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 Penn 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).

Association of Alumnae Rosemary D. Mazzatenta Scholars Award

Deadline: 03/16/26

The Association of Alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania has established the Association of Alumnae Rosemary D. Mazzatenta Scholars Award in the School of Arts and Sciences to recognize and support female undergraduates for academic achievement and demonstrated service to country, community, and family during the summer after their sophomore or junior year in the College.

Second-Year Junior

Paul and Kathleen Barthmaier Award

Deadline: 03/16/26

Financial support to assist with travel expenses related to intellectually enriching undergraduate research or fellowship experiences.

First-Year Second-Year Junior

College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant

Deadline: 03/16/26

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.

First-Year Second-Year Junior Senior - First Semester

Jumpstart for Juniors

Deadline: 03/16/26

The Jumpstart for Juniors program provides students with the opportunity to gain invaluable investigative skills in the summer after their junior year. These funds may be used to continue an established, ongoing independent research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor or to gather necessary data prior to embarking on a senior thesis or other significant independent research project.

Junior

Sarah Katz Award

Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)

The Sarah Katz Award funds projects to further opportunities for heart literacy with an emphasis on heart health.

Dr. Rosane Rocher Prize for Best Undergraduate Essay in Asian American Studies

Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)

The Dr. Rosane Rocher Prize for Best Undergraduate Essay in Asian American Studies is offered every year for papers submitted from an ASAM course taken during the prior calendar year.

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.

First-Year Second-Year Junior Senior - First Semester

Wharton Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)

Deadline: 03/20/26 (Tentative)

SPUR provides Wharton undergraduates with a funded opportunity to develop, design, and complete an independent research project with a faculty advisor.

First-Year Second-Year Junior

Department of Religious Studies Awards

Deadline: 03/20/26 (Tentative)

The Department of Religious Studies offers a number of prizes to stimulate excellent student research, such as the Ibn Sina Prize, the Israel Goldstein Prize, the Merle Saunders Schaff Memorial Prize, and the Ann Matter Prize.

Lynda S. Hart Award in Sexuality Studies

Deadline: 03/21/26 (Tentative)

Annual award for a senior thesis or seminar/course paper in the field of LGBTQ Studies.