how to do an independent research project in high school

The Complete Guide to Independent Research Projects for High School Students

Indigo Research Team

If you want to get into top universities, an independent research project will give your application the competitive edge it needs.

Writing and publishing independent research during high school lets you demonstrate to top colleges and universities that you can deeply inquire into a topic, think critically, and produce original analysis. In fact, MIT features "Research" and "Maker" portfolio sections in its application, highlighting the value it places on self-driven projects.

Moreover, successfully executing high-quality research shows potential employers that you can rise to challenges, manage your time, contribute new ideas, and work independently. 

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to take on independent study ideas and succeed. You’ll learn how to develop a compelling topic, conduct rigorous research, and ultimately publish your findings.

What is an Independent Research Project?

An independent research project is a self-directed investigation into an academic question or topic that interests you. Unlike projects assigned by teachers in class, independent research will allow you to explore your curiosity and passions.

These types of projects can vary widely between academic disciplines and scientific fields, but what connects them is a step-by-step approach to answering a research question. Specifically, you will have to collect and analyze data and draw conclusions from your analysis.

For a high school student, carrying out quality research may still require some mentorship from a teacher or other qualified scholar. But the project research ideas should come from you, the student. The end goal is producing original research and analysis around a topic you care about.

Some key features that define an independent study project include:

● Formulating your own research question

● Designing the methodology

● Conducting a literature review of existing research

● Gathering and analyzing data, and

● Communicating your findings.

The topic and scope may be smaller than a professional college academic project, but the process and skills learned have similar benefits.

Why Should High School Students Do Independent Research?

High school students who engage in independent study projects gain valuable skills and experiences that benefit and serve them well in their college and career pursuits. Here's a breakdown of what you will typically acquire:

Develop Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Research and critical thinking are among the top 10 soft skills in demand in 2024 . They help you solve new challenges quickly and come up with alternative solutions

An independent project will give you firsthand experience with essential research skills like forming hypotheses, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results. These skills will serve you well in college and when employed in any industry.

Stand Out for College Applications

With many applicants having similar GPAs and test scores, an Independent research study offer a chance to stand out from the crowd. Completing a research study in high school signals colleges that you are self-motivated and capable of high-level work. Showcasing your research process, findings, and contributions in your application essays or interviews can boost your application's strengths in top-level colleges and universities.

Earn Scholarship Opportunities

Completing an independent research project makes you a more preferred candidate for merit-based scholarships, especially in STEM fields. Many scholarships reward students who show initiative by pursuing projects outside of class requirements. Your research project ideas will demonstrate your skills and motivation to impress scholarship committees. For example, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology rewards students with original independent research projects in STEM fields. Others include the Garcia Summer Program and the BioGENEius challenge for life sciences.

Gain Subject Area Knowledge

Independent projects allow you to immerse yourself in a topic you genuinely care about beyond what is covered in the classroom. It's a chance to become an expert in something you're passionate about . You will build deep knowledge in the topic area you choose to research, which can complement what you're learning in related classes. This expertise can even help inform your career interests and goals.

Develop Time Management Skills

Time Management is the skill that lets you effectively plan and prioritize tasks and avoid procrastination. With no teacher guiding you step-by-step, independent study projects require strong time management, self-discipline, and personal responsibility – skills critical in college and adulthood.

Types of Independent Research Projects for High School Students

Understanding the different types and categories can spark inspiration if you need help finding an idea for an independent study. Topics for independent research generally fall into a few main buckets:

Science Experiments

For students interested in STEM fields, designing and carrying out science experiments is a great option. Test a hypothesis, collect data, and draw conclusions. Experiments in physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and psychology are common choices. Science experiment is best for self-motivated students with access to lab equipment.

Social Science Surveys and Studies  

Use research methods from sociology, political science, anthropology, economics, and psychology to craft a survey study or field observation around a high school research project idea that interests you. Collect data from peers, your community, and online sources, and compile findings. Strong fit for students interested in social studies.

Literary Analysis Paper

This research category involves analyzing existing research papers, books, and articles on a specific topic. Imagine exploring the history of robots, examining the impact of social media on mental health, or comparing different interpretations of a classic novel. If you are an English enthusiast, this is an easy chance to showcase your analytical writing skills.

Programming or Engineering Project

For aspiring programmers or engineers, you can take on practical student projects that develop software programs, apps, websites, robots, electronic gadgets, or other hands-on engineering projects. This type of project will easily highlight your technical skills and interest in computer science or engineering fields in your college applications

Historical Research

History research projects will allow you to travel back and uncover the past to inform the future. This research involves analyzing historical documents, artifacts, and records to shed light on a specific event or period. For example, you can conduct independent research on the impact of a local historical figure or the evolution of fashion throughout the decades. Check to explore even more history project ideas for high school students .

Artistic and Creative Works

If you are artistic and love creating art,  you can explore ideas for independent study to produce an original film, musical composition, sculpture, painting series, fashion line, or other creative work. Alongside the tangible output, document your creative process and inspirations.

Bonus Tip: Feel free to mix different ideas for your project. For example, you could conduct a literature review on a specific historical event and follow it up with field research that interviewed people who experienced the event firsthand.

How To Conduct an Independent Research Project

Now that you have ideas for project topics that match your interests and strengths, here are the critical steps you must follow to move from mere concept to completed study.

1. Get Expert Guidance and Mentorship

As a high school student just starting out in research, it is advised to collaborate with more experienced mentors who will help you learn the ropes of research projects easily. Mentors are usually professors, post-doctoral researchers, or graduate students with significant experience in conducting independent project research and can guide you through the process. 

Specifically, your mentor will advise you on formulating research questions, designing methodologies, analyzing data, and communicating findings effectively. To quickly find mentors in your research project area of interest, enroll in an online academic research mentorship program that targets high school students. You’d be exposed to one-on-one sessions with professors and graduate students that will help you develop your research and publish your findings.

The right mentor can also help transform your independent project ideas into a study suitable for publication in relevant research journals. With their experience, mentors will guide you to follow the proper research methods and best practices. This ensures your work meets the standards required, avoiding rejection from journals. 

2. Develop a Compelling Research Question

Once you are familiar with the type of independent research best suited to your strengths and interests, as explained in the previous section, the next step is to develop a question you want to answer in that field. This is called a research question and will serve as the foundation for your entire project.

The research question will drive your entire project, so it needs to be complex enough to merit investigation but clear enough to study. Here are some ts for crafting your research question:

●  Align your research question(s) with topics you are passionate about and have some background knowledge. You will spend a significant amount of time on this question.

●  Consult with your mentor teacher or professor to get feedback and guidance on developing a feasible, meaningful question

●  Avoid overly broad questions better suited for doctoral dissertations. Narrow your focus to something manageable, but that still intrigues you.

●  Pose your research question as an actual question, like "How does social media usage affect teen mental health?" The question should lay out the key variables you'll be investigating.

●  Ensure your question and desired approach are ethically sound. You may need permission to study human subjects.

●  Conduct preliminary research to ensure your question hasn't already been answered. You want to contribute something new to your field.

With a compelling research question as your compass, you're ready to start your independent study project. Remember to stay flexible; you may need to refine the question further as your research develops.

3. Set a Timeline and Write a Proposal

After defining your research question, the next step is to map out a timeline for completing your research project. This will keep you organized and help you develop strong time management skills.

Start by creating a schedule that outlines all major milestones from start to finish. In your schedule, allow plenty of time for research, experimentation, data analysis, and compiling your report. Always remember to build in some cushion for unexpected delays.

Moreover, you can use tools like Gantt charts to design a timeline for an independent research project . Gantt charts help you visualize your research project timeline at a glance. See the video below for a tutorial on designing a Gantt chart to plan your project schedule:

[YouTube Video on How to Make a Gantt Chart: https://youtu.be/un8j6QqpYa0?si=C2_I0C_ZBXS73kZy ]

Research Proposal

To have a clear direction of the step-by-step process for your independent study, write a 1-2 page research proposal to outline your question, goals, methodology, timeline, resources, and desired outcomes. Get feedback from your mentor to improve the proposal before starting your research. 

Sticking to your timeline requires self-discipline. But strive to meet your goals and deadlines; it will build invaluable real-world skills in time and project management. With a plan in place, it's time to move forward with your research.

4. Do Your Research

This is the active phase where a student is conducting a research project. The specific method you will follow varies enormously based on your project type and field. You should have your methodology outlined in your approved research proposal already. However, most independent research has a similar basic process:

• Review existing studies : Perform a literature review to understand current knowledge on your topic and inform your own hypothesis/framework. Read relevant studies, articles, and papers.
• Create methodology materials : Design your independent research methodology for gathering data. This may involve experiments, surveys, interviews, field observations, or analysis of existing artifacts like texts or datasets.
• Permissions and Equipment :  Secure any necessary equipment and permissions. For example, if doing interviews, you'll need a recording device and consent from participants.
• Collect your data : For science projects, perform experiments and record results. For surveys, recruit respondents and compile responses. Gather enough data to draw valid conclusions.
• Analyze the data using appropriate techniques : Quantitative data may involve statistical analysis, while qualitative data requires coding for themes. Consult your mentor for direction.
• Interpret the findings : Take care not to overstate conclusions. Look for patterns and relationships that shed light on your research question. Always maintain rigorous objectivity.

While a student's project methodology and its execution are unique, ensure you follow the standard practices in your field of interest to ensure high-quality acceptable results. You can always refer to the plan in your research proposal as you diligently carry out the steps required to execute your study. Ensure you have detailed records that document all your processes.  

5. Write Your Final Paper and Presentation

Once you've completed your research, it's time to summarize and share your findings with the world by writing the final paper and designing its presentation. This involves synthesizing your work into clear, compelling reporting.

Drafting the paper will likely involve extensive writing and editing. Be prepared to go through multiple revisions to get the paper polished. Follow the standard format used in academic papers in your field;  your mentor can provide you with examples of independent study related to yours. The final product should include: 

• Abstract : A short summary of your project and conclusions.
• Introduction : Background on your topic, goals, and research questions.
• Literature Review : Summary of relevant existing research in your field.
• Methods : Detailed explanation of the methodology and process of your study.
• Results : Presentation of the data and main findings from your research. Using visual representations like charts was helpful.
• Discussion : Objective interpretation and analysis of the results and their significance.
• Conclusion : Summary of your research contributions, limitations, and suggestions for future work.
• References/Bibliography : Full citations for all sources referenced.

Adhere to clear academic writing principles to keep your writing objective and straightforward. Generally, stick to a 10-15 page length limit appropriate for student work. However, you may need to write more depending on your project type.

6. Research Presentation

After writing your research project report, you should prepare a presentation to share your research orally. Moreover, a research presentation is a tangible opportunity to practice public speaking and visual communication skills. Your presentation will include slides, handouts, demonstrations, or other aids to engage your audience and highlight key points in your independent study project.

Once you have written your final paper, you will likely want to publish it in relevant journals and publications. For detailed tips see our guide on how to publish your student research paper . Some options you have to formally publish your high school-level independent research include:

• Submitting your paper to academic journals and competitions
• Presenting at symposiums and science fairs
• Sharing on online research databases
• Adding your work to college applications

Publishing your independent project allows you to share your findings with broader scholarly and student audiences. It also helps amplify the impact of all your hard work.

Independent Research Project Examples

To spark creative ideas for independent research projects, it can be helpful to read through and examine examples of successful projects completed by other high school students in recent years. Here are some inspiring examples:

●  Using machine learning to diagnose cancer based on blood markers (bioinformatics)

●  Applying feature engineering and natural language processing to analyze Twitter data (data science)

●  Investigating connections between stress levels and HIV/AIDS progression (health science)

●  The Relationship between Color and Human Experience

These published i ndependent research project examples demonstrate the impressive research high schoolers take on using the Indigo research service with mentors from different fields. Let these case studies motivate your creative investigation and analysis of the best ideas for your project.

Need Mentorship for Your Independent Research Project?

As outlined in this guide, conducting a rigorous independent research study can be challenging without proper guidance from experts, especially for high school students. This is why partnering with an experienced research mentor is so crucial if your goal is to produce publishable research work.

With Indigo's structured research programs and ongoing expert feedback, you can elevate your high school independent study to a professional level. To get matched with the perfect research mentor aligned with your academic interests and passions, apply to Indigo Research now.

Indigo Research connects high school students with PhD-level researchers and professors who provide one-on-one mentorship through the entire research process - from refining your initial topic idea all the way through analyzing data, writing up results, and finalizing your findings.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, independent research in high school.

I'm interested in doing independent research while I'm still in high school. How do I get started, and where can I find resources or mentors to help me?

It's great that you're interested in pursuing independent research in high school! Independent research can be an excellent way to explore your interests in-depth and demonstrate curiosity and initiative to colleges. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Identify your research area: Start by brainstorming topics that interest you, either within a specific academic subject or crossing multiple disciplines. Consider what questions or issues you're passionate about and would like to explore.

2. Narrow down your research question: Once you have a general topic in mind, develop a focused research question or hypothesis. This will guide your project and make it easier to find resources and mentors. Make sure your research question is specific and manageable within the available time frame.

3. Conduct a literature review: Search for relevant articles, books, and other sources to gain a better understanding of the current state of knowledge in your research area. This will help you identify gaps in the literature and ways to contribute with your project.

4. Find a mentor: A mentor can provide invaluable guidance and support throughout the research process. Reach out to teachers at your school who have expertise in your area of interest. You can also contact professors or researchers at nearby universities or research institutions to inquire about mentorship opportunities. Don't be afraid to send emails introducing yourself, explaining your research interest, and asking if they would be willing to mentor you.

5. Develop a research plan: Outline the methods you plan to use for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Your mentor can help you determine the most appropriate research design and guide you in using research tools and techniques.

6. Secure necessary resources and funding: If your research requires specialized equipment, materials, or funding, explore options for obtaining support. Your school may have resources available for student research, or you may need to apply for grants or other funding through organizations or competitions that support high school research projects.

7. Conduct the research: With your mentor's support, dive into your research project. Be prepared for challenges and setbacks, and don't be afraid to seek advice or adjust your project as needed.

8. Document your findings: Keep detailed notes and records throughout your research process to help you reflect on what you've learned. When you're ready, compile your findings in a research paper or presentation format that communicates your results clearly and effectively.

9. Share and celebrate your research: Submit your research to local, regional, or national science fairs, or present your findings at school events or conferences. You can also publish your research in a school or community journal, or even in a peer-reviewed academic journal.

By following these steps and remaining committed to your project, you can successfully complete independent research while in high school and show colleges that you're capable of tackling complex challenges. Happy researching!

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A blueprint for high school students to pursue research and get published.

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Regardless of their future career interests, high school students who are curious and enjoy discovering answers to questions should consider research. Research isn’t restricted to just the STEM field; there are countless questions in every field that need to be answered.

Doing research while still in high school can be a great way for students to stand out in college ... [+] admissions process.

Research can be a life-changing experience for a high schooler. It gives them a chance to gain hands-on instruction beyond the classroom and be exposed to the dynamics of a lab environment. In addition, students learn how to work with others as they gain analytical, quantitative and communication skills.

Participating in research can also give students a competitive edge when applying to college. This is especially true for candidates of BS/MD programs , where medical-focused activities are expected. Some BS/MD programs, like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s 7-Year Program , are specially designed to train future physician-scientists.

How To Pursue Research

While many students want to secure a research position, it isn’t always easy to know how to get started and make progress. Here are a few different methods students can pursue to gain research experience.

Look For Local Research Projects

Depending on where you live, you might be able to find local labs at universities, hospitals or companies where you can get research experience. Start local first to see what types of positions might be available to students.

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When reaching out, add a cover letter that is tailored to each specific organization. You should introduce yourself in a way that demonstrates your academic background, your interest in their research and how you would like to contribute on a voluntary basis. The email should also include your CV or resume so that they can see any relevant coursework or experiences you may have.

When sending out these emails, remember to cast a wide net. These organizations are getting emails from college and graduate students, too, so you might need to email quite a few people before you get a response. If you don’t hear back within two weeks, send a follow-up email. Oftentimes, persistence pays off.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions or if you don’t have local options available, you can also consider virtual opportunities. Virtual work might be a good option due to the flexibility that often accompanies it.

However, cold-emailing professors or companies can be time-consuming and a risk. Even if you secure a position, you need to ensure that you are being flexible and realistic. Some positions might only be available during the hours students are at school, so expecting to get a position that will work around your class schedule or weekends only might be unrealistic. Having open availability and working on their timetable will make more opportunities feasible.

In addition, for these types of positions, you will need to show you can add value. This might require you to learn new skills on your own time, like a new coding language, so you can contribute to the success of the project.

Join A Summer Camp Or Structured Research Program

A structured research program can be the most beneficial experience for students because there is often a clear plan in place: students are expected to show up for a set number of hours per week and have clearly established deliverables on what will be accomplished during that time.

Camps like Rising Researchers, which are open to high school students of all ages, even give students college credit and help the students get their research published at the end of the camp. Nicole Cooksey, one of the instructors at Rising Researchers, says, “Rising Researchers helps students go beyond static learning—the hands-on camp means students acquire new skills and the ability to write a research paper.”

Some parents might hesitate to commit to a paid summer camp. While many of the most prestigious summer camps like Research Summer Institute (RSI) and Texas Tech’s Clark Scholars program are free, they are often very competitive and only open to students over the age of 16 or 17. Paid programs can be a good alternative because it still provides students with dedicated instructors whose sole focus will be on mentoring the student.

Start An Independent Research Project

Pursuing independent research is another option, but it is not a good fit for every student because it requires long-term commitment and dedication in order to make progress. Students who undertake this task should be prepared to spend at least a year from start to finish researching, writing their paper and submitting it for publication. The review and publication step can often take the longest, sometimes more than one year. For high school seniors, this could mean their paper might not be published before college application season kicks off.

How To Get Started

For the self-starters who want to begin an independent research project, the first step should be to make a list of your future career interests. Writing it down can help you decide what areas of research you might want to consider. Next, read previous research journals to get an idea of topics that might be of interest to you and possible to do on your own.

Once you have settled on a general topic, think about what questions you want to ask and answer in your research. These questions will help you create your thesis statement, which should address a specific question or problem.

The final step is to gather your sources and begin writing your paper. Look for resources from reputable sites, such as:

• PubMed: A great tool for finding research articles on a variety of subjects
• PubMed Central: Curates research articles without paywalls
• Google Scholar: Find Primary literature on all scientific topics
• Directory of Open Access Journals: Find additional open-access journals here
• CDC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• The Public Library of Science: find peer-reviewed articles for free

Add Research To Your Student Resume

Undertaking a research project when you are still in high school requires effort on your part, but your persistence can pay off. Adding research to your student resume can help you stand out to competitive colleges and demonstrate a strong passion for a particular subject.

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62 Best Research Opportunities for High School Students

June 2, 2024

Hands-on laboratory-based research experiences are coveted by just about every STEM-oriented teenager on the planet. Of course, this level of demand renders research opportunities for high school students a valuable and rare commodity. Fortunately, there are a number of reputable summer programs run by universities, government agencies, and private research laboratories that afford young scientists this highly sought-after experience. Research opportunities during the actual school year are more challenging to locate as colleges are, at that time, catering to their own students, and the rigidity of the high school calendar makes participation a further challenge.

What type of research opportunities can a high school student have, anyway?

Research opportunities for high school students can range from introductory to highly advanced. Some programs focus on teaching students the fundamental skills required for research while others place students with a real working research group and allow them to contribute to legitimate experiments and papers. Your level of involvement will depend on the university or organization’s policies, your mentor, your lab team, and the type of research being conducted.

What types of research experiences look best on college applications?

Authentic, laboratory-based research experiences that you get paid for are the hardest types of positions to nail down, primarily because very few of these spots are available. Moreover, such research groups are conducting serious work—consequently, they’re looking for serious, high-achieving students who will positively enhance their dynamic. Additionally, these positions typically require a longer time commitment, with students working full-time (or close to full-time) hours for several months or even years. As such, accepting one of these positions may limit the other types of summer opportunities that you can participate in. Finally, due to safety concerns and restrictions, you will likely need to be at least 16 years old to participate in many types of lab-based research.

On the flip side are research opportunities that you pay to be involved in, with some being more selective than others. Many families wonder if these programs offer legitimate research experience or are simply another way to capitalize off of the college admissions craze, and the answer is that you have to do your homework.

Although some research opportunities offer little in the way of experience, others are truly authentic opportunities to work with a mentor and delve into an area of interest for academic enrichment—no different than any other cost-based summer program. In these cases, the fact that a student prioritized their intellectual curiosity and spent several months seriously pursuing a topic of interest will be an excellent addition to their application. We’ve gone ahead and done the hard work for you—any one of the opportunities listed below is legitimate and worthy of investing your time and resources into.

How do I decide what types of research opportunities to apply for?

If conducting research is important to you, we recommend applying to a mix of highly selective and lesser selective programs to maximize your chances of being accepted to at least one. Beyond selectivity, it’s important to consider additional several factors:

• Time commitment —Some programs may require a multi-week, full-time commitment over the summer. Others may require nights and weekends during the school year.
• Time frame —Some programs are only available in the summer while others run year-round (sometimes for multiple years).
• Cost/stipend —Do you have to pay for the program, or does the program pay you? Research whether the program will be a good fit for your financial situation, including how much it costs and if you’ll receive compensation for your work, either via academic credit or a paycheck. Note that many residential programs are cost-based while commuter programs that only accept local students are more likely to be fully funded and/or offer a stipend.
• Location —Evaluate whether you’d like to attend a local program, are willing to travel to a residential program, or would prefer a virtual option.
• Level of mentor interaction —During some programs, you’ll be closely supported by PhD faculty members, while others may be run by graduate or postdoc students and require students to be more independent.
• Opportunity to publish or enter research competitions —If publishing research or submitting your project/paper to a research competition is important to you, you’ll want to look into whether the program prepares you for that venture.

Our list includes a bevy of summer program choices as well as year-long internships and apprenticeships. We’ve divided the list into three sections: Virtual, Residential/Multi-Location, and Location-Specific.

For each entry, we list the geographic location of the program, the time frame and length of the program, any associated costs or stipends, and the eligibility criteria for participation.

Virtual Research Opportunities for High School Students

Virtual research opportunities for high school students offer ultimate flexibility, in regard to time commitment as well as subject matter.

1) Polygence

• Location : Virtual
• Timeframe : Academic year and/or summer
• Length: 2-6 months
• Cost : $495-$3,695
• Eligibility: No age restrictions

For high school students who want to showcase authentic passion on their college applications, Polygence offers the most personalized and flexible online research program that helps students turn their interests into unique research projects. Accordingly, they pair intellectually curious students with PhD-level mentors to design experiments, build robots, create podcasts, write original screenplays, and publish in peer-reviewed journals in all fields from the humanities to STEM. All 1:1 programs include ten meetings with a mentor in your chosen field as well as a self-selected project topic and outcome, which could include a research paper, a prototype, or a creative piece of work.

A multitude of personalized options are available, including additional brainstorming sessions, time with a specialist who will guide the student through the publishing or research competition process, and academic credit through UCI x GATI. Moreover, Polygence’s Pods program allows students to work with like-minded peers in a group setting.

Sound like a good fit? College Transitions readers can save $50 on their Polygence package.

Research areas available include:

• Computer science, engineering, AI, & game design
• Biology, biotech, chemistry, neuroscience, and physics
• Medicine, surgery, dentistry, and public health
• Business, finance, and economics
• Math, statistics, sports analytics, and quantitative analysis
• Psychology, psychiatry, cognitive science, and social sciences
• Creative writing, history, philosophy, and literature
• Animation, the arts, fashion, photography, and dance

Residential/Multi-Location Research Programs

In the following section, we’ve outlined programs that are residential or offer opportunities in multiple locations, making them more accessible to a wider array of students.

Programs are organized alphabetically by discipline.

Biology Research Opportunities for High School Students

2) university of chicago research in the biological sciences (ribs).

• Location : Chicago, IL
• Timeframe : Summer
• Length: 4 weeks
• Cost : $14,000
• Eligibility: Current sophomores and juniors

In UChicago’s highly selective RIBS program, students practice a range of molecular, microbiological, and cell biological research techniques. The goal? To prepare them to work in a research laboratory. Accordingly, for the first two weeks, students undergo basic training in lab skills and techniques. Then, they spend the final two weeks of the course immersed in an independent research project. At the end of the course, they present the project during a research forum. Moreover, students can expect weekly writing assignments and seminars. To be competitive, students should have a demonstrated interest in science as well as top grades in those classes.

Biomedical Research Programs for High School Students

3) rosetta institute of biomedical research molecular medicine workshops.

• Location : Berkeley; San Diego; Columbia; London; virtual
• Length: 2 weeks
• Cost : $3,580-$4,180 (residential); $2,280-$2,480 (commuter); $430-1,050 (online)
• Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18

Curious about biomedical research but not ready to pursue a full-blown lab internship? Rosetta Institute offers a number of residential and online two-week programs that introduce high schoolers to topics in medicine, drug development, pharmacy, and nursing. For example, current workshops include Medicinal Chemistry, Neurological Bioinformatics, and Molecular Biology of Cancer. All students are taught by PhD-level instructors and complete an original research project.

Chemistry Research Opportunities for High School Students

4) american chemical society — project seed.

• Location : Multiple
• Length: 8-10 weeks
• Cost : Free, and students receive a $4,000 stipend
• Eligibility: All high school students whose families meet annual income requirements, but preferably current sophomores, juniors, or seniors

Having been operational for more than fifty years, Project SEED (Summer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged) runs programs at over 350 institutions and has served over 12,000 students. The goal of the program is to empower a diverse cohort of high school students to conduct hands-on research experience in the chemical sciences. Accordingly, all students work full-time on meaningful independent or small group projects, are closely guided by a mentor, and either write a report or do a poster presentation at the end of their fellowship.

Genetics Research Opportunities for High School Students

5) jackson lab summer student program.

• Location : Bar Harbor, ME or Farmington, CT
• Length: 10 weeks
• Cost : Free, and students receive a $6,500 stipend plus funded room, board, and travel
• Eligibility: High school seniors can apply to the Bar Harbor program, while eligible undergrads can apply to either program.

Hoping to design and execute an original independent research project? You’ll be able to do just that through Jackson Lab’s Summer Student Program, which immerses students in one of seven areas: bioinformatics and computational biology, cancer, developmental biology and aging, genomics, immunology and infectious disease, metabolic diseases, and neurobiology and sensory deficits. Moreover, students are closely guided by a mentor and present their research at the end of the summer. Finally, the application process is intense and competitive, requiring two letters of recommendation, a transcript, a resume, evidence of a strong interest in genetics and genomics, and four essay responses.

Pre-Health Research Opportunities for High School Students

6) national institutes of health high school summer internship program.

• Location : Research groups are available at many of NIH’s 27 institutes and centers , including the main campus in Bethesda, MD
• Cost : Free; all students receive a stipend
• Eligibility: High school seniors age 17+

Through their HS-SIP Program, the National Institutes of Health places high school students in full-time research positions within their many active research groups. Subject areas include biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences, and are geared toward students who are interested in pursuing research and healthcare. Moreover, students can take part in Summer Poster Day, where they present their research to the NIH community. They also have access to professional development programs and educational/career advising.

Note that this research opportunity for high school students is extremely competitive; approximately 7% of applicants are ultimately accepted. Finally, if you are under the age of 18 when you participate in the program, you will need to live within 40 miles of the campus that you’d like to intern at.

STEM/Humanities Research Opportunities for High School Students

7) army educational outreach program—high school internships.

• Location : Various
• Timeframe : All Year
• Length: 3 months
• Cost : Free, and all interns receive a stipend
• Eligibility: All current high school students. Some sites may have additional eligibility requirements.

With programs currently available in twenty states, the Army Educational Outreach Program places high school students in university research labs or at a US Army Research Laboratory/Center. Each site has its own technical focus, from biology and materials science to cybersecurity and AI. Regardless of specialty, all interns receive formal mentorship from a professional scientist or engineer, have access to high-tech equipment, and work on relevant research that addresses a current major challenge.

8) Boston University RISE

• Location : Boston, MA
• Length: 6 weeks
• Cost : $5,350 plus room & board
• Eligibility: Current high school juniors

A residential program located on the Boston University campus, RISE offers high school students the opportunity to conduct laboratory research in one of two tracks: Internship or Practicum. Students in the Internship track work full-time on a research project that aligns with their interests, and are mentored by a faculty member, postdoc fellow, or grad student. 15 subject areas are available, including astronomy, mechanical engineering, medical laboratory research, and nutrition. Alternatively, Practicum students work in small groups on structured research related to systems neuroscience and neurobiology.

Research Opportunities for High School Students—Continued

9) michigan state high school honors science, math and engineering program.

• Location : East Lansing, MI
• Length: 7 weeks
• Cost : $4,000

HSHSP is a highly selective, residential program where students can pursue research opportunities in science, engineering, and mathematics. After learning more about the research process, students deeply explore a problem of interest while engaging in an authentic (not “fail-proof”) research experience. Along the way, they’ll work with professionals and peers in their field of interest. Finally, many students have gone on to publish their work or be recognized at prestigious research competitions.

10) MIT Research Science Institute

• Location : Cambridge, MA
• Cost : Free
• Eligibility: High school juniors

With a combined focus on academic coursework and hands-on research, RSI students first take one week of STEM coursework with MIT professors. Here, they’ll learn about current research topics in biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics, and the humanities. Then, for the remaining five weeks, students “experience the entire research cycle start to finish.” During this time, they participate in an intensive, mentored individual project experience that culminates in a written and oral presentation.

The program looks for students who are exceptionally academically talented. As such, the application process is quite intensive. PSAT Math scores must be over 740 and ACT Math scores must be over 33. In addition, students must write several essays, acquire teacher recommendations, and provide transcripts. Ultimately, only 100 students are accepted.

11) NASA Internship Programs

• Location : Various; there are 15 centers and facilities in the US. Remote opportunities may also be available.
• Timeframe : Available during the fall, spring, and summer
• Length: 10-16 weeks, depending on session
• Cost : Free; the majority of interns receive a stipend, but some are unpaid
• Eligibility: High school students aged 16+

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers a number of internship opportunities for high school students. Available projects change each year and are location-specific, and not every NASA center will offer internship opportunities every session. That said, current projects span a range of subject areas, including Climate Change in the Hudson Estuary and Characterizing the Urban Land Surface Temperature. During the research internship, students will be closely mentored by a research scientist, engineer, or other professional. Note that you will need to make your own housing arrangements if you are not a local student.

Are you an undergraduate student? Check out NASA Pathways , which can provide a direct transition into full-time employment at NASA.

12) Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program

• Location : Northampton, MA
• Length: 2-4 weeks
• Cost : $4,745 (2 weeks); $8,082 (4 weeks)
• Eligibility: Female high school students in grades 9-12; some programs have specific prerequisites

Fun fact: Smith was the first women’s college to create a program in engineering science. As such, their summer programs are an excellent place for young women to participate in hands-on, introductory research experiences. Two-week sessions are offered, and students can take one or both. Each session offers six distinct course choices. For example, the first session offers Chemistry of Herbal Medicine, Designing Intelligent Robots, and Novel Bacteriophage Discovery. Second session courses include Where the Body Meets the Mind, Supercontinents, Rocks, and Fossils, and the Art and Science of Microcontrollers. Students spend five days a week in class, attending lectures and conducting experiments & fieldwork. Additionally, the program is team-based, allowing students to learn from each other’s ideas and perspectives.

13) Stony Brook University Garcia Center Research Experience for High School Students

• Location : Stony Brook, NY
• Timeframe : Summer (with possible academic year continuation)
• Cost : $4,000 plus room & board

At the Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces, high school students can design an original research project in polymer science and technology during an intensive seven-week summer program. Uniquely, the research can then be continued during the academic year under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students should be highly motivated and high-achieving, with at least three upper-level science courses under their belt. Finally, past participants have regularly published their research and won recognition in national competitions.

14) Stony Brook University Simons Summer Research Program

• Cost : Students need to cover transportation costs (if commuting) or room/board (if residential). Room/board is $2,781. Stipends are also awarded at the end of the program.

After being matched with a mentor and research team, students are fully immersed in the research process. Placement availability varies from year to year, but typically about thirty projects are available across over a dozen disciplines. These include biochemistry, computer science, geosciences, and pharmacological sciences, among others. Moreover, some have prerequisites, such as specific AP courses or previous programming experience.

All students participate in weekly faculty research talks, workshops, events, and a culminating poster symposium.

15) Summer Science Program

• Location : Astrophysics: UNC Chapel Hill, University of Colorado, Georgia College & State University, New Mexico State University; Biochemistry: Purdue, Indiana University; Genomics: Georgetown, Purdue, New Mexico State; Synthetic Chemistry : Southwestern Oklahoma State University
• Cost : $8,800 max; all program fees are scaled according to what each family can afford
• Eligibility: Current high school juniors and exceptional sophomores

The Summer Science Program offers four different immersive research programs that take place on different college campuses around the country. These include programs in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics, and synthetic chemistry. Each program has its own research focus. For example, astrophysics students will dive into Asteroid Orbit Determination while genomics students explore Antibiotic Resistance and Directed Evolution.

Students spend six days a week in class deeply investigating their research topics and learning more about general experimental science. They also take part in guest lectures and other special programming.

16) Texas Tech University Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

• Location : Lubbock, TX
• Cost : Free; all students receive a $750 stipend upon completion of their projects
• Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged 17+ by the start of the program

The Clark Scholars Program is one of the only programs on this list with research disciplines in the sciences as well as the humanities. For example, current research areas include everything from nutritional sciences and mechanical engineering to history. Over the course of seven weeks, students work closely with a faculty member to complete a research paper in their discipline. They also participate in weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips.

17) University of California Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program

• Location : Santa Barbara, CA
• Cost : $11,874 (residential); $4,975 (commuter)
• Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors

During this intensive program, students work 35-50 hours per week on an interdisciplinary research project of their choice. Nearly thirty research areas are available in both the STEM disciplines and humanities; current topics include biochemistry, computer science, history, music, and anthropology, among others. Over the course of the program, they also take two courses: Introduction to Research and Presentation Techniques. Finally, students occasionally continue their research remotely during the academic year, depending on their mentor’s availability.

18) University of California Santa Barbara Summer Research Academies

• Cost : $8,224 (residential); $2,575 (commuter)
• Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Running for four weeks, the UCSB Summer Research Academies allow students to earn up to four credits. While taking a university-level course that teaches fundamental research concepts, students spend the first two weeks of the program developing a research question & framework via hands-on labs. They’ll then spend the final two weeks of the course analyzing their results and building presentations. Overall, they’ll spend about 25-40 hours per week working. Finally, twelve different tracks are available; each involves multiple disciplines. For example, “Bionic Creatures” combines mechanical engineering, materials science, soft robotics, biomanufacturing, and collective motion.

19) University of California Santa Cruz Science Internship Program (SIP)

• Location : Santa Cruz, CA
• Length: 9 weeks (two weeks virtual, seven weeks in-person)
• Cost : $4,750 plus room & board
• Eligibility: High school students aged 14+, although some research groups require students to be 16+

UCSC’s SIP Program offers a wide range of research focus areas, including science and engineering as well as social science, humanities, and art. For example, over 100 projects are currently offered that include everything from “Eating Insects in Silicon Valley: Cultural Gaps Between Food-Tech and Tradition” and “Future Projected Changes in the Distribution and Variability of Ocean Chlorophyll in Climate Simulations.” Before you dive in, you’ll spend two weeks doing online research prep (this part is conducted remotely) followed by seven weeks of in-person, mentored research. Students get to engage in authentic, open-ended projects that fully immerse them in the academic research experience. Moreover, they’ll present their findings at a symposium at the end of the program.

20) University of California Davis Young Scholars Program

• Location : Davis, CA
• Cost : $6,750
• Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who will be 16+ by the start of the program

Interested in biological, agricultural, environmental, or natural sciences? If so, UC Davis is a stellar place to explore those interests through research. All students have the opportunity to work on independent, original projects while receiving one-on-one faculty mentorship. Moreover, they each produce a journal-quality paper and symposium presentation. In addition to research, students also participate in a lecture series presented by UC Davis faculty; past topics have included forensic entomology and nutrition, among others. Finally, field trips to educational facilities like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory round out the experience.

21) University of Florida Student Science Training Program

• Location : Gainesville, FL
• Cost : $5,200
• Eligibility: Rising seniors aged 16+

Thinking about a career in science, medicine, math, computer science, or engineering? UF’s Student Science Training Program could be the right fit. For thirty hours per week, you’ll work with a faculty mentor and lab team on university-level, ongoing research. Moreover, you’ll participate in a science lecture series as well as a UF Honors Program seminar class. Over the course of the program, you will write a research paper, present a poster, and give two oral presentations. Finally, social programming is included.

22) University of Iowa Secondary Student Training Program

• Location : Iowa City, IA
• Cost : $7,500

During this intensive and competitive program, students conduct research within small groups that are supported by a University of Iowa faculty member. There are twenty current active research areas, including chemistry, geography, neurology, orthopedics & rehabilitation, and religious studies. You’ll be working on your project approximately seven hours per day, attending classes in the evenings, and participating in structured activities on the weekend. Moreover, all groups will create and present a poster at the culmination of the program.

23) University of Massachusetts Amherst Summer Programs

• Location : Amherst, MA
• Cost : $3,636 (residential); $2,167 (commuter)
• Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors

UMass Amherst offers two introductory, research-focused opportunities for high school students. These are Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Health Crisis, which allows students to join the Department of Microbiology in researching new antibiotics, and Energy Without Borders, which delves into climate change, infrastructure, and green energy. In both courses, you’ll learn research methods, complete multiple lab experiences, and present a research poster. Finally, students can earn two college credits upon successful completion of the program.

Location-Specific Research Opportunities for High School Students

The following programs are not residential and only offered in a specific location. Many also only accept local students, although some do allow out-of-state students to apply. If that’s the case, you will need to secure your own living accommodations and transportation. Moreover, if you are under the age of 18, you will need to be supervised by a parent or guardian.

Programs are organized alphabetically by state.

24) California Academy of the Sciences—Careers in Science Intern

• Location : San Francisco, CA
• Focus: STEM
• Length: Multi-year (2-3 years)
• Eligibility: 9 th or 10 th grade student enrolled in an SFUSD school with a GPA of 2.5 or higher

25) Cedars Sinai INSPIRE High School

• Location : Los Angeles, CA
• Focus: Pre-Health
• Cost : Free; all students are paid
• Eligibility: High school students age 16+

26) City of Hope Summer Student Academy

• Location : Duarte, CA
• Focus: Biomedicine
• Cost : Free; all students receive a stipend of $4,000

27) Sandia National Laboratories—Internships

• Location : Livermore, CA
• Focus : STEM
• Timeframe : Academic year and summer internships available
• Length: Academic year or 10-12 weeks (summer)
• Cost : Free; all positions are paid

28) Scripps Student Research Internship Program

• Location : La Jolla, CA
• Focus : Translational science/genomics
• Cost : Free; stipends are typically offered

29) UCSF SEP High School Intern Program

• Focus : Biomedical research
• Length: 8 weeks
• Eligibility: High school juniors enrolled in an SFUSD high school, SF charter school, or College Track San Francisco

30) UCSF Summer Student Research Program

• Location : Oakland, CA
• Length: 9 weeks
• Cost : Free; all students are given a stipend between $3,000-$4,300
• Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors, aged 16+

Connecticut

31) jackson lab academic year fellowships.

• Location : Farmington, CT*
• Focus: Genetics
• Timeframe : Academic year
• Length: 1 school year
• Cost : Free; students must be able to receive academic credit for their work
• Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors age 16+ within commuting distance of the lab

*Some fully remote opportunities are available

32) Yale School of Medicine Discovery to Cure High School Internship

• Location : New Haven, CT

33) Yale University Social Robotics Lab High School Internship

• Focus: Robotics and human social behavior
• Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors aged 16+

34) Argonne National Laboratory — Exemplary Student Research Program

• Location : Lemont, IL
• Focus: Engineering
• Eligibility: Application must be completed by participating teacher

35) Chicago EYES on Cancer

• Focus : Biomedicine
• Timeframe : All year, with two 8-week summer research experiences
• Length: 2 years
• Cost : Free; all students receive $3,100 stipend
• Eligibility: High school sophomore, junior, or senior aged 16+

36) University of Kansas Biotech Research Apprentice Program

• Location : Overland Park, KS
• Focus : Biotech
• Length: Semester

37) Jackson Lab Academic Year Fellowships

• Location : Bar Harbor, ME*

38) National Cancer Institute Werner H. Kirsten Student Internship Program

• Location : Frederick, MD
• Timeframe : Academic year & summer
• Length: 1 year
• Cost : Free; academic credit available during school year, stipend provided in summer
• Eligibility: High school junior age 17+ who attends an eligible school located within a 30-mile radius of campus

39) University of Minnesota Lillehei Heart Institute Summer Research Scholars Program

• Location : Minneapolis, MN
• Focus: Cardiovascular medicine
• Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors age 16+ as well as undergraduate students

40) Coriell Institute for Medical Research

• Location : Camden, NJ
• Eligibility: High school student aged 17+

41) Princeton Laboratory Learning Program

• Location : Princeton, NJ
• Focus : Natural Sciences or Engineering
• Length: 5-6 weeks

42) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory High School Internship

• Location : Princeton, NJ*
• Focus : Physics
• Eligibility: High school seniors (program takes place summer after graduation)

*Remote projects may be available.

43) Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science Summer Research Program (RITMS)

• Location : Rutgers, NJ
• Focus : Translational medicine/science

44) Rutgers Waksman Institute Summer Experience Program

• Location : Piscataway, NJ*
• Focus : Molecular biology/bioinformatics
• Cost : $2,000
• Eligibility: High school students who have completed a high school-level biology course

*Online version of the program is also available

45) Los Alamos National Laboratory High School Internship Program

• Location : Los Alamos, NM
• Length: 11 weeks
• Eligibility: New Mexico high school seniors aged 16+

46) Sandia National Laboratories—Internships

• Location : Albuquerque, NM

47) Baruch College STEM Research Academy

• Location : New York, NY
• Timeframe : Spring/summer
• Cost : Free, but all students receive a stipend of $1,575
• Eligibility: Must be a NYC public high school sophomore junior to apply

48) Burke Neurological Institute NeuroAcademy

• Location : White Plains, NY
• Focus: Neuroscience
• Eligibility: Completion of NYS Regents Living Environment or equivalent Biology class; cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher

49) City Tech College STEM Research Academy

• Length: Two semesters (January-August)
• Eligibility: NYC public school sophomore or junior

50) Columbia Zuckerman Institute—BRAINYAC Program

• Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors from select partner programs/schools in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx

51) HOPP Summer Student Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

• Focus: Biomedical or computational research
• Eligibility: High school students aged 14+

52) University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics Summer High School Research Program

• Location : Rochester, NY
• Focus: Laser energetics
• Eligibility: Rochester-area high school students who have completed their junior year

53) Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute

• Location : Cleveland, OH
• Timeframe : Varies; depends on lab
• Length: Varies; depends on lab

54) OHSU School of Medicine Partnership for Scientific Inquiry (PSI)

• Location : Portland, OR
• Focus: Biomedical research
• Timeframe : Academic semester + summer
• Length: 16+ weeks
• Eligibility: Oregon-based high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors aged 16+

Pennsylvania

55) fox chase cancer center high school research programs.

• Location : Philadelphia, PA
• Timeframe : During school year
• Length: 2-3 months; depends on program
• Eligibility: Philadelphia-area high school students; students must be 16+ for some programs

56) Penn State College of Medicine Research Internships

• Location : Hershey, PA
• Length: Varies; could be weeks to months depending on lab
• Cost : Paid and unpaid internships available

57) University of Pennsylvania GRASP Lab High School Internships

• Focus: Robotics
• Cost : Free; stipend typically available
• Eligibility: Rising high school senior

58) George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Internship Program (ASSIP)

• Location : Fairfax, VA*
• Eligibility: High school students aged 15+ or 16+, depending on program

*Some fully remote and hybrid opportunities are available, depending on the lab.

59) Jefferson Lab High School Summer Honors Program

• Location : Newport News, VA
• Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ who live within 60 miles of the lab

60) Virginia Tech Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Summer Research Program

• Location : Roanoke, VA
• Focus: Health behaviors research
• Cost : Free; all students receive a stipend of $4,800
• Eligibility: Rising high school junior or senior in the Roanoke Valley

61) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory High School Research Programs

• Location : Richland, WA
• Timeframe : Summer & academic year programs available
• Length: Academic year or 10 weeks (summer)
• Eligibility: High school students aged 16+; some labs may require students to be 18+

62) Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Training Program

• Location : Seattle, WA
• Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, or seniors within commuting distance of downtown Seattle

Final Thoughts—Research Opportunities for High School Students

If gaining research experience is important to you, it’s in your best interest to explore a number of different programs, evaluating whether their structure, length, cost, and outcomes are in line with your goals. Finding the right opportunity may take some time, but it will be well worth the effort required.

• Research Programs

Kelsea Conlin

Kelsea holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Tufts University, a graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Chautauqua .

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How to Do Research in High School, By An ISEF Finalist

Look, this is the biggest question I always get asked – how did I get to do research as a high schooler? And the reason why I’ve never answered it before is because I wanted to experience the full research journey in order to understand how to get involved in research from all different opportunities and backgrounds, or as best as I could. Contrary to popular belief, high school research often isn’t just “I asked my dad and he set up a position for me to work with his friend from college,” and there are still many ways to get involved in research without any connections. Since successfully doing research in an independent project, cold emailing, and summer programs, I finally have the experience of what it takes and how you can start doing research as well!

I have to stress – conducting high-level research on bacteria or chemical rings or number theory or whatever else you want to do isn’t something that you think a high school student would spend their free time doing. And as more and more students are doing “research,” colleges can see through that if you’re just doing it for college applications. I definitely don’t mean that all students who do research are frauds and just do it for a reward (in fact, there’s nothing further from the truth! The people I’ve met at high-level competitions have been some of the most passionate and truly interesting people that I’ve ever met), but I just want to discourage anyone who’s doing this for the sole intention of getting into college. “Research” is ridiculously common these days, so if you want to get into research just for college admissions, don’t even think about it. Just having a Petri dish-washing position won’t distinguish you from other students, so I strongly encourage you to do research because you love it, and do research that’s actually meaningful. I’ll talk about what this means later on in another post.

Anyway, moving on! So, here are the three ways to get involved in research, including my tips and reflections!

1. Conduct your own independent research project

This one is the easiest to start out with, and it’s what I recommend most students start out doing to get a feel of what research is and what the scientific process is like in a low-stakes environment. If your school has an established science program, take advantage of that! Many well-funded magnet schools or private schools have these amazing programs, so this is the perfect way to get involved with research through a structured and experienced program at your school. I don’t have much experience with knowing how to get into these programs or how they work since we don’t have this at my school, but I’ve heard from other schools that there’s usually a class that you can sign up for that helps students do research projects for science fairs. There’s also a class called AP Research that gives you the opportunity to conduct a year-long investigation and write a full research paper.

How do you start an independent research project?

However, most high schools probably don’t have these programs, so if that’s the case for you, independent research is still perfectly feasible! In fact, this was my first introduction to research as well. If you’d like, you can find a science teacher (or humanities teacher, if that’s your thing) at your school and ask them to be your mentor. It’s not a requirement, but they can definitely be helpful in guiding you throughout the process, even if they can’t help with the super complicated advanced scientific stuff. I didn’t have a teacher mentor, and I just began my process by reading a ridiculous number of scientific papers. I’d recommend starting with review articles because they typically contain the fewest technical terms and allow you to get a sense of current developments in the field as well as questions that still need to be answered. In the past two years, I think I’ve read over 150 scientific papers. Scientific papers are hard to get used to at first, but once you read more and more, you’ll get the hang of them, and they’ll be easy to comprehend after a while. Use these papers to understand the problem that you want to solve with your research.

Now here’s the hard part. The actual scientific experiment. Sadly, there’s no easy way out of this. There’s no way you can conduct high-throughput screening bioassays from your bedroom, so if you’re adamant about doing lab-based research, I recommend you skip down to the section about conducting research with professors at the end of this list. However, if you’re interested in computational work, a lot of this is very feasible to do at home! For example, I started doing work in computational biology because it was a project that I could do from home on my own computer, and many coding and machine learning projects are similar as well. There are plenty of online resources to teach you how the process works, so I’d recommend searching for resources on ResearchGate, Google Scholar, YouTube, and other websites as well. I’m going to warn you – it is a TON of trial and error. You probably won’t know what the heck you’re doing most of the time, and whether or not you’re doing things right. Which is why mentorship is helpful!

Before you say, “I’m literally doing independent research because I can’t get a mentor!”, internships with professors aren’t the only way to get mentorship from professionals in the field. In fact, one website to get help from professionals is called Science Buddies Ask an Expert, which is a forum where you can ask questions from experts in the field of science and science fairs. It’s helpful if you have questions about procedures, methodology, or how data analysis works, but less so if you want someone to guide you through your entire process. If you’d like a long-term mentorship connection, the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium has a mentorship program where you can connect virtually with tons of experts in all different fields of STEM around the world. It’s an awesome program, especially since you can actually get help from people who want to help students with research. It’s been super helpful for me as well. Also, I love ResearchGate and StackExchange. It’s basically like Reddit for researchers, and you can find lots of understandable explanations from seasoned experts in the field, and answers to the many stupid (clearly a first-time researcher) questions that you’ll definitely have (no shame in asking stupid questions! Honestly, it’s one of my favorite parts of research. After a while, I look over my old work and I’m thinking, “WTF…. Why did I try to calculate the electrotopological state of molecules by hand?”).

2. Apply for summer research programs

Summer programs are the most “direct” way of doing research, with the most clear-cut goals and plans. There are two broad categories of these programs, which are free or stipend-provided programs and paid programs. Free programs or programs that give you a stipend are typically more prestigious, because, after all, they can’t just accept everyone. Within these programs, you can look for ones that are open to all students, nationally or internationally, and ones that are local. As long as it’s free, the prestige between different programs shouldn’t matter too much, with some exceptions. There are some programs that are so well-known and prestigious that they probably make a difference in college applications, which are the MIT Research Science Institute, Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP), Stony Brook Simons Summer Research Program, and Texas Tech University Clark Scholars Program, and some more, but after that, prestige doesn’t matter as much, so just choose the programs based on what you’re most interested in. The value really is in what you make out of them.

The second category is paid programs. These typically aren’t as prestigious, and they can sometimes just be “cash cows,” including ones hosted by top universities. Most pre-college programs fall under this category, so you should only attend the program if you’re comfortable paying the cost and if you’re truly interested in the experience, since most pre-college programs aren’t that prestigious. However, there are some prestigious programs that do have a cost, and one is the Summer Science Program (SSP), which costs around $7,000. They have a generous financial aid program, so you can still often attend for a lower cost or for free.

For finding these programs, Google is your best friend for well-known programs open to all students regardless of where you live. You can just Google “best high school summer programs for [insert field that you’re interested in].” Of course, online forums are great too for searching for programs, seeing how popular they are, and finding alumni experiences. Just make sure to be careful that you absolutely know what you’re getting for your money’s worth if it’s a paid program, because not all programs are created equal. Also, each program is different. Some require you to take specific coursework, others allow you to conduct your own research project, then some others train you in laboratory skills through existing projects. I’ve found that the ones that allow you to fully do your own research project tend to be quite rare and quite selective though.

For local programs, try searching to see if your local university has any internship opportunities for high school students. You can ask your school as well for programs that previous students have applied to, and many local businesses will offer internship programs. This all depends on the industries in your city. If you live in the Bay Area, there definitely won’t be a shortage of tech internship programs, but if you live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, there probably won’t be that many wet lab internships. In that case, try applying for national and international programs.

Here’s my experience with summer research programs

Last summer, I attended two local research programs, one hosted by a research organization and another one by a local hospital. Both were free, and in fact, I even got a nice stipend from the one hosted by the research organization. The programs were mainly science-learning programs, which gave me the opportunity to learn more about cancer research, immunology, and public health. I only applied to these two research programs that year, and I got into both of them. Junior year, on the other hand, is when things really start to open up.This year, I planned on applying to six summer research programs, three of which were extremely selective, including MIT Research Science Institute (RSI), Summer Science Program (SSP), and MIT MOSTEC, and three of which were local. Of the local ones, one was from the same research organization I interned for last year. Their program for juniors was even more selective, and it was what I had dreamed of going to for all of high school. But in the end, I didn’t end up applying to two of the three local programs, including my dream summer program. That’s because by mid-March, I got the news that I had been accepted into MIT RSI. Which was completely unexpected (fun fact: I screamed during history class when I got the email that I was accepted, and I never told anyone why, so everyone might just think I was crazy). I thought my RSI application was terrible; I’m 90% sure I misspelled the name of the final project presentation (is it really called the Final Symposium or did someone just put that on the Wikipedia page? ), and most of my major accomplishments came only after I submitted my application. RSI is very, very notorious for being harder to get into than any top university, so it took me a good few weeks to finally let it sink in that I was actually accepted into RSI. I had already submitted four out of the six applications, and I just ended up not applying to the other two applications. I got waitlisted at SSP, which was honestly fair, and most other students who were accepted to RSI were waitlisted at SSP as well.

How did I get into MIT Research Science Institute (RSI)?

So… What got me into RSI? I don’t think it was my stats or extracurriculars, because they were good, but not crazy impressive like many of the other RSI kids. Rather, I had a very specific research idea that I loved, and I was adamant about my idea. I think I portrayed a “theme” in my application that I really, really loved plasmids (yeah… If they couldn’t tell from my rant about plasmids), but coming from a very average public school, I didn’t have the opportunity to do as much as I wanted in my research on plasmids. If I was accepted into the program, they could give me this opportunity to do what I loved, which I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, so therefore, I could gain a lot from the program. I think my demographics also helped. Not race or gender or anything like that, but a good majority of the other students I’ve met that got accepted into RSI come from expensive private schools, top magnet schools, or at least highly ranked public schools. I go to an extremely average public school with very average resources and average rankings, and they probably needed some of that “average public school kid” diversity.

I have an important tip for essays. I think these summer research programs care about “fit” way more than even colleges do, because, after all, they’re giving YOU an opportunity much more than they expect you to actually contribute to the program for your entire life. So, they want to make sure that you’d be a good fit for the program, even if you’re less academically qualified or less accomplished than someone else. That means showing a true passion for the subject is critical to successfully applying. Don’t be afraid to geek out! After I was accepted into RSI, I read over my essays, and honestly, it was ridiculously cringey, but I basically rambled on for an entire paragraph about how cool I thought plasmids were. At some point, I even basically wrote, “Isn’t this just so cool??!!” Yet, it helped show my passion for the subject, even as embarrassing as it was. And I think genuine passion has really carried me a long way. A lot of high schoolers can say that they want to do research, but not that many have highly specific research ideas on obscure topics that they’ve done literally everything they can to learn about for the past few years. Because of this genuine passion for a topic, people have been more willing to give me opportunities because they know I’ll make the most of them.

Also, make sure to strategically position yourself in a way that makes you seem like a good fit for the program. Not in a shady sort of way, but if you know that a program prides itself on giving students their first introduction into the field, don’t brag about all of your accomplishments in the field that you already have. If the program prides itself on bringing the top students in the field to the program, then you can write everything you can about your accomplishments. This is more important than you might think. For example, I heard about one student who was rejected from all the programs that he applied to, and many people said that he was rejected because he had prior research experience. I already had prior research experience as well, but I positioned myself in my essays to show what I was looking for from the program and what I could gain from it in addition to my prior experience, rather than just showing off how accomplished I was. Even though I was waitlisted for the Summer Science Program, I would call my “positioning” of my essays a success because, to be honest, I already had too much research experience that overlapped with what I would’ve done at the program (my research experience is in developing small-molecule inhibitors using computational drug design, which is basically what you do at SSP). Since they waitlist students who are qualified to attend and would still benefit from the experience, I think this was a fair decision for me. I would’ve voted to waitlist myself anyway, because I think I wouldn’t have gained as much out of it because I’ve already had the research experience. So, your goal in the essays is to first show your passion and, secondly, show that you would gain a lot from the programs.

Also, one unpopular opinion that I have is that the application process for these programs is great, and I would highly recommend doing it. Alright, I definitely didn’t think that while crying over the number of essays I had to write, but seriously, it’s such a good way to practice for college applications. Many research programs require personal statement essays and letters of recommendation from teachers, so applying to these programs is essentially a test run to see which essays work and which teachers to ask for recommendations. So, you should look at these applications as an opportunity! Of course, don’t automatically think you’re screwed if you don’t get into any of the programs. Summer programs have weird specifics for what they’re looking for in their applicants, because what you gain from a summer of doing research is different from what you bring to an institution you’ll be associated with for the rest of your life, so it’s certainly not exactly the same as what colleges look for.

3. Contact university professors to conduct research in-person or virtually

If you’re here from the independent research section of this blog post, great! If you’ve read the entire blog post and you’re now arriving at this section, I’d still recommend starting off at the same spot, which is to do your research beforehand. Now, I know a lot of people will say, “Oh, you can just cold email hundreds of professors about how cool they are, and you’ll get one or two that respond!” No…. Don’t do that. I mean, you will probably get one or two that respond like a brute force algorithm, but if you’d prefer NOT spending a couple hours of your weekends copying and pasting emails, here’s how you do it. For reference, I emailed nine professors total, and seven responded, out of which I got three professors who offered me a position at their lab. I know people who have emailed 500+ professors with no responses.

So firstly, DO YOU RESEARCH BEFOREHAND. Not like conducting a full background check on the professor and every single research project they’ve ever done, but finding a field that YOU’RE interested in, reading all of the literature that you can on the topic, and formulating a research idea that you’d like to research. Professors don’t want to have to hold your hand throughout the entire process, and they want to see that you’re self-driven and will be eager to learn and grow in the lab, and possibly be able to bring some new ideas and perspectives to the lab as well. In your prior research, your goal should be to have at least a background understanding of the field that shows why you want to work with this professor, and if you have a specific idea, show that your idea wouldn’t be possible without their help and the resources they have at their lab. Perhaps one of their existing projects fits perfectly into what you’re interested in studying and the idea that you came up with, so that’s why you want to join that professor’s lab specifically. It really shows some more initiative and creativity to be able to form your own ideas that you can propose to the professor.

Of course, that’s not to say you’ll be able to come up with a brilliant, earth-shattering research idea that professors will just be dying to get their hands on. In fact, your idea might turn out to be pretty bad, but that’s okay. The goal here is to show that you’ve taken the initiative to actually learn about the field and you’re truly, deeply, interested in it, not that you randomly decided one day that you want to pursue biology and now you’re expecting a professor to spend their time and energy mentoring you and giving you lots of opportunities in the field. 

A lot of people recommend talking about how much you love a professor’s work in an email. I think what this means is that you should include specific details about the professor’s work and why this fits your interests specifically, not that you should write a love letter to the professor stuffed with flattery. As with everything, the goal is to show your fit, and while it’s definitely important to talk about why the professor’s work is interesting, I think it definitely helps to show your competence as well, since just about anyone can write a nice email with lots of compliments.

Also, I’d recommend against asking to join the professor’s lab immediately. It’s kind of weird, especially if they’ve never met you and they’re just suddenly getting a random email from you, so ask them for a 20-to-30-minute conversation first before asking them for a lab position. I’ve included the email template that I used to reach out to professors below, and while you could just copy and paste what I wrote, you can do better than that (plus, it’d be kind of useless, since I realized there was way too much information that was specific to me that I blacked out of the template)! Use this as a reference, and write your own custom emails to the professors. Since you’re describing why your research idea fits the professor’s work, I hope it goes without saying that your emails should be customized for the professor, and you shouldn’t be able to send the same email to every professor. Also, don’t just email every single faculty member in the same department at the same school. They talk to each other, and they’ll know that you sent the exact same email to their colleague down the hall.

Here’s the email template I used to land my research positions!

“Dear [professor’s name], I hope you’re having a great day! My name is [name], and I’m currently a [grade level] at [school name] in [city name]. I was fascinated with your work in [insert details about the professor’s work], and I wanted to reach out because I would love to learn more about your research!  This year, I participated in the [insert relevant accomplishments]. In this project, [describe your prior work and knowledge]. I noticed that you have conducted research on [insert details of professor’s work], which I was fascinated by as my project researched [describe your prior work]. I was wondering, would it be possible for us to have a quick 15 minute conversation through Zoom about your research? I found your work to be fascinating especially with the important research in [insert details of professor’s work], and I was hoping to further discuss [insert what you want to learn more about]! For more details about my background and qualifications, I’ve attached my resume below. I would also be happy to share the manuscript of my paper if you would like to hear more about my independent research project [or research idea]. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I hope you have a great day! Sincerely, [name]

What do you actually do in a professor’s lab?

I think this highly depends on your situation. Make sure to communicate clearly about what you’re hoping for from the internship. Some professors are willing to let you do a side project on your own after a couple months of working with them in the lab, while others will have you learn by doing basic laboratory procedures. It really depends, so make sure you have the same expectations. It’s also important to keep in mind certain laws regarding minors and work safety conditions. For example, in most places, minors can’t work with human tissue or potentially hazardous materials, and you really just can’t get around that. Of course, this is for in-person laboratory work. If you’re working with a professor virtually, you might plan on having weekly meetings and discussing how you’ll communicate about your project. Make sure that you’re responsible and that you stay on top of everything. For your own sake (and all of us high schoolers), please don’t piss off the professor. They’re doing this out of the kindness of their heart, so don’t take that for granted and miss deadlines and forget to respond to emails. You’re going to have to prepare for research to become one of your top priorities, so don’t reach out to professors before you prepare to fully commit to this.

Here are my honest and unfiltered reflections as a high school researcher

And that’s a wrap on some of the best ways to get involved in research! Personally, I’m really happy with the path I took, which was to start out with my own independent project, reach out to professors, and then attend summer programs. I recently saw a question from a high school freshman who said that they felt discouraged because they had just missed the deadlines for many research programs and the science fair, and I just wanted to say, seriously, there’s no “time frame” that you have to fit into in order to do research. I know I definitely felt that pressure, especially since I only began doing any research at all in my sophomore year, and I felt so inexperienced in comparison to many of the other students who had been doing research since middle school. When I conducted my first research project, it was honestly quite a bad project. It made no sense scientifically, and the methodology was just incredibly strange. Yet, I still got a lot out of the experience, and I kept working to improve my work and make it even better. A year later, I would never have imagined where I would end up now, going to high-level research competitions and attending the most prestigious summer research program in the world. And again, my high school is very average. There’s no expectation or prior experience for students to do research, so I’ve had to build my journey on my own. It’s sometimes lonely, confusing, and makes me cry, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world.

Most of all, I just want all students to know that they can do it too, despite the cynicism that you might see about how you need wealthy and well-connected parents to land a research position at an Ivy League research laboratory. By that, I mean getting an awesome and meaningful experience out of it. There’s no guarantee in science that you’ll succeed, but the experience is what you make of it, and I can guarantee that you’ll get an experience that’s well worth it if you come in with the right mindset.

Ultimately, the goal of my blog was to share this journey, so I hope this blog post was helpful in giving more insight into how student research works!

Check these out!

Tips to Choose the Right Undergraduate Research Lab

What is Click Chemistry? From the Bertozzi Lab

What I Learned From My First Big Conference

18 comments.

Did you know calculus at the time you started your project? I am 12, in 8th grade and learning algebra, so would it benefit me to focus my time into self-teaching my self up to calculus, and do science fair next year? I am doing mine in the biotechnology category (I think) and my focus is biofluorescence. I started reading a scientific book on my topic, but I have yet to form a research question. I plan to use computational biology to do my experiment. I feel discouraged from doing it as I have such a short time to do my project. Do you think I should wait for 9th grade to do the fair, teach myself up to calculus this year, especially since the middle school fair is such a lesser known one? You have become my inspiration and huge role model for me. When I go to university, I want to go into nanomedicine.

Hi, thank you so much for checking out my blog! It makes me so happy to hear that I’ve inspired someone in research 🙂 I’ve been doing research for a couple years now, so I actually hadn’t taken calculus yet when I first started research! For many projects, especially biology, I don’t think calculus is necessary to begin research, unless you’re doing something in theoretical computer science. Please don’t feel discouraged if you don’t feel like you have a lot of time before the science fair! You can either just try submitting a project (because after all, what’s the harm? You can learn a lot from just participating, even if you don’t win anything!), or spend another year perfecting your project before you submit it to the fair next year. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Hi!! I’m a high school freshman who recently found a topic I’m passionate about and intend to pursue long-term, and was feeling very intimidated because I only have entry-level knowledge on my topic. Your post really helped me understand that I can also build something from the ground up How did you develop such a complex understanding of your topic in the (typically) short time frame of high school? I’ve competed in science fairs before, and all the winners I see are doing research that could easily be PhD level research, so I’m unsure how to develop the deep understanding I need to in my topics (intersection of psychology and data science/machine learning). I do plan on self-teaching myself those topics and develop as deep an understanding as I can, but hearing about your experiences would really be helpful. I don’t normally comment or follow pages, but your story and accomplishments are too awesome and inspiring not to!

Hi Puri – so nice to meet you, thank you so much for commenting! This is a really good question, and definitely something I always wondered when I first started research. For me, I actually spent my first year in research mostly reading research papers, especially literature review papers, to try to gain an understanding of the topic. That year, I submitted a project to my local science fair as a meta-analysis of different studies. My project wasn’t very good, but that was okay! I just wanted to gain an opportunity to present my work and idea to judges and get their feedback (as well as the experience of presenting at science fairs) for my first project ever, even though I didn’t expect to win anything. However, because I had this foundation of knowledge in the field I was interested in from reviewing the literature, I was then able to create a better project the year after that – which ended up winning First Place at the same science fair the next year. Good luck on your research, and let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks! I’m actually back and reading this article for motivation to get back into research after a bit of a slump from my last janky project haha, I definitely didn’t read professional scientific manuscripts before I started my research (I kind of got an idea and immediately jumped into it without much preparation which might’ve been why I was so lost), so I’ll make it a point to acquaint myself with those, thank you again!

That’s awesome, and good luck on your research! Research is super rewarding, so I’m sure you’ll have a ton of fun. Let me know if you have any questions!

Hi! I’m a freshman in high school and already have an idea of what to research. I’ve been reading articles about it, but want to get into doing it. However, the materials are a little expensive. If I do transfer to a lab, how do I know they will have the materials necessary? Or, will they provide me with what I ask for? I’m mainly looking at cultures and bacteria that I cannot obtain by myself. Thank you! Your blog is so interesting and you are such a wonderful inspiration. 🙂

Hi Lola – I’m so glad to hear that you’re interested in doing research, and those are great questions. First of all, because of lab safety regulations, you’re most likely not allowed to do any bacterial culture experiments at home. Even if you’re able to purchase your own lab equipment and cultures, it’s illegal to grow certain types of bacteria and pathogenic organisms in a home setting. If you work at a lab, it’s most likely they will already have most of the materials and equipment that you need, because most biology experiments involve the same supplies, like pipettes, PCR machines, gel electrophoresis, etc. If you need any special cultures, you can request that the lab purchase those for you. Hope this helps, and thank you so much for checking out my blog!

Hello! I am currently a freshman in high school, and I’ve been cold-emailing professors asking for an internship for the past few weeks. I plan on going into biology, specifically toxicology, or microbiology, even more specifically, I am interested in omega-conotoxins and APOL3. I haven’t been attaching a project proposal for some of the research ideas I have had in the emails, do you think that would be helpful for the professor? I’ve also been directly been asking for an internship, which I realize is a problem now, so I will not do that! Thank you so much!

Hello Bhavya, thanks for much for commenting! Please note that all of my advice in the post are suggestions and advice from what has worked well for me and what I’ve heard from professors – it’s not that you will definitely be successful or unsuccessful if you do or don’t do exactly what I say. However, because professors are really busy people, attaching some proof of your prior research does catch their interest in showing that you have a genuine interest in the subject, and could help you stand out from the dozens of people who may also be cold-emailing them. Hopefully this helps, and thank you so much for stopping by!

Hello Pinyu! Thank you so much for your advice!! I was able to land an internship at my local university as well as qualify to ISEF 2024!

That’s awesome! I’m glad I could help – keep up the good work!

Hi! I’m going in to my sophomore year of high school and am interested in research, but I’ve never competed in a science fair before. I’m concerned that my lack of experience/knowledge on the subject I am interested in may prevent me from accessing opportunities. Do you think professors will still let me work with them despite my limited experience?

Hi Sophie! Most professors are very understanding – after all, most people only start doing research in undergrad or graduate school, so they definitely don’t expect a high schooler to have research experience. Make sure to do background research on the subject field beforehand so you can understand it as best as you can, and you’ll be fine. Doing research isn’t about being perfect – it’s about the learning experience. Good luck!

I came across this article after receiving some positive responses from cold-emailing professors at my local university, who are conducting research that I’m really interested in! However, there have been some scheduling conflicts and I’m worried that timing won’t line up until the summer before my junior year (since many labs are closed on weekends, and not operating in the evenings), and that I’m too late to have time to collect viable research, get it published, and attend a science fair. I’d like to get familiarized with the lab setting, practice basic lab skills, and work under a PhD student doing research that isn’t based on my curiosity, however I do eventually want to conduct original research. What do you think about this timeline and should I be worried about my interest not paying off?

Hi G, congrats on getting a research opportunity in a field you’re interested in! Your concern is a great consideration to have – research takes a lot of time and dedication, so you definitely need to make sure that you have the time and bandwidth to learn from the experience. If you’re worried about whether or not you’ll actually be able to spend enough time in the lab to learn from the experience, make sure to communicate that with your mentor to discuss your role and what you hope to gain from the experience, as they’ll be able to tell you what you realistically will be able to achieve with the amount of time you propose. It’s totally fine to wait until junior year to begin as well, just communicate and discuss your concerns with your mentor to decide what works best for you!

Hi, I love your blog about pursuing research but, I’m mainly working with robotics, so just working with data and papers isn’t much help, I also need access to certain components and expertise. I have worked on quite a few projects but I don’t know how to get to the next step of actually doing real projects instead of prototypes. Obviously, this costs a ton of money and resources and I can’t do it alone, how and where can I ask for help in that?

Hello Rudaiba, thanks for commenting! You’re totally right that some of these fields are quite difficult to work in without resources. One option I would recommend is to check out the robotics programs in your area. For example, I have a really good friend I met through ISEF who competed in VEX Robotics and highly recommended it, as you get a similar experience of competing and solving problems through these robotics programs. Another option is to reach out to local groups that may be working on similar projects. While I’m not too familar with robotics, in biology, there are “biohacking” community groups, as well as schools and professors that may be willing to donate their spare parts to you to work on. Good luck!

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Why you should encourage your students to do research

By Elizabeth Rushton and Nicola Robinson 2019-12-17T09:39:00+00:00

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Independent research projects give students a richer understanding of what it means to be a scientist 

Source: © Otto Dettmer/Ikon Images

Developing research projects with students can help equip them for work

Recent studies suggest that it is good for secondary school students to participate in independent research projects (IRPs) as part of their science education. IRPs are student-led, open-ended practical projects which help students engage with science in a way that gives them a richer understanding of what it means to be a scientist. 

However, coursework projects were removed from the A-level chemistry curriculum in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2015. They still remain part of Scottish chemistry teaching. Instead, students do required practicals which assess practical skills and knowledge in an external examination. If students in England, Wales or Northern Ireland want to do an IRP, they have to seek out the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or extracurricular programmes such as the British Science Association CREST Awards . But how can schools best support and encourage their students?

Drawing from our perspectives as an education researcher and a secondary school chemistry teacher, here are three ideas we recommend you try out in your own classroom.

1. Build a research community

Research is a team endeavour that brings together different skills and experiences to establish research communities involving a variety of key players: students from across year groups, teachers, technicians and parents. Invite former students, university researchers and industry representatives.

You can foster a sense of community by making research events social – visit a university research lab and allow your students to mingle with the scientists, for example, or host research-related social events like watching a film or visiting an exhibition relevant to the project. This will also help break down barriers between students, teachers and other professionals, and create team spirit.

2. Celebrate student research within and beyond the school

Generally, students have limited opportunities to share and celebrate their work within and beyond their school community. Researchers share their science at conferences by giving talks and presenting posters, but sharing research with the wider public – through public lectures or magazine articles, for example – is an equally important part of science communication.

Through IRPs, you can give your students an opportunity to develop their understanding of both the research itself and why it’s important to the wider community. A simple way to start would be to display student research posters in classrooms and corridors and refer to them in lessons. You could also organise outreach events. Encourage students to share their passion for science by giving an assembly about their research at a local primary school, for example. Your students could even host an open evening where they invite the local community to attend a mini-conference; they could give small talks and display their posters. They will gain valuable experience in presenting to different audiences.

3. Encourage a diverse group of students to participate

Organising these kinds of trips and events requires good planning and organisation, and visits to primary schools especially rely on students who can communicate with younger students in an appropriate and engaging way. So a broad range of student skills are needed to make the events successful. Recognising these varied roles and promoting them to students will encourage a diverse group of students to participate in research, and may encourage more students to experience how they can contribute to the project and science in general. Teachers and technicians play a vital role in recruiting students so everyone can benefit from the IRPs.

Giving students the opportunity to do IRPs could heighten their awareness of many potential STEM career options they may not otherwise have considered. In addition to developing the obvious skills associated with problem-solving, lateral thinking and the scientific method, students also get to build valuable social networks. And students who decide to study science at university will inevitably be better prepared for their studies because of the skills and experience gained through doing IRPs. Finally, the process could also free them of the compartmentalised thinking they might normally encounter at school as well as helping them form better relationships with others.

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31 Research Opportunities + Internships for High Schoolers in 2024

What’s covered:.

• Research Opportunities and Internships for High School Students
• How to Find Research Opportunities in High School
• How Will Doing Research Impact Your College Chances?

Research drives innovation across every field of study, from natural sciences to health to history. Pursuing curiosity can impact industries, drive policy, and help us to better understand the world around us. Without curiosity and research, our society would surely stagnate. 

Contrary to popular belief, however, you don’t have to be a seasoned professional to conduct meaningful research. There are plenty of opportunities for high school students to get a head start on their future careers and contribute to substantial change. Keep reading to learn about 30 great opportunities for students looking for early chances to conduct research! 

Research Opportunities and Internships for High School Students 

1. memorial sloan kettering human oncology and pathogenesis program.

Application Deadline: February 9

Location: New York, NY

Duration: Eight weeks (June 27 – August 22)

Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) is one of the most well-known cancer centers in the world. The Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP) at MSK hosts a Summer Student Program for students to conduct independent research projects while participating in extracurricular activities, training, and other opportunities.  

During the eight-week program, participants work with a mentor who will act as a supervisor to help them develop their research skills. Additionally, students have the opportunity to complete an independent research project that aligns with their mentor’s work. All participants will present their projects at a poster session at the end of the summer.

To participate, you must have completed at least 9th grade by June 2024, be at least 14 years old by June 27, have a 3.5 GPA in science subjects, and submit two letters of recommendation. This is a paid opportunity—participants will receive a stipend. 

2. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program  

Application Deadline: January 5 

Duration: Seven weeks (June 24 – August 8) 

The Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program allows high school students to conduct real, innovative research over seven weeks through the renowned Rockefeller University, under the guidance of leading scientists. 

SSRP scholars will be able to design and conduct their own research project as part of a themed research track, which is modeled after a Rockefeller research topic and/or technique, with the help of scientist mentors from the Rockefeller community. Most of the research will be conducted in the RockEDU Laboratory—a 3,000-square-foot research space specifically dedicated to developing biomedical research skills.

Students must be at least 16 years old by the start of the program to participate.  

3. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Application Deadline : Varies by cohort. Main summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, and May 15

Location:  Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!

Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year

Founded by Harvard & Oxford researchers, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program pairs high-school students with PhD mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project . At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have written an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as medicine, computer science, psychology, physics, economics, data science, business, engineering, biology, and international relations.

This program is designed to accommodate your schedule—you can participate in the summer, fall, winter, or spring, and the program is also conducted fully remotely. While you must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate high academic achievement (most students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3), no previous knowledge of your field of interest is required. The cost of the program ranges from $2,800 to $8,900, but financial aid is available.

Note that this is a selective program. Last year, over 4000 students applied for 500 spots in the program. You can find more details about the application here .

4. Research Science Institute (RSI)

Application Deadline: December 13 

Location: Cambridge, MA

Duration: Five weeks (June 23 – August 3) 

The prestigious RSI, which takes place at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) annually, brings together 100 of the world’s top high school students. The free program blends on-campus coursework with off-campus science and technology research. 

Participants complete individual research projects while receiving mentorship from experienced scientists and researchers, and present their findings through oral and written reports in a conference-style setting at the end of the program. 

5. NYU Tandon – Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)

Application Deadline: March 6

Duration: 10  weeks (June 3 – August 9)

Open to New York City high school students who will complete 10th or 11th grade in June 2024, the ARISE program provides access to college-level workshops and lab research across fields like bio, molecular, and chemical engineering, robotics, computer science, and AI.

Over the course of 10 weeks—four virtual and six in person—participants will receive guidance from graduate or postdoctoral students at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. 

6. Simons Summer Research Program

Application Deadline: February 7

Location: Stony Brook, NY

Duration: Five weeks (July 1 – August 9) 

During Stony Brook ’s Simons Summer Research Program, high school students conduct hands-on research in areas like science, math, and engineering while working with faculty mentors. Simons Fellows have the opportunity to join real research teams and learn about laboratory equipment and techniques. They also attend weekly faculty research talks and participate in special workshops, tours, and events. 

At the closing poster symposium, students will receive a stipend for their participation. To apply, you must be at least 16 years old by the start of the program and currently be in your junior year. 

7. SPARK Summer Mentorship Program

Application Deadline: N/A

Location: Greater Seattle area

Duration: 8-10 weeks 

SPARK is a summer mentorship program that pairs high-achieving and highly motivated high schoolers with industry experts, university professors, and mentors to conduct research on customers and financial markets. The program is only open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.  

8. MDI Biological Laboratory – Biomedical Bootcamp 2024

Application Deadline: March 18 

Location: Bar Harbor, ME

Duration: One week (July 15 – 19) 

In this bootcamp, students will receive a hands-on introduction to biomedical research at MDI Biological Laboratory. Participants will learn essential scientific skills such as experimental design and hypothesis testing, cutting-edge laboratory techniques, data analysis, bioinformatics, and scientific communication. 

During the program, scientists and bioentrepreneurs at the lab will help participants explore scientific ethics at large, as well as career paths in biomedicine, research, and entrepreneurship in Maine and beyond.

Participants must be at least 16 years old by the start of the program and must be entering their junior or senior year in September 2024, or graduating in June 2024. 

9. Boston University – Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) Internship  

Application Deadline: February 14  

Location: Boston, MA

Duration: Six weeks (June 30 – August 9)  

RISE is a six-week program for rising seniors with an interest in pursuing a major and/or career in STEM. There are a multitude of tracks available, in areas such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, and neuroscience. In each track, students conduct research under the mentorship of Boston University faculty, postdoctoral fellows, or graduate students. They will also attend weekly workshops with their peers. 

10. The Wistar Institute – High School Program in Biomedical Research

Application Deadline: March 31 

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Duration: Four weeks (July 15 – August 8) 

A leading biomedical research organization, The Wistar Institute is an ideal setting for students to learn research skills. Participants will complete their own research project while being trained in a principal investigator’s laboratory. They’ll also attend seminars, receive mentorship, and deliver a final presentation about their work.

Students are expected to participate Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Absences of more than two consecutive days cannot be accommodated. Students will receive a stipend of $1,000 upon completion of the program, to compensate for commuting costs or other personal expenses accrued during the program. 

11. California Academy of Sciences – Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program

Application Deadline: April 1, 2024

Location: San Francisco, CA

Duration: Multi-year, year-round participation (after school and on weekends)

This long term program gives San Francisco students from communities that are underrepresented in STEM the opportunity to learn about the world of science and sustainability. Students receive mentorship, develop career skills, and more—all while getting paid for their work. Students also attend workshops and conferences throughout the course of the program. 

12. NASA OSTEM Internship

Application Deadline: February 2

Location: Varies

Duration: Varies

NASA offers a variety of internships for high school students across its numerous campuses. Interns gain real-world work experience by working side by side with research scientists and engineers, which will strengthen their resume and help prepare them for their eventual careers. All participants must be at least 16 years old and enrolled in high school full time.

13. New-York Historical Society Student Historian Internship Program

Application Deadline: April 7

Duration: July 9 – August 15

Not all research is conducted in STEM subjects! Developed for students interested in history, the New-York Historical Society’s Student Historian Program gives participants the opportunity to conduct research on a history topic—2024’s theme is Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America . During the program, participants will work with historian mentors, visit history archives around New York City, lead gallery tours, and develop their historical thinking, communication, and digital media skills.

Applicants must be entering grades 10, 11, or 12, and live in the New York City metro area. This opportunity is unpaid for most participants, but some interns with demonstrated financial need can potentially receive a stipend.

14. Adler Planetarium Summer High School Internship  

Application Deadline: March 1

Location: Chicago, IL

Duration: Six weeks (July 8 – August 14)

During this summer internship program, students will learn about the Adler Planetarium and the career opportunities within it and planetariums and museums in general, in areas ranging from Visitor Experience and Learning to Research. Students will also get the chance to see how research gets translated into a museum experience. 

15. Zuckerman Institute Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia University (BRAINYAC)

Application Deadline: TBA for 2025 program

Duration: Eight weeks  

BRAINYAC participants receive the rare opportunity to work on research in a lab at Columbia University , one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, as high school students, which results in a stronger, more comprehensive understanding of how scientific discovery happens. They connect with real scientists, acquire essential research and laboratory skills, and learn about advances in neuroscience research. 

In order to apply, you must be in 10th or 11th grade and must be nominated by one of the program’s partners—S-PREP, Lang Youth Medical, Double Discovery Center, Columbia Secondary School, or BioBus.  

16. Brookfield Zoo King Conservation Science Scholars Program

Application Deadline: Rolling admission 

Location: Brookfield, IL

Duration: N/A

Interactive workshops, fun activities, research, and community-based projects are at the core of this exciting internship. It’s an excellent opportunity for students who love animals and also want to gain research skills in the domains of zoology, environmental science, and conservation. 

As a King Scholar, you’ll learn about different topics through Foundation Courses, such as Diversity Awareness and Introduction to Conservation, all while networking with others and preparing for college and an eventual career in a related field. After one year of participation, you’ll be invited to apply for scholarships and paid positions at the zoo. 

17. The Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) at the American Museum of Natural History  

Application Deadline: March 8

Duration: One year (August to June) 

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the most iconic and fascinating places in New York City. Its Science Research Mentoring Program is an amazing opportunity for NYC high school students to conduct a yearlong research project with Museum scientists. 

Students in SRMP get paid to learn how scientific research is conducted. Depending on their topic of study, students can learn a variety of different research skills, like working with DNA in the lab, analyzing data from space-based telescopes, reading scientific articles, and learning to code and analyze data in Python, R, and other programming languages. 

18. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

Application Deadline:   February 15

Location: Lubbock, TX

Duration: Seven weeks (June 16 – August 1) 

Through the Anson L. Clark Scholar Program, an intensive seven-week summer research program for twelve highly qualified high school juniors and seniors, students will gain hands-on experience with practical research alongside experienced and knowledgeable faculty at Texas Tech University .

Students can choose to participate in research in one field from a broad variety of options, including cell and molecular biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, engineering, history, and more! 

To apply, students must complete an online application that includes short essays, high school transcripts, test scores (at least a PSAT if no others are available), three recommendations (at least two from teachers), and a list of the student’s top five activities.

19. UChicago Data Science Institute Summer Lab Program  

Application Deadline: January 16 

Duration: Eight weeks (June 10 – August 2)

The Data Science Institute Summer Lab Program is an immersive eight-week paid summer research program at the University of Chicago . During the program, high school and undergraduate students are paired with a data science mentor, whose expertise could be in computer science, data science, social science, climate and energy policy, public policy, materials science, biomedical research, or another related field.

Participants will hone their research methodology, research practice, and teamwork skills. No prior research experience is required to apply. All participants will receive access to applied data science research, which they will use to craft a research project. The project findings will be presented in a video that will be shown at an end-of-summer symposium.

20. UT Austin College of Natural Sciences High School Research Academy

Application Deadline: March 24

Location: Austin, TX

Duration: Five weeks (June 10 – July 17) 

Through UT Austin ’s HSRA, high school students participate in interdisciplinary research projects being conducted by active College of Natural Sciences laboratories in fields such as biochemistry, biology, environmental science, genetics, neuroscience, genome engineering, data analytics, ecology, and more. 

There is a scholarship fund for underserved groups, so some stipends and free tuition scholarships may be available to students with demonstrated financial need. 

21. Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience – Summer Research Internship

Location: Jupiter, FL

Duration: Six weeks (June 17 – July 26) 

The MPFI Summer Research Internship offers rising juniors and seniors an immersive laboratory experience where they can learn from seasoned researchers. The program is designed specifically for students with an interest in brain structure, function and development, and the advanced imaging techniques and technologies used in neuroscience. 

Program participants will participate in research projects alongside MPFI scientists, prepare a written scientific abstract based on their research project, and deliver a short presentation at the end of the summer. Research tracks include neuroscience, scientific computer programming, and mechanical engineering as it relates to neuroscience.

Applicants must be entering their junior or senior years in a Palm Beach or Martin County high school, be residents of one of those two counties, and be at least 16 by the beginning of the internship. Interns will be paid at a rate of $12.50 per hour.

22. Lincoln Park Zoo Malott Family Zoo Intern Program

Application Deadline: March 11 

Duration: Seven weeks (June 24 – August 9) 

During this paid seven-week program, high school students learn how to educate others about animal and conservation sciences while crafting digital messages to engage audiences. The program culminates in a final project. Throughout the internship, students meet with researchers and the Animal Care staff to explore careers in the animal science and conservation fields. 

Applicants must be Chicago residents between the ages of 15-18, and must be entering grades 10-12 or their freshman year of college by the start of the internship.

23. The Scripps Research High School Internship Program  

Application Deadline: April 19

Location: La Jolla, CA

Duration: Seven weeks  

The Scripps Research Institute’s La Jolla, California headquarters is proud to offer a seven-week hands-on research experience for San Diego County high schoolers. The program is specially designed to expose students to careers in the biological and chemical sciences, to provide hands-on laboratory experience, and to motivate and prepare students for continuing education in STEM. 

Because Scripps is committed to increasing the number of students from underrepresented communities in STEM college programs, a special emphasis is placed on identifying and recruiting students who are from groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences. All students will receive a $4,760 stipend.

24. QuarkNet Summer Research Program  

Application Deadline: January 31

Location: DuPage County, IL

Duration: Seven weeks (June 17 – August 2) 

High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a strong interest in STEM have a unique opportunity to work with scientists on research projects during this paid seven-week program at the prestigious Fermilab, located just outside of Chicago near Batavia, IL.

Interns are encouraged to indicate areas in which they have a particular interest, although research projects vary yearly based on the work ongoing at the lab. Broadly speaking, Fermilab’s focus is on particle physics.

Required application materials include a questionnaire, a letter of recommendation, and an essay. To apply, students must have U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status and must provide evidence of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Participants will be paid at a rate of $17.20 per hour.

25. RISE Environmentor Internship

Location: Far Rockaway, NY

Duration: Six weeks (July 1 – August 15)

The Environmentor Internship offers a great opportunity for 9th through 11th graders who live or attend school near the Rockaway Peninsula to gain firsthand research experience. Participants are mentored by scientists from local universities and research institutions as they work on projects focused on the Rockaway shoreline. Past research topics have included sea turtle strandings, octopus behavior, mussel denitrification, and dolphin fin morphology.

Students will also take part in water safety courses, receive CPR training, and explore on-water activities like kayaking and surfing. Students receive up to a $1,200 stipend, as well as community service hours for their participation in the program.

26. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)

Application Deadline: February 24

Location: Stanford, CA

Duration: Eight weeks (June 10 – August 1)

Students in this summer program are given the chance to perform research on a medically oriented project and work side by side with Stanford University students, researchers, and faculty. Students can choose from eight areas of research, including topics like immunology, cancer biology, and bioinformatics, which are all designed to increase their interest in the biological sciences and provide a deeper understanding of how scientific research is conducted.

The program is open to current high school juniors and seniors. Students will receive a minimum $500 stipend for their participation in the program.

27. Secondary Student Training Program

Application Deadline: February 16

Location: Iowa City, IA

Duration: June 19 – July 26

High schoolers in grades 10 and 11 can take part in an immersive research experience, which will allow them to explore their interests, enhance their academic skills, and build relationships with their peers during this research-focused summer program.

Participants can choose from a multitude of research areas, ranging from biology to industrial and systems engineering to religious studies. The program culminates with students creating and presenting a poster of their findings. All participants will live on the University of Iowa ‘s campus for the duration of the program, and have access to all of the university’s libraries, study areas, and computer facilities.

Although this program is quite expensive, with a fee of $7,500, financial aid is available to cover up to 95% of the cost.

28. Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research Program

Location: Urbana, IL

Duration: Six weeks (June 20 – August 2)

This program, offered by the prestigious Grainger College of Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) , allows students to gain hands-on research experience in fields such as cancer immunology, AI, physics, quantum mechanics, and electrical engineering. They will also build valuable general life skills by participating in seminars on topics ranging from the college admission process to how to communicate scientifically.

The program is open to rising 10th through 12th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

29. Summer Science Program (SSP)

Duration: Varies depending on location and field of focus

Students in the SSP get the chance to work in small teams on a real research project and gain firsthand experience taking and analyzing data. Research opportunities are offered in three fields—astrophysics, biochemistry, and genomics—and are held at a variety of institutions, including University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Georgetown University , Purdue University , and New Mexico State University .

The program is open to high school juniors, although a small number of exceptional sophomores have attended the program. You must be between 15-19 to participate, and have completed prerequisite coursework, which varies by field. Financial aid is available for this program.

30. The Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program

Application Deadline: January 29

Location: Bar Harbor, ME, and Farmington, CT

Duration: 10 weeks (June 1 – August 10)

Students immerse themselves in genetics and genomics research while learning about laboratory discovery and scientific communication, as well as building professional skills. Over the course of the 10-week program, students work with a mentor to develop a research project, implement their plan, analyze their data, and report their results.

This prestigious program is competitive. Just 40 students are selected to participate annually. Participants receive a $6,500 stipend and have their room, board, and travel expenses covered.

31. Fred Hutch Summer High School Internship Program

Application Deadline: March 31

Location: Seattle, WA

Duration: Eight weeks (June 24 – August 16) 

This full-time, paid internship opportunity offers students a chance to immerse themselves in activities at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, one of the top cancer research centers in the world. The program begins with two weeks of laboratory training and is followed by six weeks of mentored activities, research seminars, workshops focused on college and careers, and social activities.

The program is open to high schoolers entering their senior year with a strong interest in science and high academic achievement, and is specifically aimed at students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical science. Interns receive a stipend upon successful completion of the program.

How to Find Research Opportunities in High School 

Define your area of interest .

Before you start looking for opportunities, narrow your area of interest a bit, whether it’s cancer, engineering, computer science, neuroscience, or something else entirely. Also bear in mind that while there may be more STEM opportunities available for high school students, research isn’t limited to these fields—research is also a key component of the social sciences, humanities, and other non-STEM fields. 

While you should be somewhat specific about what you’re hoping to research, don’t narrow your scope so much that it’s impossible to find a valuable opportunity, especially since opportunities for high schoolers in general are more limited than they are for students who have completed at least some college.

Talk to People in Your Immediate Circle 

Teachers, neighbors, your family, parents of friends, friends of your parents—any of these people could know about a research opportunity for you, or at least know someone else who does. Throughout your life, you will find that networking is often the key to finding career opportunities. 

Leveraging your network can help you uncover unique opportunities crowdsourced by the people who know you best—the best opportunities aren’t always hosted by large universities or programs. 

Reach Out to Local Institutions and Laboratories 

In addition to networking with your immediate circle, reach out to local facilities, such as labs, hospitals, clinics, and universities that conduct research. Even if opportunities aren’t publicized, these institutions and laboratories may be willing to make room for you. Remember: when pitching your idea, don’t make it too niche—this will make it more difficult to find a fit and market your skills to labs. 

Cast a Wide Net 

Research opportunities are hard to secure, especially when you’re a young student, so you need to be persistent. You may need to write a hundred emails, but if you put in the effort and cast a wide net, you’ll vastly improve your chances of landing a great opportunity. 

Try not to be too picky, either. Of course, you shouldn’t just accept any offer , especially if it doesn’t appeal to you. But even if the opportunity doesn’t align perfectly with your skills and interests, it can still be a great chance to gain experience and make you a better candidate for future experiences.

How Will Doing Research Impact Your College Chances? 

How much participating in research enhances your college admissions profile depends on many factors, including the scope of the project, the prestige of the program or institution, your individual role and performance, the institution’s connections to or sponsorships by certain colleges, and even how much weight a college places on extracurricular activities in general. 

Generally speaking, there are four tiers of extracurricular activities that colleges think about when reviewing applicants’ activities. Selective, competitive, and prestigious activities are often found in the top tiers, Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 1 includes things such as being a highly recruited basketball player or an award-winning national science fair competitor. 

Tier 2 is similar, but is usually reserved for activities that are less exceptional than those in Tier 1. Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more common extracurricular achievements, such as holding school leadership positions or being a member of a debate team.

Research usually falls into Tier 2, and some particularly prestigious opportunities could even be Tier 1. That’s because it’s somewhat unusual for high school students to conduct research in professional and collegiate settings, so it’s more likely to impress colleges than other kinds of extracurricular activities.

Do you want to find out the impact research and other extracurricular activities might have on your chances of admission to top colleges and universities? Try using CollegeVine’s free chancing calculator ! 

Our tool evaluates your admissions profile, by accounting for factors like your grades,standardized test scores, and extracurriculars (including research!) to show you how you stack up against other applicants and how likely you are to get into hundreds of different colleges and universities. You’ll also receive tips on how to improve your profile and your odds—all for free.

Disclaimer: This post includes content sponsored by Lumiere Education.

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Office of Undergraduate Research

Tips for starting an independent research project.

By Grace Vaidian, Peer Research Ambassador 

Here at UConn, a prevalent avenue for delving into research is to reach out to professors and join their existing projects. While the structure and guidance that this approach offers can be undeniably valuable (it’s how I obtained the research opportunities I’m currently working on!), there are students who feel like they have a brilliant research idea of their own but lack the know-how to bring these projects to life. I’m here to offer some tips on how to initiate and successfully navigate an independent research project.

Where to Begin: Identifying the Knowledge Gap

The first step in embarking on your independent research journey is to pinpoint a gap in knowledge. This is essentially an underexplored area that could greatly benefit from further research and discoveries. For some, this gap might be immediately apparent, but for others, including myself, it might require a bit more digging. One effective way to identify this gap is through a thorough literature review on a topic of interest. Most academic publications include insights into the unanswered questions and areas that warrant further investigation in the discussion or conclusion sections. This is a great starting point for coming up with your own research question. Additionally, this literature review process can give you ideas for a methodology to follow.

Finding a Mentor: A Valuable Guide on Your Journey

I know, the focus of this blog is how to do independent research, so why am I now suggesting finding a mentor? It’s important to recognize that even if you possess extensive knowledge on a particular topic, you’re still a student with much to learn. Having an expert to provide feedback and guidance on your project idea is invaluable and often mandatory to move a project forward. Once you’ve formulated a research question, you should collaborate with faculty or professionals willing to support your future steps. A case in point is a self-initiated project I worked on involving fentanyl overdose deaths. I realized that having open access to autopsy and toxicology reports would be impossible for a 16-year-old. However, by proposing my project idea to a local forensic pathologist and securing her mentorship, I was welcomed into the Medical Examiner’s Office and was able to review the necessary reports. A mentor can play a pivotal role in helping you secure the essential resources for your project.

Crafting Your Project: Defining Goals and Objectives

With your research question in place, it’s time to define your project’s goals. Do you want to be published? Create a product? Enter a competition? With your goals in mind, you can outline your objectives, methods, and create a timeline. At UConn, there are some great programs that support independent research, such as the Holster Scholar Program and the UConn IDEA Grant . As you explore these possibilities, remember to be realistic about the time and resources your project will require.

Taking the Leap: Go for It!

Independent research projects offer a unique opportunity to delve into your passions, build critical thinking skills, and contribute to new discoveries. The journey may be challenging, but the knowledge and skills you acquire are invaluable. Throughout the process, remember to enjoy the journey. I wish you the best of luck on your independent research adventure!

Grace is a senior double majoring in Molecular & Cell Biology and Drugs, Disease, and Illness (Individualized Major).  Click here  to learn more about Grace. 

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Practical independent research projects in science: a synthesis and evaluation of the evidence of impact on high school students

Judith bennett.

a Department of Education, University of York, York, UK

Lynda Dunlop

Kerry j. knox, michael j. reiss.

b UCL Institute of Education, London, UK

Rebecca Torrance Jenkins

Practical independent research projects (IRPs) are a feature of school science in a number of countries. To assess the impact of IRPs on students, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Thirty-nine papers met the review inclusion criteria, reporting on work from twelve countries. The review indicates that IRPs are often associated with wider initiatives such as authentic science, problem-based learning, and project-based learning. There is considerable variability in the nature of IRP work in relation to focus, models of provision, assessment, the involvement of external partners such as universities and employers, and funding, and this diversity affects judgements on the quality of the evidence base on impact. The majority of the research reviewed explored areas such as conceptual understanding, motivation to study science once it is no longer compulsory and attitudes to science, and the development of practical skills. Benefits were identified in relation to the learning of science ideas, affective responses to science, views of pursuing careers involving science, and development of a range of skills. Studies focusing on traditionally under-represented groups indicated that such students felt more positive about science as a result of undertaking IRPs. The review findings indicate that further work is needed to enhance the quality of the available evidence, to consider the ways in which IRPs can be validly assessed, to explore more fully the potential benefits for traditionally under-represented groups, and to explore more fully the potential longer-term benefits of participation in IRPs at high school level.

Introduction and context

This paper presents the findings of a systematic review of the nature and impact of practical independent research projects (IRPs) in high school science, covering their chief characteristics, organisation and assessment, and impact on high school students’ learning of science and affective responses to science.

Practical work in school science can be very diverse: at one end of the spectrum is the ‘recipe’ approach, where a defined list of procedures is followed, while at the other is what can be termed an extended investigation or a practical independent research project (IRP). Such projects can take a wide variety of forms, but share several common characteristics. In essence, they are student-led, open-ended research investigations, often supported by a teacher and/or a university-based or industry-based researcher. Students have considerable control in respect of the question(s) they hope the practical work will answer and the way in which the work is undertaken.

Typically, though not exclusively, IRPs are undertaken by high school students, and, at the upper high school level, the outcome of the investigation is open in that neither the student nor their teacher knows exactly what the investigation will yield. Beyond this, IRPs may involve external sponsorship, and be associated with science competitions, fairs and award schemes. IRPs can also involve a diversity of assessment techniques, including the production of reports and student presentations. Frequently, they take place outside the formal school science curriculum.

For the purposes of this review, IRPs were taken to be student-led, extended open-ended investigations involving practical work, using Millar’s ( 2004 ) definition of practical work, i.e. work that encompasses activities involving students in observing or manipulating the objects and materials they are studying.

There appear to be a number of possible reasons for promoting the use of IRPs in school science lessons. First, the notion of ‘the students as scientist’ is attractive, allowing students to find things out for themselves by pursuing an idea about which they are curious. Second, IRPs are seen as a means of providing students with a realistic taste of scientific research that may motivate them to undertake further study of science. Third, the characteristics of IRPs may be identified in broader, international initiatives of the last twenty years or so, for example ‘inquiry-based science’, ‘problem-based learning’ in science and ‘authentic science’. These approaches have in common the desire to encourage students to engage in activities where at times they behave like scientists, i.e. their work is authentic in that it follows the approaches scientists take when they are trying to solve problems to which there may as yet be no agreed solution. These approaches are primarily aimed at improving cognitive and procedural outcomes for students, though also aspire to have affective benefits.

Roth ( 1995 ) argued that for school science activities to be authentic, students need to experience scientific inquiry that has features in common with scientists’ activities in that students

(1) learn in contexts constituted in part by ill-defined problems; (2) experience uncertainties and ambiguities and the social nature of scientific work and knowledge; (3) learning is predicated on, and driven by, their current knowledge state; (4) experience themselves as parts of communities of inquiry in which knowledge, practices, resources and discourse are shared; (5) in these communities, members can draw on the expertise of more knowledgeable others whether they are peers, advisors or teachers. (p1).

There are similarities between the features of authentic learning described by Roth and the characteristics associated with problem-based learning (PBL). A PBL approach involves students learning through focusing on the investigation, explanation, and resolution of meaningful problems. PBL has its origins in teaching in medical schools, but has now been used in a variety of subjects, including science. Students work collaboratively in small groups, with the teacher acting as a facilitator to guide student learning through the process of solving the problem presented (see, for example, Hmelo-Silver, 2004 ; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ).

Inquiry-based learning is another related approach that is widely used in the context of science teaching. In a research synthesis of inquiry-based learning in science, Minner, Levy, and Century ( 2010 ) identified that one of the ways in which the term is used is to describe a pedagogical approach that teachers employ for designing or using curricula that allow for extended investigations. Drawing on the work of the National Research Council in the USA, Minner et al. ( 2010 ) cite the following as the core components of inquiry-based learning for learners: (1) they are engaged by scientifically-oriented questions; (2) they give priority to evidence, which allows them to develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically-oriented questions; (3) they formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically-oriented questions; (4) they evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific understanding; (5) they communicate and justify their proposed explanations; (6) they design and conduct investigations.

Authentic learning, problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning all emphasise open-ended investigative work, including the sort of work that occurs in IRPs, and hence have been considered in this review.

The aims of the review

The review addressed the following questions:

• What are the chief characteristics of practical independent research projects (IRPs), including organisation and assessment?
• What is the quality of the research evidence base on the impact of IRPs?
• What are the impacts of IRPs on the learning of science and affective responses to science in secondary school students’?

The impetus for the review arose from recent changes in the policy regarding the teaching and assessment of practical work as part of the national examinations for students aged 16 and 18 in England. One outcome of these changes has been a decisive move away from IRPs as part of the core curriculum which, in turn, has led to a concern that there will be a reduction in some of the learning potentially associated with IRPs. While a number of studies have been conducted into the impact of IRPs, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, a review of the associated literature has not been published. Thus the review seeks to bring together recent research into the impact of IRPs, in order to synthesise the existing literature and highlight areas suitable for further investigation.

Review methods

The review took the form of a systematic review. Systematic reviews were introduced as a tool in educational research in the early 2000s to synthesise research findings from a range of related studies (see, for example, Gough & Elbourne, 2002 ; Gough, Oliver, & Thomas, 2012 ).

The review comprised five main stages:

Identification of the literature

• Extraction of the key information from the literature
• Production of an overview of the key features of IRP provision
• Assessment of the quality of the available evidence in the literature on the impacts of IRPs
• Synthesis of the evidence.

The relevant literature was identified through a search was undertaken of the following electronic databases: the British Education Index (BEI), the Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), PsychINFO and the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). Additionally, 27 key informants working in the area of IRPs in a range of countries were contacted to identify potentially relevant publications. This was done to add to the robustness of the evidence base, as preliminary electronic searches indicated that there were likely to be a number of publications in the form of grey literature (e.g. reports commissioned by IRP providers) that might not otherwise be identified.

In practice, the identification of the relevant literature posed one of the major challenges for the review as IRP activity can be encompassed by a number of other activities. These include: authentic science, independent and/or extended practical work, inquiry-based science, investigative work, practical work, problem-based science and project work. IRP work is also often associated with science competitions and fairs. This diversity in terms necessitated particularly extensive literature searches in order to include all the above terms. Full details may be found in the technical report (Bennett, Dunlop, Knox, Reiss, & Torrance Jenkins, 2016 ).

The electronic searches identified 1,403 publications, with a further eleven included based on information from the key informants. To identify the literature that focused specifically on the review questions, the following inclusion criteria were developed:

• One or more of the review questions addressed
• Focus on students in 11–19 age range
• Focus on science subjects
• Date of publication after 2000
• Students had major input into the question(s) addressed by the IRP
• Students had major input into the design of the IRP
• Included practical work
• Required more than 10 hours of work
• Entailed production of a report or comparable output
• Data gathered systematically on students’ learning of science and/or affective responses to science
• Some form of assessment or accreditation
• Publication written in English.

Criteria 3 and 5–7 were set as they encompassed the definition of IRPs used in this review. The review was limited to work undertaken with students aged 11–19 as this covers the high school period where the majority of IRP work takes place in schools. The search covered the period from 2000 onwards in order to focus on recent work. The criterion of an extended period of time for the IRP work was set to avoid the inclusion of short, even single-lesson, investigations which have become common in some countries. The requirement to produce an output of some form was set to yield information on how IRPs might be assessed. When the inclusion criteria were applied, a total of 39 publications resulted.

Extracting key information from the literature

In addition to the wide range of search terms required and the extensive resulting literature, several other factors contributed to the complexity of the review. A number of different research approaches and data collection techniques were used across the studies as a whole, and this research varied in rigour and detail reported. The studies included in the review took place in a range of contexts within and beyond school settings, and in a range of science disciplines. Thus, a particular challenge for extracting key information from papers was the development of a bespoke data extraction instrument to record systematically the wide range of features and considerable variation in practice associated with IRP work and research into its impact. A pilot version was developed by two of the researchers and independently tested on a subset of papers. Minor modifications were made as a result of this to ensure the instrument captured all the essential information. The resulting bespoke data extraction instrument focused on the following information:

• Background information (author(s), year of publication, title, source, country of origin, author details)
• The aims and research questions of the study
• The name of the associated IRP scheme (if applicable) and a short account of the IRP, including: its aims; principal characteristics (e.g. optional or compulsory, duration, organisational details, degree of student control over questions, whether undertaken by individuals or in teams, input from teacher or others, e.g. intern, university researcher); assessment/accreditation arrangements; associated funding
• Design of the study and sample details
• Data collection techniques (including checks for the reliability and validity of instruments)
• Methods of data analysis (including assessment of reliability and validity)
• Findings (including any impacts on students’ learning, affective responses/attitudes and subject choices or career intentions).

Findings: characteristics of IRPs and overview of provision

The overview is based on 39 publications that report data on impacts of IRPs in enough detail to understand the nature of the IRP and any effects. The publications covered IRP activity in twelve countries, as shown in Table 1 .

The majority were from the USA (17 studies) and the UK (8 studies), with two studies coming from each of Australia and Turkey, and single studies from Ireland, Israel, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, Spain and Taiwan.

Table 2 summarises five contrasting IRP models to illustrate the diversity in student work undertaken for IRPs and the outcomes reported.

There were three principal contexts in which students engaged in IRPs. In some cases, undertaking IRPs was linked to national policies/agendas. For instance, several USA studies reported on interventions that had secured funding for local initiatives through linking them to policy statements by organisations such as the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) or the NAS (National Academy of Sciences) (Adams et al., 2009 ; Dolan, Lally, Brooks, & Tax, 2008 ; Gibson & Chase, 2002 ; Sahin, 2013 ). Secondly, as noted earlier, IRPs were very often associated with wider initiatives, including: authentic science, for instance in Israel (Zion et al., 2004 ), The Netherlands (Bulte, Westbroek, de Jong, & Pilot, 2006 ) and the USA (Burgin, Sadler, & Koroly, 2012 ; Dolan et al., 2008 ; Rivera Maulucci, Brown, Grey, & Sullivan, 2014 ); problem-based learning, for instance in Qatar (Faris, 2008 ) and Singapore (Chin & Chia, 2004 ); and project-based learning, for instance in the USA (Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ; Schneider, Blenis, Marx, & Soloway, 2002 ).

Thirdly, a number of IRP activities were linked to non-governmental groups with a specific interest in promoting IRPs as a way of providing young people with authentic experiences of working as a scientist. Such initiatives typically involved school-university partnerships and included the CREST awards which are run in several countries, including the UK and Australia (British Science Association, 2014 ; Grant, 2007 ; Moote, Williams, & Sproule, 2013 ) and, in the UK, the Nuffield Research Placements scheme (Nuffield Foundation, 2013 ), The Royal Society Partnerships Grants scheme (Jenkins & Jeavans, 2015 ) and the Authentic Biology Project funded by the Wellcome Trust (Colthurst et al., 2015 ; Finegold, 2015 ).

Just over half of the IRPs (20) involved people outside schools. The largest group of these groups comprised university science staff or students, acting as advisers/mentors. Examples in the USA include O’Neill and Polman ( 2004 ), Burgin et al. ( 2012 ), Charney et al. ( 2007 ), Campbell and Neilson ( 2009 ) and Schneider et al . (2013). Other examples include Symington and Tytler ( 2011 ) in Australia, Diaz-de-Mera et al. ( 2011 ) in Spain, and one IRP programme taking place across six European countries (Dijkstra & Goedhart, 2011 ). Around a quarter of the IRPs included industrial partners and employers, e.g. Welch ( 2010 ) and Duran, Höft, Lawson, Medjahed, and Orady ( 2014 ). Less frequently, local voluntary groups and parents were involved, e.g. Adams et al. ( 2009 ).

A small number of publications reported on IRPs undertaken by groups of schools or individual teachers in their own school and not involving any partners: Chin and Chia ( 2004 ), Zion et al. ( 2004 ), Chien and Karlich ( 2007 ), Haigh ( 2007 ), Faris ( 2008 ), and Balmer ( 2014 ).

IRPs were most prevalent at upper high school level, i.e. for ages 16–19 (17 studies), as shown in Table 3 .

Of the 16 studies focusing on one of the science disciplines, rather than simply being ‘science’, biology IRPs (7) were more common than chemistry (2) or physics (2). Even within a specific science discipline, there was considerable diversity in the topic focus. Biology-related IRPs, for example, explored diet, food and nutrition (Chin & Chia, 2004 ; Faris, 2008 ), genetics (Charney et al., 2007 ), plant biology (Dolan et al., 2008 ), environmental science (Faris, 2008 ), pharmacology (Sikes & Schwartz-Bloom, 2009 ), the carbon cycle (Dijkstra & Goedhart, 2011 ), and biomedical science (Colthurst et al., 2015 ; Finegold, 2015 ).

Two models predominated for the creation of time for IRPs. Most commonly, they were undertaken during normal school hours, sometimes supplemented with time in after-school clubs (e.g. Brand, Collver, & Kasarda, 2008 ; Hong, Chen, & Hwang, 2013 ; Sahin, 2013 ). Typically, such IRPs were of six weeks to a year’s duration (e.g. Chin & Chia, 2004 ; Dijkstra and Goedhart, 2011 ; Faris, 2008 ; Hong et al ., 2013 ; O’Neill & Polman, 2004 ). Occasionally, time was created within schools through ‘intensive pull-outs’ whereby students were taken off their normal timetable for a period to be dedicated to IRP work (e.g. Rivera Maulucci et al., 2014 ). Five of the IRPs were associated with dedicated out-of-school events such as one- or two-week summer schools and camps (e.g. Akinoglu, 2008 ; Burgin et al., 2012 ; Gibson & Chase, 2002 ; Metin & Leblebicioglu, 2011 ). In two cases (Brand et al., 2008 ; Yasar & Baker, 2003 ), the IRPs were linked to participation in science competitions or fairs.

There was only one country, Ireland, where the IRP work was a compulsory component of a national end-of-course science examination (Kennedy, 2014 ). In England, the IRPs could, for students aged 16 or over, optionally be entered for a national qualification (Daly & Pinot de Moira, 2010 ).

In just under one third of the cases (12), participation in the IRP was compulsory. In around half the IRPs (20), students participated as part of a team, with around a quarter (10) requiring individual participation. In a small number of instances, students could choose between team or individual participation.

The majority of the IRPs required the generation of one or more products, as shown in Table 4 . Written reports (19) and presentations (17) predominated, with many any IRPs requiring both. Occasionally, students were asked to produce a physical artefact or write a reflective diary.

Fifteen of the IRP programmes were supported by external funding. Characteristically, this was associated with work involving partnerships with universities, employers or other groups. Where work was required for external examination or specific to one school, it was unfunded. Typically, funding for IRPs came from grants secured from national funding organisations such as government, research councils and charitable bodies with an interest in science education, or from industrial sponsors. Examples included funding from BHP Billiton, a global mining company based in Australia (Symington & Tytler, 2011 ), the Cosmos Foundation in Texas (Sahin, 2013 ), the US NSF (National Science Foundation) (O’Neill & Polman, 2004 ) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Metin & Leblebicioglu, 2011 ).

Most of the funding supported regional or local initiatives, though there were examples of national initiatives including, in Australia, the BHP Billiton funding, and, in the UK, the CREST awards 1 , the Nuffield Partnerships scheme 2 and the Royal Society’s Partnership Grants scheme 3 .

Some studies reported data on traditionally under-represented groups in science, focusing on gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status, for example, in the USA, Yasar and Baker ( 2003 ), Sikes and Schwartz-Bloom ( 2009 ) and Sonnert, Michaels, and Sadler ( 2013 ), and in the UK, the Nuffield Foundation ( 2013 ) and the British Science Association ( 2014 ). In two cases in the USA (Duran et al., 2014 ; Rivera Maulucci et al., 2014 ), the IRP work formed part of a programme intentionally developed for students with backgrounds typically under-represented in science.

Findings: quality of evidence

In evaluating the quality of the evidence, some notes of caution need to be sounded in relation to factors that could result in bias in the evidence base. The review revealed that research into impact of IRPs was most often conducted by those associated with the funding agencies and with the development and/or running of the IRP, risking confirmation bias in the findings. Very few of the studies in this review had commissioned external evaluations, with Grant ( 2007 ) and Jenkins and Jeavans ( 2015 ) being exceptions.

Another source of potential bias concerns the nature of the data collected. Frequent use is made of data provided by the people involved in IRP work. Many of the adults who can provide data (teachers, employers, and university-based scientists) are already likely to be very sympathetic to the aims of IRPs.

A challenge in synthesising the evidence arises from the diversity in provision and execution of IRPs, which is reflected in a corresponding diversity in the aims and range of measures used to assess impact.

The main sources of data were students and their teachers, with the most of the work focusing on the impacts on students. Impacts on understanding of concepts, practical skills, cross-disciplinary skills (e.g. working collaboratively in teams), attitudes towards science and motivation to continue with science after it was no longer compulsory were explored. There was also a cluster of studies focusing on impacts on traditionally under-represented groups in relation to gender, socio-economic status and ethnic background. Studies that focused on teachers and others involved (e.g. IRP providers, university scientists/mentors, employers, state/regional organisers) explored views of the impact of IRPs on students together with views on the potential benefits and drawbacks of their own participation in IRPs.

Table 5 summarises the principal foci of research into the impact of IRPs in cognitive and affective dimensions.

None of the studies employed randomised controlled trials; nine adopted some form of experimental design which involved making comparison between participants and non-participants in IRP activities (Finegold, 2015 ; Gibson & Chase, 2002 ; Jenkins & Jeavans, 2015 ; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ; Moote et al., 2013 ; Sahin, 2013 ; Schneider et al., 2002 ; Welch, 2010 ; Yasar & Baker, 2003 ).

The predominant techniques used for gathering data from students were questionnaires, tests of understanding, inventories on affective aspects, and interviews and focus groups to explore students’ views of IRPs. Occasionally, data were drawn from student presentations, student reports on their IRP work, student reflective diaries, observations of students undertaking IRP work, and datasets such as external test and examination results. Where quantitative data were gathered, it was very rare for the reports of studies to report details of any checks on reliability and validity with research instruments or data analysis.

Table 6 summarises the impact outcome measures and the nature of the data gathered in the studies.

* = more than one data source gathered in study.

The wide variety of outcome measures points to one of the most prominent features of research into the impact of IRPs, which is the very disparate approach to judging the impact of IRPs.

Studies gathering data on cognitive impacts include those of Krajcik and Blumenfeld ( 2006 ), Burgin et al. ( 2012 ) and Sahin ( 2013 ) in the USA. Studies gathering data on the impact of IRPs on students’ attitudes to science include Faris ( 2008 ) in Qatar, and Gibson and Chase ( 2002 ), Yasar and Baker ( 2003 ) and Welch ( 2010 ) in the USA. Other studies on affective responses include students’ motivation (Moote et al., 2013 ), and students’ self-efficacy (Sikes & Schwartz-Bloom, 2009 ). Other aspects explored include views of the nature of science (Metin & Leblebicioglu, 2011 ), development of students’ practical and experimental skills (Chien & Karlich, 2007 ; Grant, 2007 ; Yasar & Baker, 2003 ; Zion et al., 2004 ), and development of more general skills in students, most often related to as collaborative working in teams (Charney et al., 2007 ; Faris, 2008 ; Grant, 2007 ).

Studies contained varying amounts of detail on the techniques employed to gather data on the impact of IRPs. As might be anticipated, full reports contained more detail than journal papers, particularly on instrument design. There were no examples of replication studies and virtually all the studies gathered data using specifically-designed instruments, though a few used state or national test instruments of subject knowledge (Daly & Pinot de Moira, 2010 ; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ; Schneider et al., 2002 ) or existing, validated instruments to measure student characteristics such as motivation (Moote et al., 2013 ). Most studies drew on at least two sources of data.

In order to evaluate the quality of the evidence base as a whole, the criteria widely employed in making such judgements about systematic reviews were used (see, for example, Gough et al., 2012 ). These take into account the declared aims of the studies, the hypotheses and research questions, strategies employed for identifying the sample, the nature and extent of the data gathered, the appropriateness of how the data were collected and the methods employed to analyse the data (including information on reliability and validity checks) and the extent to which the conclusions appear sound in relation to the data gathered.

With the exception of an over-reliance on self-reported data in some cases, the studies included in the review appeared to have adequate or good designs, with no obvious adverse effects arising from researcher involvement in the design and undertaking of studies. However, the quality of individual studies is offset by the diversity in focus and in the instruments used, with one of the most prominent features of the work as a whole being the comparatively uncoordinated and unsystematic approach to gathering evidence on, and judging the impact of, IRPs. This diversity poses a challenge for the synthesis of data, and the current evidence base would not permit a meta-analysis of data (i.e. an analysis that quantitatively aggregates data across studies, as is common in medical studies, leading to an overall conclusion as to the effects of IRPs with effect sizes or odds ratios).

Findings: the evidence on impact

A wide range of potential impacts of IRPs are reported, particularly on students, with studies reporting on students’ responses to undertaking IRPs, effects on students’ learning and effects on students’ attitudes to science, including attitudes towards pursuing a career in science. Within this, some studies explore elements to do with widening participation issues. Some studies also report on impacts on teachers and, less frequently, impacts on other participating adults such as university scientists and employers.

Gains in students’ learning are reported (e.g. Burgin et al., 2012 ; Daly & Pinot de Moira, 2010 ; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ; Rivera Maulucci et al., 2014 ; Sahin, 2013 ). Whilst most studies take their data from instruments devised specifically for the study being reported, three studies report on gains in students’ learning based on data from external state or national instruments (Daly & Pinot de Moira, 2010 ; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ; Schneider et al., 2002 ).

Improvements in students’ attitudes to science and motivation in science are also reported (British Science Association, 2014 ; Faris, 2008 ; Gibson & Chase, 2002 ; Hubber, Darby, & Tytler, 2010 ; Jenkins & Jeavans, 2015 ; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ; Moote et al., 2013 ; Welch, 2010 ; Yasar & Baker, 2003 ). As with student learning, most studies draw on instruments designed specifically for the study, with the exception of Moote et al. ( 2013 ), where an existing instrument for motivation was used.

All the studies exploring the impact of IRPs on students’ interest in pursuing careers in science/science-related areas report increased numbers of students indicating that their participation in IRPs meant they were more likely to consider careers in science (e.g. Adams et al., 2009 ; Hubber et al., 2010 ; Jenkins & Jeavans, 2015 ). Students indicated that this was primarily due to increased awareness of the range of careers and the varied nature of work in which people with science qualifications engage. Improved practical skills and abilities are also reported (e.g. Adams, 2009 in the USA; British Science Association, 2014 in the UK).

One finding of particular interest to emerge from some studies in the USA and the UK was potential benefits to traditionally under-represented groups in science in relation to ethnicity and socio-economic status. In the USA, four studies report improved engagement for such students (Duran et al., 2014 ; Rivera Maulucci et al., 2014 ; Sonnert et al., 2013 ; Yasar & Baker, 2003 ), with Sikes and Schwartz-Bloom ( 2009 ) noting interest declining slightly. In the UK, the British Science Association ( 2014 ) found that uptake of IRPs was higher than average for students from lower socio-economic groups. The Nuffield Foundation ( 2013 ) reports particular benefits in engagement for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Where negative notes about involvement in IRPs were sounded in the studies, the focus was often on practical matters. These included teachers reporting that IRPs were unduly time-consuming (Faris, 2008 ), had a negative effect on the time available for teaching other aspects of science (Kennedy, 2014 ), or adversely affected the school’s ability to deal with external inspections (British Science Association, 2014 ; Jenkins & Jeavans, 2015 ). Additionally, some teachers reported lacking the confidence to run IRPs (British Science Association, 2014 ; Jenkins & Jeavans, 2015 ) and problems with the identification of external partners (Jenkins & Jeavans, 2015 ). One study (Kennedy, 2014 ) reported that teachers felt IRPs discouraged students from considering further study of science subjects.

Very few details on assessment criteria for IRPs are reported in the studies, making it difficult to judge the evidence on assessment and hence measures of validity. This absence also hinders comparisons between the impact of more traditional approaches to practical work with that of IRPs, with none of the studies reporting on this aspect.

Conclusions

IRPs are often associated with country-wide policy initiatives in science education. Generally, they are perceived as valuable and important by a range of groups with interests or involvement in science education. Such groups include teachers, scientific researchers, industrial employers, charitable foundations, professional societies and learned bodies. The notion of allowing students to find out what it is like to be a scientist is seen as particularly attractive. In addition to the benefits reported for students, benefits are also claimed for other people involved, including the links built between students, teachers, schools and employers. However, the review shows that only a minority of students in any country are normally offered the opportunity to undertake an IRP.

The review reveals a diversity in the conceptualisation and implementation of IRPs, posing challenges for synthesising the evidence and making judgments about the impact and effectiveness. The review points to more work being needed to establish that the potential benefits of IRPs are such that they should definitely be used more widely in the school curriculum. A key element of such additional work would be focusing on improving the quality of the available evidence. This could be achieved by some relatively straightforward steps. First, the rigour of studies could be enhanced by making more use of experimental or quasi-experimental study designs. As IRPs are optional in most cases, this facilitates the gathering of data from control and intervention groups. Where such designs are not feasible, there are examples in this review (e.g. Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006 ) where good use has been made of existing data sets on student performance to enable comparisons to be made between students who have undertaken IRPs and wider populations. Secondly, there is an over-reliance in some studies on self-report data. More rigour would be introduced through the gathering of more than one source of data. Thirdly, and whilst recognising that methods of evaluation will need to vary in order to accommodate the particular features of specific IRPs types and programmes, those undertaking research on impact need to make greater use of previous work, particularly in relation to focus and methods employed to gather data. Considerable benefits would be conferred through greater agreement about the areas in which to collect data: increased use of existing, validated instruments, rather than excessive development of new instruments, would facilitate the building up of a more coherent evidence base. Areas of particular importance in which to gather data are students’ learning of science concepts, students’ views of the nature of science, and students’ affective responses to participation in IRPs. In the second and third of these areas, a number of instruments already exist and could be utilised. The learning of science concepts is likely to require more work, given that many IRPs involve an in-depth study of a relatively narrow area.

While this review has focused on the impact of IRPs on students, the studies have pointed to a number of other practical factors that would need to be considered were schools to be given more encouragement to offer IRPs. IRPs place particular demands on students, teachers, universities and employers that are not associated with more standard school provision. The demands relate to resource (time and money), skills required by teachers and other adults involved in IRPs, and supporting infrastructure. External funding to support IRPs currently comes from a range of sources, including government agencies, charitable bodies, industrial sponsors and other groups that fund research. There are some examples of co-ordinating bodies being established that could play a useful role in supporting IRP work (e.g. the Institute for Research In Schools [IRIS] in the UK), through identifying funding opportunities, training opportunities, and interested external partners.

In addition to the need for improvement in the quality of the evidence base, the review findings point to three particular areas that would benefit from further research to inform any decision on making more widespread use of IRPs. The first of these is the assessment of IRPs, where there is a dearth of information in the studies in the review. As noted earlier, one of the motives for undertaking IRPs is to give students the opportunity to ‘be like a scientist’. Given this, it would be useful to involve practising scientists in discussions about what being like a scientist means in operational terms, and a consideration of what this means for assessment of IRPs. One avenue of potential utility is that of threshold concepts (Land, Meyer, & Smith, 2008 ; Meyer & Land, 2003 ), namely concepts that substantially change how students view their discipline and which change the learner’s approach to, and perception of, learning in their subject. In the context of IRPs, threshold concepts are those concepts that are central to being able to think and act like a research scientist, which result in students seeing science in a new light, and may alter their feelings towards science. The second area of work relates to the emerging evidence of the possible benefits of IRPs for increasing engagement with science in students from traditionally under-represented groups. Here, there would be merit in undertaking case studies of particular groups of students in order to characterise the features of IRPs that appear to have a positive impact on views of science and engagement with science. Finally, given the range of short-term potential benefits reported for IRPs, it is important to explore possible longer-term benefits through looking at the impact of IRPs on subsequent subject and career choices.

Funding Statement

This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust.

1. http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/crest-awards .

2. http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements .

3. https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/partnership-grants/ .

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Judith Bennett http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5033-0804

Lynda Dunlop http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0936-8149

Kerry J. Knox http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3530-6117

Michael J. Reiss http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1207-4229

Rebecca Torrance Jenkins http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8359-4574

• * = Study included in the rapid evidence review.
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Advanced Research Skill: How to Develop Research Plan Step by Step -High School

Class Experience

Us grade 9 - 12, aligned with next generation science standards (ngss) .css-1gf0lzu{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentcolor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 200ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0ms;transition:fill 200ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0ms;font-size:inherit;vertical-align:-0.125em;color:#380596;margin-left:0.4rem;}.

• Boost Competency and Confidence in Research Design Students will gain comprehensive knowledge of theoretical research frameworks, empowering them to design and conduct independent research projects that investigate and explore the world around them.
• Develop Critical Thinking Skills Students will evaluate diverse sources of information, critically analyze data, and form well-supported opinions, enabling them to make informed, data-driven decisions in both academic and real-world contexts.
• Enhance Problem-Solving Abilities Students will understand the thought process involved in identifying, analyzing, and developing creative solutions to complex problems, fostering their ability to tackle challenges with confidence and innovation.

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What are some good ideas for an independent research project for a high school senior.

This is quite a different question than is usually asked here, so if this is the wrong place to ask this, I can delete the post, but this was the best place I could think of.

I'm a senior in high school who hopes to major in physics in college. My high school offers seniors the opportunity to take their last quarter off and do an independent research project instead, that just has to be approved by the proper department. We'll have faculty mentors making sure we're on track, but they don't have to have intimate knowledge about what we're researching, they just have to make sure we've actually done something. I would love to do a research project in physics, but I don't know exactly what to do. I'm especially interested in things like quantum theory, relativity, particle physics, and similar fields, but I'm willing to branch out from that if a better idea comes along that doesn't fall directly in one of those fields.

For context, I've taken AP Physics 1, 2, C: Mechanics, and C: E&M, as well as Calc 1 and 2, and I'm currently taking Calc 3. That being said, from reading textbooks and watching lectures online, I've learned a bit of math and physics past that.

I'm also perfectly happy to clarify things if I need to; I know this is kind of a weird question to ask.

Edit: The original post was a tad too vague, so to be more clear, I’d like to do a sort of deep-dive into a topic and study it, and I suppose my question is truly what that topic might be.

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Teaching Research Skills That Transfer to Future Projects

Exploratory research teaches skills that have lifelong use..

Updated August 1, 2024 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer

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This post is the fourth in a series.

When helping students become researchers, the goal is not only to equip students to tackle a current research project but also to ensure the learned skills will stay with them for future endeavors. Students must understand which research staples must be applied under any circumstances (like critically evaluating sources or following ethical guidelines) while maintaining the flexibility to try different approaches and make new connections. Students at Laguna Beach High School (LBHS) are learning to do just that.

In Part I of this series I spoke to Jun Shen, the passionate teacher and ed-tech coordinator who runs LBHS’s Authentic Exploratory Research (AER) program . AER is an independent research course inspired by Palo Alto Unified School District’s Advanced Authentic Research program . The program pairs students with adult mentors (such as LBUSD staff, industry experts, and academics) who assist the teens in researching their big questions in fields of their choice.

Former LBHS student Carter Ghere was the third teenager to give us an account of his experience in AER and the findings that his AER research produced. A benefit to meeting with Ghere was that he has since moved on to projects outside the AER program, such as promoting physical and mental health . The research skills Ghere honed in AER, combined with his passion for his new endeavors, show us how students can learn research skills in a way that has lasting benefits.

Jenny Grant Rankin: What can teachers do to help students research effectively, not only for current projects but also for future research endeavors?

Carter Ghere: Teachers can encourage students to think about minor aspects of the project that greatly influence the thesis rather than just the thesis question itself. When I researched car design and why it varies, I had to consider each factor that could help me build a strong argument. What started as research on cars very quickly turned into research into socioeconomics, societal upbringing, and government involvement in diplomatic events and conflict. Automotive design changed because manufacturers were competing against each other to sell more cars or improve efficiency, but mass appeal is the biggest driving aspect of change, so I had to research what changes mass appeal and where interests originate from. Laterally, researching aspects of influence opens up much research to apply to your projects, instead of searching for the answer most people already know. Teachers can teach their students how to see the hidden influences, draw conclusions themselves to strengthen their arguments, and accelerate the research process. Knowing how to do research effectively carries over a lifetime, making every new learning endeavor exciting for students instead of monotonous.

JGR: What was the most significant thing you learned about conducting research?

CG: Relevance and impact. The biggest thing I learned while I was conducting research was keeping in mind how your study affects the current information already available. It’s easy to research and quote what most people know, but genuinely effective research isn’t commonly known or even thought of; the research is supposed to question the current knowledge to create new knowledge.

JGR: What was the most significant thing you learned about communicating research or other work?

CG: Knowing your audience is the biggest thing I learned about communicating my work. Putting myself in the shoes of someone reading my work helped me curate my research to better explain my findings to someone who may need to learn about my topic or why this is important. The last thing you want your audience to feel is confusion; a clear, simple explanation of your findings helps the reader draw their connections and relate them to what they already know.

JGR: What lessons learned in AER do you find yourself applying in your current efforts to promote mental health?

CG: The research experience I have from AER accelerated the work I’ve done beyond high school. In terms of research and the actual information I give out, I know that what I’m discovering isn’t new, but the personal opinion that I have is, and that’s what AER taught me. The thoughts that I have on the subject matter of lifestyle and self-development have more relevance than just plain information.

Learning through apprenticeship and embracing the guidance of a mentor profoundly expanded my understanding. This experience made me realize the vast opportunities I still have to learn and grow. At AER, I had the chance to engage in research, connect with experts in the field, develop personal convictions that I am passionate about, ensure these ideas resonate with others, and communicate them effectively.

Ghere demonstrates what we want students to be able to do with the knowledge and skills we teach: to remember, apply, and develop them perpetually. Ideally, as in Ghere’s case, students also use their research skills to help others and improve our world. To continue reading, look for Part V .

Jenny Grant Rankin, Ph.D., is a Fulbright Specialist for the U.S. Department of State.

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How to Include Personal and Academic Projects on Your Resume

Step 1: List Out the Basics

Step 2: brainstorm details, step 3: clarify your goals, step 4: delete irrelevant details, step 5: organize what remains, the bottom line.

Personal and academic projects can add depth to your resume and are especially useful if you’re a new college graduate or have limited experience. But that doesn’t mean you should include every project you’ve ever done. Having too much project info can clutter your resume and make it less appealing to recruiters and hiring managers. For this reason, you need to take a close look at your projects and include only the ones that support your goals for your job search.

Complete this exercise to select and organize the right project details for your resume.

First, open a new blank document on your computer and save it as “Master Projects List.” In this new document, enter a simple list of all your past projects. Include the basics: project name, dates, location, and school, if applicable.

Under each project you’ve listed, brainstorm and write down any positive details about the experience that immediately come to mind. Consider what you’re most proud of for each project and what the positive outcome was. While brainstorming, don’t worry about the order, relevance, or organization of details yet (we’ll get to that in steps 4 and 5).

Once you’re done brainstorming, scroll back up to the top of your document. Here, type out your goals for your job search, such as your target job title, duties, leadership level, industry, and company size. You may be undecided or indifferent in some areas. If so, write that down as well. For instance, if you’re open to industry, write “Industry: open.”

Save the document, and then save it as “Projects List – [Target Job Title].” (So, if your target job title is Research Assistant, save it as “Projects List – Research Assistant.”) You’ll be working on this new document for the rest of the exercise.

Now, here’s your most important task. Review your project notes in light of the goals you’ve identified and delete any details that don’t hold relevance. Take it one point at a time. For each ask and answer the same critical question: Does this overlap with the type of work you’ll be doing in your next job? Don’t be shy about deleting project details that are recent and/or objectively impressive. If they don’t relate to your goals, they don’t need to go on your resume. (At least, not this one. They may be relevant to a future version of your resume targeting a different goal. Hence the value of drafting and saving your “Master Projects List” document.)

Now that you’ve filtered out all but the most relevant details, you’re in the best position to add projects to your resume. For each project, you can organize the elements similar to a standard job description, with bullets showcasing your key points. Here’s a sample template you can adapt:

Project Name, School / Affiliated Organization, City, ST | dates

Position Title: Description of your role or standard duties.

• Bullet highlight

(If there was no school/organization or position title for a personal project, simply omit those items.)

Where to add projects

For any personal projects, create a separate resume section. You can title it “Independent Projects” (or “Independent Project Highlights” if you wound up deleting some in step 4).

For any academic project, you can choose where to add them. Either include them in a separate section titled “Academic Projects” (or “Academic Project Highlights”) or include them in the Education section of your resume.

The right choice for you will depend on how relevant your college degree is in relation to your projects. If your degree is about equally applicable, combining your projects with your Education section details usually makes sense. But you may find your college degree is less relevant than the school projects you’ve listed. Perhaps you’re moving in a different direction than your major, but through the overall degree program you did some other projects that now speak strongly to your goals. In this case, it makes more sense to put these projects in their own “Academic Projects” section. You can place them above your Education section, making the projects more prominent on your resume.

How to fine-tune dates

Another strategic choice you can make has to do with project dates. You can either list them as you do a regular job description (e.g., “January 2022 to May 2022”) or as a general time span (e.g., “Duration: 4 months”).

If listing the dates regularly lets you account for your recent experience , use that option. But if you’re already accounting for your recent experience through your work history, you can list project dates as a general time span. This option often has a tidier look, especially when you have many different projects that only lasted a few weeks or months. More importantly, it allows you the flexibility to reorder the projects by relevance to your goal. Reordering by relevance can be especially helpful when your most recent projects are less applicable than the ones you did earlier on.

If you would like to include personal or academic projects on your resume, you should select those that are most relevant to the job you are seeking. You’ll avoid putting off recruiters and hiring managers with details that don’t speak to their needs through a strict focus on relevancy. Follow this exercise, and you can be sure your projects section adds a welcome new dimension to your overall resume.

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Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

Build a Resume to Enhance Your Career

• How to Build a Resume Learn More
• Basic Resume Examples and Templates Learn More
• How Many Jobs Should You List on a Resume? Learn More
• How to Include Personal and Academic Projects on Your Resume Learn More

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