- 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).
Princeton Neuroscience Institute (PNI) Summer Internship Program
Deadline: 02/03/26 (Tentative)Princeton Neuroscience Institute (PNI) is offering a summer internship program for highly motivated undergraduates, providing education and hands-on research experience in the field of neuroscience.
AAPM Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program
Deadline: 02/05/26 (Tentative)The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program is a 10-week summer program designed to provide opportunities for undergraduate university students to gain experience in medical physics by performing research in a medical physics laboratory and shadowing at a clinical facility.
PennLab Summer Internship (PLSI)
Deadline: 02/07/26 (Tentative)Interns will gain valuable exposure and experience while exploring the different areas in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
Perry World House Student Fellows
Deadline: 02/09/26 (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: 02/11/26 (Tentative)Year-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: 02/12/26 (Tentative)Grants to support summer research on topics that promote economic and social value for Wharton undergraduate students.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Internship
Deadline: 02/15/26 (Tentative)Opportunity to conduct three months of hands-on, collaborative research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama.
Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law Summer Internship Program
Deadline: 02/15/26 (Tentative)Summer internship opportunity for law, graduate, and undergraduate students interested in national security, ethics, and rule of law to participate in research, writing, and conference planning at the Center for Ethics and Rule of Law at Penn.
Women+ and Advanced Mathematics
Deadline: 02/16/26 (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. W+AM is open to all that support its mission regardless of gender.
Summer Internship Program at the National Gallery
Deadline: 02/21/26 (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.