What is a scholarship?
A scholarship is a financial award designed to help cover educational expenses, and unlike a loan, you never have to pay it back. These awards are typically granted based on academic merit, demonstrated financial need, or a specific talent or area of achievement, and they come from a wide range of sources such as universities, nonprofit organizations, private foundations, and government agencies. Research-focused scholarships look for students who have done serious investigative work in a particular field or who have developed a research direction that they are ready to pursue.
What do research scholarships for high schoolers include?
Research scholarships exist in a variety of forms and can support your work in multiple ways. Some awards fund fieldwork, placing you in the field with scientific instruments and ecological sampling tools, while others are competition-based and require you to present and defend your methodology and conclusions to a panel of judges. If the scholarship is invention-oriented, you’ll work through a full prototype development cycle that covers design iteration, stakeholder feedback, and, in some cases, basic intellectual property education. Across most of these programs, you’ll build practical skills in research design, literature review, data analysis, and scientific writing, with the specific tools and concepts varying by discipline.
We’ve pulled together a list of research scholarships for high school students, covering fields from water science and neuroscience to historical research, chemistry, and biotechnology. While this is a fairly broad list, we also have more specific compilations, such as this one focused on scholarships in NYC.
Key Takeaways
- Research scholarships for high school students range from competition-based awards like Regeneron STS and ISEF to proposal-funded programs like MIT THINK and Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams, meaning you can apply whether your research is finished or still in progress
- Award amounts span widely, from $1,000 for AAN Neuroscience Prize winners to $250,000 for the top Regeneron STS prize, with most programs offering additional recognition beyond the financial award itself
- Several programs, including ACS Project SEED, Non-Trivial, and MIT THINK, actively support students who are earlier in their research journey, providing mentorship, lab access, and funding to help develop work rather than just rewarding completed projects
- Competitions like Regeneron ISEF, National History Day, and BioGENEius run through qualifying rounds at the local and regional level, so identifying your relevant feeder competition is an important first step
12 Research Scholarships for High School Students
1. Regeneron Science Talent Search
Location: National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.
Stipend: $250,000 for the top prize
Acceptance rate: Highly competitive; 300 scholars will be selected from 2,600+ applicants, of which there will be 40 finalists
Dates: Finals week, March 5–11
Application Deadline: Opens June 1 and closes around November
Eligibility: US high school seniors attending their final year of secondary school in the US or US territories; US citizens studying abroad are also eligible
The Regeneron Science Talent Search is the oldest science research competition for US high school students, and treats a student’s overall scientific potential with the same weight as the submitted project. You can enter by submitting original, independently conducted research in any STEM field, ideally resembling a graduate school thesis in depth and rigor. Judges, who are PhD-level scientists and subject-matter experts, evaluate your research as well as your creativity in framing scientific questions and promise as a future STEM leader. If you advance to Finals Week in Washington, D.C., you will present your work to scientists and government leaders at the National Building Museum and display it during a public exhibition open to anyone who wants to attend. Alumni of the competition have gone on to earn 13 Nobel Prizes, two Fields Medals, and 21 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships.
2. Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Location: Washington, D.C., for the awards reception
Stipend: $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 for the top 3 awards
Acceptance rate: Extremely competitive
Dates: All applicants notified by July 15
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: US citizens or Permanent Residents residing in the US, ages 18 or younger as of the application deadline.
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is one of the few major awards for students under 18 that requires not a proposal or a test, but a finished body of work evaluated at the graduate level. You can submit in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, or an Outside the Box category. The projects are reviewed by an independent panel of judges with expertise in the relevant domain, and each application must be supported by two nominators who can speak to the significance and originality of what you’ve produced. If you’re named a Fellow, you’re invited to Washington, D.C., for Congressional meetings and a recognition reception, making this a rare opportunity to have your research recognized at the pre-college level.
3. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ
Stipend: Multiple tiers and types of awards on offer, including a $100,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award
Acceptance rate: Extremely competitive, roughly 1,600 finalists advance from a global pool of millions who begin at local fairs
Dates: Competition week held May 9–15)
Application Deadline: Varies by society-affiliated regional or national science fairs, each with its own submission calendar
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12 or equivalent, not yet 20 years old as of May 1 of the competition year
Regeneron ISEF draws roughly 1,600 finalists from more than 60 countries who have each earned top placement at a Society-affiliated regional or national science fair. You’ll present your project across one of 22 scientific categories to doctoral-level judges who evaluate your research on rigor, creativity, and potential real-world impact. Beyond the Grand Awards structure, over 45 professional organizations, including government agencies, research institutions, and scientific societies, send their own judges to ISEF and independently award prizes to projects in their area of expertise, meaning your work can be recognized by multiple bodies simultaneously. During competition week, an Education Outreach Day brings local middle and high school students to meet finalists and engage with their projects, giving your research a public audience beyond the formal judging process. At the top of the award structure, the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award carries a $100,000 prize for the highest-ranked project across all Best of Category winners.
4. Stockholm Junior Water Prize
Location: US National: Chicago, IL; International: Stockholm, Sweden
Stipend: $10,000 scholarship for the US national winner
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: US National finals: June 8–10; International competition: August, during World Water Week
Application Deadline: April 15 for the state-level submission
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12, aged 15+
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is a prestigious award presented to high school students for water science research. Your project must focus on water quality, water resources management, or water and wastewater treatment, and the scope can be local, regional, national, or global. The competition runs from the state level through US national finals in Chicago, where you’ll submit a research paper and a video describing your project, then present before a panel of judges in a hybrid format. The US national winner receives a $10,000 scholarship and travels to World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, where you’ll present your work in the company of water researchers and policymakers who operate at an international level.
5. BioGENEius Challenge
Location: CURE Innovation Campus, New York City, NY
Stipend: Keep an eye on the program website for details
Acceptance rate: Extremely competitive
Dates: Generally in October
Application Deadline: May 13
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
BioGENEius focuses on the outcome of your biotechnology research and how it can drive change. The judges focus on the intended or anticipated outcomes of your work, including the potential applications and real-world significance of what you’ve done. You’ll compete in one of three tracks depending on your research focus: Global Healthcare (medical biotechnology), Global Sustainability (agricultural biotechnology), or Global Environment (industrial and environmental biotechnology), and judges are chosen for their expertise in whichever track your project falls under. The regional and state winners advance to the International BioGENEius Challenge, held at the BioFuture Conference at New York City’s CURE Innovation Campus, where you’ll present to industry professionals and academics actively working in your specific field.
6. Non-Trivial Fellowship
Location: Online
Stipend: $10,000 for the top Research Scholars award, and all Research Scholars receive a minimum of $2,000
Acceptance rate: Highly competitive
Dates: Research Scholars program runs July–August, while the Research Fellowship runs from June 15–August 23
Application Deadline: Next cycle opens November 2026
Eligibility: High school students globally, ages 14–20
Non-Trivial runs an eight-week research incubator for students who want to tackle problems such as artificial intelligence safety, pandemic prevention, nuclear risk reduction, and environmental conservation. You don’t need a finished project to apply – the fellowship provides plenty of support as long as you’ve done serious background reading and have a research direction in mind, but need resources and guidance to move it forward. There will be weekly one-on-one meetings with a facilitator to provide technical direction and feedback throughout the program. The cohort-wide curriculum includes Q&A sessions with leading researchers. The program wraps with a Demo Day where you’ll present your work to peers and the Non-Trivial team, and the top Research Scholars are awarded up to $10,000 to continue or extend their projects. Past fellows have conducted research on topics as varied as AI governance, biodiversity protection, and early-warning systems for pandemic outbreaks.
7. AAN Neuroscience Research Prize
Location: AAN Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL
Stipend: $1,000 per winner
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: Annual Meeting presentation and awards are usually in the spring
Application Deadline: October 21
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
Sponsored jointly by the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society, this award is aimed at research on the brain and nervous system. To apply, your project must be relevant to any aspect of neuroscience, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, function, and behavior, with a clear neurophysiological connection, and it does not need to come from a formal laboratory. The judges are physicians and scientists from neuroscience research institutions across the country. The evaluation runs in two rounds: the first round scores your abstract alone, and the top submissions advance to a final round where the full research report is reviewed with particular attention to your problem-solving approach, methodology, and how well you’ve placed your findings in a scientific context. The winners present their work at a scientific poster session during the AAN Annual Meeting, which puts your research in front of working neurologists and neuroscientists in a professional conference setting.
8. National History Day
Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Stipend: Several types of awards are available
Acceptance rate: Approximately 3,000 of 500,000+ participants reach the national contest
Dates: June 14–18
Application Deadline: May 19
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–12
National History Day centers on a single annual theme and asks you to conduct original historical research using primary and secondary sources, then argue a thesis through whichever format you choose: a research paper, exhibit board, documentary, website, or live performance. All entries require an annotated bibliography, and judges treat the quality of your research methodology as seriously as the final presentation. The competition moves from local to state to national, where roughly 3,000 students gather at the University of Maryland, College Park. You will be interviewed by panels of historians and education professionals who probe your sources, your interpretation, and the historical argument you’re making. Senior Division students in grades 9–12 compete alongside peers from all 50 states, US territories, and international affiliated schools, which means your research is placed in conversation with the full range of historical scholarship students are producing at the national level. The national contest week also includes time in Washington, D.C., where you can visit the archives and institutions whose primary sources may be directly relevant to your project and future work.
9. Explorers Club Rising Explorer Grant
Location: Field research sites worldwide
Stipend: Average award of $2,000, though individual grants vary based on project
Acceptance rate: Highly competitive
Dates: Grant awards are announced mid-to-late January, and projects commence following the award
Application Deadline: October 8
Eligibility: High school students and undergraduates worldwide
The Explorers Club Rising Explorer Grant funds real field science by researchers who are just beginning their careers. Your project must involve collecting data in the field to contribute to scholarship in a recognized discipline like ecology, marine biology, paleontology, geology, anthropology, or geography, with results intended for peer-reviewed publication or equivalent dissemination. Past grantees have studied bat populations in rural US settings, investigated endangered species in Indonesian ecosystems, and conducted paleontological fieldwork in Argentina, which gives you a sense of the geographic and disciplinary range the grant supports. The award recipients are automatically considered for Explorers Club membership, connecting you to a global network of scientists and field researchers who have been associated with the organization since its founding in 1904.
10. Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Stipend: $7,500 per team
Acceptance rate: Highly competitive, only 8 teams selected per year from a national applicant pool
Dates: Year-long program, with an Open House at MIT from May 28–30 and the EurekaFest presentation on May 19
Application Deadline: April 23
Eligibility: High school student teams of 10–15
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams spend an entire academic year solving a real problem from their own community by designing and building a working technological invention from the ground up. The $7,500 grant funds the actual build: materials, equipment, and whatever the team needs to reach a functional prototype by EurekaFest, the annual showcase held at MIT. A required mid-grant technical review is built into the year, during which you present your progress to community stakeholders and the people who would actually use your invention, incorporating their feedback into your next iteration in the same way a real product development cycle works. IP education runs alongside the invention process, and teams have access to technical mentorship from industry professionals in sectors relevant to their project.
11. ACS Project SEED
Location: Academic and industry laboratory sites nationwide
Stipend: $4,000
Acceptance rate: 350+ students supported annually
Dates: 8–10 weeks in summer, typically June–August
Application Deadline: April 6
Eligibility: High school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have completed at least one year of high school chemistry
ACS Project SEED places you inside an active chemistry research lab for 8–10 weeks, working daily under the supervision of a scientist-mentor at an academic institution, government lab, or industry setting. You will be contributing to an ongoing research project with enough independence to author a research report or prepare a scientific poster at the end of the summer. The range of available chemistry subfields depends on participating sites in your area and can include organic, pharmaceutical, biological, analytical, environmental, computational, inorganic, physical, and polymer chemistry, as well as chemical and bioengineering. Some site coordinators register their students for the ACS National Meeting, one of the largest professional chemistry gatherings in the world, where you’d present your poster to thousands of working chemists. Summer II participants, who return for a second year either continuing their prior project or beginning a new one, may also be eligible for travel grants to present at other scientific conferences.
12. MIT THINK Scholars
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Stipend: $1,000
Acceptance rate: Highly competitive, with only around 10 finalists selected annually
Dates: February – June
Application Deadline: January 1
Eligibility: High school students with a permanent US address
MIT THINK takes a different approach than most research awards: you apply with a research proposal you haven’t yet completed, and the award supports your work. The program is made for students who have done serious background reading on a research question and have a clear direction in mind, but need resources and guidance to actually carry it out. Selected finalists receive weekly mentorship from MIT undergraduate students who provide ongoing technical guidance, help you troubleshoot your methodology, and connect you to relevant resources throughout the semester. The finalists are also invited to MIT’s campus for a four-day visit where you tour active research laboratories, present your developing project to MIT students and faculty, and work directly with the THINK team. The proposals can span a wide range of fields, with the program’s main requirements being that your idea is genuinely insightful, your goals are clearly defined, and the project can realistically be completed in one semester.
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 are research scholarships for high school students? Research scholarships for high school students are financial awards that recognize original investigative work across fields including science, technology, history, engineering, and mathematics. Unlike general merit scholarships, these awards evaluate the quality, originality, and rigor of your research specifically, often requiring a research paper, poster presentation, or project demonstration as part of the application.
Do I need a completed research project to apply for these scholarships? Not always. Programs like MIT THINK Scholars and Non-Trivial Fellowship are designed for students with a research direction in mind but without a finished project. They fund and mentor you through the completion process. Most competition-based awards, including Regeneron STS, ISEF, and Davidson Fellows, require a completed and documented research project at the time of submission.
What fields do research scholarships for high school students cover? The programs on this list span a wide range of disciplines. Regeneron STS and Davidson Fellows accept projects across all STEM fields and some humanities categories. More specialized options include the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (water science), BioGENEius (biotechnology), AAN Neuroscience Research Prize (brain and nervous system), National History Day (historical research), and ACS Project SEED (chemistry). The Explorers Club Rising Explorer Grant funds field science across ecology, marine biology, paleontology, and related disciplines.
Are there research scholarships specifically for students from underrepresented backgrounds? Yes. ACS Project SEED is specifically designed for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have completed at least one year of high school chemistry. It places you in an active chemistry research lab for 8 to 10 weeks with a $4,000 stipend. iCLEM in the Bay Area and several other programs also target students who have had limited access to professional STEM networks.
How do I enter competitions like Regeneron ISEF and National History Day? Both competitions use a qualifying structure that starts at the local or regional level. For Regeneron ISEF, you need to earn top placement at a Society-affiliated regional or national science fair before advancing to the international competition. National History Day moves from local to state to national competition. Identifying and entering your relevant feeder competition is a required first step for both.
When should I start preparing a research scholarship application? Timelines vary by program. Regeneron STS opens in June and closes in November, making summer a natural time to develop or finalize your project. Davidson Fellows has a February deadline, and MIT THINK closes January 1. National History Day and AAN Neuroscience Prize have fall deadlines for state and abstract submissions respectively. Starting your research at least a full academic year before your target submission gives you the most time to develop, test, and refine your work.
Image Source: Horizon Inspires