10 Neuroscience Research Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in the field of neuroscience, participating in a research program will allow you to gain practical insight and exposure to the field!
Neuroscience involves the study of the nervous system, particularly how the brain impacts our cognition and behavior. It combines fields like psychology, physiology, molecular biology, developmental biology, chemistry, statistics, computer science, physics, and mathematics, so there’s plenty to explore and learn in this diverse field.
There are many opportunities available for high schoolers in the field of neuroscience, with several universities and institutes offering research-specific programs/internships. These opportunities will allow you to collaborate on projects under the guidance of experts, interact with like-minded peers, and explore potential career options in the field. Additionally, research experience in neuroscience can also strengthen your college applications by highlighting your hands-on work experience, skillset, and commitment to your chosen field.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can check out our list of 10 neuroscience research programs for high school students!
Location: Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology, Baltimore, MD or Virtual
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors can apply. In-person internship applicants must attend a high school in Baltimore.
Application Deadline: Applications close on March 1 every year.
Dates: June–August (8 weeks in person) | July–August (5 weeks for the virtual experience)
Stipend: Hourly wages and transportation funds are paid to in-person interns while virtual interns receive a fixed stipend of $500.
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) is a summer research program offering students a chance to explore a career in the neurological sciences. The program provides two internship options:
In-Person Experience: A total of 8 students are selected for this experience to conduct a research project under the mentorship of faculty, staff, and students. Apart from research and lab work, you will participate in clinical rotations with neurologists, scientific seminars, educational and professional development sessions, meetings with faculty, and a final oral or poster presentation.
Virtual Experience: The virtual research experience includes a larger cohort and features a set of online activities, such as educational presentations, mentorship training, professional development training, learning basic laboratory techniques and experiments, and more.
This is a solid opportunity for you to participate in a hands-on mentored research experience in the neurological sciences where you will also gain pre-college exposure, long-term mentoring, and educational resources.
Location: Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications generally close in February.
Dates: June 10–August 1, 2024 (8 weeks)
Cost/Stipend:
No cost to attend, although there is a $40 application fee that can be waived based on financial need. Housing and meals are not provided.
All students are given a $500 minimum stipend. Stipends of $2500 and above are given on a needs-based system from special grants.
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) allows high school students to work on biomedical or medically-oriented research projects with Stanford faculty, students, researchers, and postdoctoral fellows. You can choose from eight research areas by stating your preference in the application. One of the research areas includes neurobiology, allowing students to work at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University under research themes like neuro-discovery, neuro-health, and neuro-engineering.
Once selected, you will be assigned a particular field of study (branch) based on your preference, and spend two months as a mentee. During the internship, you will attend safety training, work in labs full-time, and attend joint lectures. You’ll also get an opportunity to present your research and experience in the poster session at the end of the program. This is a fairly competitive program with a cohort size of about 50 students – at an acceptance rate of less than 3% (approximately).
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 9-11 can apply. Students must have completed one year of high school biology and one year of high school chemistry to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for summer 2024 and will reopen in fall 2024 for the summer 2025 cohort.
Dates: July 6–July 27, 2024
Cost: $9,700 (includes tuition, housing, meals, trips and activities, and more). Students who attend a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school may be eligible for a Penn Summer Scholarship.
University of Pennsylvania’s Neuroscience Research Academy is taught by members of the university’s Biological Basis of Behavior program. It dives into the biological foundations of the brain, including concepts like cellular functions of neurons, high-order cognitive functions (like memory, morality, and emotion), and sensory systems. During the program, you will learn about the field in terms of both research and medicine, all the while staying on campus and getting a taste of the college experience.
The research academy includes lectures, discussions with faculty and peers, journal clubs, lab activities, films, readings, and trips and tours. You will get to participate in a neuroethics club to debate current ethical dilemmas within the neuroscience field. The lab sessions will also introduce you to experimental techniques. Final presentations and concluding discussions will also take place.
Location: Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old, live in Palm Beach or Martin County, and have U.S. work authorization can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for 2024 and will open in January 2025 for the 2025 cohort.
Dates: June 17–July 26, 2024 (6 weeks)
Stipend: $12.5 per hour
The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) Summer Research Internship allows high school students to experience working in a laboratory with accomplished and established researchers and neuroscientists. If selected, you will receive mentorship, learn about brain structure and development, and gain an understanding of advanced imaging techniques and technologies. You will get to participate in research projects alongside MPFI scientists and prepare a written scientific abstract based on your research project.
During the program, y will primarily work in wet labs, learning techniques like genetic engineering, histological staining, microbiology preparations, and microscopy. These will then help you go through research questions about neural circuits. Once you complete your internship, you will get to deliver presentations to peers, researchers, and the community at large. You can take a look at past intern presentations here.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA or Virtual
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in early March.
Dates:
Virtual session: June 17–June 28, 2024
In-person sessions: July 8–July 19, 2024 | July 22–August 2, 2024
Cost: $1,495 (virtual) | $2,795 (in-person). Scholarships are available for qualified applicants and you can request financial assistance in your application.
The Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) at Stanford University exposes students to introductory concepts in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. This 2-week program will introduce you to the diverse research available in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. During the program, you will get to attend seminars with professional faculty and researchers, explore professional and career possibilities, and learn self-care strategies.
The highlight of this program is the capstone research project in which you will work in groups of 8-10 to develop innovative solutions in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. You will then present this project at the final capstone event at the end of the program. Some topics covered in the past include eating disorders, neuroimaging, mindfulness, early intervention programs, sports psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, brain stimulation, trauma, addiction, autism, and more.
Location: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Eligibility: Massachusetts high school juniors (or rising seniors) or recent high school graduates can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.
Dates: July 1–August 9, 2024
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
The Youth Neurology Education and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital exposes high school students to leading neuroscientists and neurologists, mentored research opportunities, and publication and presentation opportunities. The initial part of the program will focus on a bootcamp in which you will get to understand the expectations and requirements of the internship and attend research and clinical training, build networks, improve your laboratory skills, and begin a one-on-one mentorship.
During the program, you will be paired with an undergraduate student and a faculty member, with whom you will complete a research project in the laboratory while simultaneously engaging in lectures, social events, field trips, tours, and more. You will work on current, ongoing research projects and will not get to create an individual summer research project. You will also get to engage in three weekly didactic sessions led by neurologists, neuroscientists, and other professionals, which will improve your knowledge of neurology. The program will culminate in a session where you will present your project to faculty, peers, and family.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Eligibility: NYC students (preference is given to students in upper Manhattan and South Bronx) in grades 10–11 nominated by the program’s partner programs and schools can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for 2024 and will reopen in October 2024 for the 2025 program.
Dates: June–August (5 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
The Zuckerman Institute’s Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC) provides high-schoolers with an immersive, hands-on summer research experience in a Columbia laboratory. This program offers you the unique opportunity to collaborate with established scientists and acquire essential research skills.
During your internship, you will be paired with a mentor from Columbia's neuroscience department, overseeing your involvement in a specific research project. By the end of the program, you will have a deeper appreciation for how lab research catalyzes groundbreaking discoveries, insight into an academic research career, and a stronger foundation in neuroscience principles. For instance, past participant Edgar Garcia researched the role of specific neurons in transmitting sensory information from the external environment.
Please note that the BRAINYAC application is exclusive to students nominated by their partner organizations, including S-PREP, Lang Youth Medical Program, Double Discovery Center, Columbia Secondary School, and BioBus.
Location: Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors in high school can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in April.
Dates: June 17–August 2, 2024 (7 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
Ohio State University’s Explorations in Neuroscience Research Internship Program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), providing a paid and comprehensive opportunity for high school students to gain practical research experience in neuroscience, neurological injury, and neurodegeneration. You will get to conduct research in an active laboratory while receiving research mentorship and access to numerous facilities of the laboratory and university. You will not only work directly with a trained mentor but you will also get to learn from graduate students and technicians working within the lab. You can take a look at some potential research mentors here.
Additionally, you will receive access to lab meetings, social activities, and a neuroscience journal club to receive training in reading and presenting literature. You will also get to explore Neuroscience as an undergraduate major and career choice and present your research findings at the end of the program.
Location: Duke University, Durham, NC
Eligibility: Current North Carolina high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are at least 15 years old and are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or legal residents can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.
Dates: June 10–August 2, 2024 (8 weeks)
Stipend: A stipend (amount not specified) is provided along with daily lunch. Students will need to commute every day as housing is not provided.
The Duke University Neuroscience Experience (DUNE) provides an opportunity for local high school students to engage in full-time research and to work at one of the university’s cutting-edge neuroscience laboratories. During the program, you will get matched with a lab and professional mentor and perform research for a project of your choice, thereby improving your lab research skills.
Further, you will get to attend professional development sessions and workshops to improve your understanding of neuroscience, college applications, and career opportunities. At the end of the program, you will attend a poster session where you will get to present your project to your peers, family, and DUNE faculty. You can take a look at the past interns' and scholars’ stories here.
Location: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are at least 16 years old and can commute to the hospital for 5 days of the week are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Dates: July 7–August 9, 2024 (5 weeks)
Stipend: $1,000
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Neurology High School Scholars Program offers students an opportunity to work closely with a neuroscientist or neurologist on a basic science or clinical research project. The exact work hours will be determined based on your agreement with your mentor.
During the internship, you will also have an opportunity to shadow physicians in clinics, attend weekly education sessions, and prepare and deliver poster presentations at the final conference which will take place in mid-August. To understand the types of projects you can work on, take a look at some past projects here.
Note that apart from the application process, you might need to undergo other personal clearances such as immunizations, FBI fingerprinting, and other background checks in addition to research and training requirements depending on your project.
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!
This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.
You can find the application link here
One other option - the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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