- 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).
Entry Point
Deadline: 02/09/25Entry Point! invites partnerships with industry, university research programs, and government agencies in a mutual effort to place students with disabilities in 10-week, paid internships in opportunities geared toward their skills and interests.
Perry World House Student Fellows
Deadline: 02/09/25 (Tentative)The Perry World House Student Fellows Program is an experiential learning opportunity for Penn undergraduates interested in collaborating on policy-relevant research projects about global issues.
FactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellowship
Deadline: 02/11/25Year-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: 02/12/25Grants to support summer research on topics that promote economic and social value for Wharton undergraduate students.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Internship
Deadline: 02/15/25Opportunity to conduct three months of hands-on, collaborative research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama.
Women+ and Advanced Mathematics
Deadline: 02/16/25 (Tentative)Women+ and Mathematics (W+AM) is an annual program with the mission to recruit and retain more women in mathematics through collaborative research and mentorship.
Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP)
Deadline: 02/23/25Ten-week summer program for students in the College to have an opportunity to intern in a cultural, historical, or archival setting.
Summer Internship Program at the National Gallery
Deadline: 02/28/25 (Tentative)The Summer Internship Program at the National Gallery is crafted to provide a deep dive into the world of art through hands-on experience.
NASA Internships and Fellowships
Deadline: 02/28/25NASA’s internship programs provide training, mentoring, and career development opportunities while working with the best science, engineering, financial, information technology and business minds in the world.