What opportunities are open to me?
There are many opportunities for Penn undergraduates to conduct research in any discipline—regardless of their previous experience. Research positions can be:
- Volunteer
- Arranged through work-study
- Paid -- funded directly through a faculty member’s grant or via a program that provides a stipend
- Conducted for academic credit, or
- Supported via a grant for which you apply.
Keep in mind that funding options are often specific to particular kinds of research, fields of study, grad year, etc. In addition, most (but not all) CURF funding is reserved for research conducted under the mentorship of a Penn faculty member.
Use the list below to identify research programs, grants and opportunities at Penn, elsewhere in the US and abroad. While CURF strives to maintain a thorough and up-to-date website, these listings are not comprehensive and students are encouraged to conduct their own funding searches.
What grants should I apply for?
The Penn Undergraduate Research Mentorship (PURM) program is ideal for first and second-year students who have little to no prior research experience. For more advanced researchers, the College Alumni Society Research Grant, the Vagelos Undergraduate Research Grant, and the Class of 1971 Robert J. Holtz Endowed Fund for Undergraduate Research are good places to start.
Other options are often specific to particular populations or kinds of research (e.g. grants for international research, social-impact endeavors, or for juniors who have not done research before).
Perry World House Undergraduate Essay Prize
Deadline: 03/31/2025 (Tentative)Perry World House (PWH), the University of Pennsylvania’s hub for global policy research, offers an annual Undergraduate Essay Prize of $1,000 in recognition of outstanding student writing on how policy can be used to tackle global policy challenges.
Holden Furber Undergraduate Writing Prize in South Asia Studies
Deadline: 04/01/2025 (Tentative)Annual award for the best undergraduate essay on any topic related to South Asia.
Seltzer Family Digital Media Awards
Deadline: 04/01/2025 (Tentative)Each award will provide to $1,000 for the purchase of hardware or technology (with nominal spending on software and supplies) for students to use for 1 year to pursue a digital media project.
LGBTQ & Gender Studies Undergraduate Student Research Expense Grants
Deadline: 04/04/2025 (Tentative)Grants designed to support research-related expenses for undergraduate students working on projects related to LGBTQ and/or gender studies.
Penn Student Government Public Service Fellowship
Deadline: 04/09/2025 (Tentative)The Penn Student Government Public Service Fellowship seeks to shift the culture at the University of Pennsylvania around public service by emboldening students to pursue internships, projects, and eventually careers in the field.
American Friends of Herculaneum (AFOH) Scholarships
Deadline: 04/10/2025 (Tentative)The American Friends of Herculaneum (AFOH) are pleased to announce scholarships for research on a topic related to Herculaneum (preferably) or other ancient sites around the Bay of Naples.
Asian American Studies (ASAM) Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Deadline: 04/12/2025 (Tentative)ASAM Undergraduate Research Fellowship is an interdisciplinary program that provides students with comprehensive academic training in archival research, methodology, and theory to enhance their critical thinking and writing skills.
Penn Museum Fellows
Deadline: 04/14/2025 (Tentative)The Penn Museum Fellows is a year-long program that supports and promotes advanced research at the Museum for three undergraduate students from Penn.
Hoesley Digital Literacy Fellows Program
Deadline: 04/21/2025 (Tentative)The Hoesley Digital Literacy Fellows Program encourages creative exploration of technologies commonly used in our rapidly evolving 21st century workplace and beyond through hands-on training and support as they design and develop a digital project and curate their professional digital presence.
The Hassenfeld Grant for Undergraduate Research in Urban Studies
Deadline: 04/26/2025 (Tentative)The Hassenfeld Grants for Undergraduate Research in Urban Studies provide Urban Studies majors and minors with the opportunity to explore questions arising out of their internship or other coursework in Urban Studies by supporting independent research in the summer before senior year.