Research Opportunities for High School Students: How to Start

High school students can do research through summer programs, lab internships, online programs, school courses, competitions and conferences, and student journals. Start with what you can reach this year, like a teacher or a science fair, and apply to summer programs in fall and winter.

Several of the best-known programs are free, but they're small. RSI takes about 100 students at MIT each summer and adds 50 at Stanford in 2027, so plan for more than one route.

What research opportunities are there for high school students?

There are six main types. Summer programs and internships put you in a university, hospital or government lab. You can do online programs and citizen science from home, school courses fit around class, and competitions, conferences and journals give finished work an audience.

Summer research programs

You spend five to eight weeks on a project with a university mentor. Most take current juniors.

• You finish with: a paper, poster or talk on your own project
• Read next: summer programs for high school students and free summer STEM programs

Research internships

You join a lab's existing project under its scientists, so the question is usually set for you.

• You finish with: lab skills and a supervisor who can write about your work
• Read next: research internships for high school students

Online research programs

You work remotely with a mentor or with a large online team.

• You finish with: a paper, or data work that feeds into scientists' studies

School courses and independent projects

AP Research ends with a 4,000 to 5,000 word paper and a presentation with an oral defense; AP Seminar comes first. The IB Extended Essay is a 4,000-word independent research paper. Without either, ask a science teacher to supervise a project you design.

• You finish with: a paper you can enter in a fair or send to a student journal
• Read next: research paper topics for high school students

Competitions and conferences

These give finished research a deadline and judges.

• You finish with: judges' feedback and sometimes prize money or a scholarship
• Read next: science fairs and competitions for high school students

Student journals

Some journals publish only student work. The Journal of Emerging Investigators publishes middle and high school science, and The Concord Review publishes secondary students' history papers.

• You finish with: a published paper, if the editors accept it
• Read next: journals that publish high school research

Which research programs can high school students apply to?

These nine programs give you a research project with a mentor. Five charge no program fee, and the other four offer need-based aid. Deadlines for 2027 run from November 2, 2026 to March 2027.

We chose university and nonprofit programs in which a mentor guides your project, listed roughly by deadline.

Facts checked October 2026. Dates, costs and rules come from each program's official page; where a 2027 figure isn't posted yet, we give 2026's and say so.

MIT PRIMES-USA

• Deadline: November 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST; recommendation letters by November 6
• Who can apply: sophomores and juniors living in the U.S., including homeschooled students
• Cost: free
• Format: remote, January to December 2027, on math or bioinformatics problems
• Official page: PRIMES-USA: How to Apply

You solve an entrance problem set, and PRIMES encourages you to apply if you can solve at least 70% of it.

Research Science Institute (RSI)

• Deadline: December 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
• Who can apply: juniors; international students apply through their own country's selection process
• Cost: free
• Format: a week of STEM classes, then a five-week research internship, at MIT or (new for 2027) Stanford
• Official page: CEE's Apply to RSI page

Our RSI guide covers the essays.

Simons Summer Research Program

• Deadline: February 5, 2027, 11:59 p.m. EST; school nominations are due January 29
• Who can apply: juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and 16 by the start; each school nominates up to three
• Cost: no program fee; $75 application fee, with waivers; residential students pay for housing and meals
• Format: six weeks in a Stony Brook faculty research group, June 28 to August 6, 2027
• Official page: Simons: How to Apply

Simons says prior research experience isn't required. It received 1,864 applications in 2026 and lists 60 fellows selected.

Clark Scholars Program

• Deadline: February 15, 2027, 11:59 p.m. CT
• Who can apply: current juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and 17 by the start
• Cost: no program fee and free room and board; in 2026, a $25 application fee and a $750 stipend on completion
• Format: seven weeks one-on-one with a Texas Tech faculty member, June 20 to August 5, 2027
• Official page: Clark Scholars application details

Clark takes 12 students a summer in almost any field, including the humanities and fine arts.

Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)

• Deadline: late February 2027 (the 2026 deadline was February 21)
• Who can apply: juniors and seniors who are 16 by June 2027 and U.S. citizens or permanent residents in a U.S. high school
• Cost: no cost to take part; in 2026, a $50 application fee, with a waiver and stipend consideration for families earning under $80,000
• Format: eight weeks in a Stanford lab, June 7 to July 29, 2027 (tentative)
• Official page: Stanford's SIMR site

SIMR says selection will heavily favor Bay Area students. It doesn't provide housing, so you live with a responsible adult.

Summer Science Program (SSP)

• Deadline: expected in February 2027 for U.S. applicants and January 2027 for international applicants
• Who can apply: students graduating from high school in 2028
• Cost: $11,800 in 2026; free to apply, and aid covers 100% of demonstrated need
• Format: five weeks, residential, in teams working on astrophysics, biochemistry, bacterial genomics or cell biology
• Official page: SSP's application page

SSP expects a typical family of four earning about $140,000 or less to get full aid or a discount for 2027.

Boston University RISE

• Deadline: not posted yet; the 2027 application opens December 17
• Who can apply: juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
• Cost: $10,735 residential or $6,415 commuter in 2026, plus a $75 application fee; limited need-based aid
• Format: six weeks, about June 27 to August 6, 2027; Internship track (40 hours a week in a lab) or Practicum track (group research)
• Official page: BU's RISE page

About 190 students attended in 2026, out of thousands of applicants, according to BU's RISE FAQ.

UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP)

• Deadline: not posted yet; the application opens December 15, 2026 (the 2026 deadline was March 9)
• Who can apply: in 2026, 10th and 11th graders and advanced 9th graders with at least a 3.80 weighted GPA
• Cost: $13,274 residential or $5,675 commuter in 2026; limited need-based scholarships, with priority for California residents
• Format: June 14 to July 30, 2027, starting with a short virtual component; projects in STEM, the humanities or social sciences
• Official page: UCSB's RMP page

Our UCSB RMP guide has more detail.

UT Austin High School Research Academy (HSRA)

• Deadline: March 2027
• Who can apply: Texas students who are 15 by June 1; out-of-state and international students aren't accepted
• Cost: $4,500, with need-based scholarships
• Format: in person only at UT Austin, June 7 to July 14, 2027; no housing or transportation
• Official page: UT's HSRA FAQ

GPA and class rank aren't considered; selection rests on an essay and your research interests.

Are there online research opportunities for high school students?

Yes, though the free ones are mostly in math and citizen science. PRIMES-USA (above) mentors U.S. sophomores and juniors remotely. Virtual programs that charge tuition exist too, so compare them on the questions below.

• CrowdMath: a year-long online math research project run by MIT PRIMES and Art of Problem Solving, open to high school and college students worldwide
• Zooniverse: a people-powered research platform where volunteers help research teams with their data, and its projects have led to peer-reviewed papers

For any online program, ask who your mentor is, how often you meet live and what you'll have at the end. If you want a mentor assigned to you, our Nova Research Program pairs you one-on-one with a mentor to design and complete original research.

What research conferences can high school students present at?

The main ones are the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) and the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) meeting. Science fairs lead to Regeneron ISEF, and history students have National History Day. Most need finished research and start with a local, regional or state round.

• JSHS: you submit a paper to a regional symposium. The 2027 national symposium runs April 20 to 25 in Chantilly, Virginia.
• AJAS: delegates, picked by state or regional academies of science or approved at large, present posters at the AAAS Annual Meeting. The 2027 meeting is February 17 to 20 in Chicago, and registration is $500 per person, including chaperones.
• Regeneron ISEF: you qualify through a Society-affiliated fair. ISEF 2027 is in Los Angeles in May.
• Regeneron STS: a research competition for students in their last year of high school in the U.S., regardless of citizenship. 2027 applications are due November 5, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

AJAS has no financial aid for 2027, and delegates under 18 need a registered, paid chaperone.

Ask your science teacher which regional JSHS and which science fair your school feeds into. Before your first round, read our guides to presenting your research and ISEF strategy.

How do you choose a summer research program?

Check eligibility first, since many programs rule students out by age, citizenship, state or grade. Then compare who mentors you, whether you choose the question, what you finish with and the full cost, including housing and travel.

Ask how many hours a day you'll spend with your mentor or research group. Simons expects at least four.

How do you get a research opportunity in high school?

Start with people you can reach now: a science teacher, your school's research class or a local science fair. Then apply to summer programs between November and March, and email professors whose recent papers you have read.

1. Pick a field and a rough question. "Does sleep affect memory?" is enough to start.
2. Ask a teacher. Ask about a research class or the science fair, and whether they'll supervise you.
3. Check nearby universities. Look for high school research programs, such as UT Austin's HSRA for Texas students.
4. Apply to summer programs. Use the timeline below and apply to several.
5. Email professors. Ask a specific question about one of their recent papers. Our guide to cold emailing professors covers what to write.
6. Start on your own. Join a citizen science project or analyze a public dataset while you wait for decisions.

How do you do a research project in high school?

Pick a narrow question, read what's already published, choose a method, collect and analyze data, then write it up and present it. AP Research spreads these steps over a school year.

1. Narrow the question. For example, "Does one night of short sleep lower scores on a word-recall test?" is testable; "How does sleep work?" isn't.
2. Read what's published. Find recent papers through Google Scholar or your library, and note what's still unanswered.
3. Choose a method. Decide whether you'll collect new data or analyze existing data; our guide to primary vs. secondary research explains the difference.
4. Get approval if people are involved. ISEF rules require an Institutional Review Board to approve any study with human participants, including surveys, before you start. Our IRB approval guide walks through it.
5. Analyze the data. A spreadsheet is enough for many projects; our data analysis guide covers the tools.
6. Write it up. Follow the structure of a journal article; see how to write a research paper in high school.
7. Share it. Enter a fair or symposium, or submit to a student journal.

Can high school students do PhD-level research?

Not at the scale of a PhD, which takes years of full-time work. But you can do original research on one narrow question with PhD-trained mentors. PRIMES-USA students work on unsolved problems in math and bioinformatics, and RSI students run individual projects under experienced scientists.

What's realistic is one well-defined result, written up as a paper or poster. Some students go further: PRIMES lists fourth- and fifth-place finishes at the 2026 Regeneron STS among its students.

When should you apply for summer 2027 research programs?

Start in the fall: PRIMES-USA closes November 2, 2026, and RSI closes December 11. Most other programs open in December or January and close in February or March 2027. Ask teachers for recommendation letters at least a month before each deadline.

• November 2026: PRIMES-USA applications are due November 2, and seniors' Regeneron STS entries are due November 5
• December 2026: RSI closes December 11
• January 2027: Simons nominations are due January 29
• February 2027: Simons closes February 5, Clark February 15 and SIMR in late February; SSP's U.S. deadline is expected then
• March 2027: HSRA closes; UCSB RMP's 2026 deadline was March 9, and its 2027 date isn't posted yet

What mistakes do students make when looking for research?

The common ones are applying only to the hardest programs, missing an eligibility rule and waiting for a program to start. Others pick a question too big to finish, survey people without IRB approval or pay a company that promises publication.

• A question too large: narrow it until you can name the data you'll collect and where it comes from
• Paying for a promise of publication: journal editors decide what they accept, so no program can guarantee it

Guides in this series

• Why do a research project in high school?
• Research paper topics for high school students
• Primary vs. secondary research
• How to write a research paper in high school
• Journals that publish high school research
• How to cold email professors for research
• Research internships for high school students
• Summer programs for high school students

Frequently asked questions

Are there engineering research opportunities for high school students?

Yes: RSI covers science and engineering, and BU RISE internships include biomedical, electrical and computer, and mechanical engineering. Stony Brook's Garcia Center runs a summer program in polymers; its 2026 lab fee was $4,000, not including room and board. Applicants in 2026 had to be 16 by July 4 with a 3.8 unweighted GPA, and 2027 details aren't posted yet.

Are there paid research programs or research scholarships for high school students?

Clark Scholars paid a $750 stipend in 2026, and SIMR considers stipends for families earning under $80,000. Regeneron STS awards $3.1 million a year, with $250,000 for first place.

Do you need research experience to apply?

Usually not. Simons says prior research experience isn't required. RSI asks applicants who've done a project of four weeks or longer to include a letter from that research supervisor.

Do research programs guarantee publication?

No. Journal editors decide what they publish, so no program can promise acceptance. A good program helps you finish a paper worth submitting to a student journal.