15 Research Programs for High School Students in Rhode Island
- Stephen Turban
- 6 days ago
- 11 min read
If you’re interested in exploring a subject beyond what is typically covered in school, research programs can help you engage with ideas in a more focused and in-depth way. These opportunities introduce you to academic research across fields such as science, medicine, history, environmental studies, and data analysis while helping you build skills in critical thinking, writing, and investigation. They also provide exposure to how research is conducted in universities, laboratories, and academic institutions.
In Rhode Island, research programs are offered through universities, museums, scientific organizations, and academic initiatives. These opportunities include laboratory-based research, humanities projects, environmental field studies, and mentored academic courses that vary in structure and subject focus.
Why should I do a research program in high school?
Research programs allow you to investigate questions in greater depth while learning how scholars and scientists approach complex problems. You might analyze data, review academic literature, conduct experiments, work with historical sources, or develop an independent project under the guidance of instructors and mentors. Over time, these experiences can help you strengthen analytical and communication skills, explore potential academic interests, and prepare for college-level work.
If you are looking to get started, here are 15 research programs for high school students in Rhode Island.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
Location: Remote! You can participate in the program from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available.
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, spring, fall, and winter. Sessions range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: Students enrolled in high school who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous virtual research program tailored for high school students. The program offers 1-on-1 research opportunities across a wide range of subject areas for high schoolers. The program will pair you with a Ph.D. mentor to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the program, you will have developed a research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as physics, economics, computer science, data science, psychology, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can learn more about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Location: Labs at universities, government labs, and other facilities in RI
Stipend: $4,000
Dates: 8–10 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: April 6
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, seniors, or recent graduates, with one completed high school chemistry course; applicants’ family income should not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines based on family size.
Project SEED places you in a professional chemistry research setting where you will contribute to active scientific work under the guidance of a mentor. Much of the experience centers on hands-on lab participation, so you will spend time learning techniques, assisting with experiments, and seeing how researchers troubleshoot and interpret results. Depending on the project, your work may span materials science, environmental chemistry, and analytical and organic chemistry. In addition to the laboratory tasks, you will take part in enrichment sessions that introduce college pathways, STEM careers, and scientific communication. You may finish the program with a report or presentation of your contributions.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type; financial aid available.
Dates: Multiple cohorts: spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, and the summer cohort runs for 10 weeks (June – September).
Application deadline: Multiple deadlines for spring, summer, and fall cohorts.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA); most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! A few tracks require prerequisites.
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 subject track, Horizon will pair you with a professor or Ph.D. scholar who will serve 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. Apply here!
Location: Online + Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: Typically, $10,858 (residential) | $8,902 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: June 22 – July 2
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 16 to 18 by June 15, completing grades 10 to 12
This research program for high school students in Rhode Island lets you move through the full arc of an independent research project rather than only studying research in theory. You will begin by building background knowledge online, reading academic literature, and identifying a question that has not yet been fully answered in your chosen field. As the program progresses, you will develop a hypothesis, learn relevant methods, and design an experiment. The on-campus portion shifts the focus toward carrying out your project, working through setbacks, and refining your approach as new findings emerge. As the experience mirrors the uncertainty of an actual lab, you will get a clearer sense of how research develops over time. The program concludes with a symposium where you will present your findings and explain the significance of your work to others.
Location: Brown University, Providence, RI + field trip sites in Southern New England
Cost: $6,274; financial aid available
Dates: June 21 – July 2 | July 5 – 16
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 16 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 10 to 12
The Brown Environmental Leadership Lab combines environmental inquiry with field-based learning and leadership development across Southern New England. Through lectures, discussions, lab research, group work, and site visits, you will explore environmental issues by studying real ecosystems and seeing how local challenges connect to broader questions of sustainability. Different course themes allow you to approach the subject from multiple angles, while the field experiences add depth by taking learning beyond the classroom. In the process, you will reflect on the social and scientific dimensions of environmental work rather than treating research as only a lab-based investigation. A major part of the program involves identifying an issue you care about and building an action plan around it through research and support from instructors and peers.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $5,786 (residential) | $4,482 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: July 13 – 24
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 9 to 12
Part of the Summer@Brown pre-college program, this laboratory-intensive research course introduces you to the experimental side of biomedical research through direct work with core molecular biology and biochemistry techniques. You will spend some time in the lab, learning how common procedures are used to investigate biological questions, while class sessions will help you understand the scientific logic behind each method. Over the course of two weeks, you will work with techniques such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, protein analysis, and immunoassays, building both technical familiarity and analytical confidence. The experience also pushes you to think critically about how data is generated, interpreted, and applied in life science research. As your skills grow, you will use several of these methods together in a final experiment that draws on contemporary biomedical tools.
Location: Brown University, Providence, RI
Cost: $6,052; need-based financial aid available
Dates: July 12 – 24
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 13 to 15, entering grades 9 and 10
This is a 12-day residential summer program at Brown University that lets you explore STEM through hands-on learning experiences. You will choose courses in STEM to dive into advanced academic content through classroom instruction, lab or field exercises, and a research project or a design challenge. You may also meet Brown graduate students and learn about their research. At the end, you will deliver a final presentation sharing your project experience with peers, families, and instructors. The program does not offer formal grades, but it does award a Digital Certificate of Completion and a Course Performance Report. You will live in Brown's residence halls, dine on campus, and engage in co-curricular and evening activities throughout the week.
Location: Online or Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $6,520 (online) | $8,372 (residential) | $6,416 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: Online: June 15 – July 24 | On-campus: June 22 – July 10
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 9 to 12
The Bench to Bedside course introduces you to cancer biology through the lens of research, treatment development, and translational science. You will study how scientists move from understanding disease mechanisms to identifying therapeutic targets and designing possible interventions. Throughout the course, you will read scientific literature, evaluate current gaps in knowledge, and learn how molecular and cell biology techniques can support a research proposal. The program also broadens that work by bringing in clinical and ethical perspectives, including conversations around trials, health disparities, and responsible biomedical research. The course wraps up with written and spoken presentations that can help you practice communicating complex scientific ideas clearly.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $5,786 (residential) | $4,482 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: June 22 – July 2
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 9 to 12
Rather than treating history as a fixed set of facts, this course asks you to investigate how historical memory is formed, challenged, and reshaped over time. Using the Second World War as its central case study, the program explores how nations, communities, and individuals remember the same events differently and why some narratives become dominant. You will work with a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including memoirs, diaries, films, music, and artifacts, to examine overlooked perspectives and question familiar myths. Discussions and short writing assignments help you practice interpreting evidence and making thoughtful historical arguments. A key part of the course is a creative research project, which will give you the chance to focus on an aspect of the war that has been misunderstood, minimized, or forgotten. This research-centered humanities experience can help you strengthen skills in critical reading and historical analysis.
Location: Various RIHS sites in RI—Aldrich House, Robinson Research Center, John Brown House, or Museum of Work & Culture
Stipend: Paid and unpaid opportunities available
Dates: Varies by opportunity.
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school and college students
Rhode Island Historical Society internships give students the opportunity to participate in research-based work in archives, museums, and public history. Depending on the site and project, you may help with transcription, historical research, content development, digitization, collections work, or educational materials tied to Rhode Island’s past. The experience is useful for students interested in humanities research because it shows how historians work with primary sources and turn raw material into public-facing interpretation. Some roles may also involve writing, critical analysis, or gathering information for digital history initiatives and outreach projects. Since assignments depend on organizational needs and student interests, the work can vary from one placement to another.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $8,372 (residential) | $6,416 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: June 22 – July 10
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 9 to 12
This research program for high school students in Rhode Island introduces you to mixed-methods research, a form of inquiry that combines quantitative data with personal experience and narrative evidence to study health behavior. You will spend three weeks examining how different research traditions approach questions about public health, psychology, and behavior, and why complex issues often require more than one type of evidence. Through case studies, workshops, and analytical exercises, you will learn how quantitative and qualitative approaches can be designed to complement one another. The program also encourages you to think carefully about research design, including how methods shape the kinds of conclusions scientists can draw. As the course progresses, you will conceptualize your own mini project on a health behavior topic and plan how to integrate different forms of data.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $5,786 (residential) | $4,482 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: June 22 – July 2
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 9 to 12
The Therapeutic Innovation course examines the full pathway from scientific discovery to the development and launch of a treatment. You will begin by learning how therapeutics have evolved and how modern drugs, biologics, and other interventions are discovered, tested, and evaluated. The course blends research concepts with practical activities, introducing you to techniques such as in-silico modeling, lab experiments, and early-stage product development. You will also explore questions around regulation, ethics, manufacturing, and how therapies are brought to market responsibly. Team-based work is part of the program, including the opportunity to collaborate with peers on a hypothetical therapeutic idea and gradually build a pitch around it.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $3,748 (residential) | $3,096 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: July 6 – 10 | July 13 – 17
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 9 to 12
In this course, you will explore how model organisms and cell lines are used to study major questions in biomedical science. Lectures and lab sessions will help you learn how relatively simple biological systems can be used to investigate cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and other health conditions. You will engage with techniques such as DNA manipulation, gel electrophoresis, microscopy, cell differentiation, and mutagenesis, while also discussing their medical relevance. Exposure to research is incorporated into the course, so you will learn about different procedures and see how current scientists frame questions and interpret evidence. You will also spend some time designing your own possible experiments based on the organisms and methods you study.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $5,786 (residential) | $4,482 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: June 29 – July 10
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18 by June 14
This research program for high school students in Rhode Island introduces you to how computational methods and AI are used to investigate biomedical questions. You will study core ideas in biostatistics, bioinformatics, and data analysis while examining applications in areas such as disease modeling, cancer genomics, and personalized medicine. The curriculum also focuses on projects that let you formulate a hypothesis, work with real datasets, and interpret patterns that may have medical significance. Individual meetings with the instructor help you refine your thinking and understand how data-driven tools support discovery in the life sciences. Group discussions and ongoing feedback also play a large role, which makes revision and interpretation part of the learning process. Toward the end, you will learn how to present research findings and draft a manuscript-style write-up that reflects how computational research is conducted and communicated.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $5,786 (residential) | $4,482 (commuter); financial aid available
Dates: June 22 – July 2
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 to 18 by June 14, completing grades 9 to 12
The Data Talks course, a part of Brown University’s pre-college programs, focuses on qualitative research methods designed to help you explore how researchers study people’s experiences, perspectives, and stories. Throughout the course, you will learn how to develop a research question, choose an appropriate qualitative approach, and collect data through methods such as interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observation. The program emphasizes that good research is not only thoughtful but also ethical, so you spend time considering rigor, consent, and interpretation. You will move between independent and collaborative work, interview classmates, conduct fieldwork, and shape a project of your own. The course also introduces how findings are shared through posters, abstracts, and other forms of academic communication.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.