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 grantsPenn Undergraduate Sustainability Action Grant
Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)Penn’s Climate Action Plan aims to keep Penn at the forefront of addressing global climate change by supporting undergraduate research in any academic field related to sustainability. Projects that lead to environmentally sustainable programs and policies, contribute to scientific innovations related to sustainability, or deepen our understanding of the social, cultural, artistic, and humanistic aspects of sustainability are encouraged, provided the research is conducted under the direction of a Penn faculty member. Projects in other related fields that support the goals outlined in Penn’s Climate Action Plan are also welcome.
Association of Alumnae Rosemary D. Mazzatenta Scholars Award
Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)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.
CURF Summer Research Funding
Deadline: 03/17/26 (Tentative)Funding for independent research projects over the summer conducted by undergraduates who receive financial aid from Penn and have a family total income between $75,001 and $140,000 (as determined by SRFS).
Wolf Humanities Center
Deadline: 03/19/26 (Tentative)The Wolf Humanities Center awards several Undergraduate Humanities Research Fellowships each year to further undergraduate research in the humanities.
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.
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.
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.
Samuel and Esther Goldin Endowment Award
Deadline: 03/21/26 (Tentative)This annual prize recognizes an outstanding thesis or research paper in the field of Jewish Studies.
Carroll Smith-Rosenberg Senior Thesis Award in Women's Studies
Deadline: 03/21/26 (Tentative)Annual award for a superior senior thesis paper in the field of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies.
Jewish Studies Administered Research Awards
Deadline: 03/21/26 (Tentative)Each fall and spring the Jewish Studies Program offers Goldfein Research Awards, Brenner Special Opportunity Awards, and Schwartz Awards to both undergraduate and graduate Penn students to cover research projects and study programs in or related to Jewish studies.