Apprentis chercheurs Program
The Apprentis chercheurs program allows high school students interested in science the opportunity to discover the world of research with INRS students through one week laboratory internships.
Apprentis chercheurs Program in 2025
Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre : July 7 to 11, 2025
Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre: July 14-18 and August 4-8, 2025
Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre : July 21 to 25, 2025
Criteria for selecting apprentices
Are you a high school student? Our program is free of charge and open to teenagers all over the province thanks to several partners.
Selection is based on the following criteria: motivation, interest in science, diversity of schools, regions, and sectors (private-public). Academic results are not taken into account.
Discover an area of research with your mentor!
- Biomedical Applications
- Molecular Biology
- Electrochemistry
- Genetics
- Immunology
- Infectious Disease
- Microbiology
- Optics
- Photonics
- Telecommunications
- Toxicology
- Virology
Click here to send your application and to find out more about the topics covered in our various laboratories.
Deadline : April 4, 2025
Research centers
Becoming a mentor
You are a student at INRS and would like to participate in the program by supervising a high school student in an upcoming edition? Sign up for the mentoring team by creating a “Mentor” account. The team is formed in February each year for the following summer edition.
About the program
Goal 1
Demystify the scientific research environment and the careers associated with it.
Goal 2
Accompany high school students in their reflection on their future path.
Goal 3
Maintain and even increase the motivation of young people to pursue their studies through contact with inspiring mentors.
A mentoring opportunity for students
Our Apprentis chercheurs program (formerly Apprentis en biosciences) allows INRS students to accompany a high school student in the realization of a research project related to your field of study.
Are you a master’s or doctoral student who likes to share your interest in science and transfer your knowledge? Participate in the program!
Your role as mentor will be to help a young student conduct a research project related to your field of study. Throughout the week, you will guide your budding scientist and answer their questions.
The program runs twice each summer, in July and August.
The program has been offered at the Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre (Laval) since 2002 and, since the summer of 2021, at the Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre (Varennes) and at the Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre in 2025.
Indeed, after having been devoted more to the biosciences, the program is expanding to other INRS research centres and adding fields of expertise in advanced technologies to its offer to high school students.
Over the years, the Bioscience Apprentices program has often been the spark that has encouraged young people to undertake postsecondary studies in science. We often see students who have participated in the program start their master’s at INRS once they’ve completed their bachelor’s.
Spread passion of science
Launched by INRS and the Armand-Frappier Museum in 2002, the program is designed for Secondary 3, 4, and 5 students with an interest in science. It’s a unique opportunity for them to experience university lab research up close. Each participant is matched with a INRS student for a week, based on shared research interests.
A distinctive feature of the program is that high school students are admitted on the basis of based on their interest in science rather than on their school grades.
For almost 20 years, the program has been introducing high school students to the world of university research and giving INRS students the opportunity to share their passion of science.
Do you have any questions about the Research Apprentices program? Contact us at