Finding Research Opportunities

The Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) provides information, advice, resources and encouragement for students pursuing undergraduate research, fellowships and scholarships.

CURF maintains an extensive research directory listing undergraduate and summer and research opportunities. It also provides a directory of, and supports students competing for, national and international fellowships and scholarships. CURF administers the University Scholars and the Benjamin Franklin Scholars programs for highly motivated undergraduates and sponsors numerous talks, presentations and information sessions in addition to offering one-on-one advising.

To speak with a CURF advisor, call 215.746.6488 for an appointment.

The College of Arts and Sciences sponsors twenty-five summer research internships at Penn and Philadelphia area cultural, historical and educational organizations, including the Institute for Contemporary Art, the University Museum, Rare Books and Archives, the Van Wert Film Collection, the Art Sanctuary, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Philadelphia History Museum, among others.

Typically these internships pay $3,300 for ten weeks during the summer and ideally lead to an undergraduate research project or provide students with curatorial and/or editorial skills that can be utilized later in their undergraduate careers.

Applications are available in the spring semester. For further information contact the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships or Dr. Eric Schneider in the College Office.

The College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal (CUREJ) is an online, searchable repository that holds examples of research by students in the College of Arts and Sciences exploring a wide range of academic interests from the natural sciences through the social sciences and humanities, including music, painting and more.

The David B. Weigle Information Commons (WIC), in the Van Pelt Dietrich Library Center, supports collaborative learning and group activities using the latest technologies. WIC offers training, equipment and support for technology, research and digital media creation. Through its program partners, WIC also hosts student support services for writing, public speaking, study strategies and time management. WIC includes Data Diner booths, group study rooms, alcoves, a high-tech seminar room and the Vitale Digital Media Lab. There is also an extensive calendar of workshops and training opportunities.

The program is created to provide undergraduates with a substantial research experience under the guidance and direction of a faculty mentor.

Several departments and programs have publications which profile undergraduate research. Browse their web sites for information about contributing to or receiving their publication. Additional publications include:

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Travel Grant Reimbursement Form >>  
Statement of Business Connection Form >>

A travel grant fund has been established to help undergraduate students in the College defray the cost of travel and/or conference registration fees to participate in an academic conference. Grants may be awarded to students who are presenting a research paper or a poster at a scholarly meeting. The fund will provide grants of up to $500. Students may apply for one travel grant per academic year.

The annual Emerging Scholar Talk competition honors outstanding and compelling research by an undergraduate student. During the spring semester, the Emerging Scholar is chosen and coached by a small group of CWiC Advisors in preparation for a public lecture in April.

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College 99 is a course designation that permits a student in the College to undertake independent study with a faculty member of the University outside of the School of Arts and Sciences. A student should consider applying for a College 99 only if his or her interests cannot be accommodated through regular or independent study within a department in the School of Arts and Sciences, and only after preparatory course work has been done.

Students interested in the College 99 option should meet with Dr. Wally Pansing, assistant dean for advising in the College Office. The student will obtain an application form that consists of two sections: one to be filled out by the student, the other by the supervising faculty member.

The completed form will be examined by the Committee on Individualized Study, which will inform the student whether the course has been approved. In order to permit time for a careful review of each application, the College 99 form must be submitted to the College Office by the Advance Registration period of the semester before the one for which credit is requested.

SASFrontiers is a collection of articles, profiles and videos about research and scholarship in the School of Arts and Sciences.