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 grantsFactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellowship
Deadline: 02/11/26Year-round, paid fellowship program for undergraduates interested in utilizing journalism and scholarship to increase public knowledge and understanding of US politics.
Wharton Social Impact Research Experience (WSIRE)
Deadline: 02/12/26Grants to support summer research on topics that promote economic and social value for Wharton undergraduate students.
SNF Paideia Fellowship
Deadline: 02/13/26The fellowship is a unique, three-year program that bridges students’ academic interests with experiential development of skills essential to becoming an engaged global citizen both while a student at Penn and beyond.
Howard C. Herrmann MD Student Research Fellowship Award
Deadline: 02/15/26The Howard C. Herrmann Student Research Fellowship provides opportunities for undergraduate students to work full-time for 10 weeks during the summer on a cardiovascular research project in one of Penn's laboratories or clinical research groups.
Summer Undergraduate Applied Mathematics Institute (SUAMI)
Deadline: 02/15/26The Summer Undergraduate Applied Mathematics Institute (SUAMI) is an eight-week summer research program for undergraduate students interested in applied mathematics hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.
Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM)
Deadline: 02/15/26Each year Penn supports undergraduate involvement in faculty research through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM), which provides students completing their first or second undergraduate year the opportunity to spend a summer conducting research with a standing Penn faculty member.
Summer Internship Program at the National Gallery
Deadline: 02/16/26The Summer Internship Program at the National Gallery is crafted to provide a deep dive into the world of art through hands-on experience.
Andrea 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.