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College Alumni Society Research Grant

One of the great strengths of the University of Pennsylvania is its capacity to offer significant research experiences to its undergraduates. Members of Penn’s alumni community have created a number of grants to support research and scholarly work of undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences. Due to the generosity of Penn alumni, grants are now available in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Complete descriptions of these awards are available at the end of this announcement. Research in any field is eligible for support. Examples of funded projects can be found here. Only students in the College of Arts & Sciences are eligible to apply.

Applications and all supporting materials, including Faculty recommendations, are due electronically to by 4:00 PM, Friday, October 30.

These grants are intended to help pay the costs of research projects proposed by students and approved by a faculty panel. Students do not need to specify which grant they are applying for; all use the same application form and deadline, and proposals will be automatically allocated to the appropriate fund.

The grants will be administered according to the following guidelines:

  1. The project shall represent original research or scholarship allowing the student to make a significant contribution to knowledge.
  2. The project shall be largely conceived and executed by the student and not simply represent faculty research in which the student assists.
  3. While students inherently must investigate their projects before applying for funding, grants will be made only for projects to be carried out after the proposal has been approved. Decisions will be made in December and April of each academic year for projects that are to be conducted during the academic year or the following summer. In no case will projects already completed be funded.
  4. Each project shall have a faculty advisor who will normally be a member of the SAS standing faculty. In some cases, a qualified advisor from outside the SAS faculty may be appropriate, subject to the approval of the student’s undergraduate chair or program director.
  5. Recipients are expected to complete their projects before graduation, and therefore students in their final undergraduate semester are ineligible to apply.
  6. Funding should be used to help defray the student’s research costs and should not be a substitute for financial aid nor for the advisor’s research funding. Types of expenses to which the funds may be applied include travel to libraries, museums, archives, and research sites; living expenses that would enable the student to remain at the University during the summer; research equipment and supplies, including books, films, and photocopying; computer or laboratory fees; and, specialized computer peripherals and software. (Reimbursement of living expenses may be taxable.) Items that cost $500 or more with a useful life of one year or more must be purchased with a University purchase requisition and will remain the property of the University. Last year’s awards ranged from $750 to $1,000; the maximum for each award this year is expected to be about $1,000.
  7. All applicants must be undergraduate students in good standing in the University of Pennsylvania community.

Deadlines and Procedure for Application

Fall funding cycle Deadline: 4:00pm, Friday, October 30, 2009 (Applicants notified by December 22)

Spring funding cycle Deadline: 4:00pm, Thursday, March 4, 2010 (Applicants notified by April 20)

Applications will be evaluated by a faculty committee designated by CURF. Applications with late material risk being not considered.

Prepare your proposal in consultation with your faculty research advisor and with the undergraduate chair in your major department or your major program director. Prepare a single .pdf file that must contain the first four components in this order:

  1. Short abstract (on a separate page; no longer than 100 words)
  2. Objectives and Methodology (2 pages maximum)
    1. State the objectives and relevance of the proposed work in terms intelligible to an educated non-specialist.
    2. Evaluate existing knowledge and work in the area and provide a brief background summary to the proposed work.
    3. Describe the design and procedures to be employed and provide a timetable and implementation plan for completion of the project.
  3. Itemized Budget, plus total (on a separate page). List each budget item in order of priority and justify it in terms of the work proposed. The amount given may be less than requested.
  4. An electronic version of your Penn InTouch transcript (Create an electronic copy of your Penn transcript by copying and pasting your Penn InTouch transcript into a Word document and typing your name and Penn ID number at the top of the page and save it as a pdf.).

Once you have all these materials combined into a single .pdf file, fill out the application form here: Common Research Grant Application Make sure to upload your supplementary materials in the appropriate field.

In addition, your faculty research advisor must separately submit a supporting letter of recommendation on your behalf. In this letter, your faculty advisor should discuss the feasibility of the project and the adequacy of your preparation to undertake it. The letter should make clear the nature and extent of your contribution in formulating and carrying out the project. Please provide your faculty advisor with a signed hard copy of the Recommendation form (indicating whether or not you waive your right of access to the letter), and ask your faculty advisor to sent the completed letter electronically to with the “Subject” line: “CASR Grant for YOUR LAST NAME.”

Download Recommendation Form

Requirements and Procedures for Receiving Funding

Funds will not be disbursed until students review CURF’s information on Ethics and Compliance and complete and submit all necessary forms, including the Research Experience Checklist and Waiver of Liability. Students receiving funding must submit a completed Research Experience Checklist and Waiver of Liability electronically to with the Subject line: “YOUR LAST NAME, Checklist CASR”

Once the Research Experience Checklist and Waiver of Liability has been submitted to CURF and approved, research funds and a copy of your budget will be sent to the Business Administrator (BA) of your major department. The BA will be asked to reimburse you for receipts you present which reasonably match the amounts and purposes you listed in your budget.
Research involving animals or hazardous materials must also be submitted at the same time for approval by the relevant University oversight committees. Students should consult with their faculty research advisors to correctly submit any necessary forms.

Research Awards Supported by the College Alumni Society

  • College Alumni Society Grants
    • The Ernest M. Brown, Jr. College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant, for students in the life sciences or preparing for medical school.
    • The College Alumni Society Board of Managers and Presidents Undergraduate Research Grants
    • The Allison Lazo Hallingby College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant, for undergraduates in Architecture.
    • The Ruth Marcus Kanter College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
    • The Kelson Family College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant, for projects in environmental studies, theater arts, architecture or Russian studies.
    • The Kanta Marwah College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant, for projects in economics.
    • The Mary L. And Matthew S. Santirocco College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant, for projects in classics, humanities, or biomedical studies.
    • The Cabanne C. Smith College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant, for theater arts.
  • The Louis H Castor, M.D., C’48 Undergraduate Research Grant, for students planning careers in family medicine and projects in related disciplines.
  • The Goldfeder Family Undergraduate Research Grant, for projects in biological sciences.
  • The Dean’s Research Award, for laboratory biomedical research.
  • The Milstein Family Undergraduate Research Grant, for projects in psychology or urban studies.
  • The Pincus-Magaziner Family Undergraduate Research and Travel Fund, for students majoring in biology, biological basis of behavior, literature, English, art history or mathematics.
  • The Rosemary D. Mazzatenta Asssociation of Alumnae Scholars Award, for research, travel expense or to support an unpaid internship.

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