15 Online STEM Research Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in exploring STEM beyond what’s offered in your regular classes, online programs can be a strong option to explore your interests. Many online STEM research programs are designed to help you build practical skills while learning how research and problem-solving work in academic or professional settings. Through virtual labs, guided projects, and live sessions, you can get experience without needing to travel or change your school schedule.
What are the benefits of a STEM research program?
A STEM research program helps you strengthen core skills such as coding, data analysis, critical thinking, and scientific communication while applying them in structured academic contexts. Many programs guide you through the full research process, from reviewing existing literature and refining a question to analyzing data, building models, and presenting findings. Through this experience, you gain exposure to advanced fields such as artificial intelligence, biomedical science, neuroscience, engineering, and applied mathematics while developing a clearer understanding of how research is conducted.
In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of 15 online STEM research programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for free online programs, check out our blog here.
1. MIT PRIMES-USA
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~50 students
Dates: Year-long
Application Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and sophomores living in the U.S. (outside Greater Boston)
PRIMES-USA is a year-long distance mentoring program where high school students work on unsolved problems in mathematics, computer science, and computational biology. You’ll be paired with MIT graduate students or faculty mentors to conduct original research that often leads to publication or competition entries. The program is divided into four phases: a reading phase to master background material; a research phase during the summer; an independent study phase; and a write-up phase in the fall. At the end of this online STEM research program, you’ll present your findings at the annual Fall PRIMES Conference.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students. The AI Fellowship requires prior completion of the AI Scholars program or experience with Python
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get 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. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. MIT THINK Scholars Program
Location: Virtual (with a 4-day trip to MIT)
Stipend: $1,000 budget for project materials
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~5-7 finalists
Dates: February – June
Application Deadline: January 1
Eligibility: High school students with a research proposal
THINK is a unique program that funds student-designed STEM research projects that are in the early stages of development. Rather than being assigned to a lab, you submit a detailed research proposal, and if selected, receive mentorship from MIT undergraduates and faculty. The program provides a budget for materials and weekly meetings to help you overcome technical hurdles in your experiments. Finalists also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to MIT's campus to tour labs and meet with professors. The goal is to empower students with great ideas, but lacking institutional resources to execute them.
4. Immerse Education’s Online Research Programme
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 (accredited options require age 14+)
This online research program enables high school students to conduct rigorous research with tutors from Oxford, Cambridge, and Ivy League universities. You’ll work with your tutor to explore a subject of your choice in depth and write an academic research paper. The program is offered in 1:1 and small-group formats, and you can earn college credit from universities in the US and the UK. The virtual research program is offered across more than 20 subjects, including artificial intelligence, chemistry, psychology, economics, computer science, creative writing, philosophy, and more. At the end of the program, you’ll receive a written evaluation from your tutor, an opportunity to publish your research, and an invitation to present at the Immerse Online Symposium.
5. New York Academy of Sciences Junior Academy
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: February – May (Spring) | September – December (Fall)
Application Deadline: January 13 (Spring semester) | July (Fall semester)
Eligibility: Students aged 13-17
The Junior Academy is an online STEM research program that enables high school students to solve real-world challenges designed by industry experts in fields such as public health, sustainability, and space science. You join international teams on the Launchpad platform, where you receive mentorship from STEM professionals to develop innovative solutions. The program focuses on project-based learning and human-centered design, culminating in a formal solution presentation. Successful participants gain a Young Membership to the New York Academy of Sciences and a certificate of completion.
6. NASA GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – August 29
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who have taken at least one biology course, with a minimum unweighted 3.0 GPA, and who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
GL4HS is a specialized program focused on Omics research (genomics, transcriptomics, etc.) using spaceflight data. You learn the bioinformatics pipelines used to analyze how space travel affects living organisms, utilizing NASA’s GeneLab data repository. The program includes daily lectures on space biology, computational training sessions, and a group research project. You’ll develop a hypothesis, analyze real NASA data, and present your findings to a panel of Ames Research Center scientists. It is a rigorous dive into the data-heavy side of astrobiology and biotechnology.
7. CrowdMath
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school and college students
CrowdMath is a collaborative research project hosted by MIT PRIMES and the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS). It enables students to collaborate on unsolved mathematical problems in a public forum, under the supervision of MIT mentors. Unlike individual programs, research here is crowd-sourced; you post proofs, conjectures, and ideas on a discussion board to advance the project collectively. Participants who make significant contributions are credited in the final research papers submitted to journals. It’s a good entry point for students looking to experience the research process without the barriers of a formal application.
8. NASA SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science)
Location: Virtual (optional on-site capstone)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~260 students, with roughly 50 in-person
Dates: May – July
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: 10th and 11th grade students
This STEM program, hosted by the UT Austin Center for Space Research, allows high school students to conduct authentic research using NASA satellite data. You work in teams on projects related to Earth science, space exploration, or engineering under the guidance of NASA subject matter experts. The first half of the program is conducted entirely online through modules and data analysis tasks. Successful completion culminates in a capstone project in which you interpret findings and present them to NASA scientists. Research areas often include mosquito habitat mapping, satellite data validation, and Martian geology.
9. Stanford Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,725 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12%
Dates: Session 1: June 8 – 19 | Session 2: June 22 – July 3
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18 years
This program introduces high school students to foundational ideas in neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology through structured seminars and collaborative work. You participate in faculty-led discussions that connect brain science to clinical and social questions, drawing on current research in behavioral and mental health. Alongside lectures, you work in small groups to develop a capstone project addressing a real-world issue related to neuroscience or mental health. Rather than focusing on laboratory techniques, the experience centers on research interpretation, ethical considerations, and communication of ideas.
10. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~50 students
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26 | Session B: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students who are 14+
This online STEM research internship focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and medical imaging. You work with Stanford faculty and researchers to explore how machine learning models can be used to improve healthcare outcomes and diagnostic accuracy. The curriculum includes technical lectures on deep learning, hands-on coding sessions, and group research projects using real-world clinical datasets. You’ll also gain exposure to the ethical considerations of AI in medicine while developing technical proficiencies. The program culminates in a final research presentation to the AIMI community.
11. UCSD Academic Connections Research Scholars
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program (scholarships available for select tracks)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by track
Application Deadline: Varies by track
Eligibility: High school students
This STEM program enables high school students to work directly with UCSD faculty on active research projects in bioengineering, life sciences, and marine science. The online and hybrid options allow you to perform real-world data analysis and contribute to current university studies. You learn specific lab methodologies and research techniques relevant to your chosen track, such as bioinformatics or statistical modeling. The program includes a synchronous component where you meet with your mentors to discuss progress and interpret data. You conclude the session by preparing a formal research poster or presentation.
12. UCI School of Medicine Summer Online Research Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,350 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Session 1: June 22 – July 10 | Session 2: July 13 – 31
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students who are 15-18 years old with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4 and an interest in healthcare research
This online STEM research program introduces high school students to evidence-based medicine and clinical research methodologies. You learn to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses, essential skills for medical professionals. Under the guidance of UC Irvine faculty and medical students, you’ll work in teams to identify a clinical question and analyze existing medical data to reach a conclusion. The program covers biostatistics, database searching, and scientific writing. Each team produces a final research paper that is eligible for submission to high school or undergraduate medical journals.
13. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,299 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 years old
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides students the opportunity to conduct research using state-of-the-art technology and resources alongside Mason faculty. The virtual track is robust, offering projects in computer modeling, proteomics, geographic information systems (GIS), and cybersecurity. You work 1:1 or in small groups with mentors on a specific hypothesis-driven project. Many virtual interns focus on computational biology or data-heavy engineering projects that do not require a physical wet lab. The program concludes with a research symposium where you present your findings to the university community.
14. Fred Hutch Coding for Cancer
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 27 – August 21
Application Deadline: Late March
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th graders; preferably students from Washington State
Coding for Cancer is an online STEM research program that introduces high school students to computational approaches used in biomedical research. You learn the R programming language while exploring how data analysis supports cancer research and biological discovery. Throughout the program, you get to interact closely with researchers working in computational biology. Early sessions focus on building coding fundamentals through guided exercises, followed by an individual or small-scale research project. The structure allows you to apply programming skills to real datasets rather than hypothetical examples.
15. Stanford AI4ALL
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,120 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – 26
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Current 9th-grade students
Stanford AI4ALL is an online STEM research program where high school students explore artificial intelligence through socially grounded research projects. You participate in lectures, demonstrations, and small-group research led by graduate students and researchers in AI-related fields. Project work may include computer vision, medical AI, natural language processing, and robotics, with an emphasis on real-world applications. The program focuses on how AI systems are designed, evaluated, and applied, and you conclude by presenting your research findings.