University of Pennsylvania Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships

What University of Pennsylvania Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships does

The University of Pennsylvania Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) is an administrative center within the University of Pennsylvania that has operated for over 25 years to support Penn undergraduates in pursuing research, competitive fellowships, and scholars programs. CURF serves the full Penn undergraduate population as its primary customer base, alongside Penn graduate students, alumni, and faculty who advise or mentor undergraduates. Its core product portfolio includes the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM), which matches first- and second-year students with faculty mentors for a 10-week summer of full-time research and provides a $5,000 stipend; the Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP), funding approximately 25 humanities internships per year at cultural and archival institutions with a $5,500 award; the Benjamin Franklin Scholars and University Scholars honors programs; the President's Engagement Prize and President's Innovation Prize for graduating seniors; and a portfolio of more than 20 additional grant and funding programs. The center also delivers one-on-one fellowship advising for highly competitive awards including Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Schwarzman, Knight-Hennessy, Boren, Gates Cambridge, and the Lafayette Fellowship, and consistently produces outcomes such as 28 Fulbright grants in the 2026-27 cycle and recurring Top-Producing Institution status.

CURF does not develop proprietary technology. Its operational stack consists of Survey Monkey Apply for grant and fellowship submissions, the curf.upenn.edu website as the primary information and engagement hub, PennKey-authenticated student portal access, Calendly for virtual advising appointments, and standard email/social channels for outreach. All student-facing services and grant disbursements are provided free of charge, and CURF generates no commercial revenue. The center is funded through University of Pennsylvania budget allocations and alumni/endowed gifts as an administrative unit rather than a commercial entity.

CURF's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: students are reached through in-person advising at the College Hall G08/09 office, virtual appointments, a weekly email newsletter, Instagram (@upenncurf), and on-campus events such as the Fall Research Expo, Summer Research Workshops, and Fellowships Info Sessions. The center also leverages faculty advisors and Penn's 12 academic schools as channel partners, embedding itself within Penn's existing distribution infrastructure rather than building an independent go-to-market motion.

Name

University of Pennsylvania Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships

Legal name

University of Pennsylvania Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships

Website

https://curf.upenn.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CURF is an administrative center within the University of Pennsylvania that advises undergraduates on competitive fellowships, administers grant and scholars programs, and funds summer research and internships, all free to Penn students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research and Fellowship Advising

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Support & Learning Assistance (Tutoring Centers) (EDALABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Undergraduate research advising
• Fellowship application support
• Student research funding
• Scholars program administration
• University academic advising

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. University Funding: CURF is funded by the University of Pennsylvania as an administrative center within the university structure. It receives institutional budget allocations to support operations and program administration. CURF does not generate revenue from students but rather distributes funding awards to eligible students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CURF provides free advising, programmatic funding, and fellowship application support to University of Pennsylvania undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni. Its core offerings include the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM), the Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP), fellowship advising for prestigious awards (Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Boren, Schwarzman, Knight-Hennessy), the Benjamin Franklin Scholars and University Scholars programs, and the President's Engagement and Innovation Prizes. The center connects students with faculty mentors, administers grant funding, and hosts research expos and workshops.

Product overview

Penn CURF provides a comprehensive suite of programs supporting undergraduate research, fellowship applications, and scholarly development. The core offerings include PURM (10-week summer faculty-mentored research), SHIP (humanities internships at cultural institutions), fellowship advising for prestigious awards (Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Boren, Schwarzman, Knight-Hennessy), the Benjamin Franklin and University Scholars programs, President's Prizes for post-graduation projects, and the College Alumni Society Research Grant program. These services collectively enable Penn undergraduates to pursue transformative academic experiences from their first year through graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PURM (Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program): Program providing first or second-year Penn students the opportunity to spend a summer conducting research under Penn faculty guidance. Students receive $5,000 to support participation.
• SHIP (Summer Humanities Internship Program)
• Benjamin Franklin Scholars
• University Scholars

Products and services

• Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM) A summer research program that matches Penn freshmen and sophomores with standing faculty mentors for 10 weeks of full-time research across all Penn schools. Students receive a $5,000 award to support participation. Up to 50 students are accepted per cohort.
• Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP) A 10-week summer internship program funding approximately 25 Penn students to work in humanities and social sciences settings at cultural, historical, or archival institutions. Each participant receives a $5,500 award. Host sites include Penn Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, National Constitution Center, Arthur Ross Gallery, Scribe Video Center, and WXPN.
• Fellowship Advising Personalized advising and application support services for Penn students and alumni applying to competitive national and international fellowships including Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Gates Cambridge, Boren, Schwarzman, Knight-Hennessy, McCall MacBain, and Luce. Free for all Penn students.
• Benjamin Franklin Scholars and University Scholars Programs Dual honors programs overseen by CURF offering interdisciplinary academic opportunities for high-achieving undergraduates at Penn. Benjamin Franklin Scholars is a combined academic and professional development program, while University Scholars is a scholarly program for exceptional Penn undergraduates.
• President's Engagement Prize and President's Innovation Prize Post-graduation awards administered by CURF supporting Penn seniors in pursuing innovative projects in communities, public service, or entrepreneurial ventures. The President's Engagement Prize and President's Innovation Prize are awarded annually to graduating students.
• College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant Merit-based grants of up to $1,000 supporting original research projects by College of Arts & Sciences undergraduates, with fall and spring application deadlines. Co-funded by the College of Arts & Sciences.
• Grants and Funding Opportunities A portfolio of over 20 grant programs including travel grants, international research funds, discipline-specific awards, and external program listings supporting undergraduate research at Penn.
• Research Directory and Faculty Matching A directory connecting undergraduates with faculty mentors and research opportunities across Penn's twelve schools, enabling students to find suitable research positions.
• Research Peer Advisors Trained peer advisors providing guidance to undergraduates on getting started with research, finding mentors, and navigating funding options.
• Events and Workshops (Research Expo, Fellowships Info Sessions) Organization of research expos, poster sessions, workshops, and fellowship information events for the Penn undergraduate community, including the Fall Research Expo and Summer Research Workshop.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 Fulbright grants awarded in 2026-27 cycle
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Perry World HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURF works with Perry World House on student fellowship advising and coordinates programming for students interested in global affairs and international policy. Perry World House Student Fellows overlap with CURF-supported students.
• College of Arts & SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe College of Arts & Sciences co-funds CURF programs including the Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP) and College Alumni Society Research Grants, providing both administrative support and funding.
• Penn's Twelve SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURF serves students across all 12 of Penn's schools including the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and Wharton School. Faculty from all schools participate as research mentors.
• Fulbright Program / U.S. Department of StateflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURF serves as Penn's primary liaison for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, supporting students through the application process and consistently producing top numbers of recipients.
• Schwarzman Scholars Program / Schwarzman College at Tsinghua UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURF administers the Schwarzman Scholarship application process for Penn students, providing advising, application review, and nomination support for this prestigious global fellowship.
• Beckman Scholars Program / Beckman FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURF administers the Beckman Scholars Program at Penn, selecting two scholars annually for three years to conduct independent laboratory research in biomedical sciences.
• External Cultural and Research Institutions (SHIP host sites)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCURF partners with external organizations including Penn Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, National Constitution Center, Arthur Ross Gallery, Scribe Video Center, WXPN, and other cultural institutions to provide internship placements for SHIP students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Princeton Office of Undergraduate Research: Princeton's central hub for undergraduate research funding, advising, and faculty mentor matching. Directly comparable to CURF's PURM, grants, and research directory offerings within a peer Ivy institution.
• Brown University Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships: Brown's office supports undergraduate research and national/international fellowship advising. Direct peer to CURF in mission, programming, and Ivy League context.
• Columbia Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships: Columbia's CURAF provides undergraduate research support and fellowship advising with a structure and mission closely parallel to Penn CURF. Comparable scale and portfolio of named fellowship advising.
• Harvard College Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships: Harvard's equivalent center advising undergraduates on research, fellowships, and scholarships. Most directly comparable to Penn CURF given overlapping scope (Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall advising) and similar Ivy League student population.
• Yale College Office of Undergraduate Research: Yale's center coordinating undergraduate research opportunities and fellowships advising. Comparable institutional role to CURF at a peer Ivy with similar advising, funding, and event programming.
• Cornell Undergraduate Research Office: Cornell's office supporting undergraduate research and fellowship advising across schools. Comparable to CURF in administering grants, fellowships, and faculty mentor connections for undergrads.

Emerging players

• Duke Office of Undergraduate Research Support: Duke's undergraduate research support office provides comparable advising and grant funding to CURF, though at a non-Ivy peer institution with somewhat narrower fellowship advising footprint.

Others

• Fulbright U.S. Student Program: External program administered by the U.S. Department of State that CURF supports students applying to. Not a peer in the institutional sense but a core upstream/downstream partner for CURF's most prominent outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• MIT Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming: MIT's central undergraduate advising office that handles research opportunities, fellowships, and academic support. Comparable advising and fellowship scope to CURF, though embedded in a tech-focused curriculum.
• Stanford Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education: Stanford's umbrella undergraduate education office includes research and fellowship advising functions. Larger scope than CURF but overlapping programming in undergraduate research funding and prestigious fellowship support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/upenncurf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upenn-curf-center-for-undergraduate-research-and-fellowships

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Pennsylvania Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships