Top 20 Research Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student who is interested in conducting research in any tech field, chances are that you are looking for guided research programs in your area as a valuable addition to your application.
In this post, we have curated a list of 20 research programs for high school students that will enable you to experience university level research, and gain guidance from professionals in the field. Note that some programs are internships, but they will also allow you to conduct research in your interested field!
1. Veritas AI’s Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Cost: $4900 for the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase Program
Location: Remote - you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: Upcoming cohort - February 25, 2024. You can apply here!
Program Dates: Spring Cohort - March 10, 2024
Eligibility: You must be a high school student with some python experience or have complete the Veritas AI Scholars Program
Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students and our programs are geared towards high school students who want to build individual projects from scratch. Through the AI Fellowship program, you work 1-1 with PhD mentors from top universities over 12-15 weeks.
You can pick any field you are interested in that intersects with AI, ML, data science, or computer science to create a unique project (research paper, model/software, app, presentation) that you can submit to high school journals for publication or use on college applications. In the past students have worked on projects to predict breast cancer from genes, make stock market predictions, classify genres of music based on the waveform, classify asteroids, and more! Here are some more projects students have worked on in the past!
2. 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!
3. MIT’s Research Science Institute
Cost: No Cost
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge MA
Application Deadline (based on previous year’s dates):
January 15th, 2024 (U.S. Citizens)
March 15th, 2024 (International Students)
Program Dates: June 25th to August 5th, 2024 (based on previous year’s dates)
Eligibility:
Students who are rising seniors (you will have to apply in the middle of your junior year). High school seniors are not eligible to apply.
It is recommended that PSAT Math Scores be at least 740 (or higher) and Evidence-Based Reading/ Writing Scores be 700 (or higher). ACT math scores should be at least 33, and verbal scores should be at least 34. However, you can offset lower scores through recommendations, high school grades, and science activities.
Note. There are different application processes for U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents and International Applicants. You can look here for specific details!
The Research Science Institute (RSI) is a research-based summer program sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and hosted by MIT every summer. RSI invites 80 highly talented high school juniors from all over the world to attend this program. Throughout the 6-week, fully-funded program, you can conduct independent research in computer science (or other STEM subjects) and take college-level coursework. However, RSI is an extremely selective program, with an acceptance rate of under 5%.
Within the first week, you will have the opportunity to experience extensive STEM Classes by accomplished faculty. However, the main section of RSI is the 5-week research internship, where you can choose to pursue projects in computer science under the mentorship of experienced scientists and researchers. The program culminates with delivering your research in conference-stye oral and written reports.
If you are interested in learning about the types of research conducted by RSI students, you can look at the projects from 2022 here! An example for robotics enthusiasts is Michelle Hua’s 3D Acoustic Simulation and Optimization for Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Delivered with Stereotactic Robotics.
4. Anson L.Clark Scholars Program
Cost: No Cost
Location: Texas Tech University
Application Deadline (2023): February 13, 2023
Program Dates (2023): 6 weeks, June 18 - August 3, 2022
Eligibility:
Applicants must be at least 17 years of age by the program start date and should graduate in 2023 or 2024 (U.S. and International)
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program was established in 1963 in honor of Anson L. Clark, a former Texas A&M student and World War II veteran who proceeded to create a successful business career. This 7-week comprehensive research program will allow you to gain hands-on research under the mentorship of Texas Tech faculty. Apart from one-on-one research with faculty, you can participate in weekly seminars, discussions, and field visits!
One of the research areas available for students is the computer science track. Scholars from the 2022 cohort, like Akaash Kolluri, have conducted research in predicting GPU energy consumption using machine learning algorithms. You can view past projects from other scholars here!
The Clark Scholars program is one of the most prestigious and selective programs, with an acceptance rate of less than 3% and only 12 students in each cohort. Therefore, having the title of an Anson L. Clark Scholar will be a valuable add-on to any college application. An additional benefit is the $750 tax-free stipend that is provided!
You can find a detailed guide on the program here!
5. Lumiere Research Scholar Program - Tech Track
Cost:
Lumiere Individual Research Program – $2,800
Lumiere Premium Research and Publication Program – $4,800
Lumiere Research Fellowship – $8,400
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling, Cohort based. Applications for the spring cohort are open till January 14. You can apply here!
Program Dates: Upcoming date - 5 February, 2024.
Eligibility: High school students
Founded by Harvard and Oxford PhDs, Lumiere is a selective research program for high school students, where students work one-to-one with a PhD mentor to develop an independent research paper. The program does give you the flexibility to choose your topic across an array of disciplines such as computer science, AI/ML, data science, robotics and more!
Due to its one-to-one nature, you can expect to not only learn the most recent developments of various tech industries but also expand your technological skillset, regardless of what level it is at. If you’re interested in doing interdisciplinary research, this would be a good option!
6. The University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute Summer Lab
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($6,000)
Location: University of Chicago Campus, IL
Application Deadline: While the application deadline has not been specified, you can check their website in the fall-winter 2023 for updates.
Program Dates: June 12th - August 18th, 2024 (tentative, based on previous year’s dates)
Eligibility:
Open to all high school students.
Familiarity with at least one programming language and relevant coursework (e.g., computer science, statistics, and math) is preferred.
The DSI Summer Lab by the University of Chicago is a 10-week, paid summer research opportunity for high school and undergraduate students that focuses on applied, interdisciplinary data science research.
In this program, you will be paired with a data science mentor in various domains, including - data science, computer science, climate and energy policy, and more! Your research mentor will engage and hone your skills in research methodologies, practices, and teamwork. You will develop an understanding of fundamental data science methodologies and be given specialized training within the application areas.
The program culminates with a presentation of your final videos - a video created by you that outlines your research findings throughout the summer. These videos will be presented in a professional conference format where you can interact with your peers and field questions on their projects and vice versa!
Note: International students are welcome to apply but are responsible for gaining authorization to work in the U.S. and providing all the necessary documentation to earn their stipend.
7. UCSDs and SDSCs Annual Research Experience for High School Students (REHS)
Cost:
Program with research project - $1,500
Program without research project - Free.
Location: On Campus (UC San Diego, California) & Virtual
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s deadline)
Program Dates: June 19 - August 11, 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s deadline)
Eligibility:
Rising 10th grader
Note. The program is focused on students from San Diego county but if you have summer housing accommodations, your application will be accepted.
UC San Diego and the San Diego Supercomputer Center collaborate on this 8-week research program. Students work closely with mentors on a research project of their choice (including computer science & AI!) where they learn how to formulate and test hypotheses, conduct computational experiments, and derive conclusions from those experiments. This program offers an excellent opportunity for students to apply their computer science knowledge to real-world projects and gain practical experience in the field.
Since the program is an 8-week research opportunity, you should consider applying if you wish to work on a research project on a crisp timeline, under mentorship of UC San Diego faculty. Note that this program does serve as an advantage to students who aren’t fully comfortable with conducting research on their own, or need some guidance on how to approach research. As part of the program, you will be expected to engage in software instruction, practical readings and discussions with your mentor and your graduate student team members.
Cost: No cost.
Location: New York University Campus, NY (Specific Area depends on subject area/ lab choice)
Application Deadline (Summer 2023): March 5th, 2023
Program Dates (Summer 2023): June 28th - August 11th, 2023
Eligibility:
Rising juniors and rising seniors.
Must be based in New York City.
ARISE at NYU is a free seven-week summer program for 10th and 11th graders residing in New York City. Throughout the program, you will work under the guidance of NYU’s top research faculty to gain hands-on research experience in disciplines such as computer science, machine learning, robotics, and more!
The program has two components: your first 2 weeks are spent in workshops, while the latter 5 weeks are spent in the lab alongside your mentor. Through ARISE, you can train in college-level research, professional development, and colloquium and contribute substantially to their laboratories. You can view the subject areas for 2023 over here!
If you are interested in applying to ARISE, check out this complete guide to the program!
Cost: No Cost
Location: Remote
Application Deadline: February (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June - December (tentatively, based on previous years)
Eligibility:
All high school juniors who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents.
Strong academic record.While they have not specified a cutoff, you should expect PSAT math scores to be at least 740 (or higher) and evidence-based reading/ writing scores to be 700 (or higher). ACT math scores should be at least 33, and verbal scores should be at least 34.
Passion for science, technology, engineering, and math - which is demonstrated through extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation.
MITES Semester is a program by MIT and is a 6-month hybrid STEM program where you can deep dive into science and engineering disciplines. In this program, you will choose one project-based course, followed by a supplemental core course, which can either be in computer science, calculus, physics, science writing, or communication.
Through this program, you can delve into interdisciplinary subjects that involve computer science. For instance, past projects have included computational biology, embedded systems, machine learning, robotics, thermodynamics, climate change, and more.
At the end of the MITES program, you will receive a written evaluation from your instructor outlining your strengths and growth areas and highlighting your contributions to the class. This is a valuable supplement for any college application!
Note: MIT strongly encourages students from underrepresented and low socioeconomic backgrounds to apply.
10. Northeastern University’s Young Scholars Program
Cost: No cost
Location: Northeastern University, Boston
Application Deadline: Not specified, but applications open January 2024!
Program Dates: June 26, 2024 - August 3, 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates)
Eligibility:
Students must be permanent Massachusetts residents (live and go to school in MA throughout the year).
Must enter 12th grade in the fall (current juniors when applying).
Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
This program is a unique opportunity for you to work with research laboratories within Northeastern’s Colleges of Engineering, Science and Health Sciences, where you will assist a professor with hands-on research.
One example of a possible research project is Marvin Onabajo from the 2023 cohort, where he looked at the ‘Programmable Signal Acquisition and Calibration of Temperature Sensors for Detection of Power Dissipation on Chips’. You can look at other 2023 presentations here!
Apart from your research, you will attend a seminar series ‘Introduction to Engineering’, which covers topics in robotics, chemical analysis, microwave materials and more. You will also get field trips and career counseling from the Department of Cooperative Education.
11. Stony Brook University’s Computer Science and Informatics Summer Research Experience Program (CSIRE)
Cost: $2,800. Financial aid is available.
Location: Stony Brook University, New York and virtual. There is no residential option; you must commute to and from Stony Brook University if you select the in-person program.
Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: June-August (tentatively, based on previous years dates)
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school students studying and residing in the United States.
The intensive six-week-long CSIRE program at Stony Brook University is designed to provide high school students with research experience in computer science and informatics.
Students work in a lab mentored by a faculty or a Ph.D. student on a hands-on research project in various computer science and informatics areas, such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, software engineering, and human-computer interaction.
In addition to this research experience, CSIRE allows you to contribute to ongoing research at the university, offers a combination of research seminars, career seminars, networking opportunities, on-campus lab tours, and allows students to present their research findings at conferences or symposiums at the conclusion of the program.
12. Syracuse University Engineering and Computer Science Research Internship
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: Greater Syracuse Area
Application Deadline: While the dates for the next cohort have not been announced, expect the deadline to be 2 months before the internship.
Program Dates: 6 weeks during the summer months
Eligibility:
Be a rising senior in the Greater Syracuse area.
Be in good academic standing.
Syracuse University offers a 6-week, non-residential summer internship for rising seniors in the greater Syracuse area. Interns are exposed to advanced engineering and computer science research intended to stimulate and deepen their interest in STEM careers.
In the program, you will participate in a university-level research project while receiving mentoring from SU research faculty and graduate and undergraduate students. The program culminates with you presenting your research at a symposium with other high school and undergraduate research interns.
Through your hands-on research project, you will learn how to:
Participate in laboratory safety training.
Learn laboratory and college-level library research techniques.
Develop a research plan.
Maintain a laboratory notebook or its equivalent.
Analyze data for your research project.
Display and present data in a poster format for the research symposium.
13. CUNY’s STEM Research Academy
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($1,000 for 6 weeks)
Location: CUNY Campus
Application Deadline: While not specified, expect it to be in fall.
Program Dates: Spring semester + 6 weeks in the summer.
Eligibility:
Be a NYC public high school sophomore or junior in good academic standing:
CUNY Eligibility Benchmarks (75+ ELA Regents and/or 80+ Math Regents)
Primarily high school juniors, however, it is open to all high school students.
The STEM RA program is an opportunity for NYC high school students to take part in a 2-semester program. The first section of the program is a pre-college ‘College Now’ science course in the spring and the other half is the chance to conduct hands-on research with CUNY faculty in the summer.
The pre-college course will strengthen your basic research skills such as formulating researchable questions, reading scientific literature and more. An added bonus is that you will receive 2 college credits for the course!
Upon successful completion of this course, you can participate in a 6-week summer research experience with CUNY research faculty. Following this program’s completion, you can apply to participate in the New York City Science & Engineering Fair (NYCSEF)!
14. CUNY Crest’s High School Initiative in Remote Sensing of the Earth Systems Engineering and Sciences
Cost: No cost; stipend of $1000 provided
Location: CUNY Campus + Remote
Application Deadline: While not specified, expect it to be in fall.
Program Dates: 7 weeks in the summer.
Eligibility:
Open to all high school students who are currently enrolled in or completed algebra 1 & 2 with a minimum average of B.
Have a SAT Math Score of 500 or higher/ an ACT Math Score of 21 or higher.
Have a SAT Critical Reading score of 480 or higher/ an ACT English score of 20 or higher/ N.Y. State English Regents score of 75 or higher.
Other N.Y. State Requirements:
Score of 70 or higher in Algebra I (Common Core) AND successful completion of the Algebra 2/Trigonometry or higher-level course
Score of 80 or higher in either Integrated Algebra, Geometry or Algebra 2/Trigonometry AND successful completion of the Algebra 2/Trigonometry or higher-level course
Score if 75 or higher in one of the following - MATH A or MATH B or Sequential II or Sequential II
The HIRES program by CUNY aims to recruit and train student communities with little or no access to high quality STEM education. In this program, you will be assigned a research project and mentors (who are graduate students & faculty at CUNY) to undertake research with a focus in climate, water, weather, ecosystem services, social and environmental justice.
While the program does focus on environmental science research, there is an element of computer science as well as CUNY additionally offers technical workshops in remote sensing, Python and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in order to improve your research!
15. NASA Internships
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: Varies, different for each internship offered
Application Deadline: Varies from internship to internship
Program Dates: Varies from internship to internship, but should be in one of these three cohorts -
Fall - from late August/early September to mid-December (16 weeks)
Spring - from mid-January to early May (16 weeks)
Summer - from late May/early June to August (10 weeks)
Eligibility:
High School Students
Must be a U.S. Citizen
Have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagements provides internship opportunities at all their locations around America. While you can opt for the location closest to you, there is an alternate option for virtual internships as well!
For the Summer 2024 internships, most NASA internships are done as a part of their year-round Climate Change Research Initiative. So your internships will be structured around climate change research, for example, one opportunity is exploring the dynamics of exoplanetary atmospheres and oceans with ROCKE-3D!
Students interested in pursuing computer science in university can consider this program as it’s a great value-add for college applications, owing to the reputation and prestige of this program as well as NASA.
16. Boyce Thompson Institute Internships
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($4,000 for 7 weeks)
Location: Cornell University Campus, Ithaca, New York
Application Deadline: March 31 (tentatively, based on previous years dates)
Program Dates: June 27 - August 11(tentatively, based on previous years dates)
Eligibility:
Students must be 16 years or older by the end of June.
Students must currently reside in the Ithaca region.
You cannot be a graduating senior.
If you are interested in computational biology, the Boyce Thompson Institute Internship is a great opportunity. Done alongside Cornell University and the USDA, this 7-week internship allows you to gain research experience within plant science and computational biology.
As an intern, you will be paired with a research mentor, typically a graduate student of a postdoctoral researcher, and a faculty mentor. You will work alongside your mentors on a predetermined project. Apart from conducting research, you can join undergraduate researchers for professional development lectures and discussions. Moreover, Boyce Institute organizes local field trips and training sessions as well!
The program culminates in a symposium in August, where you can present your findings through a scientific poster. BSI Internships are an excellent opportunity to conduct research alongside leading researchers and faculty, all while getting opportunities for training!
Cost: No cost; salary of $16.20 provided.
Location: Fermilab site, Illinois.
Application Deadline: January 15th, 2024
Program Dates: June 17, 2024 – July 26, 2024
Eligibility:
Illinois high school enrollment.
Must be a sophomore or junior at the time of application.
Minimum of a 3.0-grade average.
Eligible to work in the United States.
Fermi National Accelerator Lab is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Sciences and this lab offers multiple research and internship opportunities for high school students. One of these is the TARGET program which is a six-week summer internship opportunity for Illinois high school sophomores and juniors who have an interest in computer science, engineering, physics, or mathematics. Each TARGET program cohort consists of approximately 15-25 interns.
In this internship, you will work with Fermilab scientists and engineers to conduct research and create content on Fermilab research. An example of a Fermilab project is Kentandu Cheidu who interviewed her mentor (Lauren Biron) on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.
18. SPARK Summer Internship Program
Cost: No Cost; Stipend provided ($500)
Location: Greater Seattle Area
Application Deadline: Varies based on the project, but expect it to be between the months of March-May.
Program Dates: 6-8 weeks, June to August
Eligibility:
Must be a U.S. Citizen or have permanent resident status.
Can commit to working for 40 hours/week for 8-12 weeks.
SparkSIP is an internship program where you can select 5-6 projects you would like to work on, and then, you will be assigned a sponsor for your project. Apart from the internship itself, SPARK provides opportunities that can be used during and after college applications!
For Summer 2023, the research projects/roles list included the following topics (among topics in other disciplines) -
Engineering sales and marketing
Interfacing and visualizing data WVU
Preparing python script for crossbar architecture and exploring its various non-idealities.)
Software internships for a company in Bellevue.
The program allows you to explore real-world scenarios for engineering. For example, the software internship in Bellevue asked students to work on frontend web development, infrastructure and content management, native mobile development, customer usage analysis and more!
19. National Institute of Standards and Technology Internships
Cost: No participation cost (but students must cover housing and transportation costs)
Location: Varies from lab to lab.
Application Deadline: February 13th, 2024 (tentative)
Program Dates: June 18th, 2024, to August 9th, 2024 (tentative)
Eligibility:
Rising senior or recent graduate.
Must be eligible to work in the U.S.
A minimum of a 3.0 GPA should be maintained.
The Summer High School Intern Program by NIST is a program for rising seniors or graduated seniors who are interested in scientific research.
In the internship, you will work on cutting-edge research in a NIST lab under the guidance of NIST staff scientists and engineers. Currently, 6 NIST laboratories participate in the SHIP program, and they include:
Communications Technology Lab
Engineering Lab
Information Technology Lab
Material Measurement Lab
NIST Center for Neutron Research
Physical Measurement Lab
Note. While you can apply for the Engineering lab, the Information Technology lab is also a great option for those interested in computer science. In this lab, you will work on networking and communications, computer security, software engineering, and human interaction with computers. Some examples of area research can include computer network modeling, biometrics for computer access and security, cryptography, and digital data retrieval, just to name a few. You can look at the full list here!
20. Los Alamos National Laboratory Internship
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($14/hour)
Location: Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico
Application Deadline:
Fall 2023/Spring 2024 - December 31st, 2023
Summer 2024 (tentative) - April 11th, 2024
Program Dates (tentatively, based on previous years deadline) :
Fall 2023/ Spring 2024 - They will intern during the fall/spring academic year for a maximum of 20 hours a week.
Summer 2024 - While the dates are not specific, expect it to be during the summer months.
Eligibility:
Have senior status and be at least 16 years of age at the time the internship begins.
Note. For the Fall/Spring cohort, you must have senior standing to apply. However, for the summer cohorts, you will be interning in the summer between your junior and senior year (therefore, you will apply as a junior).
Have and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Attend a high school located in northern New Mexico
Pass a new employment drug test: The laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing.
Los Alamos’s High School Internship Program offers internships to northern New Mexico high school seniors, where they can develop skills/ gain work experience and be mentored by current Los Alamos researchers. In the internship, you will spend your summer months working on one project alongside a LANL mentor.
The internship is held across various disciplines from business to biological sciences. They also offer a variety of tech internships in all disciplines, where some students have studied non-invasive fluid level sensing in pipelines using ultrasound techniques, while others have researched The GLP-805 power supply interface. You can view the projects for 2023 here!
Note. One great way to get a LANL internship is by reaching out to a prospective mentor and working on projects that align with your subject area. You can view the prospective projects in their high school intern project description book!
21. Johns Hopkins’ Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens
Cost: No cost
Location: George Mason University
Application Deadlines: April 7th (tentative, based on previous year’s deadline)
Program Dates: June to mid-August
Eligibility:
Open to high school students in the Baltimore City area.
The Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens (BRBT) program is an internship for Baltimore City high school students to experience biomedical research at Johns Hopkins University.
In the internship, you will focus on biophysics and biomedical research through preparing reagents and materials for biophysical students, and learning microbiology techniques and DNA, and protein engineering.
Apart from the internship itself, you will attend classes where you learn the scientific concepts core of the experiments you perform. Moreover, you will also connect with graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and faculty and you can benefit from their expertise.
One other option - the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Image Source - Lumiere Education Logo