7 Online Biology Internships for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
If you're a high school student interested in biology, whether research, healthcare, or environmental science, internships can be a useful way to explore your interests early. These opportunities help you gain practical experience, learn from professionals, and understand what studying or working in the field might look like. Participating in a selective internship can help demonstrate your interest and ability in biology to college admissions officers.
This list highlights 7 online biology internship opportunities for high school students. Each program has been selected based on the experience it offers and the skills you can develop as an intern.
Admission Dates: December 1
Eligibility: Must be a high school student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Stipend: Interns are paid an hourly wage and receive transportation funds.
Application Deadline: Typically in early spring.
Location: Online
High school juniors and seniors from across the United States can participate in this 5-week virtual summer research program. This program offers opportunities for you to engage in scientific activities, including educational presentations, professional development training, and laboratory work. Successful completion of the program earns participants a $500 scholarship. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in January
Program Dates: June 17 – August 9
Eligibility: Students entering grades 11-12
Cost: Free
SHTEM is a prestigious, free online research program for high school students. This opportunity allows you to conduct research that extends beyond traditional classroom learning. You'll work on projects tailored to your interests while exploring new fields such as information science, engineering, psychology, biology, neuroscience, computer science, and design. The program offers guidance from Stanford students, faculty, and affiliated organizations. SHTEM aims to provide students with early exposure to research while developing essential skills in analysis and writing. It emphasizes the integration of the humanities within STEM, highlighting the interconnectedness of disciplines. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: Free.
Dates: Two-week session in June.
Deadline: Applications will open in September.
Eligibility: Open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students and recent graduates
The University of Texas Southwestern’s Department of Psychiatry hosts a 2-week virtual internship for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students and rising college freshmen every summer. This internship program highlights the range of careers available in mental health. As an intern, you will learn about careers in mental health, including psychotherapy, neuropsychological testing, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, and community psychiatry. Interactive sessions are led by a variety of mental health clinician-scientists, such as licensed clinical social workers, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and psychiatrists.
Application Deadline: February 28
Program Dates: June 17 – 28
Eligibility: U.S. high school students aged 14 and older
Location: Online
Cost: $850 + a $40 application fee (financial aid is available, including fee waivers)
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging offers a two-week virtual internship that focuses on AI in healthcare. This program features expert-led lectures, personalized mentoring, and collaborative research projects, providing you with experience in the field. Additionally, “Career Lunch and Learn” sessions feature guest speakers from academia, industry, government, and non-profits, offering insights into various career paths within biology. To learn more about this program, check out our full guide here.
Location: Remote and in-person at George Mason University
Stipend: No stipend.
Application Deadline: Mid-February (tentative)
Program Dates: June 18 - August 8
Eligibility: Students must be 15 years of age or older
George Mason University’s ASSIP is a free program open to high school and undergraduate students. Over eight weeks, you’ll work alongside researchers and gain firsthand experience with advanced equipment and technology in various STEM fields, including biology. ASSIP helps you develop skills in scientific writing and communication. There’s even the potential to have your research published or presented at a conference. In-person, remote, and hybrid computer lab internships require participants to be over 15. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Virtual
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
Application Deadline: April 14
Dates: July 15 – 26
Eligibility: High school students or rising college freshmen who are at least 16 years old and reside in Massachusetts
Zon Lab, based at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, offers a two-week virtual research experience focused on studying anemia using zebrafish. You will work with a team to design a research project, create a hypothesis, and plan experiments. Afterward, the lab’s scientists will conduct the experiments live, and you will observe the process online. At the end of the program, teams will present their results. You will learn about cancer biology and blood development, and you will attend lectures from experts on topics such as basic biology and how research is applied in clinical settings. You will also learn how to analyze scientific literature, graph your data using basic coding, and receive career advice from Zon Lab scientists during a mentoring session and a career panel Q&A.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
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 - Stanford University