Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP)

# Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP) The Secondary School Field Research Program brings high school students, undergraduates, and science teachers to Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory campus in Palisades, New York each summer for six weeks of field and laboratory research. Founded in 2006, the program centers on Piermont Marsh on the Hudson River, where student teams investigate the ecology and physical processes of a living wetland. ## What You'll Do - Join a research team of high school students, undergraduate mentors, a teacher contact, and a Lamont researcher - Conduct fieldwork at Piermont Marsh - studies span sediment accumulation, groundwater chemistry, nutrient cycling, bacteria levels, fish populations and feeding patterns, and invasive plant distributions - Analyze samples and data in Lamont-Doherty laboratories - Present your team's findings at the program's culminating sessions ## Who Should Apply Students passionate about field science who are currently enrolled in high school and at least 16 years old at the start of the internship; the program draws heavily from New York City schools. Participation is free and students receive stipends. The 2026 application deadline was March 2, 2026; the next cycle typically reopens in winter. ## Outcomes About 40-50 percent of SSFRP alumni attempt science or engineering majors, and nearly every graduate has gone on to college. Students leave with real field-research experience at a world-renowned earth science institution, a tiered mentoring network from Columbia researchers to undergraduate near-peers, and a presented research project.