Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) High School Summer Research Program

The Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) High School Summer Research Program is a paid, six-week cancer research experience at The University of Kansas Cancer Center for local high school students interested in biomedical careers. The 2027 program runs from Monday, June 14 to Friday, July 23. It takes place in person at KU Cancer Center. Each student works with a faculty mentor on an assigned research project, which may be based in a lab, a clinical setting, or an office. Students present their project at a poster forum at the end of the summer. Students who complete the program receive a $2,940 stipend.

To apply for 2027, students must be a junior or senior during the 2026-27 school year at a high school in Wyandotte County, Kansas, or Jackson County, Missouri. Applicants need at least a 3.0 GPA, an interest in biomedical science, guardian permission, legal eligibility to work in the US, and must be at least 16 when the program starts. The online application asks for eligibility confirmation, school and parent or guardian information, and a personal statement. The 2027 application deadline is March 1, 2027 at noon, and decisions are sent by the end of March 2027.