10 Biology Research Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in biology research, then this list is for you! Applying for a research program in STEM has a ton of benefits. You’ll get the chance to work with professionals in the field, which opens doors to future opportunities.
You can develop solid relationships with potential references and gain lifelong mentors who can give you academic and career advice.
Research programs also give you the chance to explore different career options while helping you gain specialized knowledge and techniques. Finally, you’ll get to apply concepts you’ve learned in the classroom to original and meaningful projects that have real-world importance.
Early exposure to biology is particularly important. Biology is a vast field, so the sooner you can learn about different specialties and master the basics, the better. You can give your college applications a huge boost by demonstrating your passion for biology and your experience with important skills like presenting your research and using laboratory equipment. Colleges aren’t just looking for academic strengths, they’re also looking for community engagement. Most biology research programs are designed to help different communities, which helps to further set you apart. Finally, research programs can help you qualify for additional scholarship opportunities, making paying for college easier.
Let’s dive in!
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an 8-week research internship hosted by the American Fisheries Society. It is available across North America, which makes it a great option for students who aren’t able to travel far from their home region. The internship is designed to create interest in fisheries, aquatic science, and biology, particularly among underrepresented groups. At the end of the internship, you’ll receive a $3,000 stipend and an all-expenses paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit.
During the program, you’ll be placed with a mentor close to your home. You’ll spend time outdoors, on a boat, in a laboratory, and an office setting. Daily you might take fish population surveys, participate in electrofishing, examine specimens under a microscope, test water quality, go snorkeling, or help with children’s educational programs. You’ll outline your specific job duties in a preliminary meeting with your mentor. You can expect to leave this program with a strong and specialized understanding of Biology and with a foundation in Conservation, Ecology, Statistics, and Computer Science. Most students work 32-40 hours per week.
One of the huge benefits of this program is the Hutton Scholar Summit, a three-day program that includes speakers on Biology, preparing for college, and how to get further involved with the AFS. You’ll also present your projects from the summer, an accomplishment you can share on college applications.
Cost: None. This program provides a $3,000 stipend.
Location: Internships are available all over the country.
Application Dates: Applications open in mid-November and close in mid-January
Program Dates: Start and end dates are flexible and determined by the student and their mentor. Each internship lasts 8 weeks.
Eligibility: 16 by the close of applications
The Broad Summer Scholars Program is hosted by the Broad Institute, a prestigious research organization dedicated to narrowing the gap between biological insight and impacts on medical patients. If you’re interested in the intersection of Biology and Medicine, this program might be for you. This program is designed for highly motivated high school students with a strong interest in science and biology. You’ll spend 6 weeks at the Broad Institute where you’ll be matched with a scientist. You’ll conduct original, cutting-edge research in fields like chemical biology, computational biology, and more.
You won’t spend all of your time researching. You’ll also get to explore different scientific careers, attend scientific lectures, attend a college fair, and network with students and professionals during social events. At the end of the program, you’ll present your research, a great opportunity to share your passion and build your public speaking skills.
During the program, you’ll have access to on-staff tutors to help you review essential scientific concepts, so you’ll leave this program with an incredible knowledge base for college. You’ll also get specific training on creating scientific posters and best practices for presenting. Finally, every program participant gets exposure to both computational and experimental techniques.
Cost: $3,600 stipend provided
Location: The Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Application Dates: Applications open in mid-November. Applications are typically due the third week of January.
Program Dates: The program typically runs from the last full week of June through the first Friday of August.
Eligibility:
Rising senior in high school
Attend a high school in Massachusetts within commuting distance of the Broad Institute
Have earned a B or better in science and math classes
Demonstrated passion for science
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or a non-U.S. citizen with employment authorization (DACA)
Underrepresented students are strongly encouraged to apply!
Hosted by University Lab Partners, a private, non-profit wet lab for the life sciences, this Summer Research Experience is open to talented high school students with an interest in pursuing careers in the life sciences.
During this program, you’ll learn cell culture and molecular biology techniques that are used in research and development laboratories. You’ll get to study the intersection of the life sciences and medicine more closely and acquire vital research skills in biotechnology laboratories. You’ll get to use surveillance mechanisms of immune cells to help create cancer therapeutics.
Three cohorts are offered each summer. All three cohorts start in June and end in August and run for two days each week. The 8-week program ends with a Science Showcase where you’ll share your research projects with fellow peers and professional scientists.
The technical training alone is a huge boost to your resume since you’ll be working on some of the most advanced lab equipment in the country. You’ll also benefit from the chance to execute an industry-standard poster presentation and receive college and career mentorship from professional scientists.
Cost: $1,950, scholarships available
Location: Irvine, CA
Application Dates: Applications open in December and are due May 31st each year.
Program Dates:
Cohort A: June 17-August 8, 2024
Mondays and Wednesdays: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cohort B: June 18- August 8, 2024
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cohort C: June 18- August 8, 2024
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 1:00 pm- 4:00 pm
Eligibility:
You must have taken Molecular Biology 1 at ULP or apply for a prerequisite waiver
Grades 9-12 and undergraduate students are accepted
The Institute for Systems Biology Baliga Lab offers Systems Education Experience (SEE) internships for high school students. These internships are based in systems biology with a key focus on using knowledge to benefit society. They are designed to prepare high school students as the next generation of researchers. They only offer a limited number of internship programs each year, so slots are highly competitive. In 2024, they offered two types of internships: the Systems Thinkers in STEM Ambassadorship (STiSA) and a summer internship.
STiSA is a primarily virtual program with some in-person offerings available. This program starts in the spring and extends through the academic year. During this program, you’ll take workshops and participate in discussions. You’ll be connected to a virtual channel where you can participate in research projects, collaborate with peers, and network with ISB staff. Projects are led by organizations like AmeriCorps and always have a community engagement component. You can check out more about the course progression here.
During a summer internship with ISB Baliga, you can expect to learn about systems modeling and how biological systems thinking is used in research and careers. You’ll get to take micro-courses to give you a strong foundation in biology and systems. During a summer internship, you might study computational biology, bioengineering, or other systems-related biology fields. You will be assigned a mentor and a small cohort of 6-8 students. You will apply everything you learn to a research project. During an internship, you’ll develop math, coding, leadership, and other professional skills alongside deepening your understanding of biology. You will also interview ISB professionals to learn about various career paths. Instruction is hands-on and creative problem solving is taught and encouraged and your culminating project will be building a website about your research and experience.
The wide variety of skills offered by ISB SEE programs is a huge benefit. You’ll get a holistic understanding of how biology interacts with other STEM fields. You’ll also get a deep understanding of how STEM can be used to benefit society, which is a powerful piece to add to your college essays and interviews. Finally, ISB Baliga High School programs are very mentor-focused, so you’ll have plenty of support from biology professionals as you get ready to apply for jobs and college.
Cost: The summer internship provides a $5,000 stipend
Location:
Virtual and in-person opportunities are available for STiSA students.
Summer internships are completely in-person.
All in-person activities take place in Seattle, WA
Application Dates: Only one application is required for all high school internship opportunities. Applications are due on March 15 every year.
Program Dates: Some programs start in the spring and continue through the following school year. The summer internship lasts 8 weeks and typically begins at the end of June.
Eligibility:
For summer internships you must be a rising high school senior
For non-summer internships, you must be a current 10th or 11th grader.
The University of California San Diego and the Boz Institute host the Life Sciences Research program where you can become immersed in the life sciences. You’ll undertake a unique applied research project in biodiversity and neurobiology and/or molecular biology.
During this program, you’ll attend classes twice a week after school in a modern wet lab at the San Diego Science Center. You’ll get to do active research with the Science Center research team and collaborate with classmates. You’ll become proficient in the different processes used in biological research, conduct fieldwork, and master fundamental molecular biology topics. You’ll get to work with state-of-the-art equipment and learn relevant bioinformatics and statistical applications. You’ll also learn how to read relevant scientific literature, formulate advanced hypotheses, and design your experiments. Finally, you’ll lead poster sessions attended by local scientists and industry leaders.
Some of the benefits of this program are gaining the skills to communicate and collaborate with peers and professionals, mastering creative and advanced problem-solving techniques, and developing multiple capstone research projects to include in your college applications.
Cost: Tuition depends on how many courses you register for each semester. Scholarships are available and you can learn more here.
Location: San Diego Science Center, San Diego, CA
Application Dates: Applications typically open the month before the start of classes.
Program Dates: Programs take place for a full semester during the academic year.
Fall quarter begins the third week of September
Winter quarter begins the second week of January
Spring quarter begins the first week of April
Eligibility: You must be a current high school student.
The LEAH Knox Scholars Program is a two-year biology program hosted by MIT for high school students in the Boston area. This program is specifically designed for underrepresented students like US Black and Latinx individuals.
This program begins the summer before your junior year when you’ll participate in an intensive lab experience on the MIT campus. During your second summer, you’ll be placed in an external university or industry lab. During the school year, you’ll have access to LEAH’s paid STEM Teaching Internship, receive individual mentorship from an assigned STEM professional, be able to attend monthly STEM events like career panels and lab visits and get to go on field trips to colleges while receiving comprehensive college readiness support.
This program focuses heavily on research, skills, experience, and mentorship to expose students to science, teaching, leadership, and important personal relationships and mentors. You’ll get the benefit of college readiness training and support, assistance with college applications, and a deep and advanced understanding of biology.
Cost: A stipend is provided for all program activities.
Location: This program has both virtual and in-person components. The in-person components are typically based in Boston or Cambridge, MA.
Application Dates: Applications are typically due in the middle of March each year.
Program Dates: The program begins the summer before your junior year and continues through your junior and senior academic years.
Eligibility:
Rising high school juniors
Students at Boston, Cambridge, and Everett high schools
At least 16 years old by July of your application year
The program is designed for low-income students of color
Aspirnaut, an organization dedicated to helping rural high school students access STEM careers, hosts Summer Research Internships where you’ll conduct biomedical research. Internships last for six weeks and take place at Vanderbilt University. Interns are also paid a stipend for lab time, provided room and board, and given ample networking opportunities with faculty and university administrators. This program is designed to embed students in a biomedical research lab as a member of a team of researchers working on diabetes, cancer, and regenerative biology programs.
You’ll conduct your research and gather results and data that contribute to the goals of your team. You’ll get to live on campus in dorms and get a taste of college life before leaving high school. Apart from your time in the lab, you’ll also engage in professional development and enrichment opportunities like 1:1 career planning sessions, college planning seminars, ACT/SAT prep sessions, meetings with high-profile scientists, and cultural and social activities. At the end of your internship, you’ll present your research through both oral and poster presentations.
This program gives you the benefit of getting to try out college life and research at a top-notch university. You’ll leave this program with key skills in the field of biology, greater confidence, and new mentors.
Cost: $2,000 stipend provided
Location: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Application Dates: Applications open in October 2024 and close in mid-January
Program Dates: The program runs for six weeks, starting the first week of June.
Eligibility:
Be a high school student from a rural geographic area
At least 15 years of age
Excellent test scores and grades in STEM classes
Current health insurance
Preference is given to students who are from historically underrepresented groups
The Lawrence Hall of Science at Berkeley offers multiple teen research programs including this Bioinspired Design program. Based on an integrative biology course, this research program tackles real-world problems by combining biology and engineering. The goal of this program is to help students investigate how scientists can adapt ideas from nature to solve current challenges.
You start the day in your lab where you’ll work in pairs or small groups to complete explorations or investigations. You will build and experiment with a 3D-printed prosthetic hand, assemble test wildlife-inspired robots, or make materials like gecko-inspired adhesive. In the afternoon, you’ll tour labs, view museum exhibits, and attend Q&A sessions with faculty and graduate students. At the end of the program, you’ll present your projects to family and peers and receive a UC Berkeley certificate of completion.
This program has great structure and support. You’ll leave with a solid understanding of how biomimetics can be used to solve today’s problems. You’ll also get the benefit of small group work and close mentorships with graduate students and professional scientists.
Cost: $1,350 or $1,215 (reduced), financial aid available
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley Campus, Berkeley, CA
Application Dates: Application dates for 2025 haven’t been posted yet, so keep an eye on the website!
Program Dates: Dates vary by year. The summer 2024 dates were June 10 through June 14, 2024, from 9:00 am through 5:00 pm.
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th graders
The Lawrence Hall of Science also offers a Marine Biology Research Program. This program has both lab work and field work and is designed to help you gain skills, knowledge, and insight into the field of marine biology while also adding valuable experience to your college and career pathways.
This overnight camp starts on a Sunday and continues through Friday. In the morning, you’ll find yourself in the field, exploring and studying beaches or examining tidepools. You will study these ecosystems directly to better understand the connections between organisms and their habitats. You’ll sample organism populations and then compare data to those from long-term monitoring projects to look for changes. You’ll spend the afternoon in the lab. You’ll use microscopes to observe organisms like plankton, conduct marine invertebrate labs, or work on your research projects.
You will design and conduct your research investigation, answering a research question in response to field observations. You’ll also get to meet with graduate students and scientists to learn about their research and pathway into ocean sciences. At the end of the program, you’ll share your research projects with parents and peers and receive a UC Berkeley certificate of completion.
You’ll leave this camp with a great foundation in marine biology and a clear understanding of how to approach questions of interaction in the field of biology. You’ll also have made important career connections through Q&A opportunities and close work with your program leaders. Finally, you’ll be able to include the completion certificate your presentation on college applications, and your resume.
Cost: $2,500 or $2,250 (reduced), financial aid available
Location: UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Application Dates: Application dates haven’t been posted yet, so keep an eye on the website!
Program Dates: The dates vary by year. The 2024 dates were July 21 through July 26, 2024.
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th grader
The Northwest Association of Biomedical Research (NWABR) hosts yearly summer camps in biology and medicine. Each camp is a week-long and open to all students entering grades 9-12 in the fall. This program is designed to increase student understanding of how biomedical research is conducted, increase student awareness of ethics in research, promote awareness of STEM careers, and build a community of students, scientists, and educators.
Camp sessions are available all summer long, from the last week of June through the middle of August. You can see a detailed schedule for 2024 here. This summer, six tracks were available, including a molecular biology camp, a bioinformatics camp, a genetic engineering camp, and a microbiology camp. Each camp concludes with a Culminating Expo where you can present your research and projects to friends, family, and other campers.
During camp, you will learn foundational skills like genomic analysis through molecular techniques using a lab computer. You will also study genetic variation and DNA barcoding to study biodiversity. You might also collect cultivate and analyze microbial strains and meet with microbiologists to discuss hospital-associated infections. In all camps, you’ll learn how to use specialized lab equipment and work on projects that have direct, real-world applications.
You’ll leave this program with strong peer connections and new mentors. You’ll also have demonstrable biology-based skills in both wet and dry labs. Finally, the chance to present at an Expo will provide you with invaluable public speaking skills and the chance to showcase your growth and passion.
Cost: $625-$695. Financial aid is available.
Location:
Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
Application Dates: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the program is full.
Program Dates: The program lasts for five days and is typically available for different sessions throughout July and August.
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Elise is a writer for Lumiere and a graduate of the University of Montana School of Law. She began writing for Lumiere in 2024 to help connect high school students to research opportunities. She is passionate about agency, advocacy, and linguistics. Outside of academics, she enjoys hiking, swimming, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
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