For up-to-date information, please visit each program's individual web page.
Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH)
Harvard Griffin GSAS administers the Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH) program, but you may be interested in other programs at Harvard's many schools and affiliated hospitals.
Other Summer Programs
Programs in the Life Sciences
Broad Summer Research Program
The Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP) is a nine-week summer research opportunity designed for undergraduates with a commitment to biomedical research and an interest in genomics. Students spend the summer performing original computational or experimental-based research in labs across the Broad Institute's research areas. BSRP features a rich curriculum outside the lab that emphasizes science communication, collaborative problem-solving, graduate school preparation, and demystifying scientific careers. At the end of the summer, students deliver oral and poster presentations on their research. Additionally, participants will receive a stipend, summer housing, and travel support. Eligibility is limited to US citizens, permanent residents, or non-US citizens with employment authorization.
Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC)
The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) introduces Massachusetts high school and undergraduate students to cancer research. Each year, CURE selects several students to participate in full-time summer internships lasting 7 to 11 weeks. Interns are assigned individual mentors who oversee their research and offer guidance. In addition to working on a research project, participants benefit from various program activities, such as a comprehensive orientation, scientific research and professional development seminars, journal club discussions, networking, and social events. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a biomedical or health-related research career. Students receive a weekly stipend.
DaRin Butz Foundation Research Internship Program
The DaRin Butz Foundation Research Internship Program at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University provides undergraduates in the life sciences with a unique opportunity to experience research from start to finish, while gaining training and building connections among scientific colleagues. DaRin Butz interns will not only conduct research but also collaborate with their advisors to develop their projects, receiving guidance in sharing their findings through written reports and oral presentations—an essential component of scientific research. The program offers a stipend for the 10-week period, and interns will be reimbursed for the cost of one round-trip between the internship site (in the Boston metro area) and their home base.
Digestive Disease Summer Research Program
Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (MGfC), with support from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, has established the MGfC Digestive Disease Summer Research Program. This program provides short-term support for 10 students at the undergraduate or medical school level. Each student is matched with a research mentor to perform an independent research project focused on digestive diseases over a 10-week period during the summer months within a laboratory or collaborating laboratory of the MGfC. The MGfC Digestive Disease Summer Research Program provides an excellent opportunity for science, math, engineering, and medical students interested in acquiring experience and contributing their skills towards biomedical research.
Du Bois Scholars Program
The Du Bois Scholars Program is a fully-funded, nine-week summer research internship at Harvard College for scholars from select R2 and research-focused Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Prospective Du Bois Scholars will apply to the program by selecting the project and faculty mentor they desire to work with during the summer. Scholars will receive dedicated hands-on mentorship and gain access to a rigorous research and learning environment that fosters intellectual growth and personal development. The program will conclude with a final presentation of their research to fellow scholars, faculty mentors, and teams. Accommodations include on-campus housing, a stipend, a meal plan, and travel costs.
Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program
Harvard-Amgen Scholars will conduct biotechnology-focused research with Harvard scientists over the course of this 10-week summer program. Scholars will have the opportunity to interact with faculty and other members of the academic community at Harvard through scholarly and pre-professional development activities that include workshops on scientific communication, careers in STEM, and preparation for graduate/medical school application processes and student life. Scholars have opportunities to explore the Boston area through a variety of social activities and outings, and attend the Amgen Scholars North America Symposium. Applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduates from colleges and universities within the US and its territories intending to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD in fields related to biotechnology and biomedical research who meet the program’s eligibility criteria. Prior research experience is not required. Housing and meals on Harvard’s Cambridge campus, travel allowance, and a stipend are provided.
Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology
The Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology is an 11-week research program that allows students to participate in ongoing research at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA. Projects focus on the effects of natural and human disturbances on forest ecosystems including global warming, hurricanes, forest harvesting, and invasive organisms. Researchers come from many disciplines, and specific studies center on population and community ecology, paleoecology, land-use history, phenology, biogeochemistry, soil science, ecophysiology, and atmosphere-biosphere exchanges. Students work with mentors from Harvard and collaborating institutions. Responsibilities may include field sampling, laboratory studies, data analysis and scientific writing. Students attend seminars given by nationally known scientists and workshops on career and graduate school preparation. At the end of the summer, students present their research results by writing an abstract and presenting their findings at a student research symposium. The program provides room, board, travel expenses, and a competitive stipend.
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Internship Program (HIP)
The HSCI summer internship program (HIP) for undergraduates is a 9-week experience dedicated to hands-on research in the laboratory of an HSCI faculty member. The program is an open door; an invitation to learn and do as much as you can to develop your own interests within the overarching topic of stem cell science. Our interns arrive from a wide variety of colleges and universities worldwide. Some have extensive prior academic and research experience with stem cell science while others have little or even none at all. This diversity is part of what makes our program rich and unique.
Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) at Harvard Medical School
SHURP is a 10-week summer research program for undergraduates who are considering a PhD in the life sciences. In addition to laboratory-based research with Harvard Medical School faculty, the program includes sessions on career and professional development, science communication, grad school admissions, a peer mentoring program, and social outings. Students will also attend and present at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium. Stipend, housing, and travel are provided. Strong applicants will have at least one summer or semester of experience in a research laboratory, and have taken at least one upper-level biology course. Students apply through the Leadership Alliance SR-EIP. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required.
Summer Institute in Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School
The Summer Institute in Biomedical Informatics (SIBMI) is a nine-week (June-August) full-time extensive research opportunity with a curriculum including didactic lectures and clinical case studies. Students are carefully matched with faculty mentors from the Harvard Medical School Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) for a research project and presentation of findings. The program is for undergraduates with majors such as computer science, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, mathematics, and other quantitative interests and skills who aspire to contribute to translational advances in biomedicine with a future PhD or research-oriented MD or MD/PhD. The majority of SIBMI students go on to pursue their PhD, MD, or MD/PhD. A stipend, housing, and a travel allowance are provided. If you are an undergraduate with a strong quantitative background and interested in innovation and methodological rigor in your approach to scientific inquiry in biomedicine or in the translation of computational methods to engineering/software applications in medicine, this is the summer program for you! US citizenship or permanent residency is required.
Summer Program in Biological Sciences in Public Health
The BPH Summer Internship Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers rising juniors and seniors the opportunity to conduct laboratory research on global public health issues. This eight-week program provides a stipend, housing at Emmanuel College, and travel to/from Boston. Interns work on independent research projects under Harvard faculty mentorship, culminating in a research presentation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, 18 or older, with a GPA of 3.0+ and a strong interest in public health research.
Summer Undergraduate Program in Immunology at Harvard Medical School
Our 10 week summer internship program incorporates laboratory research, faculty lectures, and workshops led by current graduate students. Weekly lectures by program faculty will expose students to the areas of current research in immunology, emphasizing the contribution of the immune system to both the cause and treatment of many human diseases. Current Immunology PhD students will give lectures providing a basic immunology overview, explain common immunological laboratory techniques, and answer questions about the PhD process – from applying to graduate school to life as a student. Students will be chosen based on undergraduate background, interest in studying life sciences at the graduate level, and letters of reference. Preference will be given to students in their sophomore or junior year. Students from colleges where immunology is not taught or where undergraduate research opportunities are not abundant, and from first-gen or low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants must be eligible for employment in the US, with at least one year of undergraduate study remaining.
Programs in Medicine (MD and MD-PhD)
Four Directions Summer Research Program
The Four Directions Summer Research Program (FDSRP) is an eight-week summer research opportunity for undergraduate and first-year medical students committed to the health of Native American communities. Interns engage in basic science or translational research projects under the supervision of faculty advisors from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In addition, students receive career development training, meet faculty from across the hospital and medical school, and participate in various social networking events. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. A stipend, housing, and travel expenses are provided. For more information, please contact skbutler@bwh.harvard.edu.
Harvard/MIT Early Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program
HEART is a track in the Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) for undergraduate students interested in pursuing MD-PhD training. In addition to the benefits of being a SHURP student, HEART students also shadow clinicians at Harvard teaching hospitals, gain hands-on experience in clinical simulations and skills workshops, and have a career and professional development series tailored toward the MD/PhD. HEART applicants must submit the Leadership Alliance SR-EIP application and the HEART supplementary application available on the HEART website before February 1. US citizenship or permanent residency is required.
Harvard Orthopaedic Trauma Summer Research Internship for Undergraduates and Medical Students
The Harvard Orthopaedic Trauma Service is a busy, multi-campus orthopaedic trauma service with sites at four Harvard-affiliated Level I Trauma Centers: Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Boston Children's Hospital. We are actively recruiting undergraduates and medical students to work with our clinical research team. The primary goal of the internship is to provide participants with a foundational understanding of clinical research, gained primarily through hands-on experience. A secondary goal is to offer opportunities to shadow in clinical settings, allowing interns to observe hospital life firsthand. We ask for a commitment of at least ten weeks, with a minimum of thirty hours of work per week. This internship is very much what you make of it, and interns are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities provided. Please note: this is an unpaid internship, and no stipend for accommodations is available.
Harvard Summer Research Program in Kidney Medicine
The Harvard Summer Research Program in Kidney Medicine (HSRPKM) offers a robust and varied introduction to the world of kidney medicine (nephrology) for undergraduate college students considering a career in science or medicine and particularly suited for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD or MD/PhD. The program is an intensive research experience and students are encouraged to become immersed in their project by reading about the focus of the laboratory and participating in meetings and events hosted by the laboratory. Students will be assigned to a laboratory that does research in kidney medicine in one of four research institutions connected to Harvard Medical School: Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston’s Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
MGH Lurie Center for Autism Summer Undergraduate Research Internship
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the Lurie Center provides an opportunity for hands-on training in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related conditions along with experience in clinical, preclinical, and translational research. As part of the program, interns will be paired with a Lurie Center faculty mentor to conduct a semi-independent research project. Interns will meet weekly with their faculty mentor and interact regularly with other research staff. Additionally, the program includes weekly seminars on ASD and the fundamentals of research, as well as the opportunity to observe clinical care in specialties such as neurology, psychology, and psychiatry.
Newborn Medicine Summer Student Research Program
The Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) is administered by the Division of Newborn Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. The SSRP provides undergraduate students with intensive laboratory and clinical research experience under the guidance of faculty and fellow mentors. Undergraduate students with a GPA of at least 3.5 are encouraged to apply. Each student should plan to dedicate eight consecutive weeks, between June 1 and August 31, with a 35-hour commitment per week. A stipend is provided but housing and travel are not provided. Scheduling conflicts may be worked out with mentors on an individual basis.
Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
The goal of the eight-week Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) is to provide students with an overview of opportunities available in biomedical research and clinical medicine. Students are assigned to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) laboratories or clinical sites where they undertake original research projects and prepare presentations of their work under the mentorship of an MGH investigator. In addition to this research experience, students will attend weekly seminars, career development workshops and networking events. The program is open to students who have completed at least three years of college or who are first-year medical students; no prior research experience is necessary. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. Housing, meals, and a stipend are provided. For more information please contact: SRTP@mgh.harvard.edu.
Summer Training in Academic Research and Scholarship (STARS) Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital
The STARS Program provides undergraduate and first-year medical students with a strong interest in pursuing advanced careers as research scientists, physicians and/or health care professionals with an opportunity to engage in basic, clinical and translational research projects during an eight-week summer program at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS). Interns participate in a research project under the supervision of an HMS faculty mentor. Additional activities include "Research 101" education and training sessions, social networking opportunities, weekly roundtables with BWH Faculty and the Office for Multicultural Faculty Careers, and community health center/clinic shadowing. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. Housing, travel, and a stipend are provided. For more information please contact: skbutler@bwh.harvard.edu.
Women's Sports Medicine Summer Internship Program
The Women's Sports Medicine Summer Internship Program is a one-month program designed for premedical and medical students to increase exposure and gain experience in the field of women's sports medicine. It will include shadowing opportunities in orthopaedic surgery, clinic, and physical therapy, and the completion of a summer research project. Medical and premedical students are eligible to apply.
Programs in Public Health
Summer Program in Biological Sciences in Public Health
The BPH Summer Internship Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers rising juniors and seniors the opportunity to conduct laboratory research on global public health issues. This highly competitive, eight-week program provides a $4,000 stipend, housing at Emmanuel College, and travel to/from Boston. Interns work on independent research projects under Harvard faculty mentorship, culminating in a research presentation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, 18 or older, with a GPA of 3.0+ and a strong interest in public health research.
Summer Program in Biostatistics & Computational Biology at the Harvard School of Public Health
The Summer Program in Biostatistics & Computational Biology is an intensive six-week introduction to biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health research. Based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this program is designed to introduce qualified undergraduates and post-baccalaureates to the use of quantitative methods for biological, environmental and medical research, and to demonstrate the application of quantitative methods to the study of human health. US citizenship or permanent residency is required.
Programs in the Physical Sciences
Center for Astrophysics (CFA) Solar Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
Scientists from the Solar and Stellar X-Ray Group (SSXG) and the Solar, Stellar, and Planetary Group (SSP) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) host undergraduate students from around the US. For 10 weeks, these students will participate in cutting-edge astronomical research about the sun and the heliosphere and learn the skills necessary for a successful scientific career. Projects range from data analysis to computer modeling to instrument building. Special seminars will be held to increase students' public speaking and computer programming skills. Students will learn from experience about scientific research and how to apply their academic work to real-world problems. Some time will also be devoted to exploring Cambridge, MA and the surrounding area. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. A stipend, housing and travel expensses are provided.
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is a 10-week program that introduces undergraduates to bioengineering, materials science, nanoscience, environmental and earth science, and engineering, while providing a coordinated, educational, and dynamic research community that inspires them to seek a graduate degree. REU research opportunities are arranged in conjunction with the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), the Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS), the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, as well as other Harvard-based engineering and science entities. Professional development workshops, faculty seminars on research and ethics, and community activities are integrated into the program. Students receive a stipend and housing. Students must be US citizens and permanent residents who will not graduate before December of the program year.
Summer Institute in Biomedical Optics
The Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) Summer Institute is a nine-week program designed for outstanding undergraduate students. Participants gain real-world research experience and explore potential careers in biomedical engineering and science, with emphasis on the field of biomedical optics. The HST Summer Institute is part of Harvard's and MIT's efforts to help facilitate the involvement of talented students in engineering and science research from a variety of backgrounds, including first-generation college students and students from lower-income backgrounds. Students should be a junior or senior undergraduate during the summer program and must also be a United States citizen or have permanent residence status.
Programs in the Social Sciences and Humanities
Du Bois Scholars Program
The Du Bois Scholars Program is a fully funded, nine-week summer research internship at Harvard College for scholars from select R2 and research-focused Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Prospective Du Bois Scholars will apply to the program by selecting the project and faculty mentor they desire to work with during the summer. Scholars will receive dedicated hands-on mentorship and gain access to a rigorous research and learning environment that fosters intellectual growth and personal development. The program will conclude with a final presentation of their research to fellow scholars, faculty mentors and teams. Accommodations include on-campus housing, a stipend, a meal plan, and travel costs.
Program for Research in Markets & Organizations
The Program for Research in Markets & Organizations (PRIMO) provides an opportunity for Harvard and non-Harvard undergraduates (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled full-time at a US institution) to work closely with Harvard Business School faculty, gaining exposure to business research on a variety of cutting-edge ideas. The primary goal of the program is to build and foster a strong community of scholars committed to excellence in research as part of the Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village. Students must commit to the 10-week program and are provided with Harvard campus housing, meals, and a research stipend.
Classics Scholars-In-Training Summer Program
The Department of the Classics offers scholarships to enable college and high school students to take courses in Ancient Greek, Latin, or Ancient Greek history and culture in person at the Harvard Summer School. In addition to course fees and room and board, the scholarship will provide a stipend to help compensate the successful candidate for loss of summer income during the seven weeks of the intensive course. Both high school and college participants will also participate in activities to help them develop valuable research skills.