9 STEM Research Programs for High School Students in California

Signing up for research programs during high school offers more than hands-on experience. It also provides unique opportunities for personal growth and exposure to potential career paths. Research programs allow you to develop tangible work to enhance your resume and give you a leg up during college applications. College admissions officers love students who take the extra step to develop skills and gain experience in a specific subject!

For students living in and around California, here are 9 STEM research programs that you can consider:

1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Application deadline:  Four cohorts throughout the year, applications due in February, May, September, and December. You can apply here.

Eligibility: All high school students

Program dates: There are four cohorts throughout the year in spring, summer, fall, and winter

Location: Online

Financial assistance: You can check out the Lumiere Foundation, a non-profit research program, which offers assistance to low-income students

Founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford, this program pairs you with a top-tier PhD mentor from a prestigious university, providing personalized guidance as you work on an original research project. The program also offers support for getting your final paper published. It is a fully virtual program with different program formats of varying duration depending on your project — longer programs for a deeper dive into the research. You can choose from various STEM and humanities fields, including data science, medicine, astrophysics, architecture, engineering, sociology, AI, and more.

2. Heithoff-Brody High School Summer Scholars Program at Salk Institute

Application deadline: April 5

Eligibility: San Diego County residents who are at least 16 years of age, have a minimum GPA of 2.75, and have completed at least one year each of high school level chemistry and biology (exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis)  

Program dates: June 17 - August 9 (30-40 hours per week)

Location: Salk Institute, La Jolla

Stipend: $17 per hour. Financial assistance is available.

The Salk Institute is a non-profit research organization, and the Heithoff-Brody program offers high school students the chance to work on a research project while being mentored by one of the organization’s scientists. You will spend most of your time conducting research in the institute’s labs and learning about wet lab techniques, bioinformatics, data analysis, and more. The program also includes seminars, workshops, and biotech site visits. At the end of the program, you will present your research at a symposium, either as an oral or poster presentation. 

3. Veritas AI

Location: Virtual

Cost: $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase 

Application deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).

Program dates: Varies according to the cohort: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Eligibility: AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.

Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI with a suitable environment in which to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship. The AI Fellowship program will allow students to pursue independent AI research projects. Students work on their research projects over 15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest.You can find examples of previous projects here. 

4. City Of Hope Cancer Center’s Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy

Subject: Biomedicine

Application deadline: March 13

Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years of age and have completed high school courses in chemistry and biology

Program dates: June 3 – August 9

Location: City of Hope

Stipend: $4,000

This prestigious internship takes place at City of Hope, a cancer treatment and research center. It offers an opportunity to conduct biomedical research under the mentorship of scientists at the center. A highlight of this program is that you get to design your own research project in an area of interest. The internship consists of laboratory work, seminars, field trips, and lectures on topics like neural stem cells, plant signaling pathways, DNA repair, and more. The program culminates in a poster session where you will present the findings of your research. Keep in mind that this program is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of less than 5%.  

5. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)

Application deadline: February 24

Eligibility: Current juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years of age  

Program dates: June 10 – August 1

Location: Stanford University

Stipend: $500 - $1,500

SIMR is another prestigious program for high school students that gives interns one-on-one mentorship from a Stanford graduate student or post-doctoral fellow. You can choose from one of eight research areas— immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, genetics, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, and bioinformatics. You can expect to spend most of your time in the lab working with your mentor. Aside from this, you will also attend lectures and present your work at a poster session at the end of the program. With only 50 students per cohort and an acceptance rate of less than 3%, this program is also highly selective and difficult to enter.

6. California Academy of Science Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program

Application deadline: April 1

Eligibility: Current 9th and 10th grade students from SFUSD schools who have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and a grade C or above in science and math

Program dates: Multi-year with attendance required after school, on Saturdays, and on weekdays during the summer

Location: California Academy of Sciences

Stipend: Above minimum wage

The CiS program is the academy’s internship and youth development program aimed at students from communities underrepresented in STEM fields. The internship spans multiple years and involves gaining STEM knowledge, enhancing personal skills like leadership, and receiving guidance on college applications. You will attend training sessions, conduct fieldwork, and network with professionals. You'll also help with the Academy’s experiences for the public and work on a group research project led by an Academy researcher. While this requires a significant time investment, the CiS internship is a prestigious program (the previous batch only had 44 students) and would be a highlight on your profile.

7. UC San Diego Academic Connections Research Scholars

Application deadline: June 14

Eligibility: All high school students (individual courses may have prerequisites, and international students are welcome to apply)

Program dates: July 1 - July 26

Location: In-person, online, and hybrid options are available (varies with each course)

Fee: $1,500 - $3,000 (depending on course). A few scholarships are available.

The Academic Connections Research Scholars program offers high school students an opportunity to conduct university-level research under the mentorship of UC San Diego faculty. You will develop critical skills in scientific inquiry, data analysis, and academic writing. You can choose from one of several course options, including bioengineering, design, marine science, medicine, business, and life sciences. As an intern, you will work on a real-world project in the field. You can even enroll in more than one course. 

8. Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program

Application deadline: April 15

Eligibility: High school students from the Bay Area

Program dates: June 1 – August 24 for the summer research program; school year research has cohorts during the fall term and spring term

Location: ASDRP research and development campus, Fremont

Fee: $1,070 for the summer research program, $995 for the school year research program. Several scholarships are available for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

The ASDRP is a non-profit research and development institution consisting of expert scientists, engineers, and researchers. The research program will pair you with a mentor to work on a research project that focuses on expanding current scientific knowledge. You can choose from several different departments, including biology, chemistry, computer science, astrophysics, and more. Through the program, you will improve your critical thinking and analytical skills while learning about scientific inquiry and academic writing. A highlight of the ASDRP is that you present your work at a poster session, and your paper gets published in the online ASDRP journal! You will also receive support in submitting your paper to external publications.

9. California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS)

Application deadline: February 9

Eligibility: All high school students (and a few 8th graders) who are residents of California

Program dates: July 7 – August 3

Location: University of California (options available in five of the university’s campuses — Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Cruz)

Fee: $5,007. Need-based financial aid is available.

COSMOS is a summer program for high-achieving high school students interested in STEM. The program takes place in five University of California campuses, each offering a different set of courses for you to choose from. The topics included range from quantum mechanics and machine learning to microbiology and nanochemistry. During the residential program, you will attend lectures, lab sessions, networking opportunities, and group work sessions. You will also work on a research project (in pairs or groups), engage in fieldwork, and present your findings during a poster session at the end of the program.  

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. 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.