Chemistry Internships for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 28 chemistry internships for high school students. Of these, 18 are free to participate in and 7 offer virtual participation. Examples include ACS Project SEED - Northern California Sites, ASDRP - Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program, and ASDRP - Summer Research Fellowship.
- 28
- listed
- 18
- free
- 7
- virtual
- 28
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are chemistry internships for high school students?
- Chemistry Internships for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in chemistry. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- Are any of these internships free?
- Yes — 18 of the 28 internships listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 7 of the 28 internships listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are chemistry internships good for a college application?
- Yes — chemistry internships are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in chemistry on college applications.
28 activities found·Browse by category
ACS Project SEED - Northern California Sites
National, highly structured chemistry internship placing low-income HS students into real chemistry labs; many placements in Bay Area universities and companies.
ASDRP - Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program
Nonprofit research institute where HS students work on year-round or summer research projects (chemistry, materials, bio, etc.), often publishing or presenting at conferences.
ASDRP - Summer Research Fellowship
Formalized summer fellowship branch of ASDRP where students conduct intensive research in chemistry, materials, or related fields and often present or publish.
Berkeley Lab ALSP Chemistry Programs
Summer research opportunities at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab for high school students interested in chemistry, materials science, and energy research.
Brookhaven National Laboratory High School Research Program (HSRP)
A competitive six-week commuter research program at Brookhaven National Lab where students who have completed 11th grade work directly with scientific and engineering staff on real DOE-mission research projects.
California Academy of Sciences - Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program
Multi-year, paid internship where students do authentic research or environmental projects and science communication; very selective for SF youth.
Chapman University Pharmacy Summer Research Program
Hybrid summer research program where small cohorts of high schoolers work with pharmacy faculty advisors on health-science/chemistry research projects.
Chemistry-Focused Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP)
Intensive research program described as a 9-month remote mentorship plus 4-week on-site summer internship in chemistry/biochem/materials; very structured and rigorous.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Teen Science Scholars
Selective paid internship that places 20 high schoolers from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds into the Museum's Science Division each year, doing real scientific work alongside Museum scientists and exploring museum and STEM careers. Includes a stipend of about $1,800 per session plus professional development in public speaking and college planning.
GRIPS at Stanford
GRIPS is a roughly 8-week research-intensive program placing HS students in Stanford labs; similar rigor to SIP/SIMR.
iCLEM (Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology)
6-8 week paid biotech internship in Emeryville labs, heavy wet-lab work (chemistry + microbiology + biofuels); very selective and supports low-income students.
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) - Northern California Region
Selective research paper and presentation competition; NorCal regional winners advance to nationals; strong chemistry category.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab - Experiences in Research (EinR)
6-week, selective internship placing students in LBNL research groups (chemistry, materials, energy, etc.) with a weekly stipend.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Biotech Summer Experience
Two-week intensive biotech/experimental biology program with substantial lab work and molecular techniques, drawing on chemistry fundamentals.
NASA Ames (Moffett Field) - OSTEM High School Internships
Competitive NASA internships in research areas including materials and atmospheric science, which are chemistry-heavy; located in Silicon Valley.
NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Prestigious federal research internship where high school juniors/seniors near NIST's Boulder, CO or Gaithersburg, MD campuses conduct hands-on chemistry research.
Project SEED ACS Summer Research
Paid summer research program by American Chemical Society placing economically disadvantaged students in university and industry chemistry labs nationwide.
Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
Widely considered the top U.S. science research competition for high school seniors; requires a completed original research paper, including chem/biochem.
RSI - Research Science Institute (MIT)
One of the most selective global research programs; 6-week residential at MIT with original research in many fields including chemistry.
Sandia National Laboratories High School Internships - Livermore
Highly selective paid internships in engineering, physics, chemistry and related fields at Sandia's California site.
Simons Summer Research Program
A highly selective six-week residential research program at Stony Brook University pairing rising high school seniors with faculty mentors for hands-on original research in science, math, or engineering, culminating in a poster symposium.
Stanford Chemistry IFSS Summer Research
Intensive 8-week research program where high school students work in Stanford chemistry labs on cutting-edge research projects with graduate student mentors.
Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
8-week full-time biomedical/chem research internship with Stanford faculty; extremely competitive, strong track record for top colleges.
Synopsys Championship - Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair
Very competitive ISEF-affiliated fair for Santa Clara County; many high-level chemistry projects.
UC Santa Barbara Summer Research Academies
Four-week university-credit research program where high schoolers choose a discipline-specific track, including chemistry, to design and complete an independent research project.
UC Santa Cruz Science Internship Program (SIP)
10-week mentored research placement in UCSC labs; many projects in chemistry, biochemistry, materials, or related fields.
UCSF CURE High School Internship
Summer research internship at UCSF where students work on biomedical and chemistry research projects in university labs with faculty mentorship.
UCSF High School Intern Program (HIP)
Selective 8-week program at UCSF labs via Science & Health Education Partnership; includes bench research and seminars.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.