If you are a high school student interested in STEM research opportunities, consider participating in a summer program in the field! Participating in a summer research program will allow you to sharpen hard and soft skills, gain practical experience, work on cutting-edge innovations, and engage deeply with the research process. Such experiences will also help you gain insight into the latest trends in your chosen industry, meet like-minded peers, and learn from professionals.
Many prestigious universities and research centers offer science research programs that will allow you to engage with complex scientific concepts and real-world problems through hands-on research and experimentation. Whether your interest lies in biology, technology, engineering, or environmental science, these programs are designed to prepare you for advanced education and a successful career in STEM. Not to mention, they look great on college applications!
To help you get started, here’s our curated list of 17 summer science research programs for high school students!
1. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Subject Areas: Environmental health and engineering, behavioral economics, psychology, international relations, neuroscience, data science, machine learning, network science, biophysics, biotechnology, chemistry, physics, history, philosophy, political theory, sociology, and more!
Location: Virtual
Cost: You can contact them for more information regarding tuition and questions about need-based financial aid.
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort.
Program Dates: Varies according to cohort. The dates are flexible for Horizon Labs, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
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.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and college applications. You can apply here!
2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary—biology, psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, gender studies, engineering, chemistry, business, entrepreneurship, international relations, environmental science, and more!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Starts at $2,800. Financial aid is available!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The main summer deadlines are March 17, April 14, and May 12. The final deadline for the summer cohort is typically in June.
Program Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, and the Spring cohort from March to June. Applications for the summer cohort are now open! (The program options range from 12 weeks to 1 year).
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school. Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note. students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students, across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project.
During the program, you will get to attend individual sessions with your research mentor and your writing coach who will help you decide on a topic for your research. You’ll spend the next couple of weeks exploring your research topic and attending workshops on the research process. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here!
3. Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Lab (BAIR) High School Summer Program
Subject Areas: Computer science, AI, machine learning, multimodal deep learning, programming, robotics
Location: BAIR Lab, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: July 8 to July 12.
Eligibility: Bay Area high school youth in grades 10–12 can apply.
The BAIR Lab High School Summer Program provides an opportunity for students entering grades 10–12 to explore the most recent AI technologies, concepts, and ethics with Berkeley scientists and BAIR Lab researchers. During the program, you’ll get to work with UC Berkeley researchers across the areas of computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, planning, control, and robotics. The entire program will take place on campus at BAIR Lab, where you’ll get to participate in daily guest lectures and activities guided by BAIR Lab researchers and select visits to research labs. You will also experience life on a college campus, including lunch provided daily at UC Berkeley dining halls and a campus tour.
4. Baylor College of Medicine’s Saturday Morning Science (SMS) Summer Research Program
Subject Areas: Science, medicine, health, cancer research, professional development
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided to the participants.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: June 10–August 5
Eligibility: All applicants must be 18 or older by the program start date. Students must have previously participated in Saturday Morning Science or be part of the affiliate programs with Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M, or other predominantly minority-serving institutions.
Baylor College of Medicine’s SMS Summer Research Program allows a select number of students to work in the lab or on a research project with a Baylor College of Medicine researcher. For 2024, only 40 students were accepted into the program. You will attend weekly ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions to learn about various aspects of research and professional development. At the culmination of the summer, you will be invited to present your research to the SMS Summer Research Symposium and to the other in-person summer interns. You may also have other opportunities to present your research at other forums such as the Annual Center of Excellence in Health Equity Training and Research Summit sponsored by BCM.
5. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Subject Areas: Stem cell and regenerative medicine, bioengineering, immunology, neurobiology, genetics and genomics, bioinformatics, cardiovascular biology, and cancer biology.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost to attend, although there is a $40 application fee that can be waived based on financial need. Housing and meals are not provided. All students are given a $500 minimum stipend. Stipends of $2500 and above are given on a needs-based system from special grants.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February.
Program Dates: June 10–August 1 (8 weeks)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged at least 16 with U.S. citizenship or permanent residency can apply.
Stanford’s SIMR is an 8-week summer research internship program that allows around 50 high school students to work on a medically-oriented research project with Stanford faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers. You will learn how to undertake scientific research under the support of a one-on-one mentor at a cutting-edge lab within the Institutes of Medicine. You can choose from eight research institutes—stem cell and regenerative medicine, bioengineering, immunology, neurobiology, genetics and genomics, bioinformatics, cardiovascular biology, and cancer biology. Programming includes safety training, lectures, lab work, and a final poster session where you will deliver a presentation.
6. UCSD’s Research Experience for High School Students (REHS)
Subject Areas: STEM fields—software development, computer science, computational chemistry, scientific writing, machine learning, diseases, neuroscience, cancer diagnostics, and more!
Location: University of California, San Diego, CA
Cost: Program with research project: $1,500 | Program without research project: Free. Financial assistance is available for participating in the program with the research project. In addition, students who qualify for free and reduced lunch will be exempt from the program fee.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Program Dates: June 17–August 9
Eligibility: All high school students who reside in San Diego or can acquire housing there are eligible to participate.
The UCSD Research Experience for High School Students (REHS) offers an opportunity to contribute to an ongoing research project over an eight-week period. The program is designed to immerse you in the scientific process, encompassing everything from hypothesis formulation and testing to conducting computational experiments and making conclusions. During the program, you’ll work on an established research project, and gain exposure to career options, hands-on computational experience, work readiness skills, and mentoring by computational research scientists. At the end of the program, you will develop scientific posters, reflecting on your summer experience and highlighting your research and future career goals. You can check out the available projects and their descriptions here.
7. UC Irvine’s Math ExpLR: Summer Research Program for High School Students
Subject Areas: MATLAB programming, mathematical modeling, computational biology, and LaTex.
Location: University of California, Irvine, CA
Cost: No cost to attend, but students may need to pay for their housing, meals, and transport.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: June 17 to July 25.
Eligibility: Applicants must be currently enrolled in high school and not graduating this spring.
The Math ExpLR program at UC Irvine’s NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research is a 6-week program in mathematical biology. It pairs students with UC Irvine undergraduates to collaborate on a computational biology research project alongside a principal investigator. During the first two weeks, you’ll get an introduction to research, mathematical modeling, LaTeX, and Matlab programming, and get started on your mid-term report. In the last two weeks, you will work on your final papers and presentations, attend the Math ExpLR reunion, and participate in a post-program survey. Examples of project topics include—Biophysics of the Primary Cilium in Skin and Neurological Disease, Stochastic Models of Epigenetic Stability, and From Random Walk to Cancer Research.
8. Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) Summer Science Intensive: iCLEM
Subject Areas: Microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, biofuels, and synthetic biology.
Location: Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost to attend, although students will need to arrange for their transportation. Students will receive a stipend of $3,000.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Program Dates: June 10–July 26
Eligibility: Economically disadvantaged high school sophomores and juniors studying and residing in Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco County
JBEI’s iCLEM (Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology) is a paid summer science intensive for economically disadvantaged high school sophomores and juniors. This program provides an opportunity for high school students to complete a hands-on research project in microbiology while being mentored by scientists and researchers at JBEI. As a research student, you will receive knowledge about the fundamental concepts in microbiology, biofuels, molecular biology, biochemistry, and synthetic biology. You will further receive guidance in career exploration, professional development, and college application preparation. You will also get to explore careers through discussions with STEM professionals and visits to local biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. You can check out the students’ past experiences and projects here.
9. Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens (BRBT)
Subject Areas: Biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, microbiology, biofuels, genomics, biomedical research.
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Cost/Stipend: No cost; The hourly pay rate is $15 per hour.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: July 9–August 9 (5 weeks)
Eligibility: Students in the summer between their junior and senior year as well as their post-senior year summer who live within Baltimore City limits and attend a Baltimore City Public School.
BRBT is a competitive, paid program that provides Baltimore City high school students with hands-on research in the field of quantitative biophysics. You’ll work in a cohort with other high school students and undergraduates, conducting research in state-of-the-art laboratories, and have an opportunity to be mentored by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty. You’ll get to work in a high-tech teaching laboratory equipped with the latest research instrumentation under a full-time instructor’s guidance. Your work will start with learning how to prepare reagents and materials, and then move on to microbiology techniques and DNA protein engineering!
10. ASPIRE by the Johns Hopkins University
Subject Areas: Biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, information technology, cybersecurity, mathematics, data analysis, physics, planetary science
Location: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD (Virtual options are also available).
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February.
Dates: June 25–August 22 (summer session) | September–May (academic year session) (Dates TBA).
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors during program participation who are at least 15 years of age, have permanent residency in the Washington-Baltimore Metro area, have U.S. citizenship (green card holders are not eligible), and have a minimum 2.8 GPA.
The ASPIRE program at APL allows high school juniors and seniors to explore STEM careers before committing to an area of study in college. During the program, you will be paired with laboratory staff members to work on a collaborative project, solve problems, and learn technical and interpersonal skills. As an intern, you will be asked to choose your area of interest while applying. Students interested in pursuing medicine may opt for the biology internship to receive relevant projects. However, the biology placements are highly competitive and are more focused on biological and biomedical research than pure medicine. The program’s current acceptance rate is approximately 15%-20%.
11. ESTEEM/SER-Quest Summer Program at the University of Maryland
Subject Areas: Science, engineering, technology, research, college preparation
Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD (commuter program)
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: July 8–August 2
Eligibility: The applicant must be a rising senior, be able to commute to the University of Maryland campus, and have a 3.2 GPA with no C’s in math or science courses.
The ESTEEM Research Mentoring Program (Engineering Science and Technology to Energize and Expand Young Minds) and the Summer Engineering Research (SER)-Quest is an intensive 4-week research-focused program sponsored by the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering. You’ll conduct an engineering research project, study engineering concepts in the classroom, develop a research proposal, complete a literature search and review, receive college preparation and career readiness training, and meet with undergraduate and graduate students who study engineering. This program will expose you to college-level engineering research and introduce you to the University of Maryland and the A. James Clark School of Engineering.
12. Summer Academic Research Experience (SARE) at Johns Hopkins University
Subject Areas: Biomedical research, scientific writing and analysis, mathematics, and bioethics
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (commuter program)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided to the participants.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in December of the previous year.
Program Dates: June 17–August 9
Eligibility: Applicants must be US citizens currently enrolled in high school. Applicants must come from households with collective incomes below 200% of the federal poverty limit.
The Summer Academic Research Experience (SARE) Program provides students with exposure to modern scientific research, combined with additional tutoring to enhance their academic skills. At Hopkins, you’ll get to engage in biomedical research while participating in rigorous courses in scientific writing and analysis, mathematics, and bioethics. You will receive exposure to financial planning and the college application and matriculation process. At the end of the summer, you will prepare a scientific poster presentation. You will present your posters at an open reception attended by scientists from across the medical school campus, as well as friends and family.
13. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research
Subject Areas: STEMM fields—cancer immunology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, physics, quantum mechanics, bioengineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, and more!
Location: The Grainger College of Engineering campus, Urbana, IL
Cost: There is no cost to participate in this program other than transportation to and from campus. Housing, meals, and a monetary award are provided.
Application deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Program dates: June 11–August 2
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th Graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, or Wisconsin can apply.
The Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research Programs at UIUC offer a remarkable opportunity for high school students from diverse backgrounds to dive into the world of scientific research over a six-week summer period. During the program, you will be actively engaged in cutting-edge research across various STEMM fields, including cancer immunology, neuroscience, and bioengineering, among others, gaining firsthand experience in a rigorous academic environment. You can pick two of the following three Young Scholar programs that seem most interesting to you when applying:
- POETS Young Scholars: You will get to work with researchers in the Center for Power Optimization and Electrothermal Systems. This center focuses on building better batteries or power distribution processes, gaining greater efficiency in large vehicles. This work is at the intersection of electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science.
- SpHERES Young Scholars: You will get to work with researchers affiliated with the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine. The Sparking High Schoolers’ Excitement for Research in Engineering and Science program focuses on medicine, bioengineering, and neuroscience.
- Grainger Engineering Young Scholars (GEnYuS): You will get to work in department-specific research groups that might include computer science, mechanical engineering, nuclear or quantum physics, aerospace engineering, materials science, electrical engineering, civil engineering, and more.
14. Fermilab’s QuarkNet Summer Research Program
Subject Areas: Particle physics, chemistry, engineering, technology
Location: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), Batavia, IL
Cost/Stipend: Free (transportation, housing, and meals not provided); A stipend of $17.20 per hour is provided to the interns.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January and open in November.
Program Dates: June 17–August 2
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors attending an Illinois high school with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status can apply.
The Fermilab QuarkNet Summer Research Program offers an opportunity for high school students to immerse themselves in the world of scientific research at one of the most prestigious laboratories in the United States. Over seven weeks, students who demonstrate a keen interest and aptitude in sciences and mathematics get to work alongside experienced scientists on various projects integral to Fermilab’s research goals. Throughout the program, you will engage in research that might involve areas such as high-energy physics, particle detectors, and computational projects, depending on your interests and the available opportunities at Fermilab. The program will enhance your technical skills and help you develop soft skills like teamwork and communication, which are crucial in any professional field.
15. UChicago Medicine’s ResearcHStart
Subject Areas: Biophysics, cancer research, bioengineering, biochemistry, cancer immunology, experimental cancer therapeutics, cancer disparities, and pharmacology.
Location: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: No cost; A taxable stipend of $3,000 is provided to the students after the program.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: The program runs from the second full week of June through the first week of August for 8 weeks (2025 Dates TBA).
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors, at least 16 years of age at the time of application.
The ResearcHStart program at UChicago Medicine offers high school students a valuable opportunity to engage in cutting-edge cancer research alongside experienced professionals. This program (and the cancer centers at large) focuses on cancer research, allowing you to gain practical exposure and knowledge of various lab techniques, diagnostics, and treatments. By participating in the ResearcHStart program, you’ll enhance your research skills and develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities crucial for your future academic and professional endeavors. You will also get a chance to present your research to your peers and members of the participating universities at the concluding research symposium. This program is highly competitive, selecting only up to 30 students.
16. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center DACCPM Summer Research Program
Subject Areas: Medicine, cancer biology, opioids, chemotherapy-induced pain, perioperative immune function, factors influencing cancer recurrence, and more.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: 8–10 weeks between June and August.
Eligibility: High school seniors who are 18 years or older, in good academic standing, or graduating are eligible to apply.
The DACCPM (Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Medicine) Summer Research Program is a highly selective 10-week summer program. As a trainee, you will get practical experience developing laboratory and clinical research skills, conducting medical literature reviews, techniques to handle data, and more. You will get to learn lab safety practices and techniques for gathering, interpreting, and presenting experimental/scientific data. You will work with a faculty member on an assigned research project, which you will present at a poster symposium at the end of the program. The abstract of your research will be included in the 2024 CATALYST Summer Program abstract book. You can apply by filling out this form and providing transcripts, a resume, recommendations, and a personal statement.
17. UChicago’s Research in Biological Sciences (RIBS)
Subject Areas: Microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, developmental biology, cancer biology, chemistry
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $14,000; need-based financial aid available (from $500–$11,000) on a first-come, first-served basis.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: June 15–July 13
Eligibility: Current 10th or 11th-grade students can apply.
The University of Chicago’s Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS) program is an excellent opportunity for high school students to explore biological sciences. This intensive four-week program offers students hands-on experience in a range of molecular, microbiological, and cell biological techniques prevalent in current research laboratories. During the program, you will learn basic lab techniques and apply sophisticated molecular techniques across areas like genetics, developmental biology, and cancer biology. After two weeks of basic training, you’ll spend the remainder of the course working on an independent project and attending lectures to understand the background and context of the experiments. You will also attend weekly lunchtime seminars given by the research faculty. The course will end with a research forum in which you’ll get to present your research findings.
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