99 free high school research programs
Every program here costs students nothing to attend, and many pay a stipend. Filter by field, format or location, then email the directors from the last column. Last verified October 20, 2026.
99 programs
| Program | Host organization | Fields | Format | Cost | Location | Deadline | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-Trivial (nonprofit) | General STEMHumanities & policy | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online | Early-bird Nov 15, 2026; priority Jan 4, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Chicago, IL | Nov 30, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Office of Naval Research / Naval STEM | EngineeringGeneral STEMPhysics | In-person | Free + stipend | Navy labs nationwide | Nov 30, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Biomedical scienceCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Memphis, TN | Dec 4, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Center for Excellence in Education (at MIT; Stanford added 2027) | EngineeringGeneral STEMMath | In-person | Free | Cambridge, MA / Stanford, CA | Dec 11, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
MIT (student-run THINK) | Computer scienceEngineeringGeneral STEM | Virtual | Free + stipend | Remote + MIT visit | Jan 1, 2027 (opens Nov 1, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Duke Clinical Research Institute & Cook Children's Medical Center | Medicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Fort Worth, TX | Jan 4, 2027 (opens Dec 1, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
The Rockefeller University (RockEDU) | BiologyBiomedical science | In-person | Free | New York, NY | Jan 4, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center | Cancer researchMedicine | Hybrid | Free + stipend | Nashville, TN | Jan 4, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Duke Clinical Research Institute | Computer scienceMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Durham, NC | Jan 6, 2027 (opens Nov 16, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Notre Dame / South Bend, IN | Jan 6, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Air Force Research Laboratory (via USRA) | Computer scienceEngineeringPhysics | In-person | Free + stipend | AFRL sites nationwide | Jan 11, 2027 (opened Oct 12, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Illinois Cancer Center (UIC) | Biomedical scienceCancer researchPublic health | In-person | Free + stipend | Chicago, IL | Jan 11, 2027 (opened Oct 14, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center | BiologyCancer researchMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Houston, TX | Jan 13, 2027 (opens Nov 16, 2026) | EmailEmail the directors | |
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center | BiologyCancer researchMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Houston, TX | Jan 13, 2027 (opens Nov 16, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Duke Clinical Research Institute & Marshall University | Medicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Huntington, WV | Jan 15, 2027 (opened Oct 19, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
UT Southwestern Medical Center | Biomedical science | In-person | Free + stipend | Dallas, TX | Jan 22, 2027 (opens Nov 16, 2026) | EmailEmail the directors | |
Washington University in St. Louis | BiologyBiomedical science | In-person | Free + stipend | St. Louis, MO | Jan 25, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Houston Methodist Academic Institute | BiologyMedicine | In-person | Free | Houston, TX (Texas Medical Center) | Jan 29, 2027 (opens Dec 4, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Stony Brook University | Computer scienceEngineeringGeneral STEMMath | In-person | Free + stipend | Stony Brook, NY | School nomination Jan 29, 2027; application Feb 5, 2027 (opens Nov 15, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Carnegie Mellon University | AIComputer science | In-person | Free | Pittsburgh, PA | Feb 1, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Carnegie Mellon University | EngineeringGeneral STEMMath | In-person | Free | Pittsburgh, PA | Feb 1, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Barrow Neurological Institute | MedicineNeuroscience | In-person | Free | Phoenix, AZ | Feb 12, 2027 (opens Jan 4, 2027) | EmailEmail the directors | |
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center / University of Pittsburgh | BiologyCancer researchComputer science | In-person | Free + stipend | Pittsburgh, PA (plus partner sites) | Feb 14, 2027 (opens Dec 3, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Texas Tech University | General STEMHumanities & policy | In-person | Free + stipend | Lubbock, TX | Feb 15, 2027 (opens Jan 2, 2027) | EmailEmail the program office | |
The University of Kansas Cancer Center | Biomedical scienceCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Kansas City, KS | Mar 1, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
NASA | EngineeringGeneral STEM | Hybrid | Free + stipend | NASA centers nationwide (incl. Johnson Space Center, Houston) | Summer 2027: Mar 1, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center | Cancer researchMedicine | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online (Chicago-area students) | Mar 1, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | BiologyEarth & environmental science | In-person | Free + stipend | Washington, DC | Mar 2, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability | Earth & environmental science | In-person | Free | Stanford, CA | Mar 15, 2027 (opens Feb 1, 2027) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Army Educational Outreach Program | EngineeringGeneral STEM | In-person | Free + stipend | Partner labs nationwide | Mar 31, 2027 (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online (Iowa students) | Apr 1, 2027 (opens Feb 2027) | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center | Cancer researchMedicine | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online (Kentucky students) | Apr 2, 2027 | EmailEmail the directors | |
MIT Department of Mathematics | Computer scienceMath | In-person | Free | Cambridge, MA | Nov 2, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
MIT Department of Mathematics | Math | Virtual | Free | Remote (US) | Nov 2, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Computer scienceEngineeringGeneral STEM | Virtual | Free + stipend | Oak Ridge, TN (spring 2027 virtual) | Spring 2027: Oct 21, 2026 (summer session separate) | EmailEmail the directors | |
American Museum of Natural History | AstronomyBiologyEarth & environmental science | In-person | Free + stipend | New York, NY | Applications expected winter 2027 (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard | BiologyComputer science | In-person | Free + stipend | Cambridge, MA | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Cleveland, OH | March 2027 | EmailEmail the directors | |
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute | Biomedical science | In-person | Free + stipend | Philadelphia, PA | Summer 2027 applications open Feb 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center | Medicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Cincinnati, OH | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
City of Hope (Irell & Manella Graduate School) | Biomedical scienceCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Duarte, CA | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Cleveland Clinic Center for Youth and College Education | Biomedical scienceMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Cleveland, OH | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory | BiologyNeuroscience | In-person | Free | Cold Spring Harbor, NY | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Colorado Cancer Center (CU Anschutz) | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Aurora, CO | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Boston, MA | Applications open fall 2026 (check after Nov 1, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Atlanta, GA | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Exea Labs (non-commercial research collective) | AIComputer science | Virtual | Free | Online | Rolling | EmailEmail the program office | |
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory | Computer scienceEngineeringPhysics | In-person | Free + stipend | Batavia, IL | 2026 cycle (check site) - Jan 12 - Mar 1 window | EmailEmail the program office | |
Fox Chase Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free | Philadelphia, PA | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Fred Hutch Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Seattle, WA | 2027 info posted Nov 2026 (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Florida State University | EngineeringGeneral STEMMath | In-person | Free | Tallahassee, FL | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free | Washington, DC | Applications typically open Feb 1 (check site) | EmailEmail the directors | |
Harvard Medical School Office for Culture and Community Engagement | Biomedical scienceMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Boston, MA | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Feb 4, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Harvard Undergraduate OpenBio Laboratory | BiologyGeneral STEM | Virtual | Free | Online | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian | AstronomyPhysics | Hybrid | Free + stipend | Cambridge, MA | 2026-27 cycle closed (check site) | EmailEmail the directors | |
University of Minnesota (The Hormel Institute) | BiologyCancer research | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online (Minnesota students) | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah Health | Cancer researchMedicine | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Apr 25, 2026 | EmailEmail the directors | |
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah Health | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Salt Lake City, UT | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Feb 1, 2026 | EmailEmail the directors | |
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center | Biomedical scienceCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Indianapolis, IN | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory | Computer scienceEngineeringPhysics | In-person | Free | Laurel, MD | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Jan 1 - Feb 15, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine | Biomedical scienceMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Baltimore, MD | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the directors | |
MIT Lincoln Laboratory | EngineeringPhysics | In-person | Free | Lexington/Cambridge, MA | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Mar 11, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Los Alamos National Laboratory | Computer scienceEngineeringGeneral STEMPhysics | In-person | Free + stipend | Los Alamos, NM | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science | Biomedical scienceMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Rochester, MN | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center | Cancer researchMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Ann Arbor, MI | Applications open Jan 11, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
MIT (MITES) | EngineeringGeneral STEM | Virtual | Free | Remote (US) | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
MIT (MITES) | EngineeringGeneral STEM | In-person | Free | Cambridge, MA | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Center for Excellence in Youth Education) | Biomedical scienceMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | New York, NY | Summer 2027 info expected Dec 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | New York, NY | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
National Institutes of Health | Biomedical scienceMedicinePublic health | In-person | Free + stipend | NIH campuses (Bethesda, MD and others) | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
National Institute of Standards and Technology | ChemistryComputer scienceEngineeringPhysics | In-person | Free | Gaithersburg, MD / Boulder, CO | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
UT Health San Antonio | Biomedical science | In-person | Free | San Antonio, TX | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the directors | |
Northwestern University / Lurie Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Chicago/Evanston, IL | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Notre Dame Department of Physics and Astronomy | AstronomyPhysics | In-person | Free + stipend | Notre Dame, IN | 2027 details posted early spring 2027 | EmailEmail the directors | |
NYU Tandon School of Engineering | EngineeringGeneral STEM | In-person | Free + stipend | Brooklyn, NY | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Open Discovery | General STEM | Virtual | Free | Online | 2026 cycle (check site) - was June 21, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center | Cancer researchMedicine | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online (Philadelphia region priority) | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Mar 1, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Princeton University | AIComputer science | In-person | Free | Princeton, NJ | Check site (2027 cycle not yet posted) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Princeton University | EngineeringGeneral STEM | In-person | Free | Princeton, NJ | Opens Feb 15, 2027 (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Rice University Center for STEM Engagement | Computer scienceEngineeringMedicine | In-person | Free + stipend | Houston, TX | Applications open Dec 2026 | EmailEmail the directors | |
Rice University Center for STEM Engagement | Earth & environmental science | Hybrid | Free | Houston, TX | Check site (contingent on funding) | EmailEmail the directors | |
Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science | Biomedical science | In-person | Free | New Brunswick, NJ | Feb 1 (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Rutgers Cancer Institute | Biomedical scienceCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | New Brunswick, NJ | Summer 2027 cycle opens Nov 4 (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Salk Institute for Biological Studies | BiologyNeuroscience | In-person | Free + stipend | La Jolla, CA | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Sandia National Laboratories | Computer scienceEngineeringPhysics | In-person | Free + stipend | Albuquerque, NM / Livermore, CA | Not posted | EmailEmail the program office | |
Saturday Academy (host sites incl. OHSU) | Biomedical scienceEngineeringGeneral STEM | In-person | Free + stipend | Portland, OR area | 2027 application opens mid-Jan 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Scripps Research | BiologyBiomedical scienceChemistry | In-person | Free + stipend | La Jolla, CA | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Seattle Children's Research Institute | Biomedical science | In-person | Free + stipend | Seattle, WA | 2027 details not posted (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
SPAN (non-commercial mentorship initiative) | AIComputer scienceMathPhysics | Virtual | Free | Online | Rolling | EmailEmail the program office | |
Stanford Medicine | BiologyEngineeringMedicine | In-person | Free | Stanford, CA | Late Feb 2027 (opens Dec 18, 2026) | EmailEmail the program office | |
Texas Biomedical Research Institute | BiologyEarth & environmental science | In-person | Free | San Antonio, TX | Applications open Dec 1, 2026; decisions by Mar 12, 2027 | EmailEmail the program office | |
UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy | Astronomy | In-person | Free | Los Angeles, CA | 2026 cycle (check site) - was May 1 | EmailEmail the program office | |
UCSF Science & Health Education Partnership | Biomedical science | In-person | Free + stipend | San Francisco, CA | 2027 app not open yet; interest form on site | EmailEmail the directors | |
University of Houston | AIEarth & environmental scienceEngineering | In-person | Free + stipend | Houston, TX (UH main campus) | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Mar 31 for HS | EmailEmail the directors | |
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health | General STEMPublic health | In-person | Free + stipend | Rio Grande Valley, TX | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the program office | |
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center | BiologyCancer research | Virtual | Free + stipend | Online (Wisconsin students) | 2026 cycle (check site) - was Apr 24, 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
Robert A. Welch Foundation (at UT Austin, UT Arlington, UT Dallas, University of Houston, Texas A&M, Texas Tech) | ChemistryEngineering | In-person | Free | Six Texas campuses incl. University of Houston | Applications open mid-Dec 2026 | EmailEmail the program office | |
The Wistar Institute | Biomedical scienceCancer research | In-person | Free + stipend | Philadelphia, PA | 2026 cycle (check site) | EmailEmail the directors |