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 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 grantsJosé Miguel Oviedo Undergraduate Student Paper Award
Deadline: 03/07/26 (Tentative)The 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.
Andrea Mitchell Center Undergraduate Research Grants
Deadline: 03/07/26 (Tentative)The 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: 03/14/26 (Tentative)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.
South Asia Undergraduate Research Grants
Deadline: 03/15/26 (Tentative)The South Asia Studies Department will award up to two research/travel grants (maximum of $3000 each) for Spring-Summer to support undergraduate research projects involving travel to South Asia.
Sigma Xi Grant
Deadline: 03/15/26 (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.
NNCI Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program in Nanotechnology
Deadline: 03/15/26 (Tentative)The National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) does not offer a network-wide REU program, but many of the NNCI sites conduct their own separate programs to provide an intensive 10-week summer research experience.
College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences can apply for a number of grants supported by Penn’s College Alumni Society to fund a research or scholarly project.
Penn Museum Field Research Grants
Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)The Penn Museum provides support for current Penn undergraduate and graduate students to pursue field research related to Archaeology and Anthropology.
Center for the Advanced Study of India
Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)The Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) offers several opportunities for Penn students, including the Summer Internship Program in India and summer research funds.
Penn Undergraduate Sustainability Action Grant
Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)Penn’s Climate Action Plan aims to keep Penn at the forefront of addressing global climate change by supporting undergraduate research in any academic field related to sustainability. Projects that lead to environmentally sustainable programs and policies, contribute to scientific innovations related to sustainability, or deepen our understanding of the social, cultural, artistic, and humanistic aspects of sustainability are encouraged, provided the research is conducted under the direction of a Penn faculty member. Projects in other related fields that support the goals outlined in Penn’s Climate Action Plan are also welcome.