High School Research that you don't have to pay for <3

Okay, so as a collective I think we're done with Lumiere and other bs companies. So as your friendly neighborhood research nerd, I've compiled a list of FREE research opportunities or ones with scholarships for low-income students.

If you have the money to pay for ones with scholarships, please do, because that helps them continue to run and benefits the community. But if you can't, apply for those scholarships because they're normally hella generous.

All of these programs connect you with prestigious colleges and universities and have opportunities to publicize and possibly publish your research.

Biology & Pre-Med

  1. iGEM (my personal favorite and the one I did for years) - synthetic biology & genetic engineering. free or low-cost (no more than $500 for the year) with great scholarships for students who need it. This is entirely dependent on your school's offerings and lab space or you can do it at a community lab if there's one in your area. FOR ALL GRADES https://competition.igem.org/
  2. Johns Hopkins Brain Science Internship - neuroscience. free w/$500 stipend. 5-week virtual program. focus on underrepresented students and Maryland residents. FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology-neurosurgery/research/jhu-nimh/jhibs
  3. USC Bridge Institute BUGS Jr. Program - human biology. free w/$800 stipend. summer program. very self-led, you have to make contact with professors yourself. NON-RESIDENTIAL but you have to be located in LA for the entire program. FOR ALL GRADES https://dornsife.usc.edu/bridge-institute/bugs-jr-program/
  4. Jackson Lab Summer Student Program - genetics. free w/$6,500 stipend, and room, board, and travel. 10-week summer program. very competitive. two locations (one in Maine, one in Connecticut). takes students through the whole research process from beginning to end. FOR SENIORS (Must be 18 by start of program) https://www.jax.org/education-and-learning/high-school-students-and-undergraduates/learn-earn-and-explore#
  5. Ohio State Neuroscience Research Internship - neuroscience. free w/stipend, non-residential 7-week summer program. underrepresented students are prioritized. access to OSU labs and mentorship. present research at end of program. FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS https://medicine.osu.edu/departments/neuroscience/outreach-and-events/internship
  6. UCSF Summer Research Program - biomedical. free w/$3,000 stipend. 9-week program. non-residential. connected with local labs and clinics. for underrepresented students. SO MUCH RESEARCH - they expect you to make an abstract and a proposal, and present a full research presentation at the end of the program. don't have to be local, but you have to find your own housing. FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS https://summerstudents.ucsf.edu/

Math & Physics

  1. Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars Program - math and general STEM. free with a stipend. very competitive. summer and school-year opportunities. in-person at locations around the country. FOR ALL GRADES https://afrlscholars.usra.edu/scholarsprogram/application/
  2. Michigan State PAN program - applied physics (I think focused on nuclear physics). free, residential week-long program at Mich State. FOR ALL GRADES https://frib.msu.edu/public/frib-outreach/pan.html
  3. MIT PRIMES-USA - math. best program in the country. free, virtual year-long program. very competitive. much of the program involves writing a research paper that can be published in student journals. FOR SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS https://math.mit.edu/research/highschool/primes/usa/

Engineering

  1. Sci-MI Electrical Engineering Mentorship Program - electrical engineering. free, virtual 5-week summer program. a large part of the program is dedicated to writing a research paper that can be published in journals. FOR ALL GRADES, but focused on upperclassmen (rising juniors and seniors). https://sci-mi.org/eemp.html
  2. UNH HighTech Bound - computer engineering. free w/stipend. in-person month long program at University of New Hampshire. less research, more of an internship with Fortune 500 companies. earn hs credit. *no housing FOR RISING SENIORS https://www.iol.unh.edu/stem/hightech-bound
  3. Texas Tech Clarks Scholars Program - general engineering. free w/$750 stipend. 50ish days? in-person on Tech's campus. residential. very prestigious and competitive. MUST BE AT LEAST 17 https://www.depts.ttu.edu/clarkscholars
  4. Yale High School Social Robotics Internship - cognitive science & robotics. free. non-residential. 6-week summer program. focused on social behaviors in robots and humans. very prestigious. FOR RISING JUNIORS AND SENIORS (Must be 16+) https://scazlab.yale.edu/prospective-students/prospective-high-school-interns
  5. UPenn GRASP Lab Summer Internships - robotics. free. non-residential, in-person. 6-week summer program. must contact one of the faculty in the program to apply for a spot. prioritizes underrepresented students. FOR RISING SENIORS https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/programs/high-school-internships/

General STEM

  1. MIT Research Science Institute - general STEM. completely free. summer program. residential program. work closely with MIT professors and present oral and written research (possibility of publishing to journals) FOR SOPHOMORES https://www.cee.org/programs/research-science-institute
  2. Rockefeller Summer Science Research Program - general STEM. completely free, non-residential. summer program in NYC. work in teams to develop research based on scientific interests. FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS (must be 16+) https://www.rockefeller.edu/outreach/ssrp/
  3. King Conservation Science Scholars - focused on animal & environmental sciences. completely free. research opportunity/internship in Chicago. less focused on producing a research paper, and more about hands-on experiences and career exploration. FOR ALL GRADES https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/KingScholars
  4. UIUC Grainer Young Scholars STEMM Program - general STEM. completely free. residential opportunities for non-local students. focused on engineering applications across STEM fields. For students in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, or Iowa. FOR RISING 10th, 11th, AND 12th GRADERS https://wyse.grainger.illinois.edu/summer-programs/young-scholars-summer-research
  5. George Mason ASSIP Program - general STEM (literally anything in STEM you can think of is available). completely free ($25 application fee, but that's it). non-residential. summer program. offers remote, hybrid, and in-person opportunities. final poster research presentation at the end of the program. FOR RISING JUNIORS, SOPHOMORES, AND SENIORS (Must be 15+) https://science.gmu.edu/assip
  6. AMNH Science Research Mentoring Program - general STEM, with some humanities. free w/$2500 stipend. begins in August at the Summer Institute and goes through the school year. lots of opportunities across disciplines. For New York City residents only, and requires you take certain classes or attend a partner school. Must be able to go to the museum in person weekly. FOR SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS https://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/teens/science-research-mentoring-program

Social Studies & Humanities

  1. Telluride Association Summer Seminar - social science. free, in-person month-long program at Cornell University or UMD (on-campus, and they'll help cover travel fees if necessary). amazing program for anyone in the humanities. open to international students. FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS https://tellurideassociation.org/our-programs/high-school-students/
  2. LoC High School Summer Internship - general humanities. free, about a month long. hybrid program at the Library of Congress. work with collections, talk with visitors, and take part in museum research. FOR SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS, AND SENIORS (Must be 16+) https://www.loc.gov/item/internships/high-school-summer-internship/
  3. Met Internships - general humanities, with some opportunities in finance & marketing. free w/$1,100 stipend. month-long for summer internship, with opportunities for school-year internships, too. really hands-on, get to present any research done at the end of the program. Must live in the New York Metro area (NY, CT, NJ). FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/internships/high-school/summer-high-school-internships

Miscellaneous

  1. Spark Summer Mentorship Program - STEM-focused, but there are some humanities & marketing projects. free. connects you with companies and organizations doing research in the Seattle Metro Area. Lots of different areas of focus. Application opens in March or April. Favors Seattle-area students. FOR ALL GRADES https://www.sparksmp.org/

BTW, there's also this internship site I've used before to find internships (not exactly research, but it's still amazing experience) https://www.intern-list.com/

Also, check out Fastweb https://www.fastweb.com/

** edit: removed sumac because it's wayyyy too much

** edit: added more programs! I'm still looking for more humanities and social science ones