8 STEM Research Programs for Middle School Students
If you’re looking to prepare for a career in STEM, participating in a research program could be the way for you. Research programs can help you gain early exposure to learning opportunities and challenges in your field of interest. These programs are created to offer you a head start in both your academic and professional path by developing critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the resilience needed for tackling complex subjects.
Engaging in a STEM research program allows you to discover how science, technology, engineering, and math contribute to real-world solutions. These programs can also ease your transition to high school by better preparing you for advanced coursework, summer programs, and even creating your projects.
Here’s a list of 8 stem research programs for middle school students in 2024:
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates:
Spring Cohort: March 11 onwards
Summer Cohort: June 3 onwards
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Lumiere’s Junior Explore Program is an 8-week virtual program that allows middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Throughout this program, students will get to explore four different topics in their selected track, dive deep into one topic area, define their project, and build the project with support from their mentor. The mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE. The tracks offered in the STEM discipline include Mathematics, Engineering, AI and Data Science, and Physics and astrophysics, among others. Students do not require any prior experience to apply for any course in this program.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,990
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (weekends) or 25 hours over 2 weeks (weekdays during the summer)
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a virtual program that teaches middle school students the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over 25 hours, you will learn the basics of Python as well as topics like data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. You will learn through lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. By the end of the program, you will have worked on a hands-on project in a subject of your choice. Some of the previous projects done by students include building a machine-learning model to classify music genres and creating a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Location: Berkeley, CA
Cost: Program Tuition: $1,350 or $1,215 (reduced); For those who choose the residential program, the residential tuition is an additional $1,150 or $1,035 (reduced)
Application Deadline: TBD
Dates: June 24 - June 28
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7-9
Summer Teen Research Programs is an immersive science learning experience hosted by The Lawrence at UC Berkeley. You will engage in hands-on, research-based projects that correlate science to life with real-world applications. Over 1 week, you get an early glimpse of the college experience, embarking on campus tours, engaging in lab visits, networking with esteemed students and faculty, and exploring diverse STEM career paths.
This program offers 4 main courses:
The Designing and Engineering Bridges will teach you about different types of bridges, including truss bridges like the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge and suspension bridges like the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
The Coding and Engineering Nano-Satellites program explores real-world applications of computer programming. You will learn block-based coding to overcome engineering challenges and get to build and program your own model satellite for deep space exploration.
Other programs offered include “Solar Energy and Electrical Engineering” and “Body Systems and Biomedical Innovations”.
Location: Houston, TX
Cost: $499 per week
Application Deadline: TBD
Dates: Week A: June 24- July 28; Week B: July 8- July 12
Eligibility: Students in 6th-7th grade
Rice University’s iRIDE is an immersive engineering research program for middle school students. The program will introduce you to diverse engineering fields by involving you in hands-on projects based on the engineering design process. You will also be encouraged to take up independent investigation, experiment planning, and data collection. For example, the "Get to the Chopper Challenge" taught participants how helicopters perform high-water rescues during severe flooding. The program will culminate with you completing a capstone project that addresses real-world problems directly affecting you and/or your community.
Location: Stony Brook, NY
Cost: $650
Application Deadline: Registrations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Dates: July 15- July 25
Eligibility: Students entering 7th, 8th or 9th grade
The Science Exploration Program by Stony Brook University is designed to be a laboratory-based program that challenges middle schoolers to think, research, and experiment. The program involves reading, computer searching, writing, and group work. For students in grade 7, the program will focus on developing laboratory skills. You will be guided through several scientific explorations in physics, chemistry, microbiology, and ecology. The 8th-grade program will explore biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and environmental chemistry in the context of case studies of Cholera, Bioremediation, Genetics, and daily interactive demonstrations. The program for grade 9 students will concentrate on biology and developing research skills. You will work in groups to explore botany, microbiology, genetics, and molecular biology as well.
Location: New York, NY
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Dates vary depending on the program you choose (Summer Session/Academic Year/ SAT Prep Course)
Dates: Dates vary depending on the program chosen
Eligibility: Students enrolled in Grades 7-12, who are economically disadvantaged, or African American, Hispanic/Latino, Alaskan Native, or American Indian and will benefit from academic enrichment.
S-PREP is a free preparatory program for students in grades 7–12 who are interested in pursuing STEM. It offers both a Summer Session and an Academic Year Session. Both sessions include enrichment courses, but the Summer Session includes PSAT preparation, while the Academic Year Session focuses on SAT preparation. As a participant in S-PREP, you also have access to college and career development workshops, academic counselling, field trips, and college tours. To be eligible, you must maintain a minimum 80% grade average, particularly in math and science, and demonstrate a strong interest in STEM fields.
Location: Washington, DC
Cost: $1,795
Application Deadlines: Dates vary depending on the length and dates of the program chosen
Dates: Dates vary depending on the length and dates of the program chosen. On average, application deadlines are 7 days before the program start date, so it’s essential to plan ahead to secure your spot.
Eligibility: For students ages 13 and above
Georgetown University’s Medical Research Program teaches middle school students the processes researchers use to formulate, conduct, and evaluate the evidence they gather. You will be tasked with developing your study using professional methods. The program offers 1-week intensives, 2-week, and 4-week sessions. Each course culminates with a Capstone Project where you present a video showing the components of the scientific method for clinical trials.
By participating in this course, you will be able to comprehend the key elements of medical research, define and discuss evidence-based medicine, understand the ethics and integrity essential to clinical research, gain insights into basic biostatistics and epidemiology and their role in medical research, and learn how clinical trials drive innovations in healthcare. You will also receive mentoring through this program.
Location: Easton, MA
Cost: Day program - $1,100; Day and Extended Day Program - $1,350
Application Deadline: Registration begins on December 1
Dates: Session 1 – July 7 to 25; Session 2 – July 28 to August 15
Eligibility: Students aged 6 to 15
College Academy at College Academy offers a hands-on, project-focused program experience designed for students who excel in a fast-paced learning environment. You will work collaboratively in pairs, small groups, and teams, to complete your activities in a non-competitive atmosphere. The ratio in each course is 10:1, thereby maximizing student engagement and positive peer interaction. The STEM courses offered in this program include Finding Forensics, Marine Biology, Physics Factory, Robotics Beginner and Advanced, and Rocketry Beginner and Advanced. In each of these courses, you learn concepts while engaging in several hands-on activities. This gives you a well-rounded learning experience incorporating theoretical knowledge and practical application.
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 where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.