Jim Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education (RISE)

Jim Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education (RISE)

What: The Jim Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education (RISE)—the third-year component to the Holland SEP and SSRP—is a two-week residential research camp designed to provide STEM career and college training for rising high school seniors (students currently in grade 11). RISE scholars attend research-intensive lectures and participate in hands-on activities delivered by university faculty members. You will receive insight into the scientific process, research ethics and goals, leading research questions, and standard methodologies in the faculty members' respective fields.

You will also attend workshops on college planning—covering academic preparation for credit-bearing coursework in STEM, college admission procedures, financial advising, access to existing scholarship programs, and more. Learn how to network within the STEM fields.

RISE scholars will be awarded a $600 stipend upon successful completion of the program.

Who: High school students from varied backgrounds in the 11th grade (entering 12th grade in the fall) who have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 (non-weighted), are taking/have taken science and math courses, and are interested in a science career. We aim to show that repeated exposure increases STEM retention. To support this goal and gather data on long-term impact, we prioritize applicants who have previously participated in our programs.

When: Sunday, June 21 - Friday, July 3, 2026

Where: Indiana University at Bloomington. Participants will be housed in a dormitory on the beautiful Bloomington campus.

Application deadline: Friday, April 10, 2026.

How to apply: A complete application includes student application, parent/guardian acknowledgment, verified courses/grades from counselor, recommendation from science teacher, and recommendation from math teacher.

Apply to the Jim Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education Program

Save and resume your application: Once you begin an application, your progress is saved automatically. You may log out at any time and return later to finish the same application. Access the application from the same device and the same web browser you originally used. Using a different device or browser may prevent you from returning to your saved application.

Cost: All ACCEPTED applicants will be charged a $125, NON-REFUNDABLE registration fee.

Notification: Applicants will be notified of acceptance during the week of April 20-24, 2026; Alternates will be notified by May 11, 2026.

Registration: You must have received notification of acceptance into the Jim Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education Program (RISE) in order to register. Registration fees are due by Friday, May 29, 2026.

Open your eyes to the possibilities

A Holland RISE participant had this to say about her experience in the IU Jim Holland summer science program.

It helped me in more ways than one. Being in the program made me ask a lot of questions that I had. I am a first-generation scholar—and, in my culture, no one really went to college or pursued a career in STEM. For me, it was incredibly hard to find any resource to find information on STEM careers as well as in college in general. The program opened my eyes to the possibilities through STEM research as well as to what other sciences existed. Doing the multiple rounds in different labs enabled me to discover what interested me. It helped me understand better how Sciences worked. Honestly, before this program I didn’t even know you could do research as an undergrad. I didn’t even know what research was and that YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET PUBLISHED before GRAD or MD school. This experience definitely changed my life and my course. If I had never been given this opportunity, I wouldn’t have known about all the opportunities. As a first-gen and one of the only people from my community pursuing STEM, this program sparked an excitement from within.