14 Neurobiology & Neuroscience Internships for High School Students
If you are considering studying neurobiology or neuroscience in college, a relevant internship in the field can help you get hands-on learning while also working with neuroscientists, researchers, and other experts. Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system, and neurobiology, although used interchangeably with neuroscience, is a biological look at the nervous system. These interdisciplinary fields work closely with psychology, engineering, linguistics, computers, mathematics, and medicine and thereby, offer wide-ranging roles and make for a promising career path.
An internship in neuroscience or neurobiology is also an opportunity to strengthen your college application, as it can show the admissions team your willingness to get first-hand experience in the field.
We’ve put together a list of 14 neurobiology and neuroscience internships for high school students, to get you started!
Location: Virtual
Cost: Starting $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students who can work for 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks.
Application deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. The summer cohort deadline is April 14, 2024.
Program dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts in a year.
This is a fairly selective virtual internship program that matches high school students with start-ups and nonprofits across the world to work on a real-world project that is relevant to the organization. To get neuroscience and neurobiology internships, students can choose areas like healthcare and medicine, biotech, or mental health while applying. Students get to work on a real-world project with an organization 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, who can be considered a second mentor and a sounding board, guiding students in navigating the startup environment. The internship also offers professional skill development and one-on-one and group training sessions! Overall, interns are expected to work 10–15 hours per week. Explore all the options on their application form here.
2. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual or in-person at the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology, east Baltimore Campus, Baltimore, MD
Stipend: The in-person program offers an hourly stipend and covers transportation, but not housing. The virtual program offers a $500 scholarship to interns to support their education.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (in the US for the virtual program and in Baltimore City, MD for the in-person program) from underrepresented backgrounds are eligible to apply.
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Program dates: June – August. The in-person program will last 8 weeks, while the virtual program will run for 5 weeks.
Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS), offered by the institute’s Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, is a summer research internship. High school juniors and seniors can choose between an 8-week in-person internship and a 5-week virtual program. However, application to the in-person program is more competitive than that to the virtual one, so those who don’t get selected for the former may be offered a chance to participate in the virtual program instead. The in-person program offers interns a chance to work on a research project and get access to one-on-one mentorship, scientific seminars, educational resources, and career guidance sessions in neurological sciences. The virtual program offers activities related to science and the opportunity to learn basic laboratory techniques. Both formats offer professional development workshops, college preparatory classes, mentorship training, scientific presentations, and networking activities. In-person participants also have to prepare a final oral or poster presentation describing their work. You can check the past JHIBS research topics here.
3. Massachusetts General Hospital’s Youth Neurology Education and Research Program
Location: In-person internship. Work locations can vary depending on the lab interns are assigned. It could be Massachusetts General Hospital Main Campus, Somerville, MA, or another lab location within Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville in Massachusetts.
Stipend: Paid internship but information on the exact stipend amount is not available.
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors or recent graduates living or studying in Massachusetts (must be able to provide a Massachusetts address) can apply.
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Program dates: July 1, 2024–August 9, 2024
Massachusetts General Hospital is the largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Its Youth Neurology Education and Research Program is designed to help interns learn about neurology from a diverse group of leaders in the field. The program starts with a boot camp, which involves undergoing research and clinical training, interactive sessions on skills required for a laboratory setting, and networking. Then begins the 1-on-1 mentoring, where a pair of interns (one high school intern and one undergraduate intern) are matched with a mentor from the MGH Neurology faculty. Following this, interns will work in the lab on ongoing research for six weeks, putting in 40 hours per week from 9 am to 5 pm. They also get to attend sessions by leading neurologists. The internship ends with a final presentation, in which students share their internship experiences with peers, mentors, faculty, and family. This end-to-end structure encourages deep knowledge-building, preparing high school students for undergraduate research. MGH also provides all-around support to the program alumni in the form of career advice, funding, application guidance, and more.
4. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Stipend: Students earn a minimum stipend of $500. A stipend of $2,500 or above is given on a needs-based system. Housing and transportation costs are not covered.
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years of age can apply.
Application deadline: February 24, 2024
Program dates: June 10, 2024–August 1, 2024
Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) is an 8-week internship in which students get to collaborate one-on-one with a mentor, who is either a Stanford graduate student or a postdoctoral fellow, and engage in research. Students can choose from 8 areas of research, one of which is neurobiology. The program begins with orientation on the first day, followed by two weeks of morning lectures and lab work. The rest of the program will be dedicated to special joint lectures, lab work, and poster preparation. Students are expected to be on campus about 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday. The program ends with a poster presentation where interns share their research experiences with family, teachers, and Stanford community members. This is a fairly competitive program with an acceptance rate of approximately 3% and a cohort size of about 50 students each year. You can check the program instructions here before applying.
5. BrainSport Summer High School Research Internship at UCLA
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
Stipend: No information is available
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors willing to mentor other rising juniors in the program next year can apply. Students who are interested in extending the internship into the academic year are encouraged to apply.
Application deadline: Applications typically close in April
Program dates: The program typically runs from early June to late August. Work will likely be three to four half-days per week, for approximately 16 hours per week.
UCLA BrainSport Summer High School Research Internship is meant for students interested in neuroscience, research, and the intricate workings of the brain. This program allows students to learn from research scientists, clinicians, nurse practitioners, and researchers in the field of brain health, neurology, and sports-related concussions. Students will get to work with BrainSPORT Study staff in tasks like recruiting patients for the study, entering research data, and conducting study protocols. Students will also present a project on a research topic of choice at the end of the internship. The program also offers weekly Traumatic Brain Injury lab meetings with the BrainSPORT team, helping students learn about daily tasks involved in clinical research.
6. Explorations in Neuroscience Research Internship Program at Ohio State University
Location: On campus at Ohio State University’s College of Medicine, Columbus, OH. All interns are responsible for their own transportation, but paid parking will be provided.
Stipend: Paid but the amount is not specified.
Application deadline: March 8, 2024
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors can apply. Students from underrepresented minorities are encouraged to apply.
Program dates: June 17, 2024–August 2, 2024
The Explorations in Neuroscience Research Internship is a National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded opportunity for students interested in gaining hands-on research experience in neuroscience, neurological injury, and neurodegeneration. This 7-week paid program aims to help students explore neuroscience as a college major and career choice. During the program, interns will directly work with mentors, lab technicians, and graduate students. The interns will get to network through opportunities like lab meetings and group journal clubs. They also get access to OSU’s labs and the chance to undergo formal training in reading and presenting primary literature. The program ends with the presentation of research findings.
7. Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) Summer Research Internship
Location: On-site at Max Planck Florida Institute, Jupiter, FL
Stipend: $12.5/hour
Eligibility: Rising junior or senior high school students at least 16 years old and residing in Palm Beach or Martin County can apply.
Application deadline: March 4, 2024
Program dates: June 17, 2024–July 26, 2024
The MPFI Summer Research Internship is a six-week paid opportunity to get an immersive laboratory experience with MPFI researchers. The program is meant for those with an interest in the brain’s structure and function and advanced imaging techniques commonly used in the field of neuroscience. The program offers a dedicated Neuroscience Internship Track which allows you to learn hands-on “wet lab” techniques such as genetic engineering, microbiology preparations, histological staining, and microscopy. You are expected to work 40 hours per week under the expert guidance of mentors and participate in research projects. At the end of the program, you will prepare a written scientific abstract based on the research project and deliver a short presentation. You can check past intern presentations here.
8. Duke University Neuroscience Experience (DUNE)
Location: Duke University West Campus, Durham, NC
Stipend: Paid internship, no amount specified
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 15 years old by the start of the program and live in North Carolina within commuting distance of Duke University’s west campus can apply.
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Program dates: June 10, 2024–August 2, 2024
Duke University’s Neuroscience Experience program is an 8-week paid opportunity to participate in full-time summer research in cutting-edge neuroscience. Here, you will be matched with a Duke University neuroscience lab and get to work on a research project under the guidance of a mentor, who will be a professional scientist. Although you will spend most of your time in the lab (40 hours per week), you will get to attend professional development workshops. The sessions are held by local experts who offer guidance on your college application while helping you explore career options in academia, medicine, and industry. At the end of the program, you will present your research at a poster session to your peers, family, and Duke scientists.
9. National Institute of Health High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP)
Location: NIH research campuses in the USA including the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. No housing is offered to interns, but they get free parking.
Stipend: A monthly stipend of $2,300 is provided.
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and seniors living within 40 miles of the NIH Campus on which they will intern can apply.
Application deadline: February 16, 2024
Dates: June to August (tentative, based on previous years)
If you are interested in gaining some real-world research experience in the field of biomedicine, this internship opportunity is worth considering. The HS-SIP is an 8-week program conducted at National Institute of Health (NIH) facilities. Here, you can carry out cutting-edge research under the guidance and mentorship of world-renowned researchers. It is important to note that the HS-SIP is extremely competitive, with a ~7% acceptance rate. Interns are selected by a central committee at each Institute/Center and then placed in a research group to work under the supervision of a Principal Investigator. At the end of the program, the Summer Poster Day, scheduled for August 1–2, 2024 this year, is organized for interns to share their research with the NIH community. You can either apply to HS-SIP or one of its student cohorts: HiSTEP and HiSTEP 2.0. However, applying via HS-SIP can give you the chance to work with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Here, you get to work with leading neuroscience investigators and focus on the study of the nervous system, neurological processes, neurodegenerative diseases, movement disorders, brain cancer, and stroke.
10. University of California, San Francisco SEP’s High School Intern Program
Location: University of California, San Francisco campus
Stipend: Part-time internship (25 hours/week) pays $3,200 upon program completion |
Full-time internship (35 hours/week) pays $4,500 upon program completion
Eligibility: High school juniors attending an SFUSD school, SF charter school, or participating in College Track San Francisco and from a background considered historically marginalized in the sciences can apply.
Application deadline: February 25, 2024
Program dates: June 7, 2024–early August 2024 (8-week program)
The UCSF Science and Health Education Partnership (SEP) supports science teaching and learning through multiple programs, of which, its High School Intern Program is intended for students interested in biomedical research. In this 8-week program, interns work with a UCSF scientist mentor on a research project. Interns have previously worked on topics like infectious disease, neuroscience, molecular biology, immunology, cancer, stem cell research, and developmental biology. The program has a cohort of 25 students each summer. College counseling is also a part of the program, so you will get to attend resume writing workshops, meet with college counselors, learn about financial aid offered by colleges, and participate in college tours. USCF also offers other programs for high school students that you can check here.
11. Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC)
Location: In-person at Columbia University, New York
Stipend: Paid internship, but the exact stipend amount is not available. Students are paid at the end of the program.
Eligibility: High school students nominated by partner programs from select schools in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx can apply. Check details here.
Application deadline: Applications typically open in October
Program dates: The training for the program typically begins in January. The internship is scheduled for July 1, 2024–August 16, 2024
The Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC) is a research internship for high school students interested in neuroscience. It is a laboratory-centric experience that offers the chance to work with scientists. BRAINYAC begins with a training phase, allowing students to get the hang of neuroscience concepts and laboratory techniques. These sessions cover microscope techniques, pipetting, dissection, neuroethics, computer codes for controlling experiments and handling data, and reading scientific papers. Following this phase, students get to work on a research project with a mentor at Columbia’s neuroscience laboratories and engage with graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and BRAINYAC alumni. During the program, students also work on research posters, which they present at an end-of-program symposium typically held in August at the Zuckerman Institute and a STEM event for young scientists-in-training in New York City at the American Museum of Natural History.
12. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Neurology High School Scholars Program
Location: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: $1,000
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 16 years old at the start of the program can apply. Living in Philadelphia is not mandatory, but it is an in-person program so interns should make housing and transportation arrangements.
Application deadline: March 1, 2024. Applications open on February 2, 2024.
Program dates: July 7, 2024–August 9, 2024 + One-day poster presentation on August 15, 2024
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Neurology High School Scholars Program is a five-week paid internship that involves working closely with a neurologist or neuroscientist on a research project. Interns will get to shadow physicians at the clinic and attend weekly educational sessions with the rest of the students. Work hours will be decided by the student and mentor based on project needs. During the internship, students will prepare a poster presentation outlining their project results and present the poster at a conference at the end of the program. You can check out past projects here!
13. Barrow Neurological Institute Summer High School Internship Program
Location: Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
Stipend: No information available
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old can apply.
Application deadline: April 1, 2024
Program dates: July 1, 2024–August 2, 2024
Barrow Neurological Institute’s Summer High School Internship program is a five-week learning opportunity for those interested in neurology. The program aims to cover basic biological principles and the mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of disease. During the internship, students will get to evaluate the scientific literature, hone their communication skills, learn to use advanced scientific techniques, address scientific questions, work on scientific projects, and learn the importance of non-laboratory ancillary departments to complement the research studies. You can check the internship page for 2024 updates. You can also check the 2023 program flier for more details.
Location: Most Helios scholars work at TGen headquarters in downtown Phoenix, AZ. Some may work at the Translational Drug Development (TD2) in the Mayo Clinic campus in Scottsdale, AZ, or the Pathogen Genomics Division in Flagstaff, AZ.
Stipend: High school students will be paid $14.35/hour.
Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years old and graduates of an Arizona high school by June 10, 2024, can apply. Check all the eligibility requirements here.
Application deadline: February 7, 2024
Program dates: June 10, 2024–August 2, 2024
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a non-profit genomics research institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Its Helios Scholars program is a paid internship opportunity for students interested in biomedical research, specifically genetic components of diabetes, neurological disease, and cancer as well as public health and pathogens. The program will provide hands-on laboratory experience to students as they work on a research project under the mentorship of TGen scientists. Internships will cover areas like laboratory research, computational biology and bioinformatics, mathematics and statistics, and research administration. Interns will also attend educational seminars, learn about bioscience career options, work on scientific writing, present research, attend social networking events, and create a scientific poster. Interns are supposed to put in 32–40 hours of work per week (Monday to Friday). High school sophomores and juniors in Arizona can consider the Bioscience Leadership Academy at TGen.
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.