12 Chemistry Internships for High School Students
If you're a high school student interested in chemistry, then an internship is a great way for you to gain hands-on experience in the field. As an intern, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals, develop new skills, and gain insights into the latest trends in the industry.
A career in chemistry has multiple possibilities – biochemistry, chemical engineering, material science, and even environmental chemistry. Through an internship, you can explore various career prospects to figure out the area you're most interested in.
Additionally, an internship showcases your dedication to the subject, and proves to admission officers that you can apply theoretical concepts in practical situations. It can also help you to network with researchers who are at the top of their field. You can later use these connections either for job opportunities or even letters of recommendation!
To help you get started, we have curated a list of 12 chemistry internships for high school students that you can consider.
1. National Institute for Standards and Technology Internships
Location: Varies from lab to lab.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be U.S. citizens
- Be juniors or seniors in high school during the application period
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in February.
Program Dates: June 17, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No participation cost (but students must cover housing and transportation costs); Unpaid.
The Summer High School Intern Program by NIST is a program for students who have finished their junior or senior year of high school (by the start of the program) and demonstrate an interest in scientific research. In this program, students will get the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research at NIST and work closely with NIST staff scientists and engineers on a specific research topic. Students can choose to intern at one of these 6 NIST laboratories:
Communications Technology Lab
Engineering Lab
Information Technology Lab
Material Measurement Lab
NIST Center for Neutron Research
Physical Measurement Lab
Students interested in chemistry are encouraged to apply to the Material Measurements Lab. Your focus areas will include new vaccines and biological drugs, characterizing the performance of alternative fuels and refrigerants with less greenhouse gas potential, assessing pollutants, including ocean plastics, and helping develop new materials for lightweight, fuel-efficient transportation, and much more!
Location: Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year:
- Spring cohort: February 18, 2024
- Summer cohort: February 18, 2024 (Early Admission) | April 14, 2024 (Regular Admission 1)
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year.
Cost: Starting at $1990. Financial aid is offered.
Ladder Internships, founded by Harvard alumni, is a selective program that allows high school students to work with start-ups and nonprofits across the world in a range of different industries. Some of the organizations you can choose to intern offer projects that cover concepts in chemistry, technology, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, and more.
During the internship, students will work on a real-world project and present their work at the end of the program. Interns will be guided and mentored by their startup managers and a Ladder coach. The internship includes 1-on-1 training in communication, time management and other skills, and will attend group training sessions with other interns. This virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. Project SEED by American Chemical Society
Location: Varies based on lab choice. Check here.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors (and recent graduates).
- Have completed one course in high school chemistry.
Preference is given to students whose maximum family income does not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines based on family size.
Note: Project SEED has multiple methods of documenting eligibility that you can access here!
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: 8-10 weeks, June to August
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $4000 is awarded to the interns.
Project SEED is a paid, summer fellowship program for high school students. Once accepted, students commute daily to a research lab (typically about 8 hours per weekday, Monday through Friday) for anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks. This program offers an opportunity for students keen on working in laboratories and conducting work in the field of chemistry. Students will get to work in real laboratories at universities and other sites, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture lab.
In particular, Project SEED focuses on supporting over 350 students from underrepresented communities, providing both internships and summer camps to help students with university applications. As an intern, you will work on an independent project at a research lab located in the nearest Project SEED location. You get to choose the type of project you’re interested in – from a wide range of choices. Depending on your project site, you might have the chance to go on field trips and campus tours, attend career panels, and more!
A bonus is that your coordinator can choose to register you for the American Chemical Society National Meeting – where you can present your work.
4. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Note: Internships will be offered in fully remote, fully in-person, or hybrid (some days remote and some days in-person) formats.
Eligibility:
- Interns for remote internships - must be 15 years or older by June 18th, 2024.
- Internships for in-person or hybrid internships in computer labs - must be 15 years or older by June 18th, 2024.
- Interns for wet-lab in-person or hybrid internships - must be 16 or older by June 18, 2024.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in February.
Program Dates: June 18, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee (transport and housing are not covered); Unpaid.
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program allows high school students to work one-on-one with faculty researchers at George Mason University to develop their research projects. In this 8-week internship, you will gain hands-on experience using cutting-edge, sophisticated equipment and technologies, develop and exercise scientific writing and communication skills, explore STEM career choices through discussion forums and meetings with role models, and develop and exercise creative skills, which are crucial to performing innovative research.
Previous projects in chemistry include research in antibiotic development, measuring Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC), and diagnosis of tuberculosis through qPCR. You can look at the previous research projects of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry here!
5. EM OPALS Internship with UC San Diego
Location: University of California, San Diego Campus
Eligibility:
- Current 9-12th high school students and community college students.
- Residents preferred (no housing and transportation provided).
Note: Students under 16 years old need to follow the Minors in laboratories from UCSD.
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Program Dates: July 8, 2024 - August 2, 2024
Cost: $2,000 + $42 (non-refundable mandatory application fee)
The EM OPALS program provides high school students with hands-on experience in STEM by spending 20 hours/week at a UC San Diego research laboratory. If you are interested in biochemistry, we encourage you to apply to the EM OPALS program!
With support from the Beckman Laser Institute Foundation, the Institute of Engineering in Medicine, and the BTC (Biophotonics Technology Center), the OPALS high school internship program is proud to provide pre-college students with hands-on experience in STEM. As an intern, you will have the opportunity to select from a diverse array of research projects. Options include engaging in in-depth studies on neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and Glaucoma. Alternatively, you can delve into the intricate exploration of DNA repair mechanisms, contribute to the design of laser ablation and laser trapping systems, or explore other cutting-edge research initiatives.
Apart from conducting research, the program includes weekly professional sharing career talks, hands-on experiments, and small group discussions on ongoing research topics! Moreover, guest lectures include professors, graduate students, and even previous interns.
6. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) at the Department of Navy (DoN)
Location: There are several lab locations to choose from across the country.
Eligibility: Applicants must be:
- High school students who have completed at least Grade 9
- Currently enrolled in high school (but maybe taking college-level classes for college credit)
- Graduating seniors are eligible to apply
- Must be 16 years of age or older by the internship start date to participate
- Solely U.S. Citizens
(Students are recommended to check whether their preferred lab choice has any other particular requirements or exceptions).
Application Deadline: Summer internship applications open on August 1st and close on November 1st every year.
Program Dates: The internship lasts eight weeks during the summer (with the possibility of extending up to two additional weeks).
Stipend: New participant: $4,000 | Returning participant: $4,500
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for eight weeks during the summer. This apprenticeship is a solid, research-focused opportunity.
SEAP is competitive, with around 300 placements in more than 38 laboratories around the country and because of its association with the US government, it’s regarded as highly prestigious too. Interns will be selected based on academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. Your lab choice is based on your subject of interest. If your subject of interest is chemistry, there are many labs where the research opportunities align with your interest like for instance, AFRRI - Bethesda, MD or FRCSE - Jacksonville, FL, and many more!
SEAP allows academically talented sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in STEM to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring by top scientists and engineers and working on actual naval research. If you’ve been thinking about pursuing science and engineering, you should consider this program.
7. California Academy of Sciences Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program
Location: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
Eligibility: To be eligible for the program, applicants must:
- Be currently enrolled full-time as a 9th or 10th-grade student in an SFUSD school (check if your school qualifies here).
- Maintain a GPA of 2.5 and a grade of C or higher in science and math.
- Be able to obtain a valid work permit (US citizens and others authorized to work in the US).
- Commit to all attendance requirements for 2 or 3 years, through high school graduation.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2024. (Selected applicants will be required to attend an in-person group interview on April 27, 2024.)
Program Dates: After school and on weekends, year-round participation for 2-3 years till graduation.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Careers in Science interns get paid above minimum wage.
This long-running program, which began in 1996, invites applications from San Francisco students from underrepresented communities in the field of STEM to learn about science and sustainability. A few sessions in past cohorts covered topics such as Python for scientific programming, astronomy, science communication, biomimicry, environmental justice, and California conservation.
Alongside this, you also receive mentorship, build professional skills, and more – all while being compensated for your efforts. The interns' cohort is encouraged throughout the program to participate in seminars and conferences and interact with faculty, mentors, and other students.
As for specific subject tracks such as chemistry, students are allocated to roles and departments in a setting based on their interests and the opportunities they have available in the center at the time.
8. St. Louis’s Young Scientist Summer Focus Program
Location: Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Eligibility: Students from any high school in the Greater St. Louis area (Missouri and Illinois) may apply to Summer Focus when they are in the 11th grade (i.e. their junior year).
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in February.
Program Dates: June 3, 2024 - July 26, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Scholars receive a $4,000 stipend for the summer.
Conducted by Washington University in St. Louis, the YSP Summer Focus Program provides high school students in the Greater St.Louis area with funded, 8-week summer research internships. In the program, you will be paired with a mentor and a tutor. The mentor works one-on-one with you on your project, while your tutor will support you through your research experience. The mentors and tutors are Washington University graduate students, postdoctoral associates, laboratory staff, and principal investigators.
Research is conducted in chemistry, ecology, earth and planetary sciences, developmental biology, and more. Moreover, in addition to your research work, you will also take 2 courses on strengthening your science communication skills and preparing to apply to college.
9. ASE Internships by Saturday Academy
Location: Varies depending on the internship.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be a rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader (or equivalent).
- Be the minimum age by June 17th, but for the VA Healthcare System, they must be 16 by May 15.
Application Deadline: March 8, 2024
Program Dates: June to August (8-10 weeks)
Cost/Stipend: $40 application fee; A learning stipend of $1,100, or $650 for part-time positions is provided to the interns.
Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering (ASE) program typically offers about 75 internships each year. Mentor partners vary but usually fall under one of the following general disciplines: Biology, Health or Medicine, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics.
As an intern, you will contribute to the projects conducted at the mentor’s organization throughout the summer. Your role as an intern will vary depending on your organization. A few roles this summer include:
Conduct experiments to better understand water quality and to improve contamination clean-up efforts.
Learn about synthetic chemistry and discover how to use fluorescent chemical compounds for medical imaging.
Learn and assist with the operations of a nuclear research reactor and more.
Your primary responsibilities can include working alongside leading scientists on a research project, receiving training and mentorship from scientists, and even conducting your experiments in some cases!
10. Idaho National Laboratory Internship
Location: Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be high school students who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Be rising juniors, rising seniors, and recently graduated students.
- Possess a minimum overall 3.0 GPA.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: The program typically begins in mid-June and lasts for 6 weeks.
Stipend: The exact amount is not mentioned, but the INL pays a competitive wage while also offering a housing stipend and transportation reimbursements.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory offers very few internship opportunities to high school students, making this a highly selective program. Throughout the six-week paid summer internship, students actively contribute to solving authentic real-world challenges under the mentorship of top INL researchers and professionals. You get to work alongside top-tier scientists and researchers on real-world projects as well as explore diverse projects spanning nuclear energy, cybersecurity, environmental science, and more.
You can check out all the internship categories here. Interns spend 80% of their time in labs with their mentors and the remaining 20% in enrichment activities. You can take a look at the various job postings here.
11. MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
Eligibility:
- Those who are entering their final year of high school are allowed to apply. This typically describes high school juniors or those in the third year or grade 11. High school seniors are not allowed to apply.
- It is recommended that PSAT Math Scores be at least 740 or higher and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Scores be 700 or higher. ACT math scores should be at least 33 and verbal scores at least 34. Those with lower scores must show strong indicators of potential in other areas of STEM and academics, such as in recommendations, high school grades, and science activities.
Program Dates: June 23, 2024 - August 3, 2024
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in December/January
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded, stipend provided (exact amount is undisclosed).
The Research Science Institute (RSI) is an internship program that invites 100 high school students to participate in scientific research at MIT’s main campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. RSI is a highly competitive (and prestigious) program that covers an array of STEM subjects - including chemistry. It has an acceptance rate of less than 5% so you’ll find yourself among the brightest of peers and mentors.
This is a research-based summer program that invites independent research in chemistry while engaging in college-level chemistry courses. A chemistry project that previous RSI participants worked on – The Monoreduction of Diketones and its Application towards the Total Synthesis of Kalmanol (2006) by Kenneth I. Brewer. You can view more such projects here.
To make the most of this program, you are expected to keep yourself aware of the latest literature in the field of chemistry, design a research plan from scratch, and work on oral and written presentations of your findings, all under the guidance of the brightest scholars in the world.
12. Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Eligibility: Students living in New York City completing 10th or 11th grade in June 2024.
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Program Dates: June 3, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (10-week summer program)
Cost/Stipend: Free of cost; a Stipend of $750 is provided to the students.
NYU's ARISE program is an opportunity-based initiative designed to immerse students in the world of STEM. ARISE has expanded to a comprehensive 10-week format wherein student participation in all stages of the application process, orientation, and program dates is mandatory.
4 weeks: Remote after school workshops.
6 weeks: In-person labs starting July 1, 2024 (Monday – Friday, 9 am - 4 pm).
This program covers interdisciplinary topics and STEM disciplines such as Bio-and Molecular Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, AI, and Machine Learning via hands-on work in research labs.
You can view Research Opportunities for this summer's participating professors and their labs.
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!
This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper in a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.
You can find the application link here!
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries, with a large number of them in tech. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.