The main research options for Maryland high school students are federal lab programs (the NIH Summer Internship Program, NIST's Summer High School Intern Program, NASA Goddard and Navy SEAP), Johns Hopkins programs such as APL's ASPIRE internship, ISEF-affiliated county science fairs, Maryland JSHS, and online one-on-one mentorship that ends in a published paper. Maryland is home to major federal research campuses, including NIH, NIST and NASA Goddard, but most of their student programs are limited to seniors, students over 18, U.S. citizens or families who live close to a campus.
This guide covers each option fairly, with official sources, and explains what each one adds to a college application.
The routes at a glance
| Program | Who it is for | Format | What you leave with |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIH Summer Internship Program | High school seniors who meet NIH's age and citizenship rules | Paid, in person, at least 8 weeks | Research in an NIH lab |
| NIST SHIP | Juniors and seniors within 50 miles, U.S. citizens | 7 weeks, unpaid, Gaithersburg | Research with NIST scientists |
| Johns Hopkins APL ASPIRE | High school students accepted by APL | Unpaid summer internship, 30 to 40 hours a week | Project work with an APL mentor |
| Navy SEAP | U.S. citizen high school students | 8 weeks, paid, at a Navy lab | Federal lab experience |
| County science fairs | Students who live or study in that county | Regional fairs affiliated with Regeneron ISEF | Awards, and for top projects a path to ISEF |
| Maryland JSHS | Maryland students in grades 9 to 12 | Research paper and presentation competition | Awards, and a path to national JSHS |
| Online one-on-one mentorship | Any student, anywhere in Maryland | 10 weeks online with a PhD mentor | A first-author paper submitted to a peer-reviewed venue |
Federal research labs in Maryland
NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP)
The National Institutes of Health runs paid summer internships in its own labs. For high school students, only seniors are eligible: you must be enrolled at least half-time as a senior, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and meet NIH's age rules. Interns join a lab for at least eight weeks between May and September. The National Cancer Institute's internships are in person on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, at NCI Shady Grove, or at NCI Frederick.
NIH has no central admissions committee. Individual investigators choose their own interns, so the cover letter and the labs you name matter. Our NIH Summer Internship guide covers the 2027 deadline, the 40-mile rule for younger seniors and how investigator matching works.
Best for: Montgomery and Frederick County seniors interested in biomedical research.
Keep in mind: SIP happens the summer after senior year, so the work comes after college applications are submitted.
NIST: Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology runs SHIP at its Gaithersburg campus (and in Boulder, Colorado). Applicants must be high school juniors or seniors when they apply, U.S. citizens, have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA, and live within 50 miles of the campus. Families handle their own housing and transportation.
The 2027 program runs seven weeks, June 21 to August 6, 2027. SHIP is an unpaid volunteer program. NIST says applications usually open November 1 and close in the last week of January, with 2027 postings on USAJobs.
Best for: Juniors near Gaithersburg interested in physics, chemistry, materials, engineering or computing.
Keep in mind: It is unpaid, and the 50-mile rule applies.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard in Greenbelt is one of the NASA centers that hosts OSTEM internships. NASA's rules for high school students: you must be 18 or older by the start date, a U.S. citizen, and hold at least a 3.0 GPA, and graduating seniors apply for the summer right after graduation. Summer internships last 10 weeks, most interns receive a stipend, and the Summer 2027 deadline is March 1, 2027.
Navy SEAP
The Navy's Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program places high school students in Navy laboratories for eight weeks in the summer. More than 25 Navy labs take part, and Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock in West Bethesda lists the program. First-year interns receive a $4,000 stipend and returning interns $4,500. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, and some labs also require a security clearance. Applications for Summer 2027 are open through November 30, 2026, at navalsteminterns.us.
Johns Hopkins programs
Johns Hopkins APL: ASPIRE
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel runs ASPIRE, a summer internship in which high school students work on projects with APL staff mentors. APL describes it as an unpaid, intensive internship, not a job, and students must be on site 30 to 40 hours a week all summer. APL also says it does not prioritize applicants with the highest GPA, the most STEM experience or the strongest resume. Check the ASPIRE eligibility page for current requirements and dates, since APL updates them each cycle.
Best for: Students within commuting distance of Laurel who want engineering, physics or computing project work.
Johns Hopkins: Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens (BRBT)
Johns Hopkins' biophysics department runs BRBT, a paid summer internship for Baltimore City high school students that runs five weeks in the first year.
Best for: Baltimore City students interested in biophysics and lab science.
Research with a university professor
Faculty at Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, UMBC, Towson and other Maryland universities sometimes take on motivated high school students, almost always through a direct request. Pick one recent paper, say exactly what interests you, and ask for a defined project. Our guide on how to email a professor about research has templates.
Outcomes vary. Some students co-author a paper. Others spend the summer on routine tasks. Agree on the project and deliverable in the first meeting.
Maryland's science competition pathway
ISEF-affiliated county fairs
In Maryland, students reach Regeneron ISEF through regional affiliated fairs, most organized by county. ISEF-affiliated fairs include:
- Montgomery County Area Science Fair, usually held in the spring.
- Prince George's Area Science Fair, usually held in March.
- Anne Arundel County Regional Science and Engineering Fair, held in February and March.
- Frederick County Science and Engineering Fair, scheduled for March 20, 2027, and open to public, private and homeschooled students who live in or attend school in Frederick County.
Regeneron ISEF 2027 is May 8 to 14 in Los Angeles. If your county is not listed, ask your school's science department which affiliated fair serves your area.
What helps at a Maryland fair:
- Original research, not a demonstration. Judges want a question, a method, data and honest analysis.
- Approvals before research. Projects with human participants, animals or biological materials need sign-off first. Our ISEF guide covers the forms.
- A strong interview. Judges test whether you understand your own work. See how to win science fairs.
Maryland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)
JSHS is judged on a written research paper and an oral presentation, which makes it a natural fit for a student who has done mentored research. Maryland has two regional routes:
- Maryland Regional JSHS, hosted by The Patuxent Partnership, is open to all Maryland high schools except those in Montgomery and Prince George's counties inside the I-495 Beltway. The 2027 symposium is March 6, 2027, and student applications are due November 9, 2026, so students who want to compete this year need to move now.
- Greater Washington, D.C. Regional JSHS, hosted by The Catholic University of America, serves Montgomery and Prince George's high schools inside the Beltway. The 2027 symposium is March 5, 2027, and applications are due February 1, 2027.
Both are open to public, private and home-school students in grades 9 to 12, and registration is free. The National JSHS is April 20 to 25, 2027, in Chantilly, Virginia. Read how to win JSHS.
Online one-on-one mentorship with publication
For students on the Eastern Shore, in Western Maryland or in Southern Maryland, for juniors who are too young for NIH or NASA, and for students who are not U.S. citizens, online mentorship is the route that does not depend on age floors, mileage rules or citizenship.
The YRI Fellowship is fully online and open to students in 50+ countries. Each student works one-on-one with a PhD mentor for 10 weeks, 5 to 8 hours a week, in any field.
What is included:
- A 1:1 PhD mentor matched to the student's field, from 1,000+ PhD mentors.
- An editing team on every draft and a publishing team that takes the paper to IEEE, Springer or Elsevier journals and conferences.
- Free help until the paper is published.
- ISEF and JSHS preparation, which carries straight into a county fair and either JSHS region, and a mentor letter of recommendation.
87% of Fellows publish and 73% place at science competitions. No research experience is needed, and decisions come within 48 hours. See published work for papers Fellows have completed.
Comparing Maryland options
| Program | Cost | Location | Who can apply | Publication focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIH SIP | Paid | NIH campuses, including Bethesda | Seniors, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Lab experience |
| NIST SHIP | Unpaid | Gaithersburg | Juniors and seniors within 50 miles, U.S. citizens | Lab experience |
| APL ASPIRE | Unpaid | Laurel | See APL eligibility page | Project experience |
| Navy SEAP | Paid | Navy labs | U.S. citizens | Lab experience |
| YRI Fellowship | $2,997 | Online, anywhere | Any student | 87% publish |
What colleges look for
Admissions readers at Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland and out-of-state universities value original research, publications, science fair and JSHS results, and depth in one area. A published paper is verifiable evidence of ability that stands out against a strong GPA alone, and it is finished before applications are due, unlike a post-senior-year internship. YRI Fellows have been admitted to Brown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Caltech and Harvard. Research for college applications explains how readers use it, and our guide to research for Johns Hopkins admissions goes deeper on one Maryland school.
A timeline for Maryland students
- Freshman and sophomore year: Enter your county fair. Start a mentored project and finish a first paper.
- Fall of junior year: Apply to Maryland JSHS by its November deadline. Apply to NIST SHIP and ASPIRE when they open.
- Junior year spring: Take a stronger project to your county fair and JSHS.
- Senior year: Present, publish and list every result on your applications. Apply to NIH SIP and NASA for the summer after graduation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best research programs for high school students in Maryland? NIH SIP for seniors, NIST SHIP for juniors and seniors near Gaithersburg, Johns Hopkins APL's ASPIRE and Navy SEAP are the main lab routes. For any student in the state, online mentorship such as the YRI Fellowship leads to a first-author paper.
Can a Maryland junior do research at NIH? No. NIH SIP is open only to high school seniors. Juniors can look at NIST SHIP, ASPIRE, SEAP or online mentorship.
When is the Maryland JSHS deadline? Student applications for the March 6, 2027 Maryland Regional JSHS are due November 9, 2026. Montgomery and Prince George's schools inside the Beltway enter the Greater Washington, D.C. region instead.
Do I need to live near Bethesda to do research? No. Online mentorship works from anywhere in Maryland, and results count the same at county fairs, JSHS and in college applications.
Can a Maryland high school student publish a research paper? Yes, with a mentor and a focused question. See student stories for examples.
How the YRI Fellowship helps Maryland students
If the goal is a first-author paper, a stronger county fair or JSHS project and a standout college application, the YRI Fellowship is built for exactly that. One-on-one PhD mentorship for 10 weeks, an editing team on every draft, a publishing team for IEEE, Springer and Elsevier venues, ISEF and JSHS preparation and free help until the paper is published.
Tuition is $2,997, or 3 payments of $999, with scholarships considered case by case. See pricing and apply to the YRI Fellowship.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute: Summer Internship Program at NCI (high school eligibility, length, locations)
- YRI blog: NIH Summer Internship guide (2027 rules and dates)
- NIST: Summer High School Intern Program (eligibility, 2027 dates, unpaid status)
- NASA: internship programs (OSTEM eligibility, sessions, 2027 deadlines)
- Office of Naval Research: Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (stipend, labs, Summer 2027 window)
- NSWC Carderock: SEAP Program
- Johns Hopkins APL: ASPIRE
- Johns Hopkins Biophysics: Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens
- Washington Academy of Sciences: STEM fair events (ISEF-affiliated Maryland fairs)
- Frederick County Science and Engineering Fair (2027 date, eligibility, ISEF affiliation)
- Fairfax County Public Schools: science fair page (Regeneron ISEF 2027 dates)
- JSHS: Maryland Regional (2027 date, November 9, 2026 deadline, eligibility)
- JSHS: Greater Washington, D.C. Regional (eligible areas, 2027 date and deadline)
- UGA Georgia Center: Georgia JSHS page (2027 National JSHS dates and location)
- YRI Fellowship: program details
- YRI Fellowship: pricing
