About

The Community High School Engagement & Learning (CHiSEL) Program at the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is a five-week, mentored research experience that pairs rising high school juniors and seniors with cancer researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University’s medical research campus. For the 2026 cycle, the program runs from June 22 to July 24, 2026. CHiSEL immerses students in laboratory environments where they gain hands-on skills in experimental techniques while learning about the cancer burden and disparities within Virginia communities.

To be eligible, students must be rising high school juniors or seniors. As the program is held on-site at the VCU Medical Center in downtown Richmond and does not provide residential housing, participants must be able to provide their own transportation to and from campus daily. The application, which requires an updated resume and one letter of recommendation, opens November 15, 2025. Participants must commit to a minimum of 25 hours per week (125 hours total) in the laboratory and have no conflicting external commitments, such as vacations or other classes. The program culminates in a mandatory poster presentation of research findings at Massey’s Summer Research Symposium.

Instruction is delivered by Massey investigators and research staff, offering students a direct window into biomedical science and community-oriented cancer research. Students develop working relationships with cancer researchers and gain laboratory skills applicable to higher education goals. Faculty and staff guide students through seminars and networking events with current Massey trainees, situating the high school experience within a professional medical research ecosystem.

CHiSEL is institutionally grounded in Massey’s status as an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. By embedding students in active labs, the program supports Massey’s mission to cultivate a diverse and capable pipeline of future cancer researchers and healthcare professionals. Participants finish the five-week term with concrete laboratory experience and improved scientific literacy. Although CHiSEL lacks the name recognition of the more prominent national STEM summer research programs, for students interested in public health and biomedical fields the program offers a top-tier experience.