Skip to main content

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). 

Millennium Oceans Prize

Deadline: 03/30/2024

The Millennium Oceans Prize supports students passionate about conserving, protecting, and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine water and life.

Mongolia Field School Program

Deadline: 03/30/2024

The Mongolia Field School Program offers an educational travel experience blending academic insights and discussions with travel experiences that allow participants to interact with local people and locations off the usual tourist track.

Asian American Studies (ASAM) Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Deadline: 04/12/2024 (Tentative)

ASAM Undergraduate Research Fellowship is an interdisciplinary program that provides students with comprehensive academic training in archival research, methodology, and theory to enhance their critical thinking and writing skills.

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)

Deadline: 05/22/2024

The 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 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.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Internship

Deadline: 09/15/2024

Opportunity 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.

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.

RealArts@Penn Internships

Deadline: 01/15/2025 (Tentative)

RealArts@Penn Internships help students jumpstart their chosen artistic lives and career paths through paid internships with creative professionals across the country.

Sachs Program for Arts Innovation

Deadline: 01/22/2025

The 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.