10 Chemistry Research Programs for High School Students in Massachusetts
If you're a high school student interested in chemistry, research programs provide valuable experience in experimental methods, scientific reasoning, and laboratory settings. By working directly with researchers or participating in structured research settings, you gain practical skills in data collection, analysis, and chemical instrumentation. Whether you hope to pursue biochemistry, environmental chemistry, or chemical engineering in the future, research programs provide a strong early foundation.
Why should you attend a program in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts is home to many research universities, biotech companies, and innovation hubs, making it a particularly valuable place for academic exploration in chemistry. You can find opportunities to work in university laboratories, collaborate with scientists on biomedical or materials research, and gain exposure to advanced facilities. The concentration of academic institutions and life sciences organizations across the state creates consistent access to structured research programs and experienced scientific mentors.
To help you navigate your options, we’ve compiled a list of 10 chemistry research programs for high school students in Massachusetts.
If you’re looking for internships in Massachusetts, check out our blog here.
1. American Chemical Society (ACS) – Project SEED Program
Location: Blueprint Medicines, Cambridge, MA (with additional participating laboratories nationwide)
Stipend: $4,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June – July/August
Application Deadline: Around April
Eligibility: Students whose family income does not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
Project SEED offers an immersive summer experience where you will engage in hands-on chemistry research within a professional laboratory setting. You will contribute to active research projects, learning experimental techniques, data recording practices, and lab safety procedures essential to chemical science. Depending on your site, you may also participate in enrichment activities such as campus visits, STEM career panels, and opportunities to present your work to scientific audiences. First-time participants join the Summer I track, where you work closely with mentors on foundational research tasks, while returning students in Summer II undertake more advanced and independent research. By the end of the program, you will compile your findings into a written report or poster, gaining early exposure to the communication standards of the chemical research community.
2. Veritas AI – AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; small cohort structure
Dates: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter cohorts
Application Deadline: January, May, September, and November (depending on cohort). You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: Applicants must have completed the AI Scholars program or demonstrate prior experience with Python or core AI concepts
The AI Fellowship offers high school students the opportunity to design and execute an independent research project at the intersection of artificial intelligence and a field of their choice. You will work closely with a dedicated mentor, meeting regularly to refine your research questions, develop models, and interpret computational results. The program emphasizes project ownership, technical depth, and the development of reproducible workflows that mirror real academic AI research. Over the 15-week structure, you will learn to implement machine learning techniques, evaluate model performance, and articulate your findings in a polished final manuscript. You will also present your work in a curated showcase and, when appropriate, pursue pathways for publication or wider dissemination. The environment is designed to support motivated students seeking to apply AI tools across domains such as chemistry, biology, finance, and the social sciences.
3. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free; all educational, housing, and dining expenses covered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective; ~100 students (~2.5% acceptance rate)
Program Dates: 6-week summer session (one week of coursework + five-week research internship)
Application Deadline: December 10
Eligibility: High school juniors only; seniors are not eligible. Strong standardized test scores and demonstrated STEM research or competition experience are recommended
RSI is one of the most competitive STEM research programs in the world, combining advanced scientific coursework at MIT with an intensive research internship. You will begin with a week of fast-paced STEM lectures led by university faculty, followed by five weeks conducting an individual research project under the supervision of professional scientists and researchers. Throughout the program, you engage in the full research cycle, including literature review, experimental design or computational modeling, and result analysis. RSI also emphasizes scientific communication, requiring you to prepare a formal research paper and deliver a conference-style oral presentation at the closing symposium. The program is designed for exceptional juniors who have demonstrated strong potential in mathematics, science, and research-oriented activities.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; small cohorts with individualized mentorship
Dates: Summer, fall, winter, and spring cohorts (12-week to 1-year options)
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines depending on cohort
Eligibility: Open to high school students with strong academic performance and demonstrated research interest.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program allows high school students to conduct an independent, graduate-level research project under the guidance of a Ph. D.-level mentor. You will work 1-on-1 with your mentor to develop a research question, design methodology, and engage deeply with academic literature in your chosen field. The program emphasizes scholarly writing and data-driven analysis, culminating in a full-length research paper at the end of the term. Topics available include chemistry, engineering, physics, computer science, psychology, economics, and several interdisciplinary areas. Throughout the program, you gain experience with research planning, revision cycles, and scientific communication. The structure is designed for students seeking rigorous academic mentorship and the opportunity to produce publication-ready work.
5. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: U.S. Navy laboratories nationwide
Stipend: $4,000 stipend for first-time participants; $4,500 for returning participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~300 placements annually
Program Dates: 8 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: November 1
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 16 years old and U.S. citizens.
SEAP places high school students into Department of the Navy research laboratories, where they work alongside professional scientists and engineers on active research projects. You will perform tasks aligned with laboratory needs, including analytical chemistry, materials science experiments, modeling, instrumentation work, and data analysis. The program emphasizes immersion in real research environments, giving students experience with scientific workflows, technical documentation, and collaborative problem-solving. Each intern is paired with a mentor who provides training, feedback, and guidance throughout the eight-week session. While projects vary by laboratory, all placements give students exposure to applied STEM fields and federal research infrastructure.
6. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: June 22–July 30
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who reside in Massachusetts and attend school within commuting distance
The Young Scholars Program (YSP) at Northeastern University is a six‑week summer research experience for rising high school seniors in Massachusetts. Participants work in university STEM laboratories on ongoing research projects under the guidance of faculty and graduate student mentors. The program also includes seminars on different scientific and engineering disciplines, field trips to organizations, and career exploration sessions that introduce students to a range of STEM pathways. At the end of the summer, students present their work through research presentations and a poster session, which provides a chance to communicate what they investigated and learned during the program.
7. UMass High School Research Internships
Location: UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
Stipend: Paid internship; interns earn at least minimum wage
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by faculty availability
Program Dates: Typically summer; durations arranged directly with faculty
Application Deadline: Rolling; students contact faculty individually
Eligibility: Students must be at least 16 years old; strong interest in STEM, and a resume/cover letter is required when contacting faculty
The BMB Department at UMass Chan hosts high school students for research internships in laboratories focused on biochemistry, molecular biology, and related disciplines. You will work directly with a faculty mentor on ongoing projects that may involve molecular mechanisms, protein structure, genetics, imaging, or computational modeling. The department emphasizes a collaborative and supportive research culture, providing access to six institutional research cores and state-of-the-art instrumentation. Students from mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, or biology backgrounds are encouraged to inquire, as labs value curiosity, independence, and strong analytical skills. The department requires all interns to be paid employees to ensure structured training and compliance with safety standards. Students interested in biomedical pathways may also explore related opportunities through the Worcester Pipeline Collaborative or the High School Health Careers Program.
8. MIT Chemistry Outreach Program
Location: Greater Boston area schools (MIT graduate student outreach)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Schools accepted by request; availability varies
Program Dates: Spring semester (visits scheduled by request)
Application Deadline: Rolling; teachers or schools must submit a visit request
Eligibility: Open to middle and high school classes in the Greater Boston area
The MIT Chemistry Outreach Program brings graduate-level demonstrations directly to classrooms, introducing students to key chemical principles through visually engaging experiments. You will observe demonstrations on reaction dynamics, polymer formation, acids and bases, light-driven processes, and temperature effects, illustrating how chemistry operates in everyday life. Sessions typically run 40–50 minutes and include hands-on explanations from MIT graduate students, followed by a Q&A period where students can ask about the science behind each demonstration. Schools may request multiple presentations to accommodate several class periods, and all materials are provided at no cost. While the program is not a research internship, it offers meaningful exposure to fundamental chemical concepts. It can help you build a foundational interest that supports future lab-based research experiences.
9. Broad Summer Scholars Program
Location: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
Stipend: $3,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 21
Eligibility: Applicants must be rising high school seniors attending a Massachusetts high school within commuting distance and must have at least a B in science and math.
The Broad Summer Scholars Program is a six‑week research program in which students work directly with Broad Institute scientists on projects in life sciences and related areas, including chemical biology, genomics, and biomedical science. Students participate in experimental and computational research that reflects active lab work, gaining experience with scientific methods and laboratory techniques. The program also includes seminars, professional development sessions, and a poster session where participants present their research to the Broad community.
10. UMass Summer Research Intensives
Location: UMass Amherst campus (residential program)
Cost/Stipend: Residential: $12,813 | Commuter: $7,247
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; placements vary by lab
Program Dates: June 28 – August 8
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with grades of B or higher in math and science.
The UMass Amherst Research Intensives program places motivated students in active university research labs for six weeks, providing experience with real scientific workflows. You will work alongside faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates on projects in biochemistry, food science, microbiology, environmental chemistry, and engineering. Lab assignments involve hands-on techniques, data analysis, and regular communication with research mentors as you contribute to ongoing investigations. Participants can indicate their top lab choices and articulate their interests in their application materials. Outside of laboratory work, students live in residence halls and take part in structured academic and community activities that introduce them to college life.