12 Research Programs for High School Students in Wisconsin
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 9
- 7 min read
If you’re interested in research, participating in a structured program during high school can help you explore how academic and scientific work happens beyond the classroom. These programs introduce you to fields like medicine, engineering, environmental science, biology, and data science while helping you build skills in analysis, problem-solving, and scientific communication. They also provide opportunities to work with mentors, contribute to projects, and learn how researchers investigate complex questions.
In Wisconsin, research programs are offered through universities, medical schools, research institutes, and STEM organizations, with some opportunities also available virtually. These experiences include laboratory internships, field-based environmental research, healthcare-focused programs, and mentored academic projects that vary in format, duration, and subject focus.
Why should I do a research program in high school?
Research programs allow you to explore advanced topics while learning how projects are designed, tested, and communicated in academic and professional settings. You might conduct experiments, analyze environmental or biomedical data, participate in lab and fieldwork, contribute to engineering or healthcare projects, or develop independent research papers while working with faculty and mentors. Over time, these experiences can help you strengthen critical thinking and communication skills, explore future academic interests, and prepare for college-level study and research opportunities.
In this list, we’ll walk through 12 research programs for high school students in Wisconsin.
If you’re looking for free virtual research opportunities, check out our blog here.
Location: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI (Carbone Cancer Center)
Stipend: $18/hour stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not stated; selective placement based on mentor matching
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors (must be at least 16 and have completed sophomore year by start date)
ARISE places you inside a working cancer research lab at UW–Madison's Carbone Cancer Center, where you contribute to ongoing biomedical projects under direct faculty mentorship. Over eight weeks, you run experiments, attend ethics discussions, and sharpen your scientific communication through career panels and workshops. The program wraps with an in-person presentation of your findings. Housing isn't provided, so you'll need to arrange that independently. This program is a strong fit for students serious about medicine or biology who want authentic lab exposure.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; Need-based financial aid offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 12-week program; Multiple cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students with a GPA of 3.3+
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI
Stipend: $1,750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10 interns are accepted
Dates: June 16 – August 22
Application Deadline: April 13
Eligibility: High school students
The Freshwater Scholars Program at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay gives high school students the opportunity to work on freshwater science research projects alongside university mentors and researchers. Participants spend 120 hours conducting hands-on field and lab research on water quality, conservation, ecology, and environmental science, while also attending field trips, presentations, and career exploration activities. Students may work with UW–Green Bay faculty or partner organizations such as Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust, gaining exposure to both scientific research and environmental careers. The program also culminates in opportunities to present research findings at events such as the Lakeshore Water Summit.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not stated
Dates: Summer cohort runs June – September; Spring and Fall cohorts run 15 weeks
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA)
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
Location: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI
Cost/Stipend: Free; includes academic credit and certificate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; MMSD students only
Dates: 9 weeks during summer (20 – 25 hours/week)
Application Deadline: January 16
Eligibility: MMSD 11th graders only
Exclusive to MMSD 11th graders, this nine-week program places students in a UW–Madison research lab to work with professional scientists on current projects. It is among the few high school programs offering both academic credit and a leadership certificate, culminating in a formal poster presentation. Its limited eligibility makes it a specialized opportunity, but for MMSD students, it provides one of the clearest routes to university-level research available nearby. One quarter of high school experiential learning credit is granted for every 45 hours of lab work.
Location: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Cost/Stipend: A stipend will be provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not stated
Dates: Mid-June to early-August
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with a minimum 2.75 GPA in math and science
AIM is designed for students interested in medicine and healthcare careers with a mix of clinical exposure and research. You will shadow clinicians, participate in simulations, and engage in discussions about community health issues. A key part of the program is researching a disease or condition and presenting your findings. Weekly mentorship sessions help you explore different medical careers. This program is useful if you want both clinical insight and research experience within research programs for high school students in Wisconsin.
Location: Morgridge Institute, UW–Madison campus, Madison, WI
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Weeklong sessions during the summer
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Wisconsin high school students from rural or underserved communities
This one-week program places Wisconsin high school students from rural and underserved communities directly in Morgridge Institute labs, where they work alongside active researchers in areas such as gene editing, bioengineering, and bioinformatics. The experience is intentionally immersive, allowing you to conduct experiments and speak directly with researchers about their work. It concludes with a poster presentation, providing a structured way to articulate what you learned. This can be a strong entry point if you've had limited access to research environments before.
Location: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI
Cost/Stipend: Free (housing and meals included)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective (~40–60 students estimated)
Dates: July 11 – 31
Application Deadline: Typically early–mid April
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
ESP is a three-week residential program at UW–Madison where you attend actual university-level coursework in math, physics, and engineering, then apply those concepts through hands-on experiments and projects. You’ll also participate in lab tours, faculty-led workshops, and industry visits, giving you a broader view of how engineering research translates into real-world applications. Throughout the program, you’ll interact with faculty and peers, which helps you better understand academic and career pathways.
Location: University of Wisconsin–Stout, Menomonie, WI
Cost/Stipend: $6 application fee; full-tuition scholarship available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Max 24 students
Dates: June 21 – 25
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
If you enjoy working outdoors and want to understand environmental science through real research, this program offers a strong field-based experience. You will work closely with faculty and college students to study lakes, streams, and groundwater systems across western Wisconsin. As part of the program, you will collect and analyze environmental data, which helps you see how research informs conservation efforts. The hands-on nature of the work allows you to connect scientific concepts with real-world applications. You’ll also learn how to observe ecosystems and interpret your findings in a structured way.
Location: University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI
Cost/Stipend: $25 participation fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited cohort
Dates: July 13 – July 15
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
This program offers a short yet immersive introduction to freshwater research through both lab and field experiences. Over three days, you will take part in experiments, fieldwork, and even boat-based water sampling, which makes the learning process more interactive. You’ll work with faculty from different disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and environmental studies, which helps you see how research connects across fields. As you go through the program, you will learn how to observe, collect, and analyze environmental data. The interdisciplinary approach also introduces you to various academic and career pathways in water science. Even though the program is short, it gives you a realistic glimpse into research work.
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Anywhere between 20 and 100 students, depending on the institution
Dates: July 20 – 24; July 27 – 31
Application Deadline: April 24
Eligibility: Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors interested in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine
SHE is structured as two distinct weeks: the first puts you in active experimentation mode, using a home lab kit to study cancer-related genes in fruit flies and collaborating with peers across institutions to analyze and present data. The second week pivots to lectures, case studies, and mentorship sessions with oncology professionals. This hands-on science, combined with a career and clinical context, makes it more comprehensive than a typical shadowing experience.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10 students
Dates: July 14 – 25 (tentative)
Application Deadline: February 13
Eligibility: High school students
This program is a good fit if you are interested in the mathematical side of emerging technologies, such as quantum computing. Over the course of two weeks, you will explore advanced topics such as linear algebra, cryptography, and quantum mechanics through guided sessions. The program combines discussions with coding labs and simulations, helping you apply theoretical concepts in practice. You will also examine how quantum technologies are used in real-world applications and consider their broader implications. Toward the end of the program, you will complete a mini-project that brings together what you’ve learned. With only 10 students selected, the cohort is small, allowing for more focused interaction with mentors.
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.