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).
The Hassenfeld Grant for Undergraduate Research in Urban Studies
Deadline: 04/26/2024The 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.
The Urban Studies Program Gordon Fellowship
Deadline: 04/26/2024Winners of the Gordon Fellowship will receive a $5,000 stipend to explore careers that would lead to improving the quality of life in cities, whether in the public, non-profit, or private sectors and will benefit from career mentoring through alumni activities during the school year.
History Undergraduate Research Grants
Deadline: 05/03/2024The History Department Undergraduate Research Fund awards grants to students who require funds to travel to archives or for research materials for extensive projects, usually as part of a History seminar or independent study. The Department also has additional funds to support undergraduate research for students in the History Honors Thesis program.
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
Deadline: 05/22/2024The 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.
H+U+D Mellon Undergraduate Research Fellows
Deadline: 05/31/2024 (Tentative)The Humanities + Urbanism + Design Initiative bridges the humanities and design disciplines to promote the integrated investigation of 21st century urbanism and architecture through funding research in this space.
Penn IUR Fellows in Urban Leadership
Deadline: 05/31/2024 (Tentative)The Penn IUR Fellows in Urban Leadership Program, open to Penn undergraduates, engages a small cohort of selected students with high-level local, regional, and national leaders drawn from government, business, and civil society to discuss decision-making in urban places.
The Raymond W. Sarber Awards
Deadline: 07/01/2024 (Tentative)Award that recognizes students at the undergraduate or predoctoral levels for research excellence and potential.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Internship
Deadline: 09/15/2024Opportunity to conduct three months of hands-on, collaborative research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama.
Vagelos Undergraduate Research Grant
Deadline: 10/22/2024 (Tentative)The Vagelos Undergraduate Research Grant funds an independent scholarly project conducted by an undergraduate student during the academic year.
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.