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
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
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
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 grantsSNF Paideia Fellowship
Deadline: 02/10/26 (Tentative)The fellowship is a unique, three-year program that bridges students’ academic interests with experiential development of skills essential to becoming an engaged global citizen both while a student at Penn and beyond.
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.
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.
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.
Summer Undergraduate Applied Mathematics Institute (SUAMI)
Deadline: 02/15/26 (Tentative)The Summer Undergraduate Applied Mathematics Institute (SUAMI) is an eight-week summer research program for undergraduate students interested in applied mathematics hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.
Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM)
Deadline: 02/16/26 (Tentative)Each year Penn supports undergraduate involvement in faculty research through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM), which provides students completing their first or second undergraduate year the opportunity to spend a summer conducting research with a standing Penn faculty member.
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.
South Asia Center Research Internships
Deadline: 02/23/26 (Tentative)The South Asia Center (SAC) at Penn offers summer research internship placements in South Asia for a variety of different projects.