If you’re a high school student considering a career in mechanical engineering, pursuing research at this stage can go a long way in broadening your avenues and knowledge base. Research programs allow you to explore a subject of interest, engage with new ideas beyond the classroom, and even figure out if that discipline is a good fit for you. What’s more, you can work directly under the mentorship of top researchers and engineers, and pick up valuable knowledge and skills.

These opportunities can also enhance your college applications and resumes by highlighting your proactive and motivated approach to your academics. To get a better idea of some of the opportunities available to high schoolers, here’s a list of 10 research opportunities in mechanical engineering for high school students that you can consider.

1. Veritas AI - AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase Program (AI + Mechanical Engineering Track)

Location: Virtual

Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.

Application deadline: The program runs in cohorts throughout the year. Applications for the summer cohort close on May 19, 2024. You can apply here! 

Program dates: Summer cohort starts on June 3, 2024

Cost: $4,900. Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here. 

Veritas AI’s AI Fellowship with Publication Program offers 1-on-1 mentorship to high school students to support them in creating an independent AI project. The program, founded by Harvard alumni, offers a comprehensive experience and requires a basic understanding of Python or a completion of Veritas AI’s AI Scholars program.

As part of this program, selected students will spend weeks 1-4 exploring and learning, weeks 5-8 analyzing data and exploring the feasibility of the project, and weeks 9-15 executing the project, troubleshooting, and meeting mentors. Support is also available if you wish to submit your research project for publication. A combination of AI and mechanical engineering is something you can take up here, as past projects have included AI in combination with healthcare, mental health, gaming, sports, climate change finance, political science, education, and more.

2. Lumiere Research Scholars Program - Mechanical Engineering Track

Location: Virtual

Eligibility: High school students from all over the world

Application Deadline: May 12, 2024 (regular admission II for the summer cohort)

Program Dates: 12 weeks in spring, summer, fall, or winter

Cost/Stipend: $2,800 (cost). Financial aid is available, but make sure you mention your need for it in your application. No stipend is given.

The Lumiere Research Scholars Program, founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, is a chance for high school students to work on an independent research project under the direct mentorship of a Ph.D. candidate in their field. Through such mentorship, students will learn about the opportunities in their field while also obtaining practical experience to prepare them for their careers.

The individual research program gives the student 9 sessions with their mentor, 2 sessions with a writing coach, and program oversight from a Lumiere program manager. By the end of the program, students will produce a college-level academic paper based on the process and results of their projects. Multiple project options are available, including a mechanical engineering track for the analysis, design, and execution of a mechanical system.

You can find the application form here. 

3. Horizon Academic Research Program

Location: Virtual 

Application Date: May 21, 2024 for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024 for the fall cohort 

Program Dates: 

• Summer seminar - June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024

• Fall seminar - October 23, 2024 - February 19, 2025

• Lab dates are flexible, 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 very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research! 

4. MITES Summer

Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA

Eligibility: High school juniors with strong academics and a U.S. citizenship or permanent residency

Application Deadline: Applications usually close in February.

Program Dates: Late June - early August (6 weeks)

Cost/Stipend: Free (including room and meals). No stipend is provided.

The MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) program is a selective program with an acceptance rate of around 3%. The program involves intensive courses in math, life sciences, physics, and humanities, along with a project-based elective. The project-based course can focus on any area of the student’s interest from the options available, with past options and projects including engineering design (a great option for mechanical engineering students), machine learning, architecture, and electronics.

In addition to classes, students also have access to lab tours, social events, college application support, field trips, recitations, workshops, and presentations. Each student further receives a written evaluation from their instructors at the end of the internship.

If you’re interested in applying to MITES, check out this guide! 

5. MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI)

Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA

Eligibility: High school juniors with valid test scores

Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 are closed. Applications for 2025 will open in the fall.

Program Dates: July-August

Cost/Stipend: No cost. This is an unpaid internship.

MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI) accepts 100 academically motivated high school students from across the world. This program specifically focuses on research in science and engineering, with multiple project avenues available in mechanical engineering. In this program, students participate in both coursework and science and technology research.

In the first week, students will attend intensive STEM seminars on current research topics in the field while also attending a program-long evening lecture series conducted by speakers like Nobel laureates and technology entrepreneurs. The next 5 weeks of the program are focused on a research internship in which students work on individual projects under accomplished mentors. Students will read scientific literature, join laboratories, execute projects, analyze data, and deliver oral and written presentations at the end.

Here is everything you need to know about RSI! 

6. NYU’s Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)

Location: New York University (NYU), New York, NY

Eligibility: NYC students completing 10th or 11th grade in June 2024

Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.

Program Dates: June 3, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (10 weeks)

Cost/Stipend: No cost; a full scholarship is provided. A stipend of $750 is also provided.

NYU’s Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE) program includes 4 weeks of remote, after-school workshops and 6 weeks (Monday-Friday) of in-person work. The program provides coursework and hands-on laboratory research in various STEM fields, including mechanical engineering, with 2024’s opportunities including Composite Materials and Mechanics Laboratory, Mechatronics Lab, Applied Dynamics & Optimization Lab, Dynamical Systems Lab, and Machines in Motion Lab.

Other areas include machine learning and AI, bio- and molecular engineering, chemical engineering, and computer science. Throughout the program, students will learn about scientific ethics, data collection and analysis, research practices, lab safety, and contemporary issues in science alongside receiving access to tours, trips, social activities, and college application support. Students will present their research findings at a concluding colloquium.

Check out this ultimate guide to NYU’s ARISE program! 

7. Department of Navy’s Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP)

Location: Varies according to lab locations

Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens

Application Deadline: Closed for 2024. Applications open on August 1, 2024 for 2025.

Program Dates: June-August (8 weeks)

Cost/Stipend: No cost. Stipend: $4,000 (new participants) | $4,500 (returning participants). You can use this stipend to pay for housing, meals, and transport.

The Department of Navy annually hosts around 300 interns across its 38+ laboratories in the country as part of its Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP). Students learn about and contribute to real Naval research and technology (such as intelligence and surveillance technology and sensors) under the mentorship of professional researchers and scientists.

Through the hands-on experience of working on real-world projects, students will get a chance to obtain numerous practical skills and knowledge in the field. If you are interested in mechanical engineering, make sure to confirm which labs offer relevant or related project work. Some project areas offered include mechanics, robotics, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, programming, materials science, and physical science.

8. Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program

Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Eligibility: U.S. high school students who are at least 16 by June 15, 2024

Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.

Program Dates: June-August (5-6 weeks)

Cost/Stipend: Free of cost, but you might need to arrange and pay for your own housing, meals, and transport. This is an unpaid internship.

Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program is a prestigious research opportunity for students interested in engineering and the natural sciences. Selected students will be matched with Princeton faculty and staff’s ongoing research projects, following which they will learn about and work on different research processes under mentor supervision. Schedules are flexible and usually decided in tandem with the people involved in the research project.

Project areas in engineering include multiple mechanical engineering options, such as the development of a Piezoelectric Soft Robot or a Bio-Inspired Soft Robot, kirigami sheets, materials characterization of cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, safe robotics for coral reef conservations, and many more. Following laboratory work, students must submit a 2-page research summary report.

9. Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Internship at Boston University

Location: Boston University, Boston, MA

Eligibility: Domestic high school juniors

Application Deadline: Applications usually close in February.

Program Dates: July 1, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (residential students begin a day earlier)

Cost/Stipend: $5,350 (tuition cost) + $3,120/$3,426 (room and board cost, if applicable) + additional fees. Need-based financial aid is available. A stipend is not provided.

The Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Internship at Boston University is a chance to conduct laboratory research at a university using its state-of-the-art technology and resources. This opportunity’s internship track is relevant for students interested in mechanical engineering as you can work on a research topic in this area (high-speed data tracking, developing soft robotic gloves, and mechanosensitive ion transport were some projects carried out last year) under the supervision of faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

You will spend 40 hours each week working on and learning about the scientific process and will learn vital analytical and technical skills during this time. You will also attend weekly workshops on academic and professional skill development. At the end of the internship, you will present your research findings at a Poster Symposium.

10. Michigan State University’s High School Honors Science, Math and Engineering Program (HSHSP)

Location: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from across the U.S.

Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.

Program Dates: June 16, 2024 - August 3, 2024

Cost/Stipend: $4,000 (cost of instruction, room, and board). No stipend is offered, although need-based financial aid is available.

Michigan State University’s High School Honors Science, Math and Engineering Program (HSHSP) is a highly selective program for students interested in conducting hands-on STEM research. Selected students will get the chance to work on a research project under the mentorship of a university researcher. Students can indicate their preference for a research area (which includes mechanical engineering projects), following which they will get matched and begin working on their projects.

Additional program activities include record-keeping, writing research proposals and final reports, tours, field trips, social events, workshops, library work, career guidance, and conference-style research presentations. Students can also prepare their projects for a local or national science fair.

Here are some great reasons to apply to HSHSP! 

11. MIT’s Women’s Technology Program in Mechanical Engineering

Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA

Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (women and underrepresented students) from the U.S.

Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.

Program Dates: June 29, 2024 - July 26, 2024 (housing is available till the morning of July 27, 2024)

Cost/Stipend: No cost if family-adjusted gross income is $120,000 or less. For higher income slabs, fees range between $2,000-$6,000. Housing, food, and program materials will be provided throughout the program. Financial aid is available in case of need.

MIT’s Women’s Technology Program in Mechanical Engineering is an introductory program to mechanical engineering involving hands-on projects and learning activities. The program curriculum focuses on teaching engineering design to students and provides a chance to explore college-level learning opportunities in an intensive but grade-free manner. Some topics covered here include heat transfer, materials, fluid mechanics, statistics, and thermodynamics.

Hands-on work, coding for numerical modeling and computer-aided design, and analytical calculations are some other skills that students will learn. Note that this program only selects 20 students, with daily and final projects being done in groups of 2-4. Students can also expect field trips, tours, evening homework, and social activities.

If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!

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