KEYS Research Internship
The BIO5 Institute’s annual KEYS program is one of Arizona’s premier training programs for high school students interested in developing STEM skills. Over the course of seven-weeks each summer, interns gain experience working on immersive, real-world projects under the mentorship of University of Arizona scientists.
Prior to engaging in research, KEYS interns are immersed in a one-week crash-course in a variety of bioscience and data science techniques, as well as the foundations of science literacy to ensure they have the base knowledge necessary to begin their assigned projects. KEYS interns are paired with leading UArizona researchers spearheading innovative projects that span multiple disciplines. Faculty, university students, and other lab personnel mentor the students to provide an invaluable opportunity to these budding scholars. At the close of the program, KEYS interns present what they’ve learned and experienced to friends, family, and the academic community at a research showcase.
Image
KEYS gave me career direction and showed me how much I enjoyed doing research! It also gave me skills like scientific writing and poster making/presenting earlier than my peers which gave me a lot of confidence and helped me in undergrad and grad school.
2017 KEYS Intern
"The most valuable part of my KEYS experience was learning how to communicate professionally and academically with other researchers. At first, I was nervous meeting new people who I would be learning from, but I became more comfortable meeting them and developing amazing relationships with the whole team."
2026 KEYS Intern
The KEYS program is led by the BIO5 Institute and funded by BIO5 and generous supporters including individuals, families, companies, foundations, and various University of Arizona faculty, colleges, and departments. The Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) that helped launch BIO5 25 years ago continues to be a catalyst in enabling effective cross-disciplinary bioscience research, innovation and impact at the University of Arizona, and also enables world-class student engagement programs like KEYS.
Questions? Contact KEYS staff at 520-626-8124 or email keys@bio5.org.