Engineering

Undergraduate research experiences serve as a hallmark of undergraduate education at Penn Engineering. Grants through the Undergraduate Research Fund will promote undergraduate research, and enable students to explore their innovative ideas and concepts in new and emerging technologies as well as the applied sciences. The Undergraduate Research Fund is made possible through generous gifts by supporters of Penn Engineering’s undergraduate educational initiatives

The Rose Foundation generously funds the Rose Undergraduate Research Award recognizing outstanding undergraduate research projects completed by graduating seniors under the supervision of a Penn faculty member.

The Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium facilitates faculty- and doctoral student-mentored, urban-focused research through funding support and a semester-long, credit-bearing seminar (CPLN 528/URBS 428).

Each year Penn supports undergraduate involvement in faculty research through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM), which provides students completing their first or second undergraduate year the opportunity to spend a summer conducting research with a standing Penn faculty member.

Penn’s Climate Action Plan aims to keep Penn at the forefront of addressing global climate change by supporting undergraduate research in any academic field related to sustainability. Projects that lead to environmentally sustainable programs and policies, contribute to scientific innovations related to sustainability, or deepen our understanding of the social, cultural, artistic, and humanistic aspects of sustainability are encouraged, provided the research is conducted under the direction of a Penn faculty member. Projects in other related fields that support the goals outlined in Penn’s Climate Action Plan are also welcome.

The Penn Museum provides support for current Penn undergraduate and graduate students to pursue field research related to Archaeology and Anthropology.

The Wolf Humanities Center awards several Undergraduate Humanities Research Fellowships each year to further undergraduate research in the humanities.

NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. An REU Site may be at either a US or foreign location.

Application dates will vary.

The Jumpstart for Juniors program provides students with the opportunity to gain invaluable investigative skills in the summer after their junior year. These funds may be used to continue an established, ongoing independent research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor or to gather necessary data prior to embarking on a senior thesis or other significant independent research project.

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.