Virtual + Free Research Opportunities for High School Students (2026)
Updated: Sep 20
Updated September 1, 2026
TL;DR
Sixteen of these 17 programs won't cost you anything. Only Veritas AI charges tuition, and even that comes with need-based aid. Three actually pay you: Johns Hopkins JHIBS and Spark SIP both give $500 stipends, and MIT THINK Scholars funds accepted projects up to $1,000. If you're outside the US, you've got four real options: Lumiere Foundation, Veritas AI, CrowdMath, and Stanford SPINWIP. Freshman or sophomore? Girls Who Code, Stanford SPINWIP, and MIT PRIMES-USA will take you, and Stanford AI4ALL is built just for 9th graders. Two things to watch out for before you get attached to a program: APA's internships need a DC work permit plus residency in specific states, and MIT THINK only wants students who already have a research proposal ready to fund. If you want a fully remote, PhD-mentored research paper at no cost, the Lumiere Foundation's Breakthrough Scholar Program pairs you 1-on-1 with a mentor for free.
If you can't travel to a lab to do research in high school, a virtual program is the best (and accessible) shot at building a research portfolio before college. It also lets you test out a subject for real, with actual mentorship and something to show for it, before you spend a ton of money on travel and housing.
How we selected these programs
We checked every program on this list against what actually matters for a virtual experience:
Genuinely remote. The core experience happens online. Not a virtual add-on tacked onto an in-person program.
Still running. We confirmed this against each program's own site, not a page from a past year that's since gone quiet.
Eligibility you can actually read. Grade, citizenship, and location rules stated plainly, since virtual programs love to bury state or country restrictions in the fine print.
Something real to show for it. A paper, a project, a portfolio piece. Not just a certificate of attendance.
No surprises on cost. The full price, plus any stipend or hidden fee, stated upfront.
Looking for something outside this specific virtual-and-internship lane? Check our guides to free summer research programs, the most selective research opportunities overall, and APA's internship in more depth.
Does research help with college applications?
Yes. A finished research project does a few things a transcript can't:
It sets you apart. Strong grades and test scores are common at selective schools. A finished research project isn't, and it shows initiative a class requirement never will.
It shows you're serious about something. A finished paper or project backs up whatever major you say you want to study, instead of just claiming an interest.
It gets you a much better recommender. A mentor who watched you work through a real problem can write about how you think, not just how you did on a test.
Our own numbers back this up. We looked at 492 scholars from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program and found they were roughly 4x more likely to get into a top university than the average applicant, with early acceptances from UPenn, Princeton, Columbia, and Cornell. Read the full admissions report if you want the details.
How to get into a virtual research program as a high schooler
Read the eligibility section before you fall in love with a program. APA wants a DC work permit and residency in specific states. Stanford AI4ALL only takes current 9th graders, full stop. Check the official page, not just the summary.
Apply earlier than you think you need to. MIT PRIMES-USA opens applications in September for a program that doesn't even start until January. MIT THINK closes January 1 for projects that wrap up the following June.
Pick a no-experience program if you're just starting out. Girls Who Code and the MathQuantum Fellowship are both genuinely built for beginners. No coding or math-research background needed.
Come with an idea already in hand if you want MIT THINK. This one's different from the rest. THINK doesn't teach you research from scratch; it funds and mentors a project you've already started.
Start with the worldwide-open programs. Lumiere Foundation, Veritas AI, and CrowdMath are the only three with no citizenship/ country restrictions.
How to choose the right program
If you | Recommended program(s) |
Want an independent research paper, not a class or internship | Lumiere Foundation |
Are only a 9th grader | Stanford AI4ALL |
Live outside the US | Lumiere Foundation, Veritas AI, CrowdMath |
Want something short and low-commitment to test an interest | Girls Who Code, MathQuantum Fellowship, Stanford AIMI |
Already have your own research idea | MIT THINK Scholars |
Want math research and don't live near Boston | CrowdMath, MIT PRIMES-USA |
Virtual research programs
These 13 pair you with a mentor or teaching team to produce something real: a paper, a project, a portfolio piece. Go here if you want your name on a finished piece of work.
Application Deadline: Usually closes in late February
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12, 14+, US citizens or permanent residents. A math, programming, or healthcare background helps.
Cost: Free
Run by Stanford's Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging, this one's about applying AI to healthcare problems, with lectures, mentorship, and a collaborative project.
Best for: Students who want AI and medicine together, not a general AI intro.
Application Deadline: Usually closes March 1
Duration: 5 weeks
Location: Fully remote, open nationwide
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
Cost: Free, plus a $500 completion stipend
The virtual track takes a much bigger group than the in-person option. Expect lab-technique training, mentorship, and professional development rather than an actual hands-on placement.
Best for: Students anywhere in the US who want free, structured exposure to neuroscience without living near Baltimore.
Application Deadline: The research track usually closes in early February. Virtual seminars are open enrollment year-round.
Duration: Monthly seminars year-round. About 6 weeks for the summer research track.
Location: Virtual seminars open to anyone; in-person research track at UCLA
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12
Cost: Free
Everything here centers on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Anyone can email in for the free virtual Grand Rounds seminars. The more selective research track adds mentored projects and journal clubs on top.
Best for: Anyone curious about neuroscience who wants a low-pressure way to test the waters before applying somewhere more competitive.
Application Deadline: Rolling. Four cohorts a year: spring, summer, fall, winter.
Duration: 12 weeks
Location: Fully remote, open worldwide
Eligibility: Currently in high school (or about to start college that fall), with a strong academic record and demonstrated financial need
Cost: Free
This is the non-profit side of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program: same 1-on-1 PhD mentorship, no cost, aimed at high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds. You pick your own topic and walk away with an independent research paper.
Best for: Students who want a mentored paper but can't pay tuition for it, and don't mind a short application and interview to confirm eligibility.
Application Deadline: Usually closes in spring. Past cycles have closed in March.
Duration: 2 weeks, live virtual classes
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: Current 9th to 11th graders who identify as girls or non-binary. No coding experience needed.
Cost: Free, with need-based stipends up to $300
You'll join live virtual classes run in partnership with companies like AT&T and Goldman Sachs, working on coding projects in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript alongside a cohort of peers.
Best for: Beginners who want a genuinely free way into computer science, not an independent research project.
6. Veritas AI
Application Deadline: Rolling. Four cohorts a year: spring, summer, fall, winter.
Duration: AI Scholars runs 10 sessions. AI Fellowship runs 12 to 15 weeks.
Location: Fully remote, worldwide
Eligibility: Any high school student
Cost: Tuition-based, with need-based aid for AI Scholars
AI Scholars is a bootcamp-style intro to AI, machine learning, and data science. AI Fellowship goes deeper: 1-on-1 mentorship on an original project, with help getting it published in a student research journal.
Best for: Anyone who wants either a low-commitment AI intro (AI Scholars) or a real mentored project with publication support (AI Fellowship).
Application Deadline: Usually closes in mid-February
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: Any high school student interested in math, computer science, or physics
Cost: Free, and selected students also get free access to the Quantum Computing Summer Camp
A gentle intro to quantum information science through lectures, seminars, and a mini-project. Works whether you've studied the topic before or not.
Best for: Math-strong students curious about quantum computing who want a short, structured way in.
Application Deadline: Usually closes in early February
Duration: 2 weeks, online or residential
Location: Fully remote option available; also runs in person
Eligibility: Current 9th graders only, ages 14 to 16
Cost: Free, with need-based aid
Stanford's Human-Centered AI Institute runs this one: lectures, mentorship, and a group project in computer vision, medical AI, NLP, or robotics. No coding experience required going in.
Best for: 9th graders specifically. This is one of the only programs on this whole list that won't even look at a 10th grader.
Application Deadline: Applications open in September, usually closing around early December
Duration: Year-round, January to December
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: US high school juniors and sophomores, homeschoolers included, living at least 50 miles from Boston
Cost: Free
A serious, year-long math research program with four phases: reading, mentored research, independent research, and a final conference presentation.
Best for: Serious math students who want sustained, year-long research rather than a quick summer program, and who don't happen to live near Boston. If you do, apply to MIT PRIMES instead.
10. Stanford SPINWIP
Application Deadline: Check the program page directly. No fixed public deadline is posted.
Duration: 3 weeks
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: Girls and gender-minority students in grades 9 to 11, from any country. Preference goes to first-generation and underrepresented students, and rising seniors.
Cost: Free
Physics topics like quantum mechanics and astrophysics, taught alongside a beginner-friendly intro to Python. No prior experience in either needed.
Best for: Girls and gender-minority students anywhere who want a physics-specific alternative to the broader STEM programs on this list.
Application Deadline: Usually closes January 1
Duration: Weekly mentoring from finalist announcement in February through project completion in June. Finalists get a 4-day MIT visit, virtual option available.
Location: Fully remote, with an optional in-person MIT visit
Eligibility: Any high school student, as long as you already have a research proposal in science, technology, or engineering
Cost: Free, plus up to $1,000 in project funding for finalists
This one's different. THINK doesn't teach you research from the ground up, it funds and mentors a project you've already dreamed up yourself.
Best for: Students who already have a specific research idea and just need the funding and technical support to actually build it, not beginners looking for structure.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January
Duration: About 8 weeks, June to August
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: Grades 11 to 12, or full-time community college students in their first 3 years
Cost: Free
Run through the Stanford Compression Forum, this one spans everything from neuroscience and biology to linguistics and design, blending humanities and STEM research methods.
Best for: Juniors and seniors who want an interdisciplinary experience instead of a single-subject deep dive. Underclassmen need not apply.
13. CrowdMath
Application Deadline: Usually opens in the fall. No formal application, just join online.
Duration: Year-long
Location: Fully remote, worldwide
Eligibility: Any high school or college student, anywhere in the world
Cost: Free
A team-up between MIT PRIMES and the Art of Problem Solving. You'll work on group and individual research projects, plus reading groups built around a new math topic each year.
Best for: International students and anyone outside the 50-mile Boston radius who still wants a MIT PRIMES-style math experience. This is the one program here that's truly open to anyone, period.
Virtual internships
These four drop you into a real organization's day-to-day work instead of a standalone research project. We grouped them separately because "virtual internships for high school students" is a real, commonly searched term, distinct from research-program searches.
Application Deadline: Usually closes May 1. Applications open in March/April.
Duration: 8 weeks
Location: Remote or in person in the greater Seattle area
Eligibility: US citizens or permanent residents
Cost: Free, plus a $500 stipend
A full-time computer science internship where you work alongside actual professionals and other students on real projects, and you can do it from anywhere.
Best for: Students who want a paid internship that feels like a real job, without having to relocate.
Application Deadline: Rolling. Check the portal for open positions.
Duration: Varies by role, year-round
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: Under 18, with a DC work permit, living in a state where APA is registered as an employer. That last part rules out most students right away.
Cost: Free to apply. Some roles pay, others are for academic credit only.
Roles cover research, policy, communications, and operations, so this isn't always hands-on research. Read the specific listing before you apply.
Best for: Students who already clear the state-residency and work-permit bar and want psychology-adjacent work experience over a research paper.
Application Deadline: Three cycles a year, roughly early fall, early winter, and spring. Check the site for exact dates each cycle.
Duration: About 10 weeks, roughly 20 hours a week
Location: Remote or hybrid, depending on the project
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students
Cost: Unpaid
Work touches public programs, exhibitions research, and outreach tied to Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture.
Best for: Students genuinely into museum studies, cultural programming, or Asian Pacific American history. This is a narrower fit than the STEM-heavy programs elsewhere on this list.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Duration: Aligns with fall (September to December), spring (February to May), or summer (June to August) cohorts
Location: Fully remote
Eligibility: Any high school student with a real interest in international affairs. You'll need a cover letter, and some roles ask for a writing sample.
Cost: Free
Pick from Research, Operations, or Special Events tracks. The Research track gets you contributing to FPRI's public commentary and joining weekly seminars on global affairs.
Best for: Students set on international relations or foreign policy specifically. Nothing else on this list really compares.
Frequently asked questions
Are any of these programs paid? JHIBS's virtual track and Spark SIP both come with a $500 stipend. MIT THINK gives up to $1,000 in project funding. Most of the rest are free but unpaid.
Which of these take freshmen or sophomores? Girls Who Code, Stanford SPINWIP, and MIT PRIMES-USA (sophomores and juniors only) will take underclassmen. Stanford AI4ALL is 9th graders exclusively. Most of the rest want juniors or seniors.
Which are open to international students? Lumiere Foundation, Veritas AI, and CrowdMath are explicitly open to students anywhere in the world. Nearly everything else requires US citizenship or permanent residency.
What's the difference between this list and other "free" program lists? This one is specifically for programs you can do entirely online. Open to traveling and want free programs that are mostly in-person instead? Check our separate guide to free summer research programs.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.