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Research Opportunities for 12th Graders

Nichable lists 108 research opportunities open to 12th graders (seniors). 50 of them pay a wage or stipend. 19 of them cost money. Each one is checked against the organization's own page. Soonest deadlines first.

MIT THINK Scholars Program

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Research· Remote
DeadlineJan 1, 2027

Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program

The Rockefeller University / RockEDU Science Outreach
Research· New York, NY
DeadlineJan 4, 2027
Research· Remote
DeadlineJan 4, 2027
Research· Paid· Durham, NC
Opens Nov 16, 2026 · Due Jan 6, 2027
Research· Paid· St. Louis, MO
DeadlineJan 8, 2027
Research· Paid· Chicago, IL
DeadlineJan 11, 2027

CHESS: Cancer Health Engagement Summer Scholars

University of Illinois Cancer Center
Research· Paid· Chicago, IL
Opening soon · Due Jan 11, 2027
Research· Paid· Nashville, TN
DeadlineJan 13, 2027
Research· Paid· Houston, TX
Opens Nov 16, 2026 · Due Jan 13, 2027

Georgia Cancer Center Summer Research Experience

Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University
Research· Augusta, GA
DeadlineJan 15, 2027

JAX Summer Student Program

The Jackson Laboratory
Research· Paid· Bar Harbor, ME
Opening soon · Due Jan 25, 2027
Research· Houston, TX
Opens Dec 4, 2026 · Due Jan 29, 2027

Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy

Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences
Research· Paid· Duarte, CA
DeadlineFeb 1, 2027

OMRF Sir Alexander Fleming Scholars Program

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Research· Paid· Oklahoma City, OK
DeadlineFeb 1, 2027

California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science

University of California Office of the President
Research· Costs money· UC Santa Cruz, CA
Opens Jan 6, 2027 · Due Feb 5, 2027

Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program

George Mason University College of Science
Research· Costs money· Fairfax, VA
Opens Dec 7, 2026 · Due Feb 12, 2027

Heithoff-Brody High School Summer Scholars Program

Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Research· Paid· La Jolla, CA
Opens Dec 1, 2026 · Due Feb 15, 2027
Research· Paid· Minneapolis, MN
Opens Dec 1, 2026 · Due Feb 15, 2027

WFIRM Mentored Research Exposure Program for High School Students

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Research· Winston-Salem, NC
Opens Jan 15, 2027 · Due Feb 15, 2027

Scholar Immersion Program

University of California, Santa Cruz
Research· Costs money· Santa Cruz, CA
Opens Jan 15, 2027 · Due Feb 26, 2027

KU PKD Center Summer Research Internship

University of Kansas Medical Center
Research· Kansas City, KS
DeadlineFeb 26, 2027

Secondary Student Training Program

Belin-Blank Center, University of Iowa
Research· Costs money· Iowa City, IA
Opens Dec 15, 2026 · Due Mar 1, 2027

KU Cancer Center ACE High School Summer Research Program

The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Research· Paid· Kansas City, KS
Opening soon · Due Mar 1, 2027

Indiana CTSI SEED/STEM Summer Research Program

Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (Indiana CTSI)
Research· Paid· Indianapolis, IN
DeadlineMar 1, 2027
Research· Albany, NY
DeadlineMar 1, 2027

Research Mentorship Program

UC Santa Barbara Summer Sessions
Research· Santa Barbara, CA
Opens Dec 15, 2026 · Due Mar 8, 2027

Stanford Young Investigators

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Research· Stanford, CA
Opens Feb 1, 2027 · Due Mar 15, 2027
Research· Paid· Grand Rapids, MI
Opening soon · Due Mar 15, 2027
Research· Indianapolis, IN
DeadlineApr 15, 2027

Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program

Stanford University School of Medicine
Research· Paid· Stanford, CA
Opening soon

Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

Texas Tech University
Research· Paid· Lubbock, TX
Opening soon

Science Honors Program

Columbia University
Research· New York, NY
Opening soon

Research in Science & Engineering

Boston University Dept. of Biology
Research· Costs money· Boston, MA
Opens Dec 17, 2026

The Junior Academy

The New York Academy of Sciences
Research· Remote
Opening soon

Project ENGAGES

Georgia Institute of Technology
Research· Paid· Atlanta, GA
Opening soon
Research· Costs money· Remote
Opening soon

Pioneer Research Program

Pioneer Academics
Research· Costs money· Remote
Opening soon
Research· Costs money· Remote
DeadlineRolling

Garcia Research Scholars Program

Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces
Research· Costs money· Stony Brook, NY
Opening soon

Summer High School Internship Program

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Research· Paid· Seattle, WA
Opening soon
Research· Paid· Philadelphia, PA
Opening soon

Frontiers

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Research· Costs money· Worcester, MA
Opening soon

Summer High School Research Academy

Freshman Research Initiative
Research· Costs money· Austin, TX
Opening soon

INSIGHT High School Program

Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center
Research· Costs money· Remote
Opening soon

Summer Student Research Program

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
Research· Paid· Oakland, CA
Opening soon

Laboratory Learning Program

Princeton University
Research· Princeton, NJ
Opening soon

PNNL High School Student Internship

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Research· Paid· Richland, WA
Opening soon
Research· Remote
DeadlineRolling

Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program

American Fisheries Society (Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program)
Research· Paid· Nationwide
Opening soon

TARGET Program

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) TARGET Program
Research· Paid· Batavia, IL
Opening soon

Waksman Student Scholars Program (vWISE)

Waksman Institute of Microbiology
Research· Costs money· Remote
Opening soon
Research· Paid· La Jolla, CA
Opening soon

Far Horizons Teens

Adler Planetarium
Research· Chicago, IL
Opens Aug 10, 2027

Mentorship Program

RISE Research
Research· Costs money· Remote
Opening soon
Research· Paid· Raleigh, NC
Opening soon

Education Programs

Los Alamos National Laboratory
Research· Los Alamos, NM
Opening soon

Education Programs

Brookhaven National Laboratory
Research· Upton, NY
Opening soon

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

National Science Teaching Association
Research· Nationwide
DeadlineRolling

Greehey CCRI Donald G. McEwen Memorial Summer Research Program

Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (UT Health San Antonio)
Research· San Antonio, TX
Opening soon
Research· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Common questions

Can 12th graders apply to these research opportunities?

Yes. Each of the 108 research opportunities here accepts 12th grade by its own grade range, or sets no grade limit. Many also limit where you live or which school you attend, so read the listing before you apply.

Do these research opportunities cost money?

19 of the 108 listed here charge tuition or a required fee, stated on the organization's own page, and are marked "Costs money". The other 89 don't list a cost.

How do I apply?

Each listing is run by its own organization and you apply on that organization's site. A free Nichable account shows each listing's deadline and how to apply, and lets you save and track them.