9 Research Programs for High School Students in Utah
For high school students in Utah, research programs offer a good opportunity to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical experience. These programs offer mentorship, hands-on discovery, and the chance to explore potential career paths. Whether you’re interested in biology, engineering, or computer science, participating in a research program can help refine your interests.
Moreover, admissions committees at competitive colleges value students with research experience, making these programs a great way to stand out in the application process. Working on a research project shows colleges that you have intellectual curiosity and the drive to complete a challenging project.
So, to help you find the perfect fit, we’ve curated a list of 9 excellent research programs for high school students in Utah that combine academic rigor, hands-on learning, and mentorship opportunities.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
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
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June).
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: University of Utah, John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, Salt Lake City, UT
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Application Deadline: February 15
Program Dates: June 9 – August 1
Cost/Stipend: Free to participate; no stipend provided.
The University of Utah's High School Summer Research Internship invites students to explore academic research, with a focus on engineering. You will get to work on independent research projects under faculty guidance and gain experience in everything from hypothesis development to data analysis. In addition to research, you will attend workshops on topics like research ethics, which will help enhance your technical and professional skills. After the program, you will present your findings at the Utah Science & Engineering Fair. This competitive program requires letters of recommendation, making early preparation essential.
Location: Virtual
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts.
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
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 Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute, UT
Eligibility: High school sophomores or juniors who identify as female.
Application Deadline: N/A
Program Dates: July 8 – 19
Cost/Stipend: Students receive financial compensation of up to $500
The SHE program provides a virtual research and professional development experience for high school students entering their sophomore or junior year who identify as female. The first week focuses on hands-on cancer research through live, online laboratory instruction using an experiment kit delivered to participants’ homes. This experience allows you to conduct experiments under the guidance of experienced instructors. The second week shifts to career exploration in cancer research and medicine, featuring virtual workshops and panel discussions with industry professionals. These sessions offer mentorship opportunities and professional development to prepare you for future endeavors in oncology and related fields.
Location: University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute, UT
Eligibility: Undergraduate or high school juniors who will complete their junior year before the program starts and belong to groups underrepresented per NIH criteria are eligible.
Application Deadline: February 1
Program Dates: May 26 – July 31
Cost/Stipend: $4,000
The PathMaker Scholars Summer Research Program offers a residential research experience to increase diversity in biomedical cancer research. The program is open to historically underrepresented high school and undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in research, medicine, or education. You will receive laboratory training and work on a research project under the supervision of a principal investigator in a university lab. Students who complete the program are guaranteed acceptance into the next year’s summer session without needing to reapply.
Location: University of Utah, NeuroRobotics Lab, UT
Eligibility: High school students who have completed AP/IB STEM courses and possess prior experience in software design (e.g., programming), mechanical design (e.g., 3D printing, CAD), or hardware design (e.g., microcontrollers, soldering).
Application Deadline: May 1
Program Dates: June 1 – August 1
Cost/Stipend: $4,000
The NeuroRobotics Summer Enrichment Program offers 1-2 high school students the chance to participate in hands-on training in neurorobotics each summer. Students selected for this competitive program build exoskeletons, develop virtual and augmented reality systems, design clinical diagnostic tools, and lead human-subject experiments. The program is tailored to each participant, focusing on pre-engineering and pre-life-science students. While the program is open to all high school students, preference is given to those preparing for undergraduate studies at the University of Utah or students from diverse backgrounds.
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: $500 stipend. For in-person internships, students are responsible for boarding, lodging, and local transportation.
Application Deadline: Applications open in March/April
Program Dates: 6–12 weeks in the summer
Eligibility: Open to high school students (grades 9–12) who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
The Spark Summer Internship Program, with an acceptance rate of less than 5%, offers an opportunity for students to conduct research in computer science and related fields. For the 2023 cohort, projects included developing a detection tool for tick-borne infections and breast cancer, classifying DNA sequences using electrical signatures, and exploring 2D materials as potential conductors and semiconductors. While most positions are in-person, some are available remotely. The program focuses on real-world applications of machine learning, computer programming, computer vision, and neural networks. You will gain hands-on experience, work alongside industry leaders, university professors, and mentors, and receive resources that for academic and career development. To learn more about this program, check out our full guide here.
8. CrowdMath
Location: Remote
Cost: Fully funded
Application Deadline: November 30
Program Dates: Year-long
Eligibility: Open to all high school and college students
CrowdMath, a collaboration between MIT PRIMES and the Art of Problem Solving, is an online research program offering the opportunity to engage in advanced mathematical research. You will work on individual and group projects and participate in reading groups focused on mathematical concepts such as number theory, linear algebra, and more. Each year, a new project is introduced, allowing students to collaborate on independent research with peers from around the world. In 2024, the program’s project focused on Generalizations of the Notion of Primes. This program is particularly beneficial for those who want to pursue mathematical or computational research in the future.
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded or stipend provided
Application Deadline: Open year-round
Program Dates: Flexible (extendable)
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with at least one honors science or English class and a minimum GPA of 3.25
The EnergyMag Research Internship allows students to explore renewable energy and energy storage industries through hands-on research. This program offers flexible formats, including half- and quarter-time internships. You will work on projects related to emerging renewable technologies and market analysis and contribute to articles published by EnergyMag. By the end of the internship, you will have completed a research project or smaller contributions aimed at expanding knowledge in the renewable energy field.
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.