Penn offers many resources for students conducting research. Please note that funding options are often specific to particular kinds of research, fields of study, grad year, etc. Also, CURF funding is reserved for research conducted under the mentorship of a Penn faculty member.
Use the Funding Opportunities database (below the highlighted opportunities) 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.
Highlighted CURF Opportunities
Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
PURM provides Penn students completing their first or second undergraduate year the opportunity to spend a summer conducting cutting-edge research under the guidance of a standing Penn faculty member. No prior experience is required.
Learn more about PURM
Summer Humanities Internship Program
Each year the College of Arts and Sciences and CURF fund approximately twenty-five summer research internships for students in the humanities and social sciences. Internships provide undergraduates with the opportunity to work in a cultural, historical, or archival setting.
Learn more about SHIP
Independent Research Grants
Undergraduates pursuing an independent or semi-independent research project with a Penn faculty member can apply for funding to offset research-related expenses. Multiple opportunities are available each fall and spring. Click below and then scroll down to see a filtered list of CURF-administered research grants.
browse CURF grantsAndrea Mitchell Center Undergraduate Research Grants
Deadline: 02/20/26The Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy will award undergraduate research fellowships for projects that begin in the summer following successful application and are completed during the following academic year.
Mongolia Field School Program
Deadline: 02/20/26The 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.
Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP)
Deadline: 02/22/26Ten-week summer program for students in the College to have an opportunity to intern in a cultural, historical, or archival setting.
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Summer Scholars Program
Deadline: 02/28/26The 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.
American Friends of Herculaneum (AFOH) Scholarships
Deadline: 03/01/26The American Friends of Herculaneum (AFOH) are pleased to announce scholarships for research on a topic related to Herculaneum (preferably) or other ancient sites around the Bay of Naples.
The Melvin M. Goldberg Undergraduate Fellowship of $5000 for Research in Israel
Deadline: 03/01/26The Goldberg Fellowship supports summer travel to perform supervised technical research at one of Israel's universities or research centers.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative Undergraduate Internship
Deadline: 03/02/26The 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.
FBI Honors Internship Program
Deadline: 03/05/26The FBI Honors Internship Program is a full-time, 10-week paid summer internship for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral college students and offers exposure to the world’s premiere law enforcement and intelligence agency while also serving as a pipeline for entry-level positions after graduation.
Department of Religious Studies Awards
Deadline: 03/06/26The Department of Religious Studies offers a number of prizes to stimulate excellent student research, such as the Ibn Sina Prize, the Israel Goldstein Prize, the Merle Saunders Schaff Memorial Prize, and the Ann Matter Prize.
José Miguel Oviedo Undergraduate Student Paper Award
Deadline: 03/06/26The José Miguel Oviedo Undergraduate Student Paper Award is given annually to the best paper in Latin American and Latino Studies written by an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania.