Funding Opportunities Upcoming Deadlines & Opportunities (March 2025)
Basic Page Sidebar Menu Penn GSC
he Grad Center posts a regular digest of highlighted funding and professional opportunities during the regular academic year. External opportunities are shared for informational purposes only and their inclusion herein does not represent an official endorsement by the University.
Ongoing Opportunities & Rolling Deadlines
To see additional fellowships and award opportunities, visit the CURF Resources for Graduate Students and Grad Center Grants and Fellowships webpages.
Additional individual & student group funding, student employment, and financial assistance information can be found in the Graduate Funding & Finances section of the Graduate Resource Guide. Career Services has also compiled a list of various summer funding sources to assist students with professional pursuits during summer months.
Funding and Professional Opportunities
Quad Fellowship by the Institute of International Education
Deadline: March 3
The Quad Fellowship, initiated by the Quad countries of Australia, India, Japan, and the US, sponsors exceptional STEM master's and doctoral students to study in the US. The Quad Fellowship is a first-of-its-kind fellowship that offers an unparalleled blend of financial support, cross-cultural exchange, and networking, including:
- A one-time stipend of $20,000 for academic expenses
- Networking opportunities with accomplished minds in STEM, government, and society
- Cross-global alumni network dedicated to advancing innovation and research for positive social impact
Penn Graduate Student Government Travel & Research Grants
Deadline: March 10
Several graduate organizations use a portion of their student activity fee allocation to fund grants for individual travel, research, and professional development. These programs include:
- SASGov grants: Support for SAS Graduate Division research students to pursue research and professional development
- GSESG grants: Support for GSE students for conference travel and research
- Nursing DSO grants: Support for Nursing PhD students conducting eligible travel or research
- GAPSA Conference and Professional Travel Grants: Grants of up to $2000 to reimburse students for costs associated with travel to and participate in academic and professional conferences or meetings.
Laura Bassi Scholarship
Deadline: March 31
Provides up to $2500 in editorial assistance to master's, doctoral, and junior academics whose research focuses on neglected topics of study within their disciplines, broadly construed. All currently enrolled master’s and doctoral candidates are eligible to apply, as are academics in the first five years of full-time employment. Applicants are required to submit a completed application form along with their CV through the application portal by the relevant deadline. Application fee; waivers available.
PIDC-D'Alessio Scholarship for Urban Development
Deadline: March 31
Scholarships of $2500 and a paid internship with PIDC for graduate students pursuing a career in urban studies, economics, law, public administration, real estate, regional and/or city planning, and urban planning and design.
Schmidt Science Fellows
Nomination Deadline: April 4
Penn is one of a select number of institutions invited to nominate graduating PhD students for the Schmidt Science Fellows in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. Schmidt Fellows receive a stipend of $110,000 a year for up to 2 years, and are supported to pursue a postdoctoral placement at a world-leading laboratory anywhere in the world in a disciplinary pivot from their PhD. During their Fellowship Year(s), they also participate in a varied and challenging Global Meeting Series that introduces new research ideas, techniques, and questions, in addition to a tailored training program. Students must complete a PhD in the sciences before the deadline and should be nominated by a faculty member.
Call for nominations has been shared with Penn graduate deans and faculty in eligible schools. Open to students in Nursing, SAS, SEAS, and PSOM-BGS. Internal school processes for selection may vary. Contact your school's associate dean for graduate studies or graduate group chair for more information. Learn more about the program here.
National Institute of Social Sciences (NISS) Dissertation Grant Program
University Nomination Deadline: April 4
NISS Dissertation Grants are designed to support outstanding Ph.D. students who need additional resources to complete doctoral work that promises to significantly advance their fields of study. Grants of up to $5000 may be used to cover any necessary expenses related to completing a dissertation, including but not limited to travel to a library or archive, photography or photocopying, field research, and conference support. NISS seeks projects in the fields of Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Interdisciplinary projects that include one or more of these fields as a major component may also be considered.
Eligible doctoral students must apply for nomination. More information and instructions are provided here.
GAPSA Summer Internship Funding Program
Deadline: April 4
Graduate students seeking summer internship experiences that are unfunded may now apply for a limited pool of summer internship funding from Penn Career Services. With financial support from GAPSA, Penn Career Services has limited funds in 2025 to support selected students to pursue unfunded summer opportunities. Awards are intended to cover travel expenses, living expenses, and/or other expenses related to the summer experience, up to $3,500. Funding amounts will be related to the career development value of the internship, the number of hours/weeks, and the identified needs of students.
This funding is open to all degree-seeking, residential (i.e., not fully online) graduate students whose graduation date is scheduled for or after August 2025. This is a competitive process - please pay close attention to the details on the program webpage. Learn more and apply here.
Google PhD Fellowship
University nomination deadline: April 14
Recognizes outstanding graduate students conducting research in computer science and related fields. Current PhD students only. Learn more
YH Park Fellowship in Korean Studies
Deadline: April 14
Provides PhD tuition, 12-month stipend, and health insurance to graduate students in the humanities, social sciences, international management, international studies, or fine arts whose primary research area is Korea and whose dissertation will be on Korea. Fellows are expected to continue their scholarly activities outside of Korea after graduation and must have sufficient proficiency to use Korean-language sources in conducting research and writing dissertations. Open to current master's or PhD students. Open to US citizens and non-US citizens. Learn more.
National Institute of Justice's Graduate Research Fellowship
Deadline: April 22
NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program supports doctoral research with relevance to criminal or juvenile justice in the United States. This includes criminology, victimization and victim services, forensic science, technology for law enforcement, and more. Applications from all fields of study are welcome, with few exceptions. The fellowship provides up to three years of support within a five-year period, including a yearly stipend, cost of education allowance, and research funds.
Dow Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST) Symposium
Deadline: April 30 | Symposium Dates: July 28-30
This annual conference was developed to introduced advanced doctoral students and postdoctoral scientists from minoritized backgrounds to the range of rewarding careers in industrial research and, in particular, to opportunities with one of the world’s largest and leading materials science companies, Dow. Applicants must be pursuing degrees in: Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or other closely related fields and should have a doctorate degree or expect to receive one by December 2026. Please visit the BEST Symposium website for more details and to apply.
DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program
Deadline: May 7
Supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to pursue part of their dissertation research at a Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory/facility in areas that address scientific challenges central to the Office of Science mission. Application assistance workshops and office hours available starting March 7
Ongoing Opportunities or Rolling Deadlines
Campaign for Community Grants
Deadline: rolling
The Campaign for Community aims to strengthen our Penn community by finding ways to discuss and understand key issues that may appear to be difficult or intractable. The program provides grants of up to $1500 for projects and activities that help advance the Campaign's goals of encouraging mutual understanding, respect, and discussion among members of the community on important topics.
Dirksen Congressional Center Congressional Research Grants
Deadline: rolling
Eligibility: Students with a serious interest in studying Congress; a significant portion of the funds is awarded for PhD dissertation research
Data Incubator Data Science Fellowship
Deadlines: Multiple sessions each year, deadlines vary.
An advanced 8-week fellowship for PhDs looking to enter industry. Free for admitted Fellows. Participate either in person in New York City, Washington, DC, the San Francisco Bay Area, or online.
Harold J. Haskins Research Grant
Supports research-related costs for graduate students affiliated with the Center for Africana Studies. The grant can be applied to costs including but not limited to research expenses, travel, conference attendance, and stipends. Each student is eligible for a maximum of $1,500 per academic year. Applications may be submitted at any time.
Penn Employment Opportunities
Recent graduates interested in pursuing a full-time employment opportunity at Penn are encouraged to review opportunities listed on the Careers@Penn website.
New and continuing students - in addition to any student employment opportunities listed above, you can learn more about student employment at Penn on the following sites:
