MERITS High School Internships

MERITS High School Internships is a paid summer research program from the Maine Space Grant Consortium for Maine high school juniors who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. The consortium is an affiliate of NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The name stands for Maine Research Internships for Teachers and Students, and the program places students at host institutions around the state. Interns spend six weeks of the summer working on hands-on research and technology development projects, getting a look at how STEM is applied in a real research workplace. In summer 2026, twelve rising seniors completed projects at different host sites across Maine, and the class was celebrated at the end of July. Examples of past interns' final reports are shared by the consortium, which gives a sense of the kind of work students produce by the end of the experience. The internship takes place in person at the assigned host institution in Maine. Students are paid a stipend for the six-week summer experience. The summer 2027 cycle is expected, with application details to be released by the consortium in the fall of 2026.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, residents of Maine, and enrolled as a junior at a Maine school. The application includes the MERITS application form and a teacher recommendation form. The consortium says application information for the summer 2027 program will be released in the fall.