Overview
The Waksman Student Scholars Program is designed help high school students learn modern molecular genetics by having them engage in genuine scientific research projects. It is a two-part program aimed at both teachers and students.

The Summer Institute
A teacher and two students from a maximum of 15 high schools commute to the Waksman Institute at Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ daily for a month in July. There they learn about a research project in molecular biology. The projects change from year to year. Both the background material and the laboratory skills necessary to carry out the project are presented. Click "The Research Project" hyperlink to learn more about this year's project.

The Academic Year
Teachers and students return to their classrooms in September and begin working on the research project. Additional students are recruited. Some students earn Rutgers University credit by participating in a formal course. Some schools offer a research course for high school credit; others offer the research as an after-school activity. The students return to Rutgers for six meetings during the academic year. At the end of the year, in June, a forum is held where students present the results of their studies at a poster session.