Biology is a continuously evolving field, and high schoolers who are interested in it have many opportunities to grow their knowledge. Biology research programs give you the opportunities to learn new science hands-on, taught by a professional. Participating in these programs can boost your college applications, open your network to professionals, and gain many more opportunities.
Here’s 10 of the most prestigious opportunities for biology research for high school students, each is key details to help you find the right fit.
Focus: Advanced biological and interdisciplinary research
Location: Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Eligibility: High school juniors worldwide; highly selective
Deadline: 2025 applications closed; 2026 applications will open winter of 2025
RSI is a prestigious, highly competitive, and selective summer program hosted by the Massachusetts Institue of Technology. It's made for high school seniors and is a unique opportunity for students to engage in advanced research and STEM achievement. RSI is a 6-week residential program that takes place on the MIT campus. RSI scholars work alongside accomplished MIT professors, read current literature in their field, conduct their own research, and present their findings in written and oral presentations.
Location: Online
Program Dates: Flexible, year-round enrollment with customized timelines based on student needs.
Cost: $2,000 (publication included)
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students (grades 8–12) from any country.
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Scholarships: Merit-based
RISE Global provides high school students exclusive one-on-one mentoring, helping them to create research projects that lead to esteemed publications. RISE helps students succeed academically and stand out on college applications by matching them with mentors from prestigious international universities like Harvard, Columbia, and Cambridge. RISE alumni have gained unique talents by pursuing a variety of fields, including psychology, economics, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
Focus: Molecular biology, biochemistry, neuroscience
Location: Stony Brook, NY
Cost: Free; stipend provided
Eligibility: High school juniors; U.S. citizens/permanent residents; age 16+
Deadline: 2025 applications closed; 2026 applications will open early 2026
The Simons Summer Research Program offers hands-on research experience in science, math, or engineering. Simons Fellows are partnered with Stony Brook faculty mentors and join a research program group or team. They present their findings by producing a written research abstract and a research poster.
Focus: Genetics, cancer biology, bioinformatics
Location: Bar Harbor, ME or Farmington, CT
Cost: Free; includes a $6,500 stipend, room, board, and travel
Eligibility: High school seniors; age 18+; U.S. citizens/permanent residents
Deadline: Applications for 2025 are closed, applications for 2026 will open late 2025
Students engage in a research program with the guidance of an experienced scientific mentor. Scholars create an independent project in which they implement a plan, analyze data, and summarize their results. At the end of the program, they present their research to other professionals, students, and parents. Approximately 40 undergraduate and high school students are chosen from this program from all over the United States.
Focus: Biomedical science, neuroscience, stem cell research
Location: Stanford, CA
Cost: Free; $500 - $1,500 stipend
Eligibility: Juniors/seniors; U.S. citizens/permanent residents; age 16+
Deadline: 2025 applications closed; 2026 applications will open early late 2025
SIMR is an eight-week program in which high school students with many different interests, skills, and backgrounds are invited to conduct basic research with Standord faculty and students. This program is to increase interest in biological sciences and medicine in high school students and teach students to understand how scientific research is performed.
Focus: Genomics, computational biology, cancer research
Location: Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free; $3,600 stipend; partial travel reimbursement
Eligibility: Rising seniors from MA high schools within commuting range
Deadline: 2025 applications closed; 2026 applications will open late 2025
The Broad Summer Scholars Program accepts high school students with experience in science to spend six weeks at Broad Institute. Students are matched with Broad professionals to conduct research projects in science fields such as cancer biology, psychiatric disease, chemical biology and more. Students will also explore careers in these fields, attend scientific talks, and present research to the Broad community.
Focus: Field biology, environmental science, aquatic ecology
Location: Nationwide (mentor locations will vary)
Cost: Free; $3,000 stipend
Eligibility: High school students 16+; U.S., Canada, or Mexico
Deadline: 2025 applications are closed; 2026 applications will open late 2025
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an 8-week paid summer internship and mentorship program for high school students, and is sponsored by the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Students are paired with a mentor, a fisheries professional, and work in a host organization.
Focus: Space biology, bioinformatics, omics research
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Rising juniors/seniors; U.S. citizens/permanent residents
Deadline: Applications for 2025 are closed; 2026 applications will open early 2026
GeneLab is a four-week summer training program hosted by NASA’s Ames Research Center. This program is a virtual opportunity for students to learn about space biology, focusing on omics-based bioinformatics research and analyzing complex biological data like genetic codes and computational biology.
Focus: Genomics, amputational health, biomedical data
Location: La Jolla, CA
Cost: Free
Eligibility: High school students 16+
Deadline: 2025 applications closed; 2026 applications will open early 2026
SRTI promotes translational research and the program’s focus is on personalized healthcare through the genomic, proteomic and metabolomic correlates of health and disease. The student research internship program is designed for students, and is looking to equip students interested with health sciences, statistics, and computational science to become leaders in the realm of translational medical research.
10. Young Scientist Program - Washington University in St. Louis
Focus: Microbiology, genetics, biomedical research
Location: St. Louis, MO
Cost: Free; $4,500 stipend
Eligibility: Rising seniors from the St. Louis area; underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged
Deadline: 2025 applications closed; 2026 applications will open early 2026
The Young Scientist Program supports local students in the St. Louis area through science education and research initiatives. This program works with local public schools to promote science education and literacy for students of all levels and backgrounds. Interns that are a part of this program work with WashU graduates to give hands-on scientific demonstrations in local classrooms, take children on field trips to the Washington campuses, and dissemination of teaching kits containing pre-planned lessons and more.
11. Biotech Summer Experience - Lawrence Livermore National Lab
Focus: Molecular biology, DNA sequencing, lab techniques
Location: Livermore, CA
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Students aged 16+; GPA of 3.3+
Deadline: 2025 applications closed; 2026 applications will open early 2026
The Biotech Summer Experience is a two-week program that helps high school students create an authentic research project in molecular biology and bioinformatics. Students work with and purify plasmid DNA and perform PCR, restriction digests, and gel electrophoresis. Using the same technology as scientists worldwide, students analyze gene sequences. The gene sequences that students create arae submitted for publication in the international DNA repository, Genbank.