The Wright Scholar Research Assistant Program is an Air Force Research Laboratory initiative designed to expose high school juniors and seniors to various disciplines of engineering and science to further their interest in future STEM careers with the Department of Defense. Wright Scholars are competitively selected to work as full-time, paid interns for 8 weeks during the summer.

A “blind” review system is used to score and rank student applications (personal data is removed from applications prior to review to prevent biases). Selected students are matched with a mentor to work on a research project for the duration of their internship.

• Must be 16 years old or older by program start 1 June 2024.
• Must be a high school junior or senior.
• Must have overall GPA of 3.5 or higher confirmed by school administrators before application deadline. Home-school students are considered if they score in the top 20% on a national standardized test such as the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT or ACT.
• Must be a U.S. citizen. Program is not open to Permanent Residents or Green Card holders.
• Must have demonstrated interest in STEM career fields.
• Interns are responsible for securing your own housing, food, and transportation. Program administration is not responsible nor can assist on a scholar's behalf.
• Must be able to pass background check.
• Must commit to mandatory attendance policy without absence, except for emergency/illness, during the first week and a maximum 40 hours absent over 8 weeks. This paid position is a full-time commitment. Excessive absence is grounds for dismissal.
• Selected students will be hired as a contractor for the summer.