- 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).
NNCI Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program in Nanotechnology
Deadline: 03/15/2025 (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.
Andrea Mitchell Center Undergraduate Research Grants
Deadline: 03/15/2025 (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.
Penn Undergraduate Sustainability Action Grant
Deadline: 03/17/2025Penn’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.
Class of 1971 Robert J. Holtz Fund
Deadline: 03/17/2025The 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.
College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
Deadline: 03/17/2025Undergraduate 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: 03/17/2025 (Tentative)The Penn Museum provides support for current Penn undergraduate and graduate students to pursue field research related to Archaeology and Anthropology.
Paul and Kathleen Barthmaier Award
Deadline: 03/17/2025Financial support to assist with travel expenses related to intellectually enriching undergraduate research or fellowship experiences.
Wolf Humanities Center
Deadline: 03/20/2025 (Tentative)The Wolf Humanities Center awards several Undergraduate Humanities Research Fellowships each year to further undergraduate research in the humanities.
José Miguel Oviedo Undergraduate Student Paper Award
Deadline: 03/22/2025 (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.
Center for the Advanced Study of India
Deadline: 03/25/2025 (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.