Gelfman International Summer Fund
The Gelfman International Summer Fund has been established to create opportunities for personally enriching international research and/or service for students in the summer between their junior and senior year. The Fund is expected to cover two or three students each summer. Penn juniors from any of Penn’s undergraduate schools and in any discipline are eligible.
Applicants are asked to define and describe the project they will carry out as well as a budget of the project costs. Each application must have a local project affiliate where the student will work or study and include a letter of willingness from that person. Applicants, in defining their projects, will identify and seek out appropriate affiliations for themselves.
Each application must also have a letter of support from a member of Penn’s faculty. This letter should come from someone with experience conducting similaror related work in the same geographic area in order to speak to the general feasibility of the project. Applicants are advised to seek out and develop mentor relationships with appropriate Penn faculty members in designing their projects.
Guidelines for the Gelfman International Summer Fund are intentionally open-ended to permit students to dream and define their own projects. It is expected that the process of designing a project, seeking out guidance, developing local affiliates and crafting a budget could take several months. Prospective applicants are therefore encouraged to begin preparing early and invited to discuss their ideas with Dr. Harriet Joseph, CURF Director, or Dr. Wallace Genser, Associate Director for Research.
Gelfman Fund recipients will be expected to keep a journal, take photos, and/or prepare academic results from their experience, as appropriate. After their return, all recipients will give a presentation of their experiences.
Application
Please follow all instructions on the application form and Faculty Recommendation form.
Also ask your local project affiliate to send a letter, stating their willingness to work with you, to
Applications will be due February 15, 2009.
Decisions will be made and announced no later than March 16, 2009.