A balanced shortlist of recognizable programs, scholarships, and research options to compare.
Programs in this collection (8)
Research Science Institute: MIT / CEE. Summer Program, Cambridge, Massachusetts and Stanford, California, USA. Free summer research program run by CEE at MIT and Stanford. Students take a week of intensive STEM classes, then do a five-week individual research internship. Open to high school juniors who are 16 by July 1; seniors are not eligible. U.S. and some international students apply directly.
Summer Science Program: SSP. Summer Program, Multiple, USA. Five-week residential research program on college campuses for high school juniors, who work in teams of three on astrophysics, biochemistry, cell biology or bacterial genomics. Applicants must be at least 15 and under 19. A fee is charged, with need-based financial aid requested after admission.
Yale Young Global Scholars: Yale University. Summer Program, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. A two-week residential academic program on Yale's campus in New Haven for current high school sophomores and juniors from any country. Students choose academic tracks in science and technology, politics, law and economics, or global challenges, and attend one of three sessions in June and July. Tuition is $7,500 per session and covers on-campus housing, meals and materials but not travel. Need-based aid covers up to full tuition, and local commuters get a $1,000 discount.
Pioneer Research Program: Pioneer Academics. Research, Worldwide. Online research program where high school students in grades 9 to 12 from any country design their own research question and write an original research paper with guidance from a university professor. Admission is competitive and requires an interview. Tuition is charged, with need-based aid.
Lumiere Research Scholar: Lumiere Education. Research, Worldwide. Independent online research mentorship with PhD scholars from top universities, ending in an independent research paper. Lumiere admits several cohorts through the year rather than on one annual deadline, so check the application page for the cohort currently open.
Stanford SIMR: Stanford School of Medicine. Summer Program, Stanford, California, USA. Summer medical research program at Stanford for current high school juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens or green card holders, at least 16, and attend a U.S. high school. The program is free and favors Bay Area students; most students get no stipend, but a few need-based stipends exist.
PROMYS: Boston University. Summer Program, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Six-week residential summer of deep, creative work in number theory at Boston University (June 27 - August 7, 2027) for students aged 14-18 who have finished 9th grade. Free, including room and board, for U.S. families earning under $80,000 a year, with need-based aid above that. The 2027 application, including a problem set, opens in January with a deadline at the end of February.
Regeneron Science Talent Search: Society for Science. Competition, USA. The oldest U.S. science research competition for high school seniors, run by Society for Science and open to students in their last year of secondary school in the U.S. and its territories, regardless of citizenship. Entries are reviewed by three or more PhD scientists, mathematicians or engineers. The 300 scholars and their schools each receive $2,000, and 40 finalists each win at least $25,000 plus an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC.