About

The Stanford Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) is an intensive summer program for high school students interested in neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology. Organized by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, CNI-X provides a structured introduction to brain science and mental health research, examining how scientific insights inform the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric conditions.

The 2026 program offers both in-person and virtual (CNV-X) tracks. In-person sessions take place on the Stanford campus from July 6–17 and July 20–31. Virtual sessions are scheduled earlier, from June 8–19 and June 22–July 3. The daily schedule consists of interactive seminars led by Stanford faculty on topics such as clinical neuropsychiatry, neuroimaging, and behavioral sciences. A central component is the collaborative capstone project, where small teams apply seminar concepts to a clinical challenge and present their findings on the final day of the session.

Admission is selective and restricted to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 16 years old by the program start date. The application window for 2026 is December 15, 2025, to March 1, 2026, with decisions released by early April. The 2026 program fee is $3,325 for in-person attendance and $1,725 for the virtual track, plus a $50 application fee. Financial assistance is available for eligible students who demonstrate need.

CNI-X is a non-credit, non-residential program; in-person attendees must secure their own supervised housing and transportation. The program serves as an immersive bridge for students exploring the biological and psychological dimensions of human health within a major academic medical center.