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX; some workshops are available virtually (housing is not provided)
Cost: $1,500 for lab internships; $1,000 in person or $900 virtual for research workshops; $2,000 for the eight-week Deep-dive AI workshop. Discounts are available for low-income families.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Lab capacity is very limited, and selection is highly competitive. The exact cohort size is not published.
Program Dates: TBA (last cohort: June 8 to July 31, eight weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA; applications reopen in early 2027 (last cohort: March 1 priority deadline, with later applications accepted while space remained)
Eligibility: Advanced high school students, ideally finishing 10th or 11th grade. In-person participants must be 15 by the start date, while younger students can join virtual workshops.
UT Dallas offers two research tracks. In a lab internship, you work 20 to 40 hours a week in a computer science research lab, reading papers, running simulations, or building software. Research workshops run like informal college courses that meet at least twice a week and usually end with a project or paper. The Deep-dive AI workshop runs full days for eight weeks, covering Python, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, neural networks, and model evaluation before a final capstone project.
Who is it right for? Students who already code in Python and want a structured computer science or AI research experience.
9. NYU Tandon ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY (remote workshops first, then in-person lab work)
Cost: Free; $2,000 stipend after completing the program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; students are placed across 50+ partner labs.
Program Dates: TBA (last cohort: June 1 to August 14, 10 weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA (last cohort: applications opened January 15 and closed February 27)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are full-time New York City residents attending NYC schools
ARISE starts with four weeks of safety training, college writing workshops, and research skills development. You then spend six weeks in an NYU lab, gaining about 150 hours of hands-on research experience. Labs span fields such as machine learning, cybersecurity, bioengineering, materials science, and urban systems. You finish by presenting at an NYU colloquium and a poster symposium at the American Museum of Natural History. The program also offers college application support and an alumni network.
Who is it right for? NYC juniors and seniors who want paid engineering or science lab experience close to home.
10. Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student Program
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Manhattan, New York, NY (in person; housing is not provided)
Cost: No cost; $1,200 stipend for the summer
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (eight-week program starting in late June in recent cycles)
Application Deadline: February 5, 2027; applications open December 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors with a permanent address within 25 miles of New York City who can commit to all eight weeks
Founded in 2010, MSK’s Summer Student Program places you in a research lab at one of the world’s leading cancer centers. You work on a biomedical or computational project with a research mentor, in fields such as cancer biology, genomics, or immunology. All research takes place on MSK’s main campus on the Upper East Side. Because the research belongs to the lab, you need the lab head’s permission before using your work in a school project or science fair.
Who is it right for? New York City-area juniors interested in cancer research who want a paid lab placement.
11. Scripps Research Translational Institute Student Research Internship Program
Location: Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA (in person)
Cost: No program fee; generally unpaid. Check the program’s funding section for current details.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (10-week program with two June start dates in recent cycles)
Application Deadline: TBA (last cohort: March 31)
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. High school applicants must be at least 16 before the internship begins.
This 10-week internship prepares students interested in health sciences, statistics, and computer science for careers in translational medical research. You design and carry out your own project with a mentor in areas such as genomics, digital medicine, bioinformatics, or data science. Along the way, you join institute seminars and learn how studies move from design to data analysis and interpretation. You present your findings at a Translational Institute research meeting at the end of the summer.
Who is it right for? Students 16 and older who are interested in data-driven medical research and can spend a full summer in San Diego.
12. UCSF Summer Student Research Program (SSRP)
Location: UCSF sites including Mission Bay, Parnassus Heights, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, plus UC Berkeley (in person)
Cost: No program fee; $3,000 stipend for high school students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (last cohort: June 15 to July 31, seven weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: High school sophomores through seniors who have completed at least one year each of math and biology. Priority goes to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including first-generation and low-income students and students with disabilities.
For more than 40 years, UCSF’s program has placed high school and college students in clinics and labs to work on active biomedical research. You work one-on-one with a mentor on a clinical, basic science, or community health project while following a structured research curriculum. Workshops, seminars, simulations, and a weekly journal club help you learn to read and discuss scientific papers. The program ends with a research symposium where you present your project as both a poster and an oral talk.
Who is it right for? Bay Area students from underrepresented backgrounds who want paid, mentored biomedical research.
13. UC Irvine Summer Youth Science Fellowship Program (YSFP)
Location: UC Irvine Cancer Research Institute, Irvine, CA (in person, 30 hours per week)
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (last cohort: June 29 to August 8, six weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA (last cohort: applications opened in mid-November and closed January 30)
Eligibility: High school students across Orange County with an interest in science
Hosted by UC Irvine’s Cancer Research Institute since 1992, YSFP gives you six weeks of mentored cancer research. You work alongside UCI researchers in basic or population sciences, usually between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. You also attend scientific seminars and professional development workshops. The program ends with a poster symposium where you present your work to faculty, peers, and family.
Who is it right for? Orange County students looking for their first lab experience in cancer research.
14. Genomics Research Internship Program at Stanford (GRIPS)
Location: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (hybrid, about 20 hours per week)
Cost: Free to participate; $55 application fee. Fee waivers can be requested through a guidance counselor or teacher.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; the program describes itself as highly competitive.
Program Dates: TBA (last cohort: June 15 to August 6, eight weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA (last cohort: applications opened in December and closed February 28)
Eligibility: Bay Area high school students. No prior lab experience is required.
GRIPS is the Stanford Genetics Department’s high school program and is designed as an entry point into biomedical research. You’re placed in a lab for eight weeks and work on a genomics project with a lab mentor. Most projects are computational, and the program notes that Python, R, and Java are the most common languages in genetics labs. The program is run by volunteer researchers.
Who is it right for? Bay Area students with some biology or programming background who want an entry-level genomics research experience.
15. UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Summer High School Research Internship
Location: UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Concussion Program, Los Angeles, CA (in person, in a clinical research setting)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (runs June to August)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: High school students. UCLA especially encourages students who want to continue into the academic year and mentor future interns.
At BrainSPORT, you train with a team of clinicians and research scientists led by Dr. Christopher Giza, who directs the program and is Chief of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA. You learn how clinical research works in practice, including how patients are recruited, how data is managed, and how study protocols are carried out. Weekly traumatic brain injury lab meetings show you how research decisions get made. The internship ends with a presentation on a research topic of your choice.
Who is it right for? Los Angeles-area students interested in neuroscience, sports medicine, or clinical research.
Compare research bootcamp costs and deadlines
| Program | Cost/Stipend | Format | Next deadline |
| RSI | Free | In person | December 11, 2026 |
| SIMR | Free; $50 application fee | In person | Late February 2027 |
| Rockefeller SSRP | Free; hardship stipends possible | In person | January 4, 2027 |
| UCSB RMP | TBA (last cohort: $5,675 to $13,274) | Virtual start, then in person | TBA; opens December 15, 2026 |
| ASDRP | $1,070 per semester | In person or remote | February 1, March 1, or April 15 |
| Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship | TBA (last cohort: $2,400) | Virtual | February 1, 2027 |
| Stanford AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp | TBA (last cohort: $2,000) | Virtual | February 1, 2027 |
| UT Dallas | $900 to $2,000 (last cohort) | In person or virtual | TBA (last cohort: March 1 priority) |
| NYU ARISE | Free; $2,000 stipend | Remote, then in person | TBA (last cohort: February 27) |
| MSK Summer Student Program | Free; $1,200 stipend | In person | February 5, 2027 |
| Scripps SRTI | No fee; generally unpaid | In person | TBA (last cohort: March 31) |
| UCSF SSRP | Free; $3,000 stipend | In person | TBA |
| UCI YSFP | Not listed | In person | TBA (last cohort: January 30) |
| GRIPS | Free; $55 application fee | Hybrid | TBA (last cohort: February 28) |
| UCLA BrainSPORT | Unpaid | In person | TBA |
How can you make your research bootcamp application stronger?
Start with a specific interest. Programs like UCSB RMP ask you to propose a research question in your personal statement, so pick an area you can write about in detail. Mention a class, project, or paper that made you curious and explain what you want to learn next.
Apply to a range of programs. Pair one or two highly selective options with programs that have broader eligibility or later deadlines. Ask teachers for recommendations at least a month before your earliest deadline.
Plan how you’ll share your work afterward. Some programs, including SSRP and MSK, limit how you can use your research in competitions, so check the rules before you submit anywhere. If your program allows it, you can submit your findings to one of these research journals for high school students.
Want to build your own research project?
If you’d rather choose your own research question than join a set project, the Horizon Academic Research Program is a smart choice. You work with a professor or PhD mentor to write a college-level, 20-page research paper on a topic you choose. You can join one-on-one PhD Labs year-round or small-group Professor Seminars in the summer. For advice on your application, read these tips from the Horizon admissions committee.
More related guides from Horizon
15 STEM Research Programs for High School Students in California: Many of the bootcamps above are in California, and this guide lists more research options across the state.
15 STEM Research Programs for High School Students in New York City: If you’re near NYC, this list adds more local options beyond ARISE, SSRP, and MSK.
200 STEM Research Topics for High School Students: Use these topics to shape the research question you’ll need for your applications.
What students often ask about these research bootcamps
Not for most of them. Several programs are designed as entry points and don’t require prior research experience. A few of the computer science and AI options do expect you to know Python or have a strong background in your research area.
Most of these programs end with a poster or presentation, often at a closing symposium. A few have you write a full technical paper, and one awards university credit. Publications are uncommon from short summer programs, though some students continue their work afterward.
Yes. A few programs accept students in grades 9 through 12, and others are open to 10th graders or to students who will be 15 by the start date. Many of the free lab placements are limited to juniors and seniors, so your early high school years are a good time to build skills for those later applications.
For most of them, yes. Several require you to live in a specific city or region, and most don’t provide housing. A few options are virtual or offer remote research. If you want research you can do from anywhere, the Horizon Academic Research Program offers a selective, trimester-long mentorship online that ends in a 20-page research paper.
Image source: Rockefeller University