The deadline for the 2027 cycle is January 27th, and the applications are open now.
President's Engagement Prize Application
President's Innovation Prize Application
A winner will be announced in April. Upon starting your application, you should complete and submit your pre-application form, which opens the ability to request letters from your Penn project mentor and recommender, as soon as you have your team, mentor, and recommenders finalized. This will provide everyone with the necessary time to complete their portions of the application process.
There will be a series of President’s Prize panel sessions, held on the upcoming dates:
Wednesday, 11/18, 4:00 - 5:00p.m.
President’s Innovation Prize Session featuring 2026 PIP recipient, Serpent Robotics
A Fireside Chat with Margaret Zhu and Project Mentor Jeffrey Babin
Location: CURF Office, College Hall, Room G08/09
Thursday, 11/19, 11:00a.m. - 12:00p.m.
President’s Engagement Prize Session featuring 2026 PEP recipient, HAVEN
A Fireside Chat with Chloe Chang, Connie Ni, Darlene Leohansson, and Project Mentor Caroline Watts
Location: CURF Office, College Hall, Room G08/09
If interested and planning to attend, we kindly ask that you sign up in advance for either session using this form:
https://forms.gle/tZHy1jDXRRaHQkKMA
Each session will offer unique insights into the Engagement and Innovation Prize processes, including expert advice and personal stories from mentors and past recipients. These sessions are great opportunities to ask questions and get support as you develop your projects and applications. Food and light refreshments will also be provided!
Additional information around drop-in hours will be shared in upcoming communications.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to email pennpep@upenn.edu (Engagement Prize) or pennpip@upenn.edu(Innovation Prize).
The Projects for Progress (P4P) award is managed by the Office of Social Equity & Community. Learn more about it here.
Resources for Prize Applicants
- 2027 Joint PEP/PIP Information Session Slides (PDF)
- Wharton Social Impact Initiative presentation (PDF): how to create a project and make a strong case for it
- Penn Tax Office presentation (PPT): Potential tax implications of the prize; applicants are encouraged to discuss further with a tax advisor. You may also see a recording of the recent tax info session here.
- International Considerations of the Prize (PDF): Presentation from Penn Global on considerations when working overseas
- International Considerations checklist (PDF): A helpful checklist of things to consider--this is a companion piece to the presentation above.
- Resources for Prize Applicants (PDF)