15 Virtual Research Programs for High School Students
Research programs are one of the most effective ways for high school students to explore academic and career interests beyond the classroom. They allow students to develop skills like data analysis, critical thinking, and academic writing while offering a closer look at the research process. Virtual research programs, in particular, are a flexible and accessible option. You can gain mentorship from university faculty, work on projects, and connect with peers across the globe from your home.
For students looking to explore STEM, social sciences, or interdisciplinary fields, virtual research programs are a great way to build portfolios and improve college applications. Many of these opportunities are offered by reputable universities, research labs, or start-ups, adding weight to your academic profile. In this list, we’ve curated 15 of the most compelling virtual research programs available for high school students.
1. MIT PRIMES
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; small cohort admitted each year
Dates: Year‑long research program during the academic year
Application Deadline: November 30
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors (or homeschooled equivalents) residing in the U.S. outside Greater Boston; PRIMES‑USA projects are mathematics‑only.
MIT PRIMES is a highly selective year-long research program where high school students collaborate with MIT researchers on challenging topics in mathematics, computer science, and computational biology. The program is divided into several tracks: MIT PRIMES for students in the Greater Boston area, PRIMES-USA for students from across the country, PRIMES Circle for Boston-based math enrichment, and CrowdMath, an open online collaborative project. You will develop skills in mathematical proof writing, algorithm design, and advanced problem-solving, culminating in the chance to present your work at the program’s annual conference.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program cost
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI, established by Harvard alumni, offers specialised programs for high school students eager to dive into the world of artificial intelligence. The AI Scholars program is ideal for beginners, providing a 10-session foundation in AI, machine learning, and data science, with opportunities to apply learning through real-world projects. For more experienced students, the AI Fellowship offers a chance to work 1-on-1 with mentors from top-tier universities on an independent research project. A standout feature of this track is guidance from Veritas AI’s in-house publication team, which supports students in submitting their work to high school research journals.
3. Stanford Physics – SPINWIP (Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 7– July 25
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 through 11
SPINWIP is a no-cost, virtual summer program aimed at inspiring high school girls and gender minority students to explore physics. Over three intensive weeks, you will engage in lectures on cutting-edge topics like quantum physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, and learn to code in Python to pursue small physics-based projects. Weekly career planning and mentorship sessions—including college prep and networking with Stanford undergraduates and faculty—complement the scientific curriculum. You will collaborate in small mentor-led groups, joining discussion forums and live coding sessions to analyse physics problems together.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June)
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school; Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4); No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a challenging opportunity designed specifically for high school students interested in academic research. It offers personalised, one-on-one mentorship with Ph.D. researchers, allowing you to explore a wide range of subjects through independent research. Over 12 weeks, you will work closely with your mentors to develop a research project in fields such as psychology, physics, economics, computer science, data science, engineering, international relations, chemistry, and more. By the end of the program, you will have produced an original research paper reflecting your work.
5. Perimeter Institute International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP)
Location: Online
Cost: CAD 250
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~30–40 students worldwide
Dates: Typically mid-July (2 weeks)
Application Deadline: Usually March
Eligibility: High school students aged 16–18 with a strong interest in theoretical physics and mathematics
The ISSYP program, hosted by Canada’s renowned Perimeter Institute, offers high school students an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge topics in modern physics. Delivered in an online format, the two-week program introduces you to concepts in quantum mechanics, relativity, and cosmology through live lectures, problem-solving sessions, and virtual workshops led by physicists and researchers. You will not only dive deep into theoretical science but also connect with a global peer group of aspiring physicists. A standout feature is the emphasis on community-building, mentorship, and interaction with scientists at the forefront of research.
6. MIT THINK Scholars
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to six finalists selected each year
Dates: Typical timeline: Applications open Nov 1; deadline Jan 1; finalist trip early Feb; projects wrap June
Application Deadline: Most recently, January 1 . Future cycles follow a similar schedule announced on the site
Eligibility: Full‑time U.S. high school students
THINK is a remote, mentored research incubator. Students submit a proposal for a novel STEM project, and selected finalists receive weekly virtual mentorship from MIT undergraduates plus targeted funding to implement their idea during the spring semester. The experience emphasises scoping a feasible plan, iterating toward milestones, and documenting progress in a final report. Finalists also travel to MIT to meet faculty aligned with their interests, present their proposals, and tour research labs—offering rare exposure to a top research environment.
7. SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers at Stanford University
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No program fee beyond a $50 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive and selective
Dates: June 17 - August 9
Application Deadline: Typically closes in late February
Eligibility: Open to rising high school juniors or seniors (Grades 11–12)
SHTEM immerses participants in an innovative, interdisciplinary virtual research environment spanning fields from engineering and neuroscience to linguistics and psychology. You will be working in teams of 2–5, and will be matched with faculty or Compression Forum mentors to collaborate on research problems that bridge STEM and humanities. The program spans 30–40 hours per week, combining remote lab work with live seminars, project discussions, and mentor check-ins; hardware project materials are shipped when needed. At program completion, you will present final outcomes via an online symposium and may contribute to the STEM2SHTEM online journal.
8. UC San Diego / San Diego Supercomputer Center – Research Experience for High School Students (REHS)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,500; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 16 and August 8
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12
Research Experience for High School Students by UCSD’s San Diego Supercomputer Centre is an eight-week virtual research experience designed to immerse high school students in computational science. Under the guidance of UCSD research scientists and graduate mentors, you will tackle research challenges—learning to formulate hypotheses, run computational experiments, and interpret results. The program features weekly lab meetings, peer discussions, and opportunities to build professional presentation skills. You will work in small teams or pairs, learning to collaborate and solve problems using scientific tools and data analysis techniques. The program concludes with each participant developing a scientific poster to present during a celebratory online symposium, highlighting their computational projects and findings.
9. Seattle Children’s Research Institute – Research Training Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; fairly small virtual cohort
Dates: One-week summer session
Application Deadline: Generally in March
Eligibility: Intended for rising juniors (Grade 11 students)
Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Research Training Program provides a high-impact virtual research experience geared toward students interested in biomedical science. Throughout the one-week format, you will engage via live-streamed lectures and virtual lab demonstrations in topics such as biochemistry, immunology, gene editing, and public health. Sessions include real-time Q&A, professional development workshops, and mentorship from PhD-level educators. Despite the remote setup, VRTP emphasises interaction—students ask questions during sessions, collaborate in discussions, and build skills in scientific literacy and research methods.
10. Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP)
Location: Online and in-person based at the Belin-Blank Centre, University of Iowa, Iowa City
Cost: Virtual option: $4,500 for 3 semester hours of credit | In-person: $7,500, includes room, board, materials, and university credit (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 18 - July 25
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 and 11
Secondary Student Training Program offers both virtual and in-person research tracks taught through Iowa’s Belin-Blank Centre. Over roughly five weeks, you will work on research projects under the mentorship of University of Iowa faculty—departments range from biochemistry, neuroscience, and engineering to business analytics, psychology, and sustainability sciences. Virtual students attend online lectures, group classes, and workshops while paired with faculty to develop a research poster and academic brief. The program culminates in a research symposium where all participants present their findings.
11. EnergyMag Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive and selective
Dates: Half‑time (summer): 2–8 weeks at ~20 hrs/week | Quarter‑time (year‑round): 1–9 months at ~8 hrs/week
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a GPA above 3.25 and at least one honours science or English class
EnergyMag offers virtual internships tailored to high school students eager to explore renewable energy, energy storage technologies, and related policy or business analysis. You will be mentored through research and writing projects that involve analysing a technology, company, or market trend, interviewing professionals, and synthesising findings into analytical reports. Finished reports are published on the EnergyMag platform and accompanied by a Letter of Accomplishment. You will gain experience in remote collaboration, professional communication, and independent research—skills transferable across STEM and humanities fields.
12. Camp Euclid – A Mathematics Research Camp
Location: Virtual
Cost: Approximately $1,250 tuition (no stipend)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective program with small cohorts
Dates: Six-week program during the summer
Application Deadline: Typically in the spring
Eligibility: High school students aged 13–19 with a strong interest in mathematics
Camp Euclid offers an online environment in which high school students engage with open, unsolved problems in mathematics. You will work in small mentor-led groups—usually 5 to 7 peers—collaborating both synchronously and asynchronously across seminars and research rounds. Mentors, who are active undergraduate or graduate math researchers, guide students through theory, group exploration, and shared documentation (via blogs or wikis). With approximately 4 hours of weekly seminar time supplemented by 6+ hours of peer collaboration, students learn advanced math thinking, research ethics, and presentation skills.
13. Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP)
Location: Primarily based in Fremont, California. However, high school students living outside the Bay Area may participate online
Cost: Program fees vary by research project
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, depending on specific research cohorts
Dates: Year-round research opportunities available
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Open to high school students entering grades 9–12. ASDRP encourages applications from students who are underrepresented in STEM or face socioeconomic barriers. Remote participation accepted for eligible students outside the Bay Area
ASDRP is a mission-driven research institution enabling high school students to lead authentic scientific projects, either in-person or remotely. You will be paired with experienced mentors across disciplines—including biology, chemistry, computational modelling, and computer science—and work on research that is later shared through your online journal or at national symposia. Projects often include original experiments or computational work, preparing students for future publication or science fair competitions. Virtual participants communicate regularly with mentors and peers, submit their findings remotely, and engage in collaborative feedback sessions.
14. Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,580 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Session 1 (Program I – Abstract Algebra & Number Theory): June 16 – July 4; Session 2 (Program I or II – Algebraic Topology): July 7 – July 25
Application Deadline: February 3
Eligibility: Open to rising high school sophomores and juniors (Grade 10 or 11)
SUMaC’s online track offers a three-week deep dive into university-level mathematics. You will engage daily in live instruction, collaborative problem-solving sessions, and guest lectures led by Stanford instructors and mathematicians. Offered in two formats—Program I (Abstract Algebra & Number Theory) and Program II (Algebraic Topology)—SUMaC challenges participants to think rigorously and creatively. Small cohorts and active learning via video discussions and peer collaboration cultivate a serious research-like atmosphere. At the end of each session, you will present final projects or research findings, gaining experience in communicating complex mathematical ideas.
15. Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: Program participation fee: $850, plus $40 application fee (financial aid is available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – June 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9–12
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship is a two-week, virtual program designed to introduce high school students to the use of artificial intelligence in medicine. You will attend lectures and workshops on AI fundamentals, healthcare applications, and medical imaging, then collaborate on small research teams to tackle real-world projects. Mentorship is provided by Stanford student leads, graduate researchers, and faculty, offering insight into ethical, clinical, and technical aspects of AI. The program includes virtual career “Lunch & Learn” sessions with guest speakers from diverse sectors, enriching students’ understanding of pathways in health technology. A certificate of completion is awarded upon finishing, and interested interns can access extended research opportunities after the program.
Image Source - Stanford University logo