DIVE Program

Discovery through Investigation, Verification, and Experimentation

A free four-week virtual summer program designed to help high school students explore how scientists think through guided discussion, research literacy, AI, and project-based exploration.

By the end of the program, students will develop and share a short final project based on a scientific research question they are curious about, with feedback from mentors and peers.

Built by Researchers in Training

DIVE is developed and led by MD/PhD students actively with interests spanning neuroscience, computational biology, biophysics, and biomedical sciences more broadly. You can learn more about our team and research interests on the About page.

Students are welcome to explore a wide range of scientific topics, not just the areas our team studies directly.

Eligibility - Open to High School Students

Duration - July 10th - August 7th, 2026

Application Deadline - June 21st, 2026 @ 11:59 EDT

Application decisions have been released.

Thank you to everyone that applied.

Program Structure

Week 1 - Discover

Start exploring the kinds of questions that drive real scientific discovery. Students will learn how to read scientific papers, identify meaningful research questions, and explore areas of science that genuinely interest them from neuroscience and medicine to AI, engineering, and beyond.

Week 2 - Investigate

Learn how scientists turn ideas into evidence. Students will explore experimental design, datasets, visualization tools, and how researchers interpret results, evaluate claims, and approach complex scientific problems.

Week 3 - Verify

Explore how scientists think critically about evidence in an age of information and AI. Students will discuss scientific skepticism, reproducibility, responsible AI use, and how researchers distinguish strong conclusions from weak or misleading claims.

Week 4 - Experiment

Develop and refine an original scientific idea with support from mentors and peers. Students may create a research proposal, experimental concept, computational project, or literature synthesis before presenting their work during the final symposium.

Final Symposium

The program concludes with the DIVE Symposium, where students present their ideas in a collaborative scientific setting focused on curiosity, creativity, and communication. Selected projects may receive recognition.

FAQs

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at apply@open-discovery.com.

  • Yes. DIVE is completely free for all students.

  • Current high school students are eligible to apply, including rising 9th graders. If you are entering college in Fall 2026, you are also welcome to apply to the DIVE program or you can explore opportunities to join the Open Discovery team as a mentor. Visit our Get Involved page to learn more.

  • No prior research experience is required. DIVE is designed to accommodate students at any stage — from those with no research background to those who have already begun exploring scientific questions.

  • Students should expect approximately 3-4 hours per week, including asynchronous lectures and live discussions. Additional time for independent project development is entirely up to the student. We encourage you to follow your curiosity.

  • Students will submit a short application describing their interests, curiosity, and reasons for applying. Applications are reviewed holistically with an emphasis on curiosity, thoughtfulness, and genuine interest in scientific exploration.

  • DIVE is a virtual program focused on scientific reasoning, research literacy, experimental design, and idea development. While in-person lab experiments are not possible through the program, we can accommodate computational approaches and data-driven projects. Students with ideas that require lab access are encouraged to share them and we are happy to help think through how those ideas could be developed further.

  • DIVE mentors are MD/PhD students actively involved in scientific research and medicine. You can learn more about the team and research interests on the About page.

    As the program grows, we aim to expand our mentor community to include undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and medical trainees across a range of scientific fields.

  • DIVE is designed as a small cohort experience focused on thoughtful discussion and mentorship. We aim to accept students who will contribute meaningfully to the cohort experience, and are primarily looking for curiosity, engagement, and genuine interest in scientific exploration.

  • Selected students will receive Symposium Distinctions recognizing curiosity, scientific communication, interdisciplinary thinking, and thoughtful exploration.

Disclaimer
Open Discovery is an independent student-led initiative. The DIVE Program is not officially affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any school, school district, university, or educational institution.