Student Opportunities » Research Opportunities

Research Opportunities

 

Research Opportunities

 
 
All local universities have programs that allow high school students to work in their labs directly with professors, faculty researchers, and PhD candidates! Most programs are STEM oriented, but UCSD, UCSB, and USC all offer multiple fields in the humanities and social sciences. Summer research programs are extremely valuable on college applications and even job applications post-bachelors, and can last as little as 2 weeks! They are also not as selective as most people think, as many qualified students are too scared to apply and think research as way out of reach. Many programs are also completely free to attend and apply for, but the paid options also give college credit and are extremely worth the seemingly high investment! College can be ridiculously expensive, a few thousand dollar investment for a research course is actually a ridiculously good deal!
 
NeuroCamp is a free BRI summer outreach program that brings together a group of 15-20 highly motivated high school students in an instructional course introducing them to neuroscience. Students will learn the fundamentals concepts of neuroscience and basic lab techniques in Molecular Neurobiology, Neurophysiology and Neuroanatomy. The overall goal of the program is to provide an exciting and rewarding introduction to research in neuroscience to a broad range of high school students from the Los Angeles area. Ultimately, NeuroCamp aims to stimulate participants’ interest in college and an educational path leading to careers in science.
 
Application due: early May
Requires letter of rec
 
 
 
 
The USC Young Researchers Program brings motivated public school students in their junior year to do hands-on research in any field under the guidance of faculty and graduate students. Through their experience working in USC labs as well as through workshops designed to introduce students to university-level science, students gain scientific and communication skills, confidence in their ability to succeed at an advanced level, a better understanding of current research in the sciences, and information and connections to help them attend college and pursue careers in science.
 
Application due: late March
Requires letter of rec
 
 
 
 
The Research Scholars program at UC San Diego provides high school students with the opportunity to take a research course for college credit in Bioengineering, Design, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Medicine, or Business. These are 4-5 unit courses that last 5 weeks in summer or spring and start at $1,500. Both online and in-person formats are available. Admissions are rolling for some fields, so the earlier you apply the better your chances!

Application due: late March
 
 
 
 
UC Santa Barbara's Summer Research Academies offer a dynamic summer experience that engages qualified high school students in project-based, directed research in STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences fields. Students will take a 4-unit university course in which they choose and develop a research topic specific to the track they select, under the direction of an instructor who is conducting active research in that field.
 
Students will develop academic and professional skills by presenting their research findings in a capstone seminar, networking with peers, and experiencing university life in a challenging environment. Program costs $2575 without housing, and scholarships are available.
 
Rolling application due: early April
 
 
 
 
Scripps Research’s High School Student Research Education Program exposes students to contemporary issues in biomedical research and provides hands-on laboratory experience and mentorship. It is committed to increasing the number of talented students who choose a career in the biological and chemical sciences, particularly first-generation college-bound students and students from groups that are underrepresented in science. Students must reside in San Diego during the program and are awarded a stipend of $4,760!
 
The Student Research Internship Program is a free 10-week summer program designed for high school, undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The primary goal is to equip students interested in health sciences, statistics, and computational/computer science to become future leaders in the realm of translational medical research. 
 
Deadline: late March
Requires letter of rec
 
 
 
 
High school students will be paired up with undergraduates and work with a PI on a computational biology research project. In addition, there will be weekly activities in skills development, including how to give presentations, how to write math in the computer, Matlab basics, and principles of mathematical modeling. By the end of the project each team will give a presentation about their research and submit a paper describing their work.
 
Application due: mid-February

 
 
 
Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program helps students work 1-on-1 with a Ph.D. mentor to learn about the cutting edge in any field of their interest and produce an independent research project. The individual research program is 12 weeks, $2,800 and culminates in a 15-page research paper. Lumiere scholars average 20% acceptance rate to Ivy league schools relative to the normal 5%.
 
Priority admission mid-March
Regular admission mid-April
Regular admission II mid-May