Frequently Asked Questions

Any full-time graduating senior in the Engineering, Nursing, SAS (including LPS), or Wharton undergraduate divisions  is eligible to apply.  In the case of team entries, each member of the team must meet these eligibility requirements.

While prior project-related academic or non-academic experience (e.g., employment, volunteer activity, internships, travel, etc.) is desirable and will be considered in determining the applicant’s preparedness to undertake the project they are proposing, such experience is not required.  A project proposal may be in an area unrelated to the applicant’s prior academic or non-academic experience.

Local projects would focus primarily on addressing an opportunity or challenge in the City of Philadelphia or its surrounding suburbs.  National projects would address an opportunity or challenge either outside the Philadelphia region or national in scope.  Global projects would address an opportunity or challenge outside the United States.

Projects funded by the President’s Engagement Prizes can be based in Philadelphia or anywhere in the nation or the world.  In just the last couple of years – without the motivating focus of a prize – Penn students have embarked on some truly extraordinary self-initiated projects ranging from creating an institutional food recovery program to aid local Philadelphia food banks; to a public policy initiative to reduce Medicaid expenses and improve patient health; to empowering youth in Southern Sudan.  The scope and scale of President’s Engagement Prize projects will be limited only by the imagination and resourcefulness of our students.

At Penn, we encourage students to think creatively about the broad meaning of public service, to maximize the opportunity to do well by doing good, and to articulate their purpose-driven desire to make a difference.  Strong proposals will describe how the proposed project will make a positive and on-going difference in the lives of those touched or served by it.  Overall, the President’s Engagement Prizes are an opportunity for Penn students to make a meaningful difference in the world and to think big about what they can do in their community, their country, and their world.

The project should be designed as a twelve-month initiative and the proposal should detail the proposed impact of the project during this one-year period.  However, the continued impact of the project could stretch beyond the first year.  We believe that early success leads to even greater achievement, and we encourage students to think about how their proposal and their project can be a springboard for making a continued difference in the world.

While applicants can partner with an outside organization, the proposed project must be original and of the applicant’s own creation; the prize cannot be used to support or further pre-existing projects or programs of outside entities or of the University of Pennsylvania.

The Sustainability Prize recognizes individuals and groups with an ambitious proposal for a post-graduation project that focuses on environmental issues, such as climate change, and is committed to making a positive, lasting difference in the world. Each Prize-winning project receives $100,000 (plus a $50,000 living stipend per team member). 

All applications submitted for the President’s Engagement Prize or President’s Innovation Prize are considered for the President’s Sustainability Prize. You do not need to apply separately and there is no separate application; however, we encourage you to highlight how your project advances sustainability in your application materials. The Sustainability Prize recognizes ideas, proposals, and projects that focus on environmental issues, such as climate change, and are committed to making a positive, lasting difference in the world. If you have any additional questions about the President’s Sustainability Prize, please feel free to email pennpep@upenn.edu (Engagement Prize) or pennpip@upenn.edu (Innovation Prize).

The following materials must be submitted as part of the applicants proposal:

• Application Form
• Project proposal, not to exceed 1,000 words, outlining the student’s proposed project (what do you plan to do and how will you accomplish it?), experience and qualifications as they relate to the project, and prior record of local, national and/or global engagement.
• A preliminary project budget of up to $100,000 with a clear statement of how the funds will be used.  A budget planning template is available here. Budgets for winning proposals will be refined during the planning period after selection of the prize recipients.  Proposals with project budgets in excess of $100,000 will not be considered.
• A Penn Mentor Recommendation and Commitment Form signed by the student’s proposed project mentor (either an active or retired Penn faculty member or Penn administrator), attesting to their support of the applicant’s proposed project and willingness to oversee prior to the student’s graduation the development of a detailed plan for the project’s implementation.
• Signed letter(s) of preliminary interest/commitment from any organization or institutions with which the student is proposing to work in the course of the project.  Please note that proposed projects do not need to be affiliated with an external organization.
• One additional Letter of Recommendation requested by each student from an individual, not related to the student, who is able to assess the student’s preparedness to undertake the proposed project.
• An unofficial copy of the student’s academic transcript.

If the proposed project involves an affiliation or relationship with an external organization, the affiliation letter should indicate the organization’s willingness to work with you on the intended project, should speak to the feasibility and validity of what is being proposed, and should indicate any additional resources or contacts that the organization can provide to support the work.  The applicant and the proposed partner should also make clear that the proposed project is original and of the applicant’s own creation; the prize cannot be used to support or further pre-existing projects or programs of outside entities or of the University of Pennsylvania.

Partner organizations must submit preliminary letters of interest/commitment to work with the applicant by the application deadline.  Project details will be worked out in conjunction with the recipients’ project mentor (either an active or retired Penn faculty member or Penn administrator) and partner organizations during the recipient’s senior year, but preliminary letters should be as specific as possible about the project and the student’s and the partner organization’s roles.

All materials (including the application and supporting letters) must be submitted online to CURF no later than the application deadline.  Materials submitted after that date will not be considered.

This is up to the discretion of the applicant.  The letter of recommendation should be from an individual not related to the student who is best able to assess the student’s preparedness to undertake the proposed project.  Letters from family members will not be accepted.  You may not request a letter of recommendation from the same individual who is writing your Mentor Recommendation and Commitment letter.

No.  Additional letters will not be considered.  For the purposes of the Prize, each student applicant must submit one letter of recommendation.  [Note that on a joint project, each team member must provide one letter of recommendation.  Individual projects will therefore require up to three letters (Penn mentor, partnering organization—if applicable, and one recommendation letter), while joint projects will require up to four letters for a two-person team and up to five letters for a three-person team.] You may not request a letter of recommendation from the same individual who is writing your Mentor Recommendation and Commitment letter.

As detailed as possible, within the word limits.  Applying for the President’s Engagement Prize is akin to applying to a foundation for a competitive grant.  We need to know why you believe this project will have a significant impact, what knowledge and skills you will bring to ensure the success of the project, and what impact you expect your project to have locally, nationally, or globally.

A Budget Planning Template is available here (download this spreadsheet, complete it, and submit it with your President’s Engagement Prize application)

Each student may submit or participate in only one project proposal.

The President’s Innovation Prize is a prize opportunity for graduating Penn seniors to award innovative, entrepreneurial projects that are designed as for-profit ventures and have the potential to make a positive social impact.  Students may not submit applications — either as individuals or as part of a team — for both the President’s Engagement Prize and the President’s Innovation Prize.

Applications will be evaluated using the following preliminary selection criteria:

• Appropriateness of the proposal to the purpose of the Prize.
• Project feasibility.
• Applicant preparedness, including strength of academic performance, experience, and qualifications as they relate to the proposed project.
• Strength of the applicant’s prior record of local, national, and/or global engagement.
• Strength of the mentor’s recommendation and engagement with the proposed project.
• Strength of other recommendation.

After preliminary evaluation, the Selection Committee will review the applications and select semi-finalists to interview based on the following criteria:

• Project’s exemplification of Penn's commitment to local, national, or global engagement.
• Project’s potential impact.
• Strength of the applicant’s commitment to the project.
• Such other factors as the Selection Committee may deem appropriate to assess the contributions of the student and the project to the overall goals of the Prize.

The Selection Committee will consist of the Provost (or designee), the chair of the Penn Trustee Committee on Local, National, and Global Engagement, a past prize recipient appointed by the Provost, and one tenured member of the standing faculty from each of the University’s four undergraduate schools, appointed by the Provost.

No.  After an initial screening, the Selection Committee will select those applicants to be interviewed by the Committee as semi-finalists.  Applicants not selected for interviews will be notified of their status by early April.

Applicants invited for a semi-finalist interview will be permitted, but not required, to submit (prior to a deadline specified by CURF) a one-page written addendum to their initial proposal in advance of the interview.  The addendum should not represent a material change in the proposed project’s scope or purpose, but can be used to amplify the description of specific initiatives that will be undertaken as part of the project, the project’s potential outcomes or impacts, or the applicant’s preparedness to undertake the project.

It is expected that 100% of the Prize funds will be used to implement the proposed engagement project and support the recipient(s) during their post-baccalaureate year.  Neither the living stipend nor the implementation funds may be used for other purposes, including, but not limited to, graduate study, a for-profit venture, or partisan political activity, and recipients may not receive academic credit for their project at Penn or elsewhere.  The implementation portion of the funds may not be used to support an individual student’s living expenses.

Project expenses can be used in any approved manner.  (Note that prize recipients are responsible for the payment of all applicable taxes and other tax implications--including those related to employing other individuals to assist on their project.) You can read Notes on Taxes, and Notes on Intellectual Property Commercialization and Waiver of Liability 1 for more information.

Half of the living expenses stipend and half of the project implementation expenses are generally disbursed in late June.  After submission and approval of the recipient’s Interim Progress Report (due January 1 of your award year), the remaining half of the living expenses and half of the project implementation expenses will be disbursed that January.

Funds must be expended during the 12-month period from July 1 – June 30 of your award year.  In addition to the Interim Progress report due January 1, a final report will be required no later than September 1 following your award year.

Project plans must be finalized before funds are disbursed.  While minor changes in spending often occur and are permitted, no significant variation from the approved project budget is allowed without the written approval of the Director of CURF.

Financial support for the President’s Engagement Prize will be limited to July 1 – June 30 of your award year.  No additional Penn or University-raised funds will be available.  Prize recipients are free to solicit or raise funds independently from other non-University sources.

No.  Any other necessary resources should be obtained using the Prize’s project expenses and any other available funds.

No explicit grant-writing resources are offered during the grant year, but recipients are welcome to seek external grants to continue their work, or to apply for national or international fellowships to further their preparation for work in their field.

Yes, but Prize funds must be expended as proposed in the recipient’s approved project budget.

Yes.  While you would of course need to work out any deferral of employment or education with the organization in question, deferrals for recipients of awards like the President’s Engagement Prize (such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Gates, and Fulbright Scholarships) are often granted.

Applicants for the President’s Engagement Prize will be setting themselves up extremely well to compete for major fellowships like the Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Gates, and Fulbright Scholarships.  Preparation to apply for such awards should begin during the Spring of the year before you wish to begin a fellowship.

The President’s Engagement and Innovation Prizes are only available to Penn seniors graduating in the current academic year (December, May, or August during/following the application cycle). The Draw Down the Lightning solicitation specifically aims to advance In Principle and Practice. Because the strategic framework is broad, there may indeed be some overlap between the goals of a submission to the Draw Down the Lightning Grants and President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize submissions. If appropriate, the same projects may be submitted under multiple initiatives, but cannot receive support from more than one program.