Key Takeaways
- These 10 lab opportunities span cancer research, engineering, genetics, and computer science across major Georgia institutions like Emory, Georgia Tech, UGA, and Morehouse School of Medicine.
- Program lengths vary from five-week placements like the Emory NextGen program to full-year commitments like Project ENGAGES, so you can choose based on how much time you want to dedicate.
- Many of these programs are free to attend and paid, including the GTRI High School Summer Internship and the Young Scholars Internship Program at UGA, while a few charge a program fee, like the MSM S.T.E.A.M. Academy’s Authentic Research Experience.
- Nearly all placements pair you one-on-one with a faculty mentor, physician, or research scientist and conclude with a poster session, oral presentation, or public symposium where you share your findings.
- If you want a longer, mentored research experience that results in an independent paper rather than a lab placement, Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs offers a mentored path toward a formal academic paper across 600+ specializations, including data science, biology, and chemistry.
10 Lab Opportunities in Georgia for High School Students
A lab-based high school program is a valuable opportunity to work with a research group at a university, hospital, or research institute on an ongoing project in a professional-grade laboratory setting. In such programs, you’ll usually be working alongside a faculty member, physician, or research scientist who assigns you real tasks tied to that project’s goals. Most placements run anywhere from several weeks to a full year, built around live experiments, real data collection, and a final presentation or symposium. The main draw of such programs is that you will get to use the same instruments, protocols, and safety procedures that undergraduate and graduate researchers rely on daily. This provides a level of exposure to what a research career actually involves that most high schoolers or even college students don’t have access to.
Why should you choose a program in Georgia for High School Students?
Georgia’s research base runs through Emory, Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Augusta University, and Morehouse School of Medicine, putting you in contact with equipment and techniques tied to active biomedical, engineering, and computing research. In a cancer research placement, you might run flow cytometry, gel electrophoresis, or cell culturing to study how a tumor line responds to treatment. In an engineering lab, you could build and test physical prototypes, work with radar systems, or write code to model a mechanical system. Neuroscience and computer science placements bring you into contact with programming, algorithm design, and literature review as you build an independent project. Whichever field interests you most, you can expect to conclude the experience by presenting your findings, whether through a poster session, a symposium talk, or a conference paper.
While this article covers programs from a wide variety of fields, we also have articles covering programs dedicated to specific fields like robotics or chemistry.
1. Summer Scholars Research Program – Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Location: Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Cost: No cost, interns are paid a $2,400 stipend upon program completion
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 8 – July 17
Application deadline: Keep an eye on the program website for details on the next cycle
Eligibility: Rising or graduating high school seniors aged 16+, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
You pair one-on-one with a Winship physician or lab-based researcher and conduct hands-on research inside a cancer biology laboratory for six weeks. Field trips take you to the Michael C. Carlos Museum and the Emory Proton Therapy Center, alongside roundtable discussions with cancer survivors. Faculty-led lectures cover cancer biology and the range of careers inside oncology, from bench science to clinical care. You will present your research project at the end of the program, at a public symposium. Ten to twelve students are selected each year, working inside labs spanning hematology, medical oncology, and other departments across Emory’s campus, making this a highly exclusive opportunity and a valuable addition to your resume.
2. High School Summer Internship – Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)
Location: Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA
Cost: No cost; this is a paid internship
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 8 – July 17
Application Deadline: January 18
Eligibility: Graduating seniors and rising seniors, juniors, and sophomores who are Georgia residents attending public, private, charter, or home school in Georgia, at least 16 years old
You will work inside a GTRI laboratory at the Atlanta campus, the Cobb County Research Facility, or the Warner Robins field office, contributing to ongoing engineering and science projects. Past interns have built piezoelectric tiles that generate energy for a NASA visitors center and constructed educational kiosks explaining night vision technology. The projects span radar physics, rapid prototyping, and robotics and drone systems, depending on your placement. GTRI staff and researchers provide mentorship, and you’ll also have to complete safety and equipment training, including soldering and assembly work, before starting your project. Lab tours across Georgia Tech round out the five-week internship, which wraps with a team presentation of your results.
3. Project ENGAGES
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: Starts on June 1
Application Deadline: December 19 – February 27
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (16+) with an overall GPA average of 83 (3.0) or above; Must have completed science courses with a GPA of 83 (3.0) or above; More info here
Project ENGAGES places you in a Georgia Tech research lab through either the Biotechnology or Engineering track, working alongside graduate students and postdoctoral mentors on a live research project. The commitment spans a full year, with sustained lab time in fields like biotechnology, materials science, environmental engineering, and robotics. There will be industry tours with companies such as Axion Biosystems and C.R. Bard, which will show you how your research area translates into real products and career paths.
4. Summer Research Experience at Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University
Location: Augusta University, Augusta, GA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: June 3 – July 15
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+, with a priority given to students from Richmond, Columbia, and Aiken Counties.
You will spend six weeks inside a Georgia Cancer Center lab, contributing to research in cell and molecular biology, cancer immunology, clinical outcomes, bioinformatics, or population health. Past participants have run flow cytometry, gel electrophoresis, and cell culturing procedures themselves under mentor supervision. A mentor matches you to a specific GCC research group, such as Cancer Immunology, Inflammation and Tolerance, or Molecular Oncology and Biomarkers, based on your stated interests. There will be weekly seminars that cover ongoing GCC research alongside career paths in biomedical science. The program ends with an oral presentation of your findings to mentors, peers, and family.
5. Young Scholars Internship Program (YSP)
Location: Athens, Griffin, or Tifton, GA (UGA Campuses)
Cost: No cost; this is a paid internship
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 1 – July 7 for the internship, July 8 – 10 for the research conference
Application Deadline: January 23
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors aged at least 16 years old by June 1. Should have completed at least one high school science course, including laboratory, and one semester of algebra.
YSP provides an opportunity to conduct supervised research in a UGA faculty lab at the Athens, Griffin, or Tifton campus, working 30 hours a week for five weeks on agricultural, food, or environmental science projects. Workshops and visits to working agricultural operations connect your lab work to the wider range of careers inside the field. You’ll also get a taste of how scientific conferences function, since you’ll be presenting your findings in a poster session at the three-day Young Scholars Pre-Collegiate Research Conference on the Athens campus. Faculty mentors guide your research project across placements spanning crop and soil sciences, entomology, food science, horticulture, plant pathology, and poultry science.
6. GROW CELLS – Morehouse School of Medicine Cancer Health Equity Institute
Location: Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, or virtual
Cost: No cost, students earn a $500/month stipend
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: June 1 – 19 for presentations and classes, July 7 – 18 for fieldwork, practice, and abstract review
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Rising 10th through 12th graders from the Atlanta area
You will take a shared virtual didactic curriculum alongside other GROW CELLS students before moving into fieldwork, a practicum, and hands-on research tasks at your home institution. Lectures and workshops cover cancer biology fundamentals during the program’s first phase, then shift toward applied research exposure during the fieldwork phase. You’ll also build a career roadmap and an individual development plan as part of the program, mapping out potential paths inside cancer research. At the end of the program, you’ll have to present a research poster or presentation at the Cancer Research Symposium alongside MSM’s other summer cancer research cohorts.
7. GA-YES Summer Research Program
Location: Atlanta, GA
Cost: Free, small stipend provided
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: June 1 – July 21
Application Deadline: February 8
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors from Cherokee County who are at least 16 years old by June 1
A Winship faculty mentor guides the cohort through a specific cancer research project for six weeks. A curriculum built around cancer biology, epidemiology, health services, and data science runs alongside your lab work, with an emphasis on cancer disparities. Interactive lectures from Winship cancer researchers supplement hands-on project time. Beyond the six weeks, you’ll get to take part in quarterly workshops through GSEI’s undergraduate STEM Mentors club across your remaining high school years. GA-YES also tracks your education and career progress for 15 years after the program ends, as part of its research on rural student outcomes.
8. CS High School Internship Program – Kennesaw State University
Location: Marietta, GA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: Aligned with the school semester or summer term
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in a high school internship course
You will conduct computer science research alongside a KSU faculty mentor, working from campus computer labs for at least three days a week during the semester. Research activities include literature surveys, algorithm design, data analysis, and programming, tied to the mentor’s project. You will meet with your mentor at least once a week, including oral presentations on your research progress. By the end of the internship, you must draft a research paper and submit it to a conference or workshop your mentor selects. The program is built specifically for students already enrolled in a high school internship course through their own school.
9. Emory NextGen High School Internship Program
Location: Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Cost: No cost; this is a paid internship
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 1 – July 8
Application Deadline: February 13
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; must be 16 years old by June.
You will rotate through Emory labs and clinical settings connected to the Department of Human Genetics for five weeks, working with faculty and lab members specializing in a variety of fields. Past cohorts have run PCR-based genetic analysis and prepared skeletal specimens as part of their lab placements, alongside shadowing genetic counselors in clinical settings. Classroom sessions cover general genetics concepts to bring every intern to the same baseline before lab work begins. Field trips to STEM businesses around Atlanta and talks from professionals in patent law, medical science liaison roles, and other genetics careers run alongside the lab rotations. At the close of the program, you’ll present a research talk or a project on a biomedical topic of your choosing at a public symposium. The program continues with occasional activities through the following school year as well.
10. MSM S.T.E.A.M. Academy, Authentic Research Experience
Location: Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $1,500
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: June 2 – July 10
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Rising 10th – 12th graders with a minimum 3.0 GPA
This is the six-week research track within MSM’s STEAM Academy that pairs you one-on-one with an MSM research mentor. You will work in a specific biomedical discipline alongside faculty and graduate students on an actual research project. You will take on a real piece of that lab’s active study, including experimental design, data collection, and analysis as the work moves forward. College and career guidance, including scholarship help, runs alongside your time in the lab.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of lab opportunities are available to high school students in Georgia?
You’ll find a mix of formats, including cancer research placements like the Winship Cancer Institute’s Summer Scholars Program and GA-YES, engineering and computing research through GTRI and Kennesaw State’s CS High School Internship Program, and genetics-focused placements like Emory’s NextGen High School Internship Program. Project ENGAGES stands out as a full-year commitment if you want sustained lab experience rather than a single summer placement.
Do you need prior lab experience to apply?
Most of these programs don’t require prior lab experience, since they build in training and mentorship from the start. That said, some, like the Young Scholars Internship Program at UGA, require you to have completed at least one high school science course with a lab component and one semester of algebra before applying.
Are there free options available?
Yes, most programs on this list don’t charge a fee. Project ENGAGES, the Augusta University Cancer Center program, GA-YES, and Kennesaw State’s CS High School Internship Program are all free to participate in, and several, like the Winship Summer Scholars Program and GTRI’s internship, are also paid on top of being free.
Which programs offer stipends or paid positions?
Several of these programs compensate participants. The Winship Summer Scholars Program pays a $2,400 stipend upon completion, GROW CELLS provides $500 a month, and both the GTRI High School Summer Internship and the Young Scholars Internship Program at UGA are paid positions. GA-YES also offers a small stipend alongside being free to participate in.
Are these programs restricted to Georgia residents or specific counties?
Some of them are. GTRI’s internship is limited to Georgia residents, GA-YES is limited to students from Cherokee County, and the Augusta University Cancer Center program gives priority to students from Richmond, Columbia, and Aiken Counties. Others, like the Winship Summer Scholars Program and Emory’s NextGen program, are open more broadly to students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents without a specific county restriction.
Is there a way to pursue independent research beyond a structured lab placement?
Yes. If you’re looking for a competitive, mentored research program beyond a fixed lab placement, Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs lets you engage in advanced research and develop a 20-page research paper on a subject of your choosing, with guidance from a professor or PhD scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation and detailed feedback, and covers over 600 research specializations. You can find the application here.
When should you apply?
Deadlines for these programs are spread throughout the year, so it helps to plan ahead. The Augusta University Cancer Center program has one of the earliest deadlines at January 15, followed closely by GTRI’s internship (January 18) and the Young Scholars Internship Program (January 23). February brings several more deadlines, including GA-YES (February 8) and Emory’s NextGen program (February 13), while GROW CELLS and the MSM S.T.E.A.M. Academy run later, with deadlines in May and March respectively. Horizon, by contrast, has multiple deadlines throughout the year across its Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts, giving you more flexibility if you miss an earlier cutoff.
Image source: Emory University