- 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).
Sachs Program for Arts Innovation
Deadline: 11/22/2024The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation provides numerous grants for Penn students and faculty in support of support teaching art, making art, and presenting art, as well as to provide Penn students with increased access to the arts and humanities.
Jewish Studies Administered Research Awards
Deadline: 11/27/2024Each fall and spring the Jewish Studies Program offers Goldfein Research Awards, Brenner Special Opportunity Awards, and Schwartz Awards to both undergraduate and graduate Penn students to cover research projects and study programs in or related to Jewish studies.
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) RISE Program
Deadline: 11/30/2024RISE (Research Internship in Science and Engineering) Germany offers undergraduate students from North American, British, and Irish universities with the opportunity to conduct summer research at a top German university or research institution.
Moore Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (MURAP) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Deadline: 12/01/2024The Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (MURAP) invites applications for a paid summer fellowship for undergraduate students (rising juniors or seniors) in the humanities, social sciences, or fine arts.
Wilson Center Research Assistance Internship
Deadline: 12/08/2024Research Assistant interns have the unique opportunity to work directly with experts at the Wilson Center, as they examine issues of contemporary public policy or explore topics that provide the historical context behind today’s pressing policy debates.
The Water Center at Penn Student Research Support Program
Deadline: 12/08/2024 (Tentative)The WCP Student Research Support Program provides support for undergraduate research in water science, policy, and sustainability.
MindCore: Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program in Interdisciplinary Mind and Brain Studies
Deadline: 01/01/2025 (Tentative)Paid 10-week summer research program for Penn undergraduates (1st, 2nd, and 3rd years) as well as select students from other institutions interested in interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the mind and brain.
National Institute on Drug Abuse Summer Research Internship Program
Deadline: 01/03/2025Summer research opportunity for undergraduates interested in learning more about the field of drug abuse and addiction research.
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
Deadline: 01/08/2025The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship provides both undergraduate and graduates students through conducting research in one of 17 participating U.S. Department of Energy laboratories/facilities for summer or for a semester-long experience.
Penn Global Research & Internship Program (GRIP)
Deadline: 01/10/2025The Global Research & Internship Program (GRIP) offers outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research with a variety of organizations and companies abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer.