Summer Online Research Program

The Summer Online Research Program is open to high school students who:

• Are 15 to 18 years of age
• Have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4
• Are interested in research in the healthcare field

Please note that due to the high demand and interest in our program, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis to ensure a fair process. Our program typically closes to new applications by the end of January or the beginning of February. Qualified applicants who have submitted all of the necessary documents will be accepted on a first-come basis until we reach capacity. Priority will be given to those attending higher grades in high school.

Application Requirements:

• Submit Application
• A copy of your transcripts (they can be unofficial, please send them to highschoolresearch@hs.uci.edu)

A signed application confirmation will be sent to you via email after you submit your online application.

The tuition for each three-week session is $2,350. A $75 discount is available for those who get accepted and registered before February 14, 2026.

The Summer Online Research Program is committed to serving high school students regardless of their ability to pay. The 2025 summer program is offering scholarships to qualified applicants from low-income families who attend a high school in underserved areas of Southern California. Tax forms will be required prior to acceptance.

Scholarships offered are limited, and the following criteria are used to determine scholarship eligibility:

• Quality of the scholarship essay: It is important that the student demonstrates how their diversity and/or experiences related to financial hardships has motivated them to make contributions to the society as a healthcare provider or researcher.
• Come from a family with low income. We use a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level as the income criteria for program participation.

Applicants must also indicate whether they want to be considered for the summer program if a scholarship is not awarded.

To apply for a scholarship, please complete and return the following items:

• Submit Scholarship Application
• You must complete the regular application in addition to the scholarship application
• High school transcripts (either official or unofficial) - must have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4
• 2024 or 2025 tax information

Please send questions to highschoolresearch@hs.uci.edu.

The UC Irvine School of Medicine Summer Online Research Program provides mentoring opportunities for UC Irvine undergraduate, postgraduate and medical students who are interested in health and research careers. The program is designed to offer unique opportunities for college students to mentor high school students under the supervision of a School of Medicine faculty mentor on a research project. The coaches will work with Behnoosh Afghani, MD, to choose one of the topics related to their interests and to learn about evidence-based medicine and literature review. Coaches will receive a stipend.

Depending on the availability of conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings of the research will be submitted as an abstract to a national meeting. If the abstract is accepted, the coach will present the abstract at the national meeting.

Session One:

June 22–July 10, 2026

Session Two:

July 13–July 31, 2026

Requirements

We will only accept four to five coaches for each session. 

• Preference is given to undergraduate or postgraduate students at UCI in a biomedical-relevant major, including medical students.
• Coaches must have completed at least two years of college with a GPA of >3.3 and must have some research experience.

How to Apply

• Submit Coach/Mentor Application