The short answer: "fellowship" means three different things for high school students. Research fellowships place a student with a mentor to do original research, usually in a selective, low-cost summer or year-long program such as RSI, MIT PRIMES or the Simons Summer Research Program. Award fellowships recognize finished work or promise with money, such as the Davidson Fellows Scholarship. Paid mentorship fellowships are programs, including ours, that a family pays for in exchange for one-on-one mentorship toward a defined result. Most are selective and run on winter deadlines for the following summer. The best plan for most students is to apply to the free ones and have a project underway regardless.
Below: the programs, who is eligible, what each costs or pays, the 2027 deadlines we could confirm, and how to choose.
Research fellowships and programs
These pair students with mentors in real labs or research groups. All are selective.
| Program | Who | Cost to student | 2027 deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Science Institute (RSI) | Juniors | Free | December 11, 2026 |
| MIT PRIMES and PRIMES-USA | Sophomores and juniors | Free | Passed (November 2, 2026); next in fall 2027 |
| Simons Summer Research Program, Stony Brook | 11th graders, 16 or older, U.S. citizens or permanent residents, school nomination | No tuition; $75 application fee; housing extra for residents | February 5, 2027 |
| Summer Science Program (SSP) | Class of 2028 | 2026 fee $11,800; need-blind, aid meets full need | February 2027 (anticipated) |
| Stanford SIMR | Juniors and seniors, 16 or older, U.S. residents | No cost; very limited stipends | Late February 2027 |
| Clark Scholars Program, Texas Tech | At least 17, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | No program fees; $750 stipend | February 15, 2027 |
| NIH Summer Internship Program | Generally 18 or older, with an exception for some 17-year-old seniors near NIH | Paid stipend; no housing | January 26, 2027 |
What each involves:
- RSI combines a week of STEM classes, a five-week research internship with a mentor, and a final week preparing written and oral presentations. It has traditionally hosted about 100 students at MIT, and for 2027 adds a Stanford site.
- MIT PRIMES is a year-long research program in mathematics and related computational fields, with a mentor who is usually an MIT graduate student or postdoc. Local students join in Boston; PRIMES-USA is remote.
- Simons places students in a Stony Brook faculty research group for six weeks, June 28 to August 6, 2027, ending in a poster.
- SSP is a five-week residential research program in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics or synthetic chemistry.
- SIMR is eight weeks of medically oriented research in Stanford labs, and selection heavily favors Bay Area students.
- Clark Scholars brings a small group to do research with Texas Tech faculty over seven weeks.
- NIH SIP is full-time research in an NIH lab, and students must contact principal investigators themselves.
The honest caveat: these programs admit a small share of applicants, and many admitted students already have research experience. A finished project is often what separates applications.
Award fellowships and scholarships
These reward finished work, leadership or promise.
| Award | Who | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson Fellows Scholarship | 18 or younger, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | $100,000, $50,000 or $25,000 | For a significant finished piece of work in STEM, literature, music, philosophy or "outside the box" |
| Coca-Cola Scholars Program | High school seniors | $20,000 each, 150 scholars a year | 2027 application closed September 30, 2026 |
| Rise (Rhodes Trust and Schmidt) | Ages 15 to 17, worldwide | Benefits include a funded summit and need-based college scholarships | Up to 100 winners per cohort |
| Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars | High-achieving 7th graders with financial need | Five years of advising and funding for school and enrichment | Long-term support through high school |
| Thiel Fellowship | 22 or younger, no university degree | $250,000 over two years | For people who skip or leave college to build something; rolling |
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is the one most directly tied to research: it rewards a finished project, which means the research has to happen first. How to Win the Davidson Fellows Scholarship covers what reviewers look for.
One change for 2027: the Telluride Association Summer Seminar, a free humanities seminar long popular with sophomores and juniors, will not run in 2027.
Paid mentorship fellowships
Some paid programs use the word fellowship for one-on-one mentorship. These differ from the programs above in two ways: admission is based on readiness rather than a small fixed number of seats, and they run year-round, so a student does not have to wait for a single summer.
The YRI Fellowship is one of these. A student works one-on-one with a full-time PhD mentor for ten weeks, with unlimited sessions, from finding the question to submitting a first-author manuscript to a peer-reviewed venue, with ISEF and JSHS preparation included. 87 percent of Fellows publish, and mentorship continues free until the paper is published. It is $2,997, or three payments of $999, with need-based scholarships available, and it accepts students in grades 6 to 12 in any field. You can see Fellows' papers on the Published Work page and everything included on the tuition page.
When comparing paid programs, look at what the student finishes with and whether that outcome is in the quoted price. Lumiere vs Polygence vs YRI and How Much Do Research Programs Cost compare the market.
How to choose
If your child is a junior with a strong record: apply to RSI, Simons, SSP, SIMR and Clark as eligible. Have a project underway in case none come through.
If your child is a 9th or 10th grader: most selective research programs are not open yet. The best preparation is a first finished project, which also makes the later applications stronger. Research Programs for 9th Graders and Research Programs for 10th Graders list options.
If your child already has finished work: look at award fellowships like the Davidson Fellows Scholarship and competitions like Regeneron ISEF and STS.
If your family needs funding: prioritize free programs and need-based options. SSP is need-blind and meets full demonstrated need; the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars program supports students with financial need from 7th grade.
Red flags with anything called a fellowship
The word is not regulated. Watch for:
- A fee to be "selected" for an honor, or an award that nearly everyone who applies receives.
- Vague mentors. You should be able to look up a mentor's own research.
- Publication in the program's own journal, or in a pay-to-publish venue. Predatory journals promise peer review they do not provide.
- Guarantees of college admission.
- No named past participants with work you can verify.
Is This Research Program Legit? has the full checklist.
Timeline by grade
- 7th grade: Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars, for students with financial need.
- 9th grade: a first research project; local science fairs.
- 10th grade: MIT PRIMES applications in the fall; a substantial project over the summer.
- 11th grade: the main window. RSI in December; Simons, SSP, SIMR, Clark and NIH between January and February.
- 12th grade: Coca-Cola Scholars in early fall, Regeneron STS in November, Davidson Fellows for finished work.
College Prep Timeline by Grade puts these alongside application deadlines.
Next steps
Whatever your child applies to, having a finished project is what strengthens every one of these applications.
Download the YRI Fellowship brochure
The program, the outcomes, the mentors and the tuition, in one PDF you can read with your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fellowship for high school students?
It usually means one of three things: a selective research program that pairs students with a mentor (such as RSI or MIT PRIMES), an award for finished work or promise (such as the Davidson Fellows Scholarship), or a paid one-on-one mentorship program that uses the name.
Are there paid research fellowships for high school students?
Yes, in both senses. Some programs pay students: the Clark Scholars Program offers a $750 stipend, and the NIH Summer Internship Program pays a stipend. Other programs charge tuition for one-on-one mentorship, such as the YRI Fellowship at $2,997.
What is the most prestigious research program for high school students?
Programs like RSI and MIT PRIMES are among the most selective and widely recognized. Both are free. Admission is highly competitive, and most applicants already have research experience.
When are fellowship deadlines for summer 2027?
RSI is December 11, 2026. The NIH Summer Internship Program is January 26, 2027. Simons is February 5, 2027, and Clark Scholars is February 15, 2027. SSP and Stanford SIMR expect deadlines in February 2027.
Can a 9th or 10th grader get a research fellowship?
Most selective summer programs are for juniors. MIT PRIMES accepts sophomores. Younger students can do research through mentorship programs; YRI accepts students from 6th grade.
Is the Davidson Fellows Scholarship a research fellowship?
It is a scholarship for a finished, significant piece of work, often research. Awards are $100,000, $50,000 or $25,000, for students 18 or younger.
What should my child do if they do not get into a selective program?
Do the research anyway. A finished paper or competition result strengthens college applications on its own and makes next year's program applications stronger.
Sources
- Center for Excellence in Education: Research Science Institute
- MIT PRIMES
- MIT PRIMES: Program Details
- Stony Brook: Simons Summer Research Program
- Stony Brook: Simons Application
- Stony Brook: Simons FAQs
- Summer Science Program: Fees and Financial Aid
- Summer Science Program: Application
- Stanford SIMR
- Texas Tech: Clark Scholars Program Details
- Texas Tech: Clark Scholars Application Details
- NIH Summer Internship Program
- Davidson Institute: Davidson Fellows Scholarship
- Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation: Apply
- Rise
- Rise and Rhodes Trust: 2024 cohort announcement
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Young Scholars Program
- Thiel Fellowship FAQ
- Telluride Association: TASS pause for 2027
- UAB Libraries: Predatory Publishing