If you’re a high school student looking to dive deeper into subjects you love, whether that’s neuroscience, environmental science, or computer science, research programs can offer hands-on experience, mentorship from experts, and the chance to work with advanced tools and methods.
The best part? Not all of these opportunities come with a hefty price tag. In fact, there are several programs that are entirely free, making research accessible to motivated students regardless of financial background. These programs don’t just build knowledge; they strengthen technical skills, critical thinking, and academic writing, all of which are valuable for college and beyond.
In this list, we’ve rounded up 15 free research programs for high school students. From university-led mentorships to STEM-focused internships, each program gives you the chance to push your intellectual limits while contributing to practical projects.
1. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Location: Remote
Cost: Fully funded
Program Dates: 12-week cohorts offered in spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Spring (January) | Summer (May) | Fall (September) | Winter (November)
Eligibility: Current high school students with strong academic records (typical GPA 3.3+)
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation provides fully funded, one-on-one research opportunities for high school students from low-income backgrounds. Modeled on the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, it pairs you with PhD mentors to develop independent research projects over 12 weeks. You explore fields ranging from psychology and economics to physics, computer science, and engineering, culminating in the production of a final research paper.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program | Full need-based financial aid available for AI Scholars
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: All high school students for AI Scholars | Prior Python experience or completion of AI Scholars required for AI Fellowship
Founded by Harvard researchers, Veritas AI offers high school students structured pathways into artificial intelligence. The AI Scholars program is a 10-session introduction to AI, machine learning, and data science, taught through projects that apply concepts to real-world problems. Advanced students can join the AI Fellowship, which pairs you one-on-one with mentors from top universities to design and execute original AI research. Fellowship participants also receive guidance on preparing their projects for publication.
3. Fred Hutch Cancer Center – Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: None | Paid (amount disclosed to finalists) | Free ORCA transit card
Dates: Eight weeks, mid-June–mid-August
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors | U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP) at Fred Hutch combines structured training with hands-on research. You begin with two weeks of lab safety and core technique instruction before joining research groups for six weeks of mentored work. Projects cover cancer biology, immunology, infectious disease, and public health. You learn practical lab skills such as pipetting, microscopy, and cell culture, while also analyzing data with spreadsheets or statistical software. Weekly seminars and career workshops add professional context, and the program concludes with a formal research presentation to peers and faculty.
4. CS Scholars – Pre-College Programs, Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
Cost: Free of cost
Dates: June 21–July 19
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors (between 10th and 11th grade) | Minimum age 16
The CS Scholars program is a fully funded, four-week residential experience that introduces students to the fundamentals of computer science. You build programming skills in Python, focusing on algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving through top-down design and debugging. The curriculum includes hands-on coding projects, collaborative group work, and lectures from Carnegie Mellon faculty, along with workshops on college readiness and STEM equity. You also take part in academic tours and field trips to tech companies, gaining both technical expertise and exposure to real-world applications of computer science.
5. MITES Summer – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: MIT Campus, Boston, MA
Cost: Free of cost
Dates: Six weeks, late June–early August
Application Deadline: Mid- February
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Rising high school juniors
MITES Summer is a six-week residential program that immerses high school students in advanced STEM study and research. You take intensive courses in math, science, and humanities while exploring electives such as machine learning, genomics, and engineering design. The program emphasizes applied learning through lab work, field visits, and collaborative research projects. You also receive mentorship and structured guidance on higher education.
6. Cancer Research Institute Summer Youth Science Fellowship – University of California, Irvine
Location: University of California, Irvine (UCI)
Cost/Stipend: Free of cost
Dates: June 23–August 1
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Current 11th–12th graders at Orange County high schools
This six-week fellowship places students in UCI cancer research labs for 30 hours a week under faculty mentorship. You gain hands-on experience with wet lab techniques, experimental design, and troubleshooting while advancing their own research projects. The program concludes with a formal symposium where you present your findings to peers and faculty, building both technical skills and confidence in scientific communication.
7. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Stipend of at least $500
Dates: June 9–July 31
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors (Class of 2025 or 2026) | Age 16+ by program start | U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Priority for Bay Area students
SIMR is an eight-week internship that places students in Stanford biomedical research labs to investigate real-world scientific questions. You work alongside faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in areas like immunology, stem cell biology, neuroscience, and bioengineering. In addition to lab training, you attend lectures on experimental design, ethics, and data analysis. The experience concludes with a poster session where interns share their research with the Stanford community.
8. UCLA BrainSPORT Summer High School Research Internship
Location: UCLA BrainSPORT Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free of cost
Dates: June 9–August 1
Application Deadline: April (decisions released later that month)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors | Priority for students continuing into the academic year
This eight-week internship immerses students in clinical neuroscience research on sports-related concussion and traumatic brain injury. As an intern, you will support studies like CARE4Kids by assisting with patient recruitment, neuroimaging protocols, biomarker analysis, and cognitive assessments. The program includes weekly lab meetings and close mentorship from UCLA researchers and medical students. It concludes with a student-led presentation, giving you the chance to synthesize findings and practice scientific communication.
9. Biomedical Research Academy – University of Pennsylvania
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $5,949 | Free for School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school students through Penn Summer Prep scholarship
Dates: July 5–26
Application Deadline: April 27
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–11 with at least one year of high school biology
The Biomedical Research Academy is a three-week residential program that builds a foundation in cellular, molecular, and genetic research. You engage in lectures, journal discussions, and hands-on lab experiments, gaining experience with techniques like PCR, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, and ELISA. The curriculum also introduces computational biology, where participants analyze genomic data using Bash and Python. This combination of wet-lab and computational training offers a comprehensive entry point into biomedical science.
10. Rockefeller University – Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: RockEDU Science Outreach Laboratory, Rockefeller University, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free | OMNY or MetroCard provided | Need-based travel stipends available
Dates: June 23–August 7
Application Deadline: January 3
Eligibility: Current juniors and seniors | Age 16+ by program start
The Summer Science Research Program (SSRP) immerses students in team-based research across disciplines like neuroscience, cancer biology, genetics, immunology, and computational biology. You are grouped into small research teams led by mentors from Rockefeller, MSK, and WCMC, working in fully equipped RockEDU labs. Alongside lab work, you attend workshops, elective classes, and guest lectures, while developing a research question, analyzing data, and presenting findings at a final symposium. The program blends technical training with mentorship and peer collaboration, closely modeling the dynamics of real academic labs.
11. NYU Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)
Location: Remote workshops + in-person labs at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free | $1,000 stipend
Dates: June 2–August 8
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: NYC residents | Rising juniors and seniors
ARISE is a 10-week summer program that combines skill-building workshops with mentored lab research. The first four weeks focus on research methods, safety, and academic writing, delivered virtually. You then spend six weeks in NYU research labs, contributing to projects in fields like bioengineering, computer science, robotics, and molecular engineering. With around 120 hours of lab work, you gain technical experience while also practicing scientific communication through presentations at the NYU Colloquium and the American Museum of Natural History Poster Symposium. The program also provides mentorship, college prep support, and access to STEM networks across NYC.
12. UCSF Summer Student Research Program
Location: Multiple sites across the San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | $3,000 stipend
Dates: June 2–August 1
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from underrepresented backgrounds in science | Minimum GPA 3.0 | One year of math and biology | Age 16+ by June 1
The UCSF Summer Student Research Program offers a nine-week placement in labs, clinics, or community health sites across the Bay Area. You work with a mentor to design and carry out a project in biomedical, clinical, or community-based research. The program integrates seminars, journal clubs, and weekly talks from UCSF researchers, alongside workshops and networking events. It concludes with a symposium where you present your findings, giving you both technical training and exposure to careers in health science.
13. Genomics Research Internship Program at Stanford (GRIPS)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Need-based scholarships available | Unpaid
Dates: June 16–August 7
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Local high school students (San Francisco Bay Area counties) | GPA 3.0+ | Age 16+ | Background in biology, programming, or chemistry
GRIPS is an eight-week internship designed for students interested in computational genetics and genomics. You spend about 20 hours per week in Stanford research labs, contributing to genomics projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Coding experience in Python, R, or Java helps determine lab placement and project scope. Beyond lab work, you attend seminars, career panels, and weekly cohort sessions, gaining both technical skills and insight into careers in biomedical and computational research.
14. Environmentor (RISE) Science Research Mentorship Program
Location: RISE, Far Rockaway, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free | Up to $1,200 stipend
Dates: June 5–August 15
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–11 living on or attending school near the Rockaway Peninsula | Priority for past Shore Corps participants
Environmentor pairs students with scientists from local universities and research institutions to conduct environmental research around Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway shoreline. Projects focus on areas such as marine biology, wetland restoration, animal physiology, and conservation science. You work with mentors four days a week, gaining field experience in tasks like air quality monitoring, biodiversity tracking, and habitat restoration. The program also provides CPR and water safety training, community service hours, and outdoor activities including biking, surfing, and kayaking, blending research with applied environmental stewardship.
Image source – RISE