RISE Internship / Practicum

The 2024 session of RISE was a great success. Please check back on December 15 for details about next summer’s program and to submit an application. Sign up for an email reminder.

A 6-week program

If you’re passionate about the sciences and are a domestic student currently in your junior year of high school, we invite you to apply for the Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) program. You will spend six weeks at BU conducting university laboratory research with some of the nation’s brightest scientific minds while advancing your STEM knowledge and skills.

RISE offers two tracks: Internship and Practicum.

2025 RISE calendar

Note: The dates listed above are pending approval and subject to change.

View the Full Calendar

Internship

You will tackle research projects under the mentorship of distinguished faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

Opt for the Internship track and you will spend 40 hours each week working on research projects designed by your mentor to help you acquire valuable technical and analytical skills while developing insight into the scientific process. You may choose from hands-on research opportunities in areas such as: astronomy, biology, biomedical engineering, chemistry, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, medical laboratory research, neuroscience, physics, psychology, and public health. You will present the results of your research at the Poster Symposium that concludes the program.

In addition, one day per week you will join the Practicum students for workshops aimed at building your academic and professional skills.

Practicum

You will conduct group research in a university setting under the guidance of a BU instructor. Ideal for students who prefer a structured research environment, the Practicum track is focused on computational neurobiology.

Opt for the Practicum track and you will begin your days with a two-hour lecture from your instructor before continuing in the afternoon with four hours of group research. The experiments are designed to demonstrate procedures that are representative of university laboratory research in computational neurobiology. Although this course has a set syllabus with clearly outlined protocols, the final outcome of your computational research project cannot be predicted in advance. You will present the results of your research project alongside RISE Internship students at the Poster Symposium that concludes the program.

In addition, one day per week you will join the Internship students for workshops aimed at building your academic and professional skills. You will also attend weekly off-site or on-site interactions with local biotech or pharmaceutical companies.

Please note that Practicum students will be asked to bring a laptop with the capability to run programming software.  For more information, please view the What to Bring page.

The RISE legacy

For more than 40 years, BU has provided high school students like you with enriching research opportunities. The RISE program has helped kick-start the career of many a scientist, researcher, and professor. Apply to RISE today and you could be among this prestigious group of alumni in the future.

The big picture

Whether you live on campus or commute from home, you’re going to enjoy this—stimulating intellectual interactions and plenty of fun times with your fellow students. All RISE students will come away with a better understanding of the scientific process, research ethics, how to read a research paper, how to present independent research, and how to network in the science and engineering fields.