Updated November 2026
TL;DR
The Simons Summer Research Program puts high school juniors in Stony Brook University research labs for six weeks, from June 28 to August 6, 2027, with no tuition. It's very selective: fewer than 5% of applicants get in, and you need a nomination from your high school, which can put forward up to three students. The application opens November 15, 2026; school nominations are due January 29, 2027, and student applications February 5, 2027.
Most high school research happens on your own, in a class or a club. The Simons Summer Research Program (SSRP) is different: you join an active Stony Brook lab, work alongside a faculty mentor's team and take on a question of your own. It has run since 1984, and the hard part is getting in, so start with your school's nomination process before you fall for a particular lab. If you're still comparing options, see our list of free summer science research programs for high school students or our review of Stanford's SIMR program.
Want more research options? Browse these paid research internships for high school students, or find research opportunities you can do during the school year.
What is the Simons Summer Research Program?
The Simons Summer Research Program is a free, six-week summer research program at Stony Brook University for high school juniors, founded in 1984 with the support of Jim and Marilyn Simons. Each fellow joins a faculty-led research group, takes on a project of their own and presents a poster at the end. Here are the key facts for the 2027 cycle:
|
Detail |
What you need to know |
|
Host |
Stony Brook University, New York |
|
Format |
In person, in Stony Brook research labs; commute or live on campus |
|
Dates (2027) |
June 28 to August 6, 2027 (six weeks) |
|
Cost |
No tuition or program fee; $75 application fee, plus housing, dining or travel |
|
Eligibility |
11th graders who are US citizens or permanent residents, at least 16 by the start of the program |
|
Nomination |
Required; each high school can nominate up to three students |
|
Acceptance rate/cohort size |
Fewer than 5%; 1,864 applications and 60 fellows selected in 2026 |
|
Key deadlines |
Application opens November 15, 2026; nominations due January 29, 2027; applications due February 5, 2027 |
|
Best for |
Juniors with a specific STEM interest who can spend six weeks at Stony Brook |
Who can apply to the Simons Summer Research Program?
Current 11th graders who are US citizens or permanent residents, at least 16 by the start of the program and nominated by their high school can apply. Stony Brook's application page and FAQ set these rules, with no exceptions:
Grade: you must be in 11th grade when you apply. A sophomore who is already 16 or takes advanced courses still isn't eligible.
Citizenship: US citizens and permanent residents only. Living in the US on a visa without a green card doesn't qualify.
Age: at least 16 by the first day of the program.
Nomination: your high school must nominate you, and each school can nominate up to three students.
Experience: no prior research experience is required.
What is the Simons Summer Research Program acceptance rate?
Stony Brook says fewer than 5% of applicants are admitted. It reports 1,864 applications in 2026 and 60 fellows selected, which works out to about 3%. Older figures of 5% to 8%, including one on Stony Brook's own 2022 page, are out of date.
The nomination step narrows the field further, because your school may run its own selection first, such as a pre-application, a committee or a lottery. Meeting the eligibility rules gets you considered, not admitted.
When is the Simons Summer Research Program, and how much does it cost?
The 2027 program runs six weeks, from June 28 to August 6, 2027, in person at Stony Brook University, and there's no tuition or program fee. Plan on at least four hours a day with your mentor or research group; no remote option is listed for 2027.
Free doesn't mean cost-free, though. The application fee is $75 (waived for students facing financial hardship), and you'll pay for your own housing and dining if you live on campus, or your own travel and meals if you commute. Stony Brook hasn't posted a 2027 housing price, and its current pages don't list a stipend, so email simonssrp@stonybrook.edu if either affects your plans.
If you can't spend six weeks at Stony Brook, Ladder Internships offers remote, eight-week start-up internships at 5 to 10 hours a week, in fields such as healthcare and biotech, AI and engineering.
What research projects can you do in the Simons Summer Research Program?
Simons fellows work in labs across science, math, engineering and medicine. The 2026 mentor list ran from life sciences such as neurobiology, microbiology and ecology, through chemistry, physics, geosciences and marine sciences, to computer science, applied math and several engineering departments, plus medical fields such as orthopaedics and biomedical informatics.
Recent fellows' projects show the range. One studied zebrafish seizure models with Howard Sirotkin, another used AI to find drug targets with Yuefan Deng, and others worked on machine learning for distributed systems with Mohammad Javad Amiri or on nanocellulose hydrogels that remove arsenic from water with Benjamin Hsiao. Stony Brook will post the 2027 mentor list on November 15, 2026, when the application opens. Mentors change every year, so check it before you pick your three choices.
7 things to know before you apply to the Simons Summer Research Program
1. The Simons Summer Research Program starts with your school's nomination
You can't apply on your own: your school nominates you first, and it can nominate no more than three students. Stony Brook disqualifies independent, late or incomplete applications, and if a school sends more than three, it disqualifies all of that school's applicants. Ask your science teacher or counselor who coordinates nominations well before January.
2. Simons Summer Research Program fellows run their own project inside a research group
Each fellow is matched with a Stony Brook faculty mentor, joins a working research group and takes on a question of their own, such as running experiments or analyzing data. You're there to do research, not just to watch a lab work.
3. The Simons Summer Research Program has you rank three mentors from a fixed list
You pick your top three mentors or research areas from that year's list, and Stony Brook can't place you with anyone outside it. The FAQ also says contacting mentors before you apply isn't required and doesn't improve your chances, so put that energy into your application instead.
4. Some Simons Summer Research Program labs interview applicants
Some labs may ask for a phone or in-person interview, and an interview doesn't guarantee admission. Be ready to explain why you chose each lab and what you'd want to learn there.
5. The Simons Summer Research Program goes beyond your lab
Fellows attend weekly faculty research talks and join workshops, tours and events across campus. These let you hear about research far from your own project, which helps if you're still choosing a college major.
6. The Simons Summer Research Program ends with an abstract and a poster
You finish by writing a research abstract and presenting a poster at a closing symposium for the university community. Both give you a concrete record of what you did, which you can describe later in an activities list or essay.
7. The Simons Summer Research Program application has strict rules
Late applications and materials aren't accepted, and the application has to be finished in one sitting. A few other rules catch students out:
Timeout: the online form may time out after four hours, so draft your answers first.
Word limits: each response is 300 words or fewer.
AI tools: you can't use AI to write or rewrite responses, though grammar and spelling checks are fine.
No extras: don't send résumés, test scores or award lists; they aren't part of the application.
Is the Simons Summer Research Program prestigious, and does it help with college applications?
Yes: Simons admits fewer than 5% of applicants, and its fellows have a strong record at the Regeneron Science Talent Search. In January 2026, ten fellows from the summer 2025 cohort were named Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars, among 300 chosen from more than 2,600 applicants, and eight of them did that research at Stony Brook.
For college applications, the name alone does less than the work behind it. What helps is a specific project, an abstract and a poster you can explain in an essay or interview. Weigh that against the trade-offs: you need a nomination, US citizenship or permanent residency, and six weeks in person at Stony Brook.
Ladder Internships places high school students in remote, eight-week start-up internships, where they work on a real project with a company coach. Interns choose from fields such as AI and machine learning, healthcare and biotech, engineering and environmental science, and full financial aid is available.
How do you apply to the Simons Summer Research Program, and when are the 2027 deadlines?
Get your school's nomination by January 29, 2027, then submit your application by February 5, 2027, and make sure two teachers send letters by February 12, 2027. Here are the steps from Stony Brook's application page:
Find your school's contact: look up who handles nominations in Stony Brook's High School Contact List. If your school isn't listed, an official can use the nomination form.
Get nominated: you'll receive an invitation to apply within 48 hours of your school's nomination.
Complete the application: upload a transcript or grade report as a PDF (unofficial is fine), rank three mentors, write your responses, enter two teachers' emails and pay the $75 fee.
Line up recommendations: two high school teachers, preferably in math or science. If you've done more than four weeks of research at a university or research institute, you can add an optional letter from that supervisor.
Wait for decisions: they arrive by email in early April 2027. Admitted students then send proof of medical insurance and sign forms such as liability waivers.
|
Step |
2027 cycle date |
|
Application link posted |
November 15, 2026 |
|
School nomination deadline |
January 29, 2027 |
|
Student application deadline |
February 5, 2027, 11:59 p.m. EST |
|
Teacher recommendation deadline |
February 12, 2027, 11:59 p.m. EST |
|
Admissions decisions |
Early April 2027, by email |
|
Program dates |
June 28 to August 6, 2027 |
Common questions about the Simons Summer Research Program
What does a typical day look like in the Simons Summer Research Program?
Expect at least four hours a day of research with your mentor or research group, such as running experiments or analyzing data. Each week also includes faculty research talks, plus workshops, tours and campus events.
What if my school has never nominated anyone for Simons?
You can still apply. A school official, usually a science teacher or research coordinator, can fill in the nomination form, and Stony Brook will add the school to its directory.
Can international students apply to the Simons Summer Research Program?
Only if they're US citizens or permanent residents. Students living in the US on a visa without a green card aren't eligible, and Stony Brook makes no exceptions.
What happens if you're not accepted to Simons?
Decisions are final, and Stony Brook doesn't give individual feedback. If you've already talked with a Stony Brook faculty member, you may still be able to do research with them by individual arrangement.
What if you can't get a nomination or aren't eligible for Simons?
A start-up internship is a different way to work on a real project, and it needs no school nomination. Ladder Internships places high school students in remote, eight-week start-up internships with a company coach, at 5 to 10 hours a week, with full financial aid available. You can join from anywhere, and the next deadline is November 15, 2026, for the Winter I cohort starting December 7, 2026.
Contact us at contact@ladderinternships.com if you have any questions!