9 Research Internships for High School Students
Participating in a research internship during high school can greatly enhance your resume and bolster your college applications. Gaining hands-on experience in research not only offers insight into your chosen field but also facilitates a deeper understanding and application of theoretical concepts.
Research internships that offer full funding or a stipend are highly regarded for admission to colleges, reflecting your skills and commitment to your academic interests. There is a huge competition for these internships.
To make your journey smooth, we've curated a list of 9 virtual, fully funded/paid research internships tailored for high school students, providing an opportunity to earn compensation for your efforts and cover associated expenses.
1. Ladder Internships—Mentored research program
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
The UCLA BrainSport Summer High School Research Internship is for students fascinated by neuroscience, research methodologies, and brain functions. It presents an opportunity to engage in research alongside scientists and clinicians specializing in brain health and sports-related concussions. You will contribute to studies crucial for sports medicine and brain injury prevention. Tasks include literature reviews, data collection, and analyses. Using state-of-the-art equipment and technology, you will gain experience with techniques probing brain functionality and concussion impacts. Moreover, attending seminars, lectures, and discussions led by industry experts will expand your knowledge.
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Dates: June to late August. Work will likely be three to four half-days per week, for approximately 16 hours per week.
Cost: None
Eligibility: Rising juniors, with the intent that you may be a mentor for a rising junior next year.
Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
REHS presents a chance to work on ongoing research projects across eight weeks. The role spans from formulating and testing hypotheses to conducting computational experiments and drawing conclusions. You will engage in regular laboratory meetings and group discussions. 65% of REHS graduates advance to colleges and universities ranked among the top 20 globally. The program entails software training, scholarly readings, and discussions with mentors and graduate student teams, requiring a weekly commitment of 15-20 hours.
Location: San Diego, CA
Dates: June 17 - August 9
Cost/Stipend: Program with research project: $1,500. Program without research project: Free.
Eligibility: All high school students who reside in San Diego or can acquire housing there are eligible to participate.
Deadline: March 15
The Student Research Internship Program (SRTI) spans 10 weeks during the summer. Its objective is to prepare individuals interested in health sciences, statistics, and computational/computer science to assume leadership roles in translational medical research. SRTI stands out for its work in translational research. It focuses on personalized healthcare through the exploration of genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic markers of health and disease. You will learn from scientists, including globally recognized experts in genomics, bioinformatics, digital medicine, and community engagement.
Location: Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA
Dates: Multiple sessions are available:
Session One: June 3 - August 9
Session Two: June 17 - August 23
Cost: None
Eligibility: Highly motivated students in high school, college, or professional training who will be at least 16 years of age before the start of their internship.
Deadline: March 30
This program provides high school and community college students with exposure to interdisciplinary research and the diversity of research topics pursued in engineering. You will spend most of the time conducting research from where you are located (if you are working on hardware projects, materials will be sent to you) while regularly communicating with your mentors and group members. You can anticipate a commitment of 30-40 hours per week, guided by Stanford's faculty and industry experts.
Location: Virtual
Dates: June 17 to August 9
Cost: None
Eligibility: Students who will be in grades 11-12 at the time of application, OR full-time community college students are eligible to apply.
Deadline: February 23
The SIMR program, with an acceptance rate of 3% (about 50 students), offers individual mentorship with Stanford faculty from various departments. You can choose from research areas like immunology, bioengineering, neurobiology, cancer biology, stem cell and regenerative medicine, genetics and genomics, bioinformatics, and cardiovascular biology. You will collaborate with postdoctoral fellows, undergraduates, graduates, and other researchers.
Location: Stanford School of Medicine (Stanford University), Stanford, CA
Dates: June 10 - August 1 (8 weeks)
Stipend: All students receive a minimum of $500 for the program.
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors of high school who are at least 16 years old can apply. Permanent U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Deadline: February 24
HS-SIP allows 11th and 12th graders to conduct research and data analysis under professional mentors in biomedical, social, and behavioral sciences. The program includes two cohorts: HiSTEP for rising 12th graders and HiSTEP 2.0 for current high school seniors. With a competitive acceptance rate of 15%, HS-SIP provides a valuable opportunity for students to gain research experience at the NIH.
Location: NIH campuses
Dates: July 2 - August 1 (8 weeks)
Stipend: $2,300 per month
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors of high school who are at least 16 years old can apply.
Deadline: February 16
The QuarkNet Summer Research Program at Fermilab, overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy, offers students the opportunity to collaborate with scientists on research projects. While project topics can vary, Fermilab typically focuses on areas such as particle physics, particle accelerators, quantum science, computing, and detectors. Students participating in the program can expect to engage in tasks like oral presentations and data collection.
Location: Fermilab, Batavia, IL
Dates: June 17 - August 2 (7 weeks)
Stipend: $17.20 per hour
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in Illinois high schools.
Deadline: January 15
Microsoft's Discovery Program offers a summer internship that introduces high school students to computer science and the tech industry. You will learn core computer science principles, receive mentorship from Microsoft professionals, and gain essential skills that could lead to future career opportunities. Designed for students interested in technology and its applications, the program emphasizes hands-on learning.
Location: Redmond, Washington, or Atlanta, Georgia
Dates: July 8 to August 2
Stipend: A stipend of $20 per hour will be provided
Eligibility: Open to graduating high school seniors who live around Redmond, Washington, OR Atlanta, Georgia
Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
One other option
If you’re interested in pursuing rigorous research in a subject of your choice, 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.
Image Source: Microsoft logo