CCNY College Now STEM Research Academy

The CCNY College Now STEM Research Academy is a free science research program at The City College of New York for New York City public high school sophomores and juniors. It pairs a spring research science course with a chance at a summer lab internship alongside a university faculty member. In the 2026 cycle, 25 students took a 45-hour in-person course on the City College campus from February 10 to May 23, 2026, meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The 2026 course was called DNA Detectives. Students could earn a high school science elective credit for the course if their own school approved it. Students who completed the course could then apply for the summer phase. In summer 2026, 10 of those students joined a five-week internship that ran July 6 to August 6, each matched with a CUNY or CCNY faculty member by research interest. Interns worked in a lab four to five days a week, completed a research project, and presented a poster at CCNY and at the American Museum of Natural History. Interns who finished every part of the internship could receive a $1,575 stipend.

Open to New York City public high school students in 10th or 11th grade during the spring semester. Applicants need a minimum overall GPA of 80, plus one of: 75 or higher on the ELA Regents, 75 or higher on the Living Environment or Earth Science Regents, or an 85 or higher average in English or U.S. History. Applicants must also have passed the Algebra, Algebra II, or Geometry Regents with a 66 or higher. Students taking more than two AP classes in the spring are not prioritized. Apply by completing the application and submitting it to the program's student dropbox.