15 Free STEM Summer Research Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student with a strong interest in STEM, summer research programs offer one of the most direct ways to build real skills outside of the classroom. Rather than following a scripted curriculum, these programs place you in active research environments alongside faculty, graduate students, and working scientists, letting you gain lab experience and develop research skills. Many programs also allocate time for professional development, college preparation, and peer community building, so you will leave with more than just project experience.
Many institutions offer research experiences at no cost, making them accessible options that allow you to commit fully without financial stress holding you back. These free programs also tend to be selective and prestigious, being run by universities and national research institutions that invest their own resources to recruit strong candidates.
What are the benefits of a STEM Research Program?
A STEM research program gives you access to the kind of work that is typically reserved for undergraduate and graduate students. Depending on the program, you might analyze satellite data alongside NASA scientists, run experiments in a genomics lab, or work on an independent project in areas like cancer biology, quantum physics, bioengineering, or computational science. Beyond lab work, these programs may offer formal mentorship, career exploration opportunities, college-readiness support, weekly seminars, faculty lectures, and a concluding event where you can present your findings to a broader scientific audience.
To help you find the right option, we have narrowed down 15 free STEM summer research programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online STEM research programs, check out our blog here.
1. Research Science Institute (RSI) @ MIT
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free apart from a $75 application fee (need-based waivers available)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: ~2.5%, 100 students selected out of 2,000 – 3,000 applications
Dates: Six weeks in the summer
Application deadline: Mid-December; applications typically open in October
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are at least 16 by July 1 of the program year
RSI is a six-week residential program run by the Center for Excellence in Education in partnership with MIT. You will spend the first week in intensive STEM coursework taught by experienced faculty, covering advanced topics in mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and engineering. The core of the program is a five-week independent research project conducted under the one-on-one mentorship of scientists and researchers affiliated with MIT, Harvard, and nearby institutions. You will read current literature in your chosen field, develop and execute a research plan, and produce both a written paper and a conference-style oral presentation in the final week of RSI. Fields of study span biology, computer science, robotics, engineering, physics, and math.
2. Veritas AI’s AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Vary by cohort: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students who have completed the AI Scholars program or have some experience with AI or PythonVeritas AI focuses on providing high school students passionate about AI with a supportive environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI Scholars program before pursuing the fellowship. The AI Fellowship program will allow students to pursue independent AI research projects. Students work on their research projects over 15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. You can find examples of previous projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. Carnegie Mellon University’s Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
Location: Carnegie Mellon University campus, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Fully funded
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Virtual sessions: June 15 and 16; on-campus phase: June 20 – August 1
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors, ages 16 and up, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents; the program strongly encourages students underrepresented in STEM, first-generation college students, English-language learners, and students from schools with historically low college acceptance rates.
SAMS is a fully funded six-week residential program designed for rising seniors who are historically underrepresented in STEM. The program opens with a required virtual Jumpstart on June 15 and 16, focused on skill-building that prepares you for the on-campus curriculum. On the CMU campus, you will complete core seminars in quantitative and computational skills, work on a STEM research project guided by a CMU faculty member or graduate student, and participate in writing workshops focused in part on college application preparation. The academic portion concludes with a Research Symposium on the final Friday, during which you will present your project findings to peers, faculty, and invited guests, with families able to attend in person or virtually. The program also includes a "From Student to Scholar" credit-bearing course focused on identity and the high school-to-college transition, as well as ongoing mentoring, academic coaching, and sessions with CMU alumni, industry professionals, and admissions counselors. A third virtual phase continues after the residential portion, offering enrichment sessions on FAFSA, college prep, and career pathways.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote! You can participate in the program from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies by program type; full financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, winter, fall, or spring; options ranging from 12 weeks to 1 year available
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in high school who 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 across a wide range of subject areas for high schoolers to explore. The program pairs you with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the program, you will have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as data science, engineering, chemistry, psychology, physics, computer science, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the program application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: NIST campus in Gaithersburg, MD, or NIST Boulder, CO
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: Last week of January
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are current high school juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA, and living within 50 miles of either the Gaithersburg, MD, or Boulder, CO NIST campus
NIST's SHIP places students into research groups led by top scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a non-regulatory federal agency for measurement science research. You will work directly on a defined research project with a NIST scientist mentor, applying techniques and methods relevant to your assigned laboratory's work. Placements span areas such as physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, cybersecurity, environmental science, or advanced manufacturing. As SHIP is a federal government program, participation comes with access to specialized instruments and facilities not typically available in academic settings. The program ends with a poster session, where you will share your research findings.
6. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free apart from a $50 application fee, which can be waived based on financial need
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective; typically ~50 students/cohort
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Application deadline: February 21
Eligibility: U.S. citizens/permanent residents who are juniors and seniors currently attending high school in the U.S. and are at least 16 by the program start date
SIMR is an eight-week commuter program at Stanford's School of Medicine that places high school students into active biomedical research labs. You will be matched with a specific institute based on your application preferences, with options spanning eight research areas: immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioengineering, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics, and genetics and genomics. The program begins with mandatory orientation and safety sessions, includes a faculty lecture on building a research poster, and concludes with an evening poster session on the last day of the program, where you will present your findings to your family and the Stanford community. Your day-to-day mentor will be a Stanford graduate student or postdoctoral fellow, who will guide you as you work Monday through Friday for about eight hours per day. A separate Bioengineering Team Internship track is also available, where you can design and prototype solutions to real medical needs using Stanford's machine shop, wet labs, and maker spaces, drawing on the design thinking process and engineering fundamentals.
7. Texas Tech Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost: None except for a $25 application fee; $750 tax-free stipend available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective; ~12 students accepted annually
Dates: June 21 – August 6Application deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, ages 17 and up, who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
The Clark Scholars Program is a selective, residential research program at Texas Tech University that allows 12 students each year to conduct research on campus. You will be paired one-on-one with a Texas Tech faculty mentor and spend seven weeks working on an independent research project in your chosen field. Research areas often include biology, chemistry, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, physics, among others listed on the program website each cycle. The program includes weekly seminars on research ethics, academic communication, and scientific practice, as well as field trips and weekend activities on- and off-campus. You will produce a formal research project report at the end of the program, and upon successful submission, you will receive the $750 stipend.
8. JAX Summer Student Program (SSP)
Location: The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded + $7,500 stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective; ~24 – 28 positions/year
Dates: May 30 – August 7
Application deadline: January 26
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors, ages 18 and up, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The JAX Summer Student Program is a 10-week research fellowship at The Jackson Laboratory that places students directly into active biomedical research labs working on genetics and genomics. You will be matched with a JAX scientist mentor and join an ongoing research program, developing and executing an independent project with increasing autonomy as the summer progresses. Research areas include genetics, genomics, cancer biology, neuroscience, immunology, bioinformatics, and computational biology. Throughout the 10 weeks, the program builds your skills through weekly professional development sessions covering topics such as genetic testing principles, data visualization, science communication, and peer review. You will also attend Journal Club meetings and informal conversations with JAX scientists across multiple career paths, including grant writers, scientific services experts, attorneys, and veterinarians, to understand the breadth of careers shaped by science. The program concludes with a formal research presentation in which you will share your findings with JAX researchers, fellow participants, and family members.
9. Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP)
Location: Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free + $3,600 stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application deadline: January 21
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors in the greater Boston area within commuting distance to the Broad Institute who have earned a B or better in science and math classes; applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or non-U.S. citizens who have employment authorization (including DACA).
The Broad Summer Scholars Program places rising Massachusetts high school juniors inside working research groups at the Broad Institute, an MIT- and Harvard-affiliated center known for its work in genomics and biomedical science. You will be matched with a Broad scientist and contribute to an original research project in one of several fields, including cancer biology, psychiatric disease, chemical biology, computational biology, and infectious disease. Beyond lab work, you will attend scientific talks by Broad researchers, participate in workshops and career exploration sessions, and present your findings at a scientific poster session at the close of the program. The program also includes a college fair and social events with other program participants.
10. Simons Summer Research Program @ Stony Brook University
Location: Stony Brook University campus, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: No tuition; stipend available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: ~5% acceptance rate
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application deadline: February 5
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently in 11th grade and at least 16 years old by the start of the program; application requires a school nomination (each school may nominate up to two students)
The Simons Summer Research Program, supported by the Simons Foundation, matches rising high school seniors with Stony Brook faculty mentors and places them inside active university research groups. Research areas span a wide range of scientific disciplines, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and computer science. You will join a research team, take on responsibility for a defined project, and spend a minimum of four hours per day working on your research either independently or with your mentor and their group. Over six weeks, you will also attend weekly faculty research talks and participate in workshops, lab safety training, special tours, and other events organized for program participants. The program concludes with a formal closing symposium where you will present a written research abstract and a research poster to faculty, peers, and guests, and receive your stipend award.
11. NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Location: NIH Intramural Research Program campuses across the country, including Bethesda, MD
Cost/Stipend: Free; a monthly stipend is offered based on academic level (check updated details here)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: May 11 – August 31
Application deadline: February 18
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors, ages 18 and up, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and living within 40 miles of an NIH campus, and who will have graduated from high school before the internship begins
The NIH Summer Internship Program places students directly into research groups within NIH's Intramural Research Program across a wide range of biomedical, behavioral, and social science disciplines. Focus areas span disciplines like biology, chemistry, epidemiology, bioinformatics, neuroscience, psychology, and engineering. All internships are conducted entirely in person within NIH laboratory settings and focus on research-based work. In addition to lab experience, you will have access to professional development workshops, educational seminars, and career programming throughout the summer. NIH also hosts two major summer events: a Graduate and Professional School Fair in July, where you can speak with graduate program representatives, and Summer Poster Day in early August, where you will present your research to the broader NIH community.
12. Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE) @ NYU
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $2,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: February 27
Dates: June 1 – August 14
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are full-time NYC residents attending NYC schools
ARISE is a 10-week summer research program offering high schoolers lab training and the opportunity to conduct research in NYU labs. The first four weeks are dedicated to remote training sessions focused on college writing, lab safety, and research skills. Over the next six weeks, you will work in an NYU research lab, contributing to research in STEM fields. You will spend the summer gaining 150 hours of lab experience, attending workshops and seminars, and working on your research presentation, which you will deliver at NYU and the American Museum of Natural History. The program also offers college application support and access to the ARISE alumni network.
13. UIUC Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research Program
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, Champaign, IL
Cost: Free + fellowship payment available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective; typically ~30 lab spots/year
Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, or Wisconsin
The UIUC Young Scholars program, run through the Grainger College of Engineering's WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) initiative, allows you to conduct STEM or medical research. The GEnYuS (Grainger Engineering Young Scholars) track will place you in engineering and computer science research groups across areas such as aerospace engineering, nuclear physics, materials science, civil engineering, and bioengineering. The SpHERES track (Sparking High Schoolers' Excitement for Research in Engineering and Science) is affiliated with the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine and focuses on bioengineering, medicine, neuroscience, and entrepreneurship. In both tracks, you will be assigned to an active research group, spend 30–35 hours per week on research and professional development activities, and present your work at a final research poster symposium. Weekly seminars will cover scientific communication, college admissions, and scientific responsibility.
14. Columbia University’s Engineering the Next Generation (ENG)
Location: Columbia Engineering, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; $17/hour stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6 – August 13
Application deadline: January 16 for Foundations of Research, March 1 for Center for Smart Streetscapes
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors enrolled in a New York City high school who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
ENG is a six-week summer research program at Columbia Engineering that matches New York City high school students with Columbia faculty and graduate student mentors. You will join a research lab and work under the supervision of Columbia faculty and graduate students on a defined project. The program offers research placements across two tracks: Foundations of Research and Center for Smart Streetscapes, both of which assign students to Columbia Engineering labs working on topics ranging from civil infrastructure to materials science and computational research. The program combines lab-based research work with mentorship focused on building scientific skills and an introduction to the academic research environment at a major research university. The Foundations of Research track also offers workshops on college prep and science communications.
15. Rockefeller University’s Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Cost: Free + need-based stipends available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective, 32 students/year
Dates: June 22 – August 6
Application deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old by June 22
SSRP is a seven-week, full-time mentored lab research program that places high school juniors and seniors into team-based research projects. You will join a team of peers and engage in research under the guidance of scientific trainees from the Tri-Institutions: Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Weill Cornell Medicine. Each cohort of 32 students is divided into four research teams of 8–10 students, each led by at least three dedicated scientist-mentors. The program follows a structured weekly progression: the first week introduces you to the team's research topic and laboratory techniques, while the second week has you choose a specific research question to investigate. Weeks three through five are dedicated to actively exploring that question under mentor guidance, and in the final two weeks, you will analyze your data and design a research poster for presentation at the closing symposium. In addition to lab work, the program includes elective courses, guest lectures from Rockefeller scientists, networking events, and workshops throughout the seven weeks.
Tyler Moulton is Head of Academics and Veritas AI Partnerships with 6 years of experience in education consulting, teaching, and astronomy research at Harvard and the University of Cambridge, where they developed a passion for machine learning and artificial intelligence. Tyler is passionate about connecting high-achieving students to advanced AI techniques and helping them build independent, real-world projects in the field of AI.