| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | $2,499–$16,999 (2027 cycle) |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Limited scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Primarily provided through mentoring organizations; individual scholarships are limited. (2027 cycle) |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Summer Discovery application fee: $100. Nonrefundable and not applied to tuition; scholarship applicants denied aid may receive it back subject to listed program exceptions.; Limited scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Primarily provided through mentoring organizations; individual scholarships are limited. (2027 cycle) |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 11–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Citizenship: United States citizen; Residency: Permanent residence within 50 miles of the NIST Gaithersburg or Boulder host campus; Requirement: Be a high-school junior or senior at application, or a recent high-school graduate who has not started college; Requirement: Have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale; Requirement: Demonstrate strong interest in scientific research; Requirement: Commit to the entire seven-week in-person program; Requirement: Provide own local housing and transportation; Requirement: Complete federal security, fingerprinting, badging, health, volunteer, and work-permit requirements if selected; Exclusion: Non-U.S. citizens are ineligible under the current rule; Exclusion: Students outside the 50-mile permanent-residence radius are ineligible; NIST states no exceptions; Exclusion: The internship is unpaid and does not guarantee a stipend, publication, award, recommendation, college credit, federal job, or college-admissions outcome | Residency: Domestic and international options are offered; destination and visa/entry requirements vary; Requirement: Be in grade 9-12 for the high-school offering; Requirement: Choose a campus and course matching the published grade and prerequisite rules; Requirement: Submit a complete application and $100 fee; Requirement: Meet program-specific health, conduct, housing and travel requirements; Requirement: Pay the updated 2027 deposit and balance after acceptance; Exclusion: Campus partnerships do not confer university student status or admission; Exclusion: Courses, grade ranges, dates, residential/commuter availability and academic prerequisites differ; Exclusion: The stale 2026 payment schedule is not a confirmed 2027 deadline; Exclusion: A certificate or recognition letter is not necessarily university credit or a transcript; Exclusion: Rolling review does not guarantee a preferred campus, course or roommate |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2–6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Gaithersburg, Maryland, Boulder, Colorado, NIST Gaithersburg and NIST Boulder campuses; permanent residence required within 50 miles | Los Angeles, New Haven, Hanover, Ann Arbor, Washington, Berkeley, Austin, Santa Barbara, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Oxford, Cambridge, Multiple university campuses; residential and commuter options vary by listing |
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| Selection and application | Selection: NIST describes SHIP as competitive, and laboratory mentors review complete applications and may interview candidates. The official pages do not publish the current applicant count, placement count, acceptance rate, lab quotas, or scoring rubric. Application materials: One-page personal statement covering research interest, preferred NIST laboratory, post-high-school plans, and housing/transportation plan; One STEM-teacher online recommendation and one teacher or professional recommendation; Possible phone or in-person mentor interview | Selection: Qualified students are admitted first come on a rolling basis until program, course and housing capacity fills. Highly specialized partner programs may have additional selection rules. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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