12 Best Research Opportunities for International High School Students
If you're a high school student living outside the U.S. or a non-U.S. citizen and looking for ways to explore your academic interests, then a structured research program can be a great starting point. These programs allow you to work with professors, mentors, and researchers in the United States, gaining early exposure to fields like AI, psychology, creative writing, international relations, and biomedical science. The programs on this list are open to international applicants (non-US citizens), and some are even fully funded. These programs range from in-person summer courses to virtual mentorships, offering ways for you to explore new academic interests.
Below is a curated list of the 12 best research opportunities for international high school students.
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Late June – Early August (varies slightly by year)
Application Deadline: Typically mid-January
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors with strong academic and extracurricular backgrounds
Research Science Institute (RSI) is a highly selective, free five-week summer program hosted at MIT for high school juniors and guided by experienced professionals. You will work in a laboratory setting, performing independent research under the guidance of researchers. You will be reading scientific literature, ideating a methodology, collecting and analysing data. Students begin with a week of advanced classes, then conduct individual research projects alongside experienced scientists, culminating in formal presentations of their work. The program ends with you writing a research paper and conducting a presentation. You will also attend various STEM-based lectures.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Depends on specific programs, financial aid available
Dates: Varies according to the cohort: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. International students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. For more advanced students, the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase gives a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals.
3. George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Virtual/George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee with waivers available; no stipend
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application deadline: Typically in February
Eligibility: Students must be at least 15 years old for remote and computer lab internships and at least 16 years old for “wet lab” internships
The ASSIP program allows you to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor in STEM-related fields. You can gain experience using advanced lab equipment and technologies to conduct research, as well as develop scientific writing and communication skills. You will be researching topics in fields such as molecular medicine and machine learning, in a live research environment, and work towards potentially co-authoring a scientific publication. There will also be discussion forums and meetings to help you learn more about STEM career choices, through written reports and presentations.
4. The Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for international 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. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper. You can choose research topics from subjects such as physics, computer science, data science, international relations, and more.
5. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program
Location: Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipends awarded to students experiencing financial hardship
Dates: June 23 – August 7
Application deadline: January 3
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program
During the Rockefeller SSRP, you will be part of a research team in a lab aimed at simulating scientific collaborations, with 1-3 team leads. The team is designed and mentored by scientific trainees from Memorial Sloan Kettering, Rockefeller University, and Weill Cornell. In the first two weeks, you will explore a field and narrow down on a research question. Following this, you will conduct experiments, collect and analyse data, and report to your mentor group for feedback, eventually presenting your findings at a symposium.
6. NY Academy of Sciences – Junior Academy
Location: Virtual (global)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: 10-week research challenges (multiple cycles per year)
Application Deadline: Rolling; Spring and Fall cohorts open periodically
Eligibility: High school students aged 13–17 from any country
The Junior Academy, run by the New York Academy of Sciences, is a free 10-week virtual program where students from around the world collaborate on STEM challenges in areas like climate change, food security, and health tech. You work in teams with STEM mentors, building research, design, and cross-cultural collaboration skills in a fast-paced, project-based environment. The challenges promote analytical and design thinking, utilising interdisciplinary research methods. You are first taught foundational skills and then are placed in teams to develop solutions, with mentors providing feedback.
7. Stony Brook’s Garcia Summer Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: $4050 + additional costs
Dates: June 26 – August 8
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years old with an unweighted GPA of 3.8/4.0, have standardized test scores of at least 60%, taken three of the following subjects: English, chemistry, mathematics/calculus, physics, biology; international students who have the required documents to be legally present in the U.S. during the program can apply
The program offers students an introduction to polymer science. During this seven-week program, you will engage in independent research, guided by faculty, graduate students, and staff. You are taught and tested on lab techniques and given lectures on relevant research topics by experts. After choosing your field of interest, you are grouped with mentors and focus on experiments, eventually presenting at a symposium. You can also continue researching beyond the 7 weeks and plan a research schedule with a mentor.
8. University of Iowa’s Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP)
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Cost: $7,500; need-based financial aid available
Dates: June 18 – July 25
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 and 11
SSTP is a summer research program where you can join a group and work on a research project in various fields such as biology, mechanical engineering, business analytics, and more. You will be assigned a faculty mentor and work with them for 5 weeks, conducting research in real labs. You will also attend seminars to learn about research. At the end of the program, you will submit a research abstract, poster, and project presentation.
9. UC San Diego Academic Connections Research Scholars
Location: Online or in-person at the La Jolla, California campus
Cost: Varies by program
Dates: Vary by program
Application deadline: February 14
Eligibility: High school students
UC San Diego Academic Connections program offers international high school students both in-person and online courses from subjects such as bioengineering, sports medicine, and business, learning about college-level research practices and coursework. You will utilise research tools and be part of the complete research process, including literature review, deciding methodology, analysis, scientific writing, and final presentation. You will also be able to attend sessions about lab techniques and STEM research, and possibly visit labs and local companies in the fields of biotech or engineering.
10. Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research Molecular Medicine Workshops
Location: Virtual or in-person at various university campuses
Cost: Online workshops: Intro to Cellular and Molecular Medicine: $510; Medicinal Chemistry: $670; Medical Bioinformatics: $1,070 | University-based workshops: $3,680 (residential) or $2,280 (commuter); scholarships available for students from low-income households
Dates: Workshops run from June – August
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 11–18, with exact age-level varying by workshop; international students should have travel and visa arrangements in place
The Rosetta Institute’s Molecular Medicine Workshops allow you to learn about biomedical topics through a combination of lectures, lab work, and research projects. Led by PhD-level instructors, these workshops cover topics such as molecular neuroscience and cancer biology. You will learn about normal molecular processes first, examine how these are altered in disease, emphasizing experimental design. At the end of the program, you will present an original research proposal, centered on a gene or molecular pathway.
11. UC San Diego Academic Connections Research Scholars
Location: Online or in-person at the La Jolla, California campus
Cost: Varies by program
Dates: Vary by program
Application deadline: February 14
Eligibility: High school students
UC San Diego Academic Connections program offers international high school students both in-person and online courses from subjects such as bioengineering, sports medicine, and business, learning about college-level research practices and coursework. You will utilise research tools and be part of the complete research process, including literature review, deciding methodology, analysis, scientific writing, and final presentation. You will also be able to attend sessions about lab techniques and STEM research, and possibly visit labs and local companies in the fields of biotech or engineering.
12. Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research Molecular Medicine Workshops
Location: Virtual or in-person at various university campuses
Cost: Online workshops: Intro to Cellular and Molecular Medicine: $510; Medicinal Chemistry: $670; Medical Bioinformatics: $1,070 | University-based workshops: $3,680 (residential) or $2,280 (commuter); scholarships available for students from low-income households
Dates: Workshops run from June – August
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 11–18, with exact age-level varying by workshop; international students should have travel and visa arrangements in place
The Rosetta Institute’s Molecular Medicine Workshops allow you to learn about biomedical topics through a combination of lectures, lab work, and research projects. Led by PhD-level instructors, these workshops cover topics such as molecular neuroscience and cancer biology. You will learn about normal molecular processes first, examine how these are altered in disease, emphasizing experimental design. At the end of the program, you will present an original research proposal, centered on a gene or molecular pathway.