Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships

Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships CURF supports Penn students & alumni interested in research and fellowship opportunities.

We help undergraduates connect with research opportunities, or help them make their own. We also support outstanding students when they apply for the major national and international graduate fellowships and scholarships

Congratulations to all the students who received nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships this year! We're so...
06/01/2026

Congratulations to all the students who received nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships this year! We're so proud of your hard work. If you're thinking about applying for funded opportunities to research, study, work, or teach English abroad, get started with our Fellowships Directory at the link in our bio.

What exactly are you, as a student researcher, responsible for knowing about how to act as an ethical participant in the...
05/28/2026

What exactly are you, as a student researcher, responsible for knowing about how to act as an ethical participant in the acquisition, production, and dissemination of new knowledge? Faculty members will talk about what challenges they face in their own fields, what problems students might encounter, how to approach potential issues, and how we as scholars might be held accountable by society for the arguments we construct.

Access the Zoom at the link in our bio.

Congratulations to Demi Egunjobi and Eshaal Ubaid (both COL '28), who have have been selected for the Fulbright UK Summe...
05/26/2026

Congratulations to Demi Egunjobi and Eshaal Ubaid (both COL '28), who have have been selected for the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes, one of the most selective and prestigious summer scholarship programs worldwide. The program offers U.S. undergraduates the opportunity to participate in fully funded academic and cultural programs at universities across the United Kingdom.

The Fulbright UK Summer Institutes offer U.S. undergraduates the opportunity to engage in academic study and cultural exploration while building a deeper understanding between the United States and the United Kingdom. Participants are selected based on academic achievement, leadership potential, and cultural curiosity.

Demi Egunjobi, from Providence, Rhode Island, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health and societies in the School of Arts & Sciences and plans to minor in political science. She hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in public interest law focused on health inequities, civil rights, and legislative advocacy.

At Penn, Egunjobi serves on the Philanthropy Committee in Penn Traditions and is involved with Social Impact Consulting, the Netter Center Student Advisory Board, the Nominations and Elections Committee, and Community School Student Partnerships. Through these roles, she works to strengthen connections between Penn and the greater Philadelphia community.

Eshaal Ubaid, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences studying political science with a concentration in international relations on the pre-medical track, was selected as a Fulbright UK Summer Institute participant. Through her academic and extracurricular work, Ubaid seeks to combine interests in healthcare, education, and public service to create more equitable systems and opportunities.

At Penn, Ubaid assists with neurobiological research in the Betley Lab and leads a free mentoring program for high school students. She is also involved in efforts to expand access to speech and debate education through nonprofit initiatives, including the Brooklyn Debate League, which supports underserved schools.

Recent graduate Jacob Cao (C‘26) spent last summer investigating the influence of dietary sugars on the gut microbiome w...
05/22/2026

Recent graduate Jacob Cao (C‘26) spent last summer investigating the influence of dietary sugars on the gut microbiome with mentorship from Dr. Aaron Hecht (now at the Mayo Clinic) and Dr. Gary Wu (Department of Gastroenterology). This research was supported by a College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant. Reflecting on his experience, Jacob said, “The greatest lesson of my research experience was that mentors shape scientists more than questions do.”

Click the link in our bio to read more.

05/20/2026

Adelaide Lyall (C'25, MSSP'25) is headed to the University of Edinburgh this fall on a prestigious Marshall Scholarship. Click the link in our bio to hear about the application process, the benefits of applying for fellowships, and how CURF can help you achieve your academic and career goals.

If you're part of the class of 2026, 2027, or a recent alum and are interested in applying for major fellowships like the Marshall this cycle, there's still time to fill out CURF's Spring Fellowships Consultation Form! Learn more and submit by May 29 at tinyurl.com/curfconsult.

Congratulations to the twenty-eight University of Pennsylvania students and alumni that have been offered Fulbright U.S....
05/18/2026

Congratulations to the twenty-eight University of Pennsylvania students and alumni that have been offered Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for the 2026-27 academic year! The list includes 15 members of the undergraduate Class of 2026—all May graduates, two current graduate students, and eleven alumni.

They will conduct research, pursue graduate degrees, or teach English in countries including Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, North Macedonia, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The Fulbright Program, which has rolling admissions, is the United States government’s flagship international educational exchange program, awarding grants to fund as long as 12 months of international experience. Penn consistently ranks as a “Top-Producing Institution” among those with the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Click the link in our bio to read about all of this year's recipients!

Congratulations to Maria Balhara, a third-year student majoring in philosophy of science in the College of Arts & Scienc...
05/14/2026

Congratulations to Maria Balhara, a third-year student majoring in philosophy of science in the College of Arts & Sciences, who has been named a 2026 Udall Scholar by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart I. Udall Foundation!

Balhara, of Philadelphia, is among 65 second- and third-year students selected from 383 candidates nominated by 181 colleges and universities nationwide. Scholars are recognized for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to the environment or to Native American nations. Each scholar will be awarded as much as $7,000.

Her academic work focuses on how scientific evidence is interpreted and used in environmental health and public health decision-making. She works with mentors including Quayshawn Spencer, Jordana Cohen, Brahim Chaqour, and Steven Weitzman. She has served as an AmeriCorps teacher and mentor to students from low-income backgrounds, developing educational programming on health, environmental exposure, and prevention. She has researched endocrine-disrupting chemicals and their impacts on human health, with a focus on how chemical exposures intersect with diet and risk-relevant evidence assessment. As a Fulbright United Kingdom Summer Institute participant at the University of Birmingham, she studied British culture and examined environmental and health systems in the U.K. with the goal of applying those perspectives to public-serving work in the United States.

Congratulations to Naseebullah Andar (COL '26) and Brianna Leung (SEAS '25, GEP) who have been selected as 2026 Knight-H...
05/13/2026

Congratulations to Naseebullah Andar (COL '26) and Brianna Leung (SEAS '25, GEP) who have been selected as 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars, receiving up to three years of financial support to pursue a graduate degree and global leadership training at Stanford University! They are among this year’s 87 scholars from 31 countries, chosen “to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders capable of taking on the world’s most difficult challenges.”

Click the link in our bio to read about their accomplishments!

Congratulations to Rachel Ou (COL '26) , who has been named a 2026-2027 Schwarzman Scholar! Schwarzman Scholarships fund...
05/12/2026

Congratulations to Rachel Ou (COL '26) , who has been named a 2026-2027 Schwarzman Scholar! Schwarzman Scholarships fund a one-year master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing. She is part of the 11th class of Schwarzman Scholars and will enroll at Tsinghua in August.

Ou, from Bridgewater, New Jersey, is a pre-medical student majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and design in the College of Arts & Sciences. At Penn, she researches targeted nanoparticle drug delivery in the Tsourkas Lab and serves as a patient navigator for the Center for Surgical Health at Penn Medicine, where she helps uninsured patients navigate the surgical process. She is captain of the Penn Table Tennis co-ed and women’s teams and president of Penn Chinese Calligraphy, where she organized an exhibition with the SNF Paideia Program and the Philomathean Society, fostering cross-cultural dialogue through art. As a Schwarzman Scholar, Ou aims to strengthen U.S.-China biotechnology and healthcare collaboration and plans to explore China's healthcare system reform, particularly how artificial intelligence is reshaping patient care.

Her selection brings the number of Penn students and alumni who have accepted places as Schwarzman Scholars to 28 since the program’s launch in 2016. This year, 137 scholars from 40 countries and 83 universities were selected from more than 5,800 candidates worldwide.

The Schwarzman program core curriculum focuses on leadership, China, and global affairs. The coursework, cultural immersion, and personal and professional development opportunities are designed to prepare students with an understanding of China’s changing role in the world.

Noel Palomino de la Torre (C’27) interned at the Arthur Ross Gallery last summer as part of the Summer Humanities Intern...
05/08/2026

Noel Palomino de la Torre (C’27) interned at the Arthur Ross Gallery last summer as part of the Summer Humanities Internship Program (SHIP). He conducted research for an upcoming exhibition, developed a communications strategy for the gallery’s social media presence, and compiled an inventory of past exhibition catalogs. “By learning about the research, artwork transportation, and marketing that goes into a successful exhibition, I am better informed about my career options within the art world,” he reflects.

Click the link in our bio to read more about Noel's experience!

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