Funding Opportunities

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

A PURM team in a robotics lab.

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
A SHIP participant presenting at the Penn Museum

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
A Barthmaier grant recipient doing field work with their team

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 grants

Search Funding Opportunities

Display funding opportunities that match ALL of my selections: (Select more options to return a narrower set of results).

Mind Your Brain Foundation Fellowship

Deadline: 03/31/26 (Tentative)

Traumatic brain injury research fellowship available to Penn undergraduates with career interests related to traumatic brain injury research. Do not need to have a project or mentor already established. Fellowship includes a $2,500 award.

First-Year Second-Year Junior

Sandia National Laboratories Internships and Co-Ops

Rolling Deadline

The Sandia National Laboratories offer numerous internship and co-op opportunities for students of all levels, allowing them to work on real-world project and contribute to critical national goals.

Gutmann-Doyle Research Opportunities Fund

Rolling Deadline

The Amy Gutmann and Michael Doyle Research Opportunities Fund supports undergraduates to present their research at an academic conference.

First-Year Second-Year Junior Senior - First Semester

NIST Professional Research Experience Program (PREP)

Rolling Deadline

NIST’s Professional Research and Experience Program (PREP) provides valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to researchers at various stages of their studies and careers.

U.S. Strategic Command Student Internships

Rolling Deadline

The Student Educational Employment Program is a government-wide program that allows students to participate in paid internships related to your area of interest at the U.S. Strategic Command.

NIST Internship Program

Rolling Deadline

The NIST Internship Program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of education institutions, from high school to graduate level, with opportunities to work in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school and while getting paid for the work performed.

Koch Internship Program

Rolling Deadline

The Koch Internship Program combines individualized education with hands-on work experience to empower social entrepreneurs to drive their own careers and make a positive contribution right away.

First-Year Second-Year Junior

Department of Commerce Internship Program

Rolling Deadline

The Department of Commerce Internship Program will expose students to opportunities in the Federal Government and the potential to find passion in a career in public service through working with a political appointee in one of several DOC offices.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Undergraduate Student Internship Program

Rolling Deadline

The Los Alamos National Laboratory offers an Undergraduate Student Internship Program (UGS) that provides domestic and international students with relevant research experience while they are pursuing an undergraduate degree,

CIA Student Programs

Rolling Deadline

The CIA offers several student programs that offer highly unique and rewarding student experiences working alongside experts in your field of study as you gain real-world experience within the Intelligence Community.