8 Great Research Opportunities in Mechanical Engineering for High School Students
If you're a high schooler looking for experience in mechanical engineering, consider doing a research program!
Research experience in mechanical engineering will allow you to contribute to important research projects and learn the applications of theoretical concepts. Admissions officers look for students who demonstrate active interest in a subject outside of the classroom and possess critical research and analytical skills.
In this blog, we have highlighted 8 great research opportunities in mechanical engineering for high school students that you can consider applying to.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Location: Remote — You can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring.
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
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 that you can explore as a high schooler. 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: Virtual
Cost: $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Application deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program dates: Varies according to the cohort: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions about the student's background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI with a suitable environment in which to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship. The AI Fellowship program will allow students to pursue independent AI research projects. Students work on their research projects over 15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest.You can find examples of previous projects here.
3. MITES Summer
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: High school juniors with strong academics and U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in February.
Program Dates: Late June - early August (6 weeks)
Cost/Stipend: Free (including room and meals).
The MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) program is a selective program with an acceptance rate of around 3%. The program involves intensive courses in math, life sciences, physics, and humanities, along with a project-based elective. The project-based course has many options, with past projects including engineering design (a great option for mechanical engineering students), machine learning, architecture, and electronics. You will have access to lab tours, social events, college application support, field trips, recitations, workshops, and presentations. Each student receives a written evaluation from their instructors at the end of the internship.
Location: New York University (NYU), New York, NY
Eligibility: NYC students completing 10th or 11th grade in June
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.
Program Dates: June 3 – August 9 (10 weeks)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a full scholarship is provided. A stipend of $750 is also provided.
ARISE includes 4 weeks of remote after-school workshops and 6 weeks (Monday-Friday) of in-person work. The program provides coursework and laboratory research in various STEM fields, including mechanical engineering, with 2024 opportunities including the Composite Materials and Mechanics Laboratory, Mechatronics Lab, Applied Dynamics & Optimization Lab, Dynamical Systems Lab, and Machines in Motion Lab. Other areas include machine learning and AI, bio- and molecular engineering, chemical engineering, and computer science. You will learn about scientific ethics, data collection and analysis, research practices, lab safety, and contemporary issues in science. You will present your research findings at a concluding colloquium.
Location: Varies according to lab locations
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens
Application Deadline: Applications open on August 1.
Program Dates: June-August (8 weeks)
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Stipend: $4,000 (new participants) | $4,500 (returning participants). You can use this stipend to pay for housing, meals, and transport.
The Department of Navy annually hosts around 300 interns at one of its 38+ laboratories in the country. You will learn about Naval research and technology (such as intelligence and surveillance technology and sensors) under the mentorship of researchers and scientists. Through the experience of working on real-world projects, you will obtain numerous practical skills and knowledge in the field. If you are interested in mechanical engineering, make sure to confirm which labs offer relevant or related project work. Some project areas offered include mechanics, robotics, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, programming, materials science, and physical science.
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Eligibility: U.S. high school students who are at least 16 by June 15
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.
Program Dates: June-August (5-6 weeks)
Cost/Stipend: Free of cost, but you might need to arrange and pay for your own housing, meals, and transport.
Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program is a prestigious research opportunity for students interested in engineering and the natural sciences. Selected students will be matched with Princeton faculty and staff’s ongoing research projects. Schedules are flexible and usually decided in tandem with the people involved in the research project. Project areas in engineering include multiple mechanical engineering options, such as the development of a Piezoelectric Soft Robot or a Bio-Inspired Soft Robot, kirigami sheets, materials characterization of cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, safe robotics for coral reef conservations, and many more. Following laboratory work, you must submit a 2-page research summary report.
Location: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from across the U.S.
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.
Program Dates: June 16 – August 3
Cost/Stipend: $4,000 (cost of instruction, room, and board). No stipend is offered, although need-based financial aid is available.
This is a highly selective program for students interested in conducting STEM research. Selected students will work on a research project under the mentorship of a university researcher. You can indicate your preference for a research area (which includes mechanical engineering projects). Additional program activities include record-keeping, writing research proposals and final reports, tours, field trips, social events, workshops, library work, career guidance, and conference-style research presentations. You can also prepare your project for a local or national science fair.
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (women and underrepresented students) from the U.S.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: June 29 – July 26 (housing is available till the morning of July 27)
Cost/Stipend: No cost if family-adjusted gross income is $120,000 or less. For higher income slabs, fees range between $2,000-$6,000. Housing, food, and program materials will be provided throughout the program. Financial aid is available in case of need.
MIT’s Women’s Technology Program in Mechanical Engineering is an introductory program to mechanical engineering. The program curriculum focuses on teaching engineering design and provides a chance to explore college-level education without the pressure of grades. Topics covered include heat transfer, materials, fluid mechanics, statistics, and thermodynamics. Projects, coding for numerical modeling and computer-aided design, and analytical calculations are some of the skills you will develop. Note that this program only selects 20 students, with daily and final projects being done in groups of 2-4. You can also expect field trips, tours, evening homework, and social activities.
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.
Image Source: MIT WTP logo