11 Best Free Research Opportunities for High School Students
If you’re a high school student looking for research opportunities, participating in free research programs will allow you to delve into your field of interest without the financial burden often associated with advanced education. These programs will also allow you access to cutting-edge facilities, expert mentorship, and practical experience, helping you enhance your academic and career prospects.
Many universities and research centers offer fully-funded research programs, some of which also offer stipends, allowing you to save up during the summer! Not to mention, such programs are usually highly selective and renowned, so getting into one of them can add considerable prestige to your portfolio and applications. Admissions committees value applicants who demonstrate a proactive approach to their education and these experiences will indicate that you are not only interested in your chosen field but have taken tangible steps to advance your knowledge and skills.
Here’s our curated list of 11 free research opportunities for high school students!
Cost: The program is fully funded!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort. Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall. Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation stands as a non-profit research program tailored for gifted students from low-income backgrounds. Stemming from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, renowned for its extensive one-on-one research opportunities for high school students, the foundation provides the same access to independent research experiences at zero cost.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In the flagship program, talented high-school students are paired with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can apply here! This program is a solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper.
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded, stipend provided (exact amount is undisclosed). There is a $40 application fee as well, but it can be waived with a need-based refund.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Application Deadline: Typically due in January.
Program Dates: June 23 to August 3.
Eligibility: Those who are entering their final year of high school are eligible to apply. It is recommended that PSAT Math Scores be at least 740 or higher and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Scores be 700 or higher. ACT math scores should be at least 33 and verbal scores at least 34.
The Research Science Institute is a prestigious six-week summer program for rising high school seniors at MIT. With a very low acceptance rate, RSI admits approximately 80 of the world’s top students each year. The program begins with a week featuring coursework in scientific theory, followed by five weeks dedicated to individual research projects. These projects span a spectrum of fields, including physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and engineering. You will be paired with mentors from the MIT faculty or affiliated research institutions. The program includes seminars, guest lectures, and field visits to local research labs and industry sites. At the end of the program, you’ll get to present your research findings in a formal symposium.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided to the interns, but interns are expected to cover transportation, dining, and residential costs.
Location: Stony Brook University, NY
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February.
Program Dates: July 1–August 9
Eligibility: Applicants must be in their junior year of high school at the time of applying, be US citizens and/or permanent residents, and be at least 16 years old by the start of the program.
The Simons Summer Research Program offers a seven-week summer research experience. Each year, around 40-50 students are selected from a competitive pool to work on research projects across disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and engineering. You’ll be matched with faculty mentors from Stony Brook or Brookhaven National Laboratory. The program includes weekly seminars and workshops covering topics such as scientific ethics, writing and presentation skills, and advanced laboratory techniques. You’ll also participate in professional development activities, including field visits to research facilities and networking events with STEM professionals. The program culminates in a symposium where you’ll get to present your research findings.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $2,300 - $2,530 (monthly stipend before graduation) | $2,570 - $2,840 (monthly stipend after graduation).
Location: NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: July 2–August 1
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and live in Washington DC, Maryland, or Virginia within 40 miles of the main NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
Conducted by the National Institute of Health, the HiSTEP program offers internships in the areas of biomedical engineering and healthcare. This program is for rising 12th graders from schools where 30% or more students participate in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program. You’ll learn about research and healthcare careers through lectures, research group visits, networking events, small group discussions, and group projects. You will also receive guidance on the college application process, develop career readiness and leadership skills, and participate in a resilience and well-being program. Spanning over 5 weeks, the program helps you explore the importance of biomedical research and other STEM-M careers.
Cost/Stipend: No cost to attend, but students may need to pay for their housing, meals, and transport. Information about the stipend is not available.
Location: UC Irvine, Irvine, CA
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: June 17 to July 25.
Eligibility: High school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors can apply.
Hosted by the NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research at UC Irvine, the Math ExpLR Summer Research Program divides students into small groups to work on a research project in computational biology. You will work under the mentorship of professors and researchers. The program covers Matlab programming, mathematical modeling, delivering research presentations, and writing a research paper. You will attend courses, meetings, trips, and other activities. You will get to work on a mid-term project and learn programming languages like LaTex. You can check out the project descriptions for 2024 here. You can also take a look at the sample schedule for 2024 here.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $6,800 for the 10-week program ($6,120 if participating for nine weeks).
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: June 3–August 9
Eligibility: High school seniors who are Texas residents and are at least 18 years old by the program start date.
This program is a highly selective 10-week summer opportunity for students interested in biomedical sciences. The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas allows students to work on a research project in one of the biomedical disciplines under the guidance of a full-time member of the MD Anderson faculty. You will learn the principles and processes involved in research and learn about the career opportunities at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre. In addition to laboratory experience, you will attend seminars presented by faculty on a variety of research topics. The program includes activities such as abstract, poster, and elevator speech competitions. The program admits only 10 students each year.
Cost/Stipend: The application fee of $40 can be waived. Housing and meals are not provided. All students are given a $500 minimum stipend. Stipends of $2,500 and above are given on a needs-based system from special grants.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February.
Program Dates: June 10–August 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged at least 16 with U.S. citizenship or permanent residency can apply.
SIMR accepts fewer than 3% of applicants, with only about 50 high school students chosen each year. This initiative allows participants to conduct research under the mentorship of Stanford’s graduate students or postdoctoral fellows. You can select from eight research areas—immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioengineering, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics, and genetics and genomics. The program begins with morning lectures in the initial weeks before transitioning to afternoon lab sessions. In the final two weeks, you will create and present a research poster to your peers, mentors, family, and the Stanford community.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; A stipend is provided courtesy of the City of Cambridge.
Location: Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), Cambridge, MA. Virtual mentorship options are also available.
Application Deadline: Applications open in May.
Program Dates: September– May
Eligibility: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School students (grades 9–12) are eligible to apply.
With an acceptance rate of under 5%, this program allows high school students to engage in a year-long astrophysics project alongside scientists from Harvard or the Smithsonian Center. Each year, 10–16 students are organized into groups to collaborate on their research projects. During the program, you will participate in monthly workshops and lectures. You’ll attend monthly advisory sessions with the SRMP team to discuss your progress. At the culmination of the program, you’ll showcase your findings at a symposium through posters and presentations.
Cost/Stipend: Free (transportation, housing, and meals not provided). A stipend of $17.20 per hour is provided to the interns.
Location: Fermilab, Batavia, IL
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January and open in November.
Program Dates: June 17–August 2
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors attending an Illinois high school with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status can apply.
Under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Energy, the QuarkNet Summer Research Program at Fermilab provides students with the chance to work on research projects alongside scientists. The focus areas at Fermilab generally include particle physics, quantum science, particle accelerators, computing, and detectors, although specific projects can differ. During the program, you will engage in tasks like data collection and oral presentations. This could include gathering and analyzing data through surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the program or contributing to the development of the team's research abstract.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided to the students.
Location: Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University, NY
Application Deadline: Applications open in October.
Program Dates: 5 weeks during the summer between June and August.
Eligibility: Applicants must be sophomores or juniors in high school nominated by BRAINYAC’s partner programs; they must reside in New York City, an preference is given to students in Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx.
BRAINYAC provides high schoolers with a summer research experience in a Columbia University laboratory. This program offers the opportunity to collaborate with scientists and acquire essential research skills. During your internship, you will be paired with a mentor from Columbia's neuroscience department who will oversee your work on a research project. By the end of the program, you will have insight into an academic research career and a stronger foundation in neuroscience principles. Past participant Edgar Garcia researched the role of specific neurons in transmitting sensory information from the external environment. BRAINYAC participation is exclusive to students nominated by their partner organizations, including S-PREP, Lang Youth Medical Program, Double Discovery Center, Columbia Secondary School, and BioBus.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a $3,600 stipend + partial reimbursement for transportation costs is provided to the participants.
Location: Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January. Applications open in mid-November.
Program Dates: June 24–August 2
Eligibility: Applicants must be rising high school seniors, attend a high school in MA within commuting distance of the Broad Institute, have earned a B or better in science and math classes, and be US citizens, permanent residents, or non-US citizens with employment authorization (i.e. DACA).
The Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP) allows high school students to spend six weeks at the Broad Institute. You’ll be matched with Broad scientists to conduct research in cancer biology, psychiatric disease, chemical biology, computational biology, infectious disease, genetics, genomics, and more. For example, if you’re interested in genetics, you can conduct research in areas such as Genome Regulation, Cellular Circuitry, Epigenomics; Medical and Population Genetics Research; Genetic Perturbation Platform; and more. In addition to original research, you will explore scientific careers, attend scientific talks, and present your research to the Broad community in a scientific poster session. You can also attend a college fair and participate in social events.
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.
Image Source: Stony Brook University's Simons Summer Research Program logo