| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires a financial-need application and supporting documents; amount and availability are not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Nonrefundable application fee: $60. A fee waiver can be requested.; Need-based scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires a financial-need application and supporting documents; amount and availability are not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 COSMOS application fee: $46. Nonrefundable; pending fee-waiver review could change when or whether payment was required.; Credit-card transaction fee on program payments: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Approximately 2.5% when paying program costs by credit card; application fee exempt.; 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; Full-financial-aid attendance deposit: $200. Required only for admitted students offered full aid and refunded to the legal guardian after successful completion.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Catalog terms: Summer 2027 NIH SIP stipend: Unconfirmed — check official site; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grade 12 when applying; check the provider's rules for graduating seniors | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Minimum age 17; Citizenship: U.S. citizen; Citizenship: U.S. permanent resident; Residency: A graduating senior who is 17 on June 1, 2027 and turns 18 by September 30 must have a permanent home address within 40 miles of an NIH campus; Residency: Permanent residents must attend or be accepted by a U.S. educational institution; Requirement: Be enrolled at least half-time as a high-school senior when applying; Requirement: Graduate high school before the internship begins; Requirement: Be 18 by September 30, 2027 and satisfy the special local-residence rule if still 17 on June 1; Requirement: Provide proof of health insurance; Requirement: Be available for a full-time research position during work hours; Exclusion: Students in grades 9-11 are not eligible through this SIP rule; Exclusion: The program is unavailable to applicants who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents; Exclusion: Summer classes or other daytime responsibilities are incompatible with the full-time position; Exclusion: Family employment at NIH may trigger nepotism restrictions; Exclusion: Application does not guarantee PI contact, interview, funding or placement | Requirement: Be a current high-school student or recent graduate before beginning college; Requirement: Earn As and Bs in high-school math and science; Requirement: Complete Algebra II; Requirement: Complete trigonometric functions and right-triangle problem solving; Requirement: Complete one full year of high-school chemistry and/or physics including lab, or meet the published AP substitution; Requirement: Attend daily live Eastern Time classes and complete about 28 hours of weekly coursework; Requirement: Meet English-proficiency documentation rules if a foreign national; Exclusion: The course is not an introductory low-commitment camp; Exclusion: Older students receive priority when space is limited; Exclusion: Students without required math/science preparation may not be ready or admitted; Exclusion: Lab-kit delivery deadlines and customs constraints can narrow international participation | Residency: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Be rising into grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the program fall year; Requirement: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Demonstrate academic excellence and preparation for the selected STEM cluster; Requirement: Complete cluster-specific course prerequisites; Requirement: Live on the host UC campus for the full program; Requirement: Be a first-time COSMOS participant; Exclusion: Students not attending a California high school in person; Exclusion: Students who previously attended any COSMOS program; Exclusion: Applicants outside the rising-grade 9-12 range; Exclusion: Applicants unable to live on campus for the full program; Exclusion: Late application, supporting, payment or admission materials; Exclusion: Assuming a 3.5 GPA is an absolute statewide minimum rather than the published typical profile |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 5 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Bethesda, NIH campuses; exact campus and research group vary by placement | Worldwide synchronous participation, subject to Eastern Time attendance and lab-kit shipping/customs feasibility | Davis, California, Irvine, California, Los Angeles, California, Merced, California, San Diego, California, Santa Cruz, California, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz |
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| Selection and application | Selection: There is no centralized selection. Individual NIH PIs search applications, interview candidates, choose interns and supply funding; satisfying minimum eligibility does not guarantee a match. Application materials: Personal statement describing research experience, interests, goals and SIP fit | Selection: Completed applications are academically reviewed. Rising juniors and seniors are typical, talented rising sophomores may be considered, and older students receive priority when space is limited. Programs can fill before final deadlines; no acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Required 175-225-word motivation essay; Optional 100-125-word context essay; One math/science/engineering/robotics/computer-science teacher recommendation in English | Selection: Each of six campuses accommodates roughly 160-200 students, and clusters typically enroll 20-25 with a commonly reported 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Admissions are competitive and based on academic merit relative to the selected topic, but applicant count and statewide acceptance rate were not published. Application materials: One personal statement; One required teacher recommendation, with two recommended |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-21Source 6 · checked 2026-08-21Source 7 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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