10 Lab Internships For High School Students
If you're a high school student with a passion for STEM and hands-on scientific research, interning at a research lab is a great way to enhance your college applications.
These opportunities not only provide you with a hands-on learning experience but also familiarize you with the intricacies of the subject matter and equip you with the skills and industry knowledge you need to excel in your career. A lab internship will also allow you to collaborate with seasoned professionals and explore various scientific disciplines firsthand.
From conducting experiments to analyzing data, lab internships will help you cultivate your passion for science, hone your skills, and lay the groundwork for future academic and professional endeavors. Moreover, as these lab internships follow a practical learning approach, you’ll also find it easier to apply the learning in real-world scenarios.
So, in this blog, we’ll discuss 10 lab internships for high school students. An added benefit is that most of these internships are fully funded and provide stipends.
Let’s get started!
This lab research internship opportunity at Princeton is an extension of the Science Outreach program. The Laboratory Learning Program is a full-time, free research experience for high school students. It’s exclusively tailored for STEM students specializing in engineering or natural sciences. The scope of this internship is pretty exhaustive, meaning you get a chance to research several topics, such as soft robot development, antibiotic discovery, biophysics, and more.
If selected, you will get a chance to participate in Princeton’s in-campus lab research programs, wherein you will be mentored by their faculty and research staff. The program dates are also very flexible and span around 5-6 weeks during office hours over the summer (no weekend or evening activities).
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Program dates: Each research opportunity follows a different schedule.
Cost: Free
Eligibility:
Applicants must be 16 years or older by June 15.
They must be US citizens, Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs), or international students attending a US high school.
High school grads below 18 years of age by June 15 can also apply.
Application deadline: March 15th, 2024
A paid internship spread over 6 weeks, Berkeley’s Experiences in Research (EinR) offers hands-on learning experiences in STEM fields. In this program, you will get to explore research projects with subject matter experts and explore topics such as data science, coding, administration, communication, experimental research, data collection, and more.
The main aim of this internship is to help you gain the skills and confidence you need to build a solid career in STEM. Additionally, joining this program will also enable you to develop professional connections with seasoned lab mentors at Berkeley for perpetual learning.
Check out the available internship projects for Summer 2024.
Location: Berkeley, California
Program dates: June 17 - July 26, 2024
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive a stipend of $500/week!
Eligibility:
Applicants must be 16 years or older by June 17.
They must also be enrolled in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in Northern California and have experience in independent work.
Application deadline: April 1, 2024
Through their 8-week long, paid STEM internship, ISB offers you the chance to work in a lab with professionals, explore a range of biology topics, and apply your learning to a research project. This summer’s possible internship topics include computational biology, microbial interactions, the microbiome, cancer, and more. As every topic is pre-aligned with an ongoing research project at ISB, you will also be able to collaborate with mentors and witness the entire process in action.
While biology is the core of this opportunity, you will also be able to pick up essential skills covering other STEM topics like math, coding, and engineering. Moreover, if qualified for this internship, you can also participate in ISB’s prestigious STEM Leadership Program.
Location: Seattle, Washington State
Program dates: July 1 - August 23, 2024
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive a stipend of $5,000
Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in 11th grade and currently reside in the United States.
Application deadline: March 15th, 2024
Boyce Thompson Institute offers a research internship for high school students interested in STEM fields, specifically science and biology. Their projects cover advanced topics such as plant science, plant molecular biology, plant biotic interactions, bioinformatics, and more.
Spanning around 6-7 weeks, BTI’s internship program offers you the chance to explore both lab experimentations and fieldwork. You’ll also get to attend weekly seminars with scientists from Cornell, BTI, and the USDA; attend lab meetings; write a research proposal; and more. This will help you develop a skill set that’s useful for real-world applications while also enhancing your resume.
To learn about potential projects and their faculty sponsors, check here.
Location: Ithaca, New York
Program dates: June 25 - August 9, 2024 (tentative dates)
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive a stipend of $4,200 (housing and meal stipends are not included).
Eligibility:
Applicants must be 16 years of age and have not graduated by June 25.
They must also be high school students residing in Ithaca.
Application deadline: March 31, 2024
NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s ARISE Program is a free research opportunity for 10th and 11th-grade high school students. Under this 7-week STEM lab research program, you will spend the first 5 weeks in NYU faculty labs, making practical contributions to multiple research objectives under the mentorship of skilled grads or postdoctoral students. In the remaining 2 weeks of your internship, you will attend workshops, experience college advising, and other activities to prepare you for college applications.
The entire internship is designed in a way that enables students to pick up essential STEM skills revolving around biology, computer science and engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and more. Moreover, you can also seek placements in a specific set of labs! Check the available research opportunities here.
Location: New York City
Program dates: June 3 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive a stipend of $750 (additional stipends are also available).
Eligibility: Applicants must be residing in New York City and completing 10th or 11th grade in June 2024
Application deadline: March 1, 2024, or until spaces are filled
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) is an eight-week long apprenticeship for high school students interested in Naval research. This program is highly selective and extends only to the most ambitious, “academically talented” students.
SEAP is competitive, with around 300 placements in more than 38 laboratories around the country and because of its association with the US government, it’s regarded as highly prestigious too. Interns will be selected based on academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. Your lab choice is based on your subject of interest. You can select a maximum of three labs.
SEAP is an excellent opportunity in terms of both - gaining skills and achieving tangible proof of it. As a participant, you’ll be placed in a Department of Navy (DoN) laboratory of your choice to engage in intense, hands-on research activities under the tutelage of seasoned scientists and engineers. So, if you’re a STEM student exclusively passionate about DON science and engineering careers, this apprenticeship can act as a catalyst for materializing your ambitions.
Location: There are several lab locations to choose from across the country.
Program dates: The internship lasts eight weeks during the summer (with the possibility of extending up to two additional weeks)
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive stipends (New participant: $4,000; Returning participant: $4,500)
Eligibility:
Applicants must be high school students who have at least finished 9th grade
They must be currently enrolled in high school
They must be 16 years or older by the start of the internship
They must be solely US citizens (Learn about some eligibility exceptions here)
Application deadline: Summer internship applications open on August 1st and close on November 1st every year.
iCLEM is a seven-week long internship opportunity for high school STEM students. Especially if topics like microbiology, biotechnology, and biofuels intrigue you, this is the right internship to familiarize yourself with their intricacies.
iCLEM is exclusively targeted toward students coming from socially underrepresented, low-income backgrounds. The aim of the program is to help them gain substantial experience around these topics while aiding their college applications. If selected, you will get the chance to intern at prestigious Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) labs. Moreover, you will also get to go on immersive field trips and participate in workshops - all under the guidance of scientists and subject-matter experts.
During the program, four days a week (M, W, TH, F) will be in person at Emeryville laboratories and Tuesdays will be held remotely (the mornings will be college knowledge and application planning and the afternoons will be professional development in conjunction with the Berkeley Lab K-12 program).
Location: JBEI Laboratories, Emeryville, CA
Program dates: June 14 - July 26, 2024
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive a stipend of $3,000!
Eligibility:
Applicants must be 15 years or older by December 31, 2023
They must also be enrolled in a high school in Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco Counties
They must be a US citizen/permanent resident/DACA recipient
They must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and passed Algebra 1 and Biology
They must have an annual income of less than $104,445 in Alameda County, $100,780 in Contra Costa County, or $122,565 in San Francisco County (More details here)
Application deadline: March 17, 2024
SUNY Oneonta offers 9-week summer research internships for New York State residents. SUNY Oneonta internships are highly selective, with only 1-3 positions available for high school students (with one place awarded to a resident of Otsego County, NY).
In the internship, you will aid faculty and staff at the BFS central lab with their research projects or work on your research projects. Through the summer, you will engage in a mix of fieldwork, laboratory analyses, data analysis, and writing. You can view previous publications here!
Previous fieldwork and laboratory analysis experiences include fisheries and plant surveys, water sampling, water chemistry, zooplankton ID, and fish dissection. The program concludes with you producing a poster to display your research findings to your mentor, BSF faculty, and other interns!
Location: SUNY Oneonta campus, Buffalo, NY
Program dates: Late May-August (9 weeks)
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive a stipend of $3,000!
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school students aged 16 or above with a solid academic background in environmental or natural sciences.
Application deadline: April 12, 2024
This program is a chance to work one-on-one with a university researcher or Department of Defense (DoD) scientist mentor on research projects. As an intern, you will be exposed to high-tech equipment and cutting-edge techniques in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and have access to professional scientists and engineers. Additionally, you will learn from other STEM practitioners during the internship. The Army-sponsored research that you will be a part of addresses the USA’s biggest challenges. The program aims to hone critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills to prepare you for a career in STEM. This program is conducted at the US Army’s Research Labs and Centres across the country. You can check all the available opportunities here.
Moreover, AEOP strives to provide comprehensive, lifelong learning support to its interns. So, being a part of this program will also make you eligible to attend their webinars and workshops to brush up your knowledge.
Location: There are AEOP locations in almost every state. Students may select their preferred location. The program is intended for commuters and transportation, meals, and housing are not provided.
Program dates: Varies depending on the internship opportunity
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive an educational stipend (varies depending on the location).
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school students and US citizens/permanent legal residents. Additional eligibility requirements may apply based on application location. Check details here.
Application deadline: Based on the specific state you’re applying from. Most applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so there’s no specific deadline.
The Salk Institute’s Heithoff-Brody High School Summers Scholars program is an eight-week paid internship opportunity for high school students to gain real-life experience performing scientific research while developing skill sets needed for careers in STEM while being mentored by Salk scientists.
This program provides a comprehensive learning experience. As a Salk intern, you will not only contribute to research projects but also receive supplementary support in learning more about scientific concepts including wet lab techniques, bioinformatics, data analysis, and science communication by attending seminars. You’ll get an inside look into the Salk Institute’s cutting-edge research, community, and culture. Besides this, you’ll get to network with fellows and mentors at Salk for future academic and professional endeavors.
Location: San Diego, California
Program dates: June 17 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: Free. Students will receive stipends!
Eligibility: Applicants must be San Diego County residents and 16 years or older by June 17. They must also have completed at least one year of high school-level chemistry and biology with a minimum grade point average of 2.75 and have a work permit from their school. Additionally, they must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and able to provide their transportation.
Application deadline: April 5, 2024
Another option — the Lumiere Research Scholar Program!
If you are looking to start your research journey with 1–1 mentorship from a top Ph.D. scholar in a STEM field, check out the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford. You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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