About

The Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP) is a nonprofit research and development institution in Fremont, California, that provides high school students (grades 9–12) the opportunity to conduct original, peer-reviewed scientific research. Operating year-round in the heart of Silicon Valley, ASDRP allows students to join a Chemistry, Biology, or Computer Science department to work on high-impact projects such as drug discovery for cancer or Alzheimer’s, materials science, and AI development. Unlike short-term immersions, ASDRP encourages multi-term participation, enabling students to move from "Research 101" fundamentals to publishing in the ASDRP Communications journal or external publications.

For 2026, the program fee is $1,070 per term, which covers access to over $10 million in equipment, including NMR spectrometers, confocal microscopes, and high-performance server clusters. Applications for the Summer 2026 term (June 1 – August 24) close on April 15, with rolling early admissions starting February 1. Students in the Bay Area work in person at the 15,000 sq. ft. Warm Springs campus, while remote options are available for domestic and international students. Need-based scholarships are available, allowing qualified students to participate at no cost.

Instruction is led by professional scientists, many of whom hold PhDs from institutions like Stanford and Indiana University. Students are integrated into genuine investigative workflows, conducting experiments that rival university-level complexity. In addition to bench work, students participate in weekly Colloquia and mandatory Research 101 seminars to build skills in technical writing and public speaking.

ASDRP is institutionally unique as a non-university R&D hub that prioritizes "legitimate science over simulated labs." The program culminates in a mandatory Research Symposium where students present their findings to peers and professionals. Participants leave with a professional research portfolio, hands-on mastery of industry-grade instrumentation, and the discipline required for high-level STEM careers.