Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. and Deputy Provost Beth A. Winkelstein invite nominations and expressions of interest from standing faculty members at Penn to be faculty director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF).

CURF was established in 2001 to:

• Support students pursuing transformative experiences through undergraduate research and fellowships in one centralized office serving the entire University
• Promote connections between faculty and students, encourage mentorship, and educate the Penn community about opportunities for all students and alumni
• Provide administrative oversight for the Benjamin Franklin Scholars and University Scholars programs, which have their own faculty directors and faculty councils.

CURF provides programs and resources to help undergraduate students get started in research—from connecting with faculty to writing a grant application to communicating their research—and administers signature research programs such as the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program and Grants for Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Research.

The Nationally Competitive Fellowships team in CURF supports undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni through the application process for fellowships such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships. In addition to providing an extensive database of fellowship opportunities, CURF fellowship advisors conduct outreach across campus to promote the benefits of applying for nationally competitive fellowships and guide students through the application process. Faculty members from all 12 schools support this work by interviewing applicants for nationally competitive scholarships and reviewing grant applications for undergraduate research opportunities. The new faculty director of CURF will succeed and bring together the work of the previously separate positions of faculty director for research and faculty director for fellowships. We encourage applications from faculty members who have experience with research and/or fellowships, especially former recipients of national fellowships or scholarships, and advising Penn students on research and/or fellowships. Inquiries and nominations should be sent to Deputy Provost Beth A. Winkelstein at Deputy-Provost@upenn.edu by May 30, 2025.