Welch Summer Scholar Program (WSSP)

Welch Summer Scholar Program (WSSP) is a funded summer residency from the Robert A. Welch Foundation that provides Texas high school students with hands-on chemistry research experience at one of six participating universities. Selected students spend five weeks engaging in one-on-one mentoring and original research with faculty and graduate students.

Housing, meals, and laboratory expenses are fully covered by the Foundation. Participating universities include UT Austin, UT Arlington, UT Dallas, University of Houston, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. Eligible applicants must be sophomores or juniors attending a Texas high school.

The 2026 application deadline is April 3.

Welch Summer Scholar Program The 2026 Welch Summer Scholar Program application is now open. Visit the “How to Apply” tab for complete instructions. Complete applications must be submitted by 10:59 PM CDT on April 3, 2026.

No updates, including test scores will be accepted after the deadline. Decisions will be announced in late April. The 2026 program runs from May 31 through July 3.

Questions? Please refer first to our FAQ page. About the Welch Summer Scholar Program The Welch Summer Scholar Program (WSSP), sponsored by the Robert A.

Welch Foundation, began more than 40 years ago. To date, the WSSP has provided nearly 3000 Texas high school students with unique opportunities to participate in hands-on, cutting edge research projects using state-of-the-art equipment and modern technology. Costs for housing, on-campus meals, and laboratory expenses are all covered by a grant from the Welch Foundation.

The program is open only to students who are sophomores or juniors at the time of application and attend high school in Texas. Selected individuals will participate in a five-week summer residency program engaging in one-on-one mentoring and first-hand research training with faculty and graduate students at one of six Texas universities.

Participating institutions are The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Houston, Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University. The primary goal of WSSP is to expose participants to a rigorous scientific research experience while also giving them a glimpse into life on a college campus.

Through assignments, research projects, guest speaker series, tours of chemistry-based research facilities and presentations of personal research findings, students will complete the program with a better understanding of chemical principles and how to conduct research. Many participants go on to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in STEM fields.

Students selected for the WSSP are chosen on a competitive basis by the selection committee comprised of participating faculty at each of the six universities. The committee considers various factors in their selection such as SAT and ACT scores, academic standing, participation in extracurricular activities, writing skills, and teacher recommendations.