Discover a program that fits your needs

Local and global opportunities

We specialize in customized day-long classroom visits

For individuals interested in the opportunity to gain a long-term and hands-on research experience, which is outside the scope of our outreach program, we recommend considering the following impactful outreach opportunities for teachers, students, and scientists alike at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

We hope you discover a program that interests you!

Local Science Outreach Programs and Groups
at UNC and in the Research Triangle Park

NC DNA Day

North Carolina DNA Day is an annual event where scientists from NC’s leading research universities and institutions visit over 100 high schools statewide to present interactive, hands-on lessons about genetics, genomics, and biotechnology.

Summer WinSPIRE program

Women in Science Promoting Inclusion in Research Experiences is a paid six-week-long immersive summer mentorship program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that provides cohorts of woman-identifying and nonbinary high school students with hands-on experience in a research laboratory.

Women in Science

Science in the Stacks

STEM in the Park

Chancellor’s Science Scholars at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

The application is for students applying to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Acceptance into the program includes merit-based scholarships, opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research, and other programming designed to pave the way for academic success and future achievement throughout their undergraduate career.

Directly Contact a Local Research Investigator
at UNC

First, use this resource to find a UNC research faculty you would like to work under. The UNC Research faculty database within the Biological & Biomedical Sciences Program can be sorted by research interest (such as cancer biology, virology, or structural biology) or scientific field (biophysics, neuroscience, or nutrition).

Then, below is an email template to start the conversation about joining the laboratory environment for long-term mentorship experience. Customize and edit as you need!

Email subject line:

High school student interested in a research experience in your lab

Email body template:

Hello Dr. [Insert Last Name of the Principal Investigator],

My name is [insert your name]. I am a [choose your year: freshman/sophomore/junior/senior] at [insert the name of your high school]. I have taken [insert 1-2 science courses you have taken that are relevant to that lab’s focus]. After looking at your lab website, I was excited by your research in [insert research field, mention specifics from their lab website that interest you in 1-2 sentences].

I am interested in working in your laboratory for [insert how many hours, we recommend 4 during the school year or 20-40 during the summer, depending on your preferences] hours per week for this [choose either: semester/summer]. I would be happy to assist the lab with some lab chores and to work under a mentor on a small research project. Overall, I would like to develop my scientific skills, help your laboratory, and gain hands-on research experience.

I am attaching my resume in this email. Thank you for your consideration.

Looking forward to your response,

[Insert your first and last name]

Global Science Outreach Programs