# Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program

Year-long research program in which Chicago-area high school teams of 4-8 students and their teacher run a real experiment at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source and other user facilities - Argonne covers transportation, food, and materials.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Organization | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Category | stem |
| Cost | Free |
| Deadline | Rolling / check official site |
| Eligibility | Grades 10–12 |
| Format | In person |
| Location | Lemont, IL |
| Apply | https://www.anl.gov/education/exemplary-student-research-program |

## About this program

# Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program

The Exemplary Student Research Program (ESRP) lets high school teams conduct a genuine, school-year-long research project at Argonne National Laboratory's world-class user facilities - including the Advanced Photon Source (APS), the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM), and the ATLAS accelerator. Teams of 4-8 students, led by a science teacher and paired with Argonne scientist mentors, take a research question from proposal to data collection on a working beamline to a final public presentation.

## What You'll Do

- Form a school team with a teacher who applies in spring; teachers attend an August workshop and teams submit a research proposal by late October
- Develop your experiment with mentorship from Argonne scientists during the school year
- Visit Argonne to collect data at facilities like the APS synchrotron, then analyze results back at school
- Return to Argonne to present your team's completed research

## Who Should Apply

Students at Chicagoland-area high schools whose science teacher is willing to lead a team - ask a teacher in any STEM discipline to apply. Students must be 16 or older by January of the school year to do hands-on work at the lab (younger students may observe). Argonne covers transportation, food, and all research materials, so the program costs schools and students nothing.

## Outcomes

ESRP students are among very few high schoolers anywhere who run experiments at a national-laboratory synchrotron. Teams finish with a completed research project, experience with professional instrumentation, and working relationships with national lab scientists.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program cost?

Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program is completely free — there is no participation fee. Costs like travel or optional materials may still apply; check the official site for details.

### Who is eligible for Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program?

Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program is open to high school students in grades 10–12. Some programs have additional requirements (GPA, coursework, essays, or recommendations) — the full criteria are on the official site.

### Is Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program online or in person?

Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program is an in-person program based in Lemont, IL.

### How do I apply to Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program?

Apply directly through Argonne National Laboratory's official website. ExtracurricularHub links to the official application — we list and verify programs but don't process applications.

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Last updated: 2026-07-28.
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