If you’re a high school student deeply interested in STEM, especially in the biological sciences, and want useful lab experience, consider joining a summer research program! Such programs are a great way to gain practical, hands-on research skills and build critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills. 

You’ll learn academic writing and undertake an independent research project. What’s more, research experiences go a long way in helping you make a career decision and demonstrating a sustained interest in a subject, something that college admissions boards value highly.

In this blog, we’ll review the KEYS Research Internship at the University of Arizona. You will learn more about the program, its offerings, eligibility, relevant application dates, and its prestige. We’ll also list some reasons that make this program worth considering! 

What is the KEYS Research Internship all about?

The Keep Engaging Youth in Science (KEYS) Internship program is a seven-week, in-person program held at the University of Arizona’s BIO5 Institute, a state-of-the-art bioscience research center specializing in agriculture, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, and science. The program is a hands-on research experience: you spend seven weeks engaged in lab techniques, research work, and completing a personal project under the guidance of U-Arizona college students and faculty members. Through the program, you will gain experience in several areas, including biostatistics, data science, biomedical engineering, and science communication. 

Who can apply for the program?

The KEYS Internship is open to all high school students who meet the following criteria:

• At least 16 years old by the program start date

• U.S. citizen or legal resident

• Have lived in Arizona for at least one year

Additionally, the program recommends students have studied biology and/or chemistry in high school, though this isn’t a necessary condition to be accepted. 

What are the important dates?

The 2025 program runs from June 2 to July 18. Application for 2025 will open in Fall 2024. No application deadline has been given yet.

How much does the program cost?

Nothing, the program is free! You can avail of financial aid to cover transportation and other associated costs.

Is the program prestigious?

The KEYS Internship is prestigious and selective. In 2023, the acceptance rate was 13%. You do not pay any tuition fee and get an immersive, seven-week research experience while being mentored by faculty. The BIO5 Institute conducts cutting-edge, relevant research that you can participate in, making it a sought-after opportunity. 

However, the program isn’t as prestigious as some other research opportunities offered by leading U.S. universities. U-Arizona ranks #50 nationally in the biological sciences and factors that limit selectivity include cohort size and eligibility criteria. The KEYS Internship accepts 50-60 students annually, and you must have lived in Arizona for a year to be eligible. 

How is the program structured?

The KEYS Internship, a seven-week program, is split into three main parts:

• Week 1: Training. You will learn basic research techniques, some scientific communication skills, and more about bioscience and data science techniques used in laboratories. 

• Weeks 2-6: Lab research. You will be assigned to a research lab and paired with a U-Arizona researcher based on your stated interests during this time. These five weeks include 35+ hours weekly of lab work, seminars, and discussions relating to ongoing research. 

• Week 7: Poster prep and presentation. The program’s last week goes into preparing your scientific poster detailing the research you conducted and showcasing it in a conference-style setting to faculty, peers, friends, and family.

What will I do as a KEYS Intern?

As an intern, you will spend seven weeks conducting biosciences research at U-Arizona’s BIO5 Institute. You can choose any of the following research areas: agriculture, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, and science, and will be assigned a mentor accordingly. Mentors are present/past college students who oversee your work under the supervision of principal investigators, who are faculty members and BIO5 researchers. 

Research projects done by previous years’ students include investigating the microbiome and autism spectrum disorder, high-resolution mass spectrometry screening, using electronic health records to analyze valley fever and pneumonia patients, using imaging for brain trauma treatment, counting wasp neurons, and much more.

Why should I join the KEYS Internship?

Are you interested in the program? Here are seven reasons to consider becoming a KEYS Intern:

1. You join an intensive program and conduct hands-on research

The KEYS Internship is a seven-week research internship at U-Arizona’s BIO5 lab, where you will conduct relevant research in the biological sciences while receiving 1-1 mentorship.

1. You will gain important skills

Apart from lab research, you will learn about scientific communication, especially academic writing and presentation, data science, and biostatistics, which will help you during the internship and beyond.

1. You earn college credits

You can earn three credits for U-Arizona’s molecular biology undergraduate course, which you can use if you opt for a bioscience-focused program at the university!

1. You don’t have to pay anything!

KEYS is a free program, making it more accessible. In addition to waiving tuition fees, U-Arizona offers deserving candidates financial aid to cover associated costs like travel, stay, meals, and even monetary support to let you supplement leave of absence from another job, if you already have one.

1. You will have an advantage if you pursue your undergraduate degree at U-Arizona

Apart from earning redeemable college credit, participating in KEYS guarantees your admission into U-Arizona’s W.A. Franke Honors College should you choose to pursue an undergraduate degree. W.A. Franke focuses on experiential learning to complement your degree, allowing you to take small classes and research projects with college faculty. 

1. You get to do a research project

During the program, you will complete an independent research project under the mentorship of a U-Arizona college student and faculty principal investigators. This project can span several core areas of bioscience. In previous years, program alumni have used the internship to investigate autism, diseases like valley fever and pneumonia, wasp neurons, and brain trauma.

1. You can leverage your experience for a strong recommendation letter

Completing an intensive research internship and presenting a compelling project can leave a strong impression on your mentor and program coordinators, who can write you a valuable recommendation letter to help you when applying to college!

Looking for an immersive internship experience?

Check out Ladder Internships!

Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!

Kieran Lobo is a freelance writer from India.