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).
Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP)
Deadline: 02/25/2025 (Tentative)Ten-week summer program for students in the College to have an opportunity to work in a cultural, historical, or archival setting. Students receive $5,000 award.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative Undergraduate Internship
Deadline: 02/28/2025 (Tentative)The Native American Scholars Initiative Undergraduate Summer Internship provides students interested in Native American and Indigenous Studies with hands-on opportunities to conduct research and explore career possibilities in archives and special collections.
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Summer Scholars Program
Deadline: 02/28/2025 (Tentative)The Summer Scholars Program is aimed at providing research opportunities in all aspects of Biological, Biomedical, and Health Research to undergraduates who may be considering applying to graduate (PhD) programs.
Summer Internship Program at the National Gallery
Deadline: 02/28/2025 (Tentative)The Summer Internship Program at the National Gallery is crafted to provide a deep dive into the world of art through hands-on experience.
Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law Summer Internship Program
Deadline: 03/01/2025 (Tentative)Summer internship opportunity for law, graduate, and undergraduate students interested in national security, ethics, and rule of law to participate in research, writing, and conference planning at the Center for Ethics and Rule of Law at Penn.
The Melvin M. Goldberg Undergraduate Fellowship of $5000 for Research in Israel
Deadline: 03/01/2025 (Tentative)The Goldberg Fellowship supports summer travel to perform supervised technical research at one of Israel's universities or research centers.
South Asia Center Research Internships
Deadline: 03/01/2025 (Tentative)The South Asia Center (SAC) at Penn offers summer research internship placements in South Asia for a variety of different projects.
Sigma Xi Grant
Deadline: 03/01/2025 (Tentative)The Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR) program provides undergraduate and graduate students from a wide variety of disciplines with financial support for scientific research.
Wharton Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
Deadline: 03/14/2025 (Tentative)SPUR provides Wharton undergraduates with a funded opportunity to develop, design, and complete an independent research project with a faculty advisor.
Class of 1971 Robert J. Holtz Fund
Deadline: 03/15/2025 (Tentative)The Holtz Fund provides funds for students pursuing an independent scholarly project during the academic year or summer, where funds can be used for costs of materials and supplies, toward travel costs, or for costs of the project.