Funding Opportunities

Wharton Research Common Application

Launched in Spring 2023, the Wharton Research Common Application allows faculty and PhD students to apply for research support from multiple centers and initiatives across Wharton. This common application creates opportunities for research centers and initiatives to co-fund proposals and to better deploy resources to expand the impact of research at Wharton. The application will be available twice a year, and faculty and PhD students are invited to apply for funding for the 2025-2026 academic year. Funding sponsors vary based on the year and funding cycle.

Funding Sponsors 

• Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative funds AI, analytics and data science research and programing projects. | For questions, contact Lauren Nelson Hyppolite.
• Baker Retailing Center funds retailing industry projects | For questions, contact Mina Fader.
• Finance at Wharton for projects on alternative investments, fintech, and quantitative finance | For questions, contact Lauren Hurray.
• Fishman-Davidson Center for Service and Operations Management funds projects that address the operations issues of firms in both the service and manufacturing sectors | For questions, contact Gerard Cachon
• Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative funds climate, impact investing, political risk and identity, opportunity and economic mobility and governance and business ethics projects | For questions, contact Sandra Hunt.
• Global Initiatives fund projects that explore global, cross-border, or regional (non-US) issues | For questions, contact Serguei Netessine.
• Mack Institute for Innovation Management funds innovation and entrepreneurship projects | For questions, contact Valery Yakubovich.
• The Wharton INSEAD Alliance funds collaborative projects with a faculty member or Ph.D. student from INSEAD | For questions, contact Tom Robertson.
• Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center funds real estate-related projects | For questions, contact Susan Sessa.

New Funding Opportunities

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research is pleased to announce the launch of the NextUP Program, a new resource designed to provide Penn faculty and researchers with critical impact funding to help advance selected pre-commercial Penn technologies, product candidates and compelling business ideas. The program is managed by the Office of the Chief Innovation Officer and is available to applicants across all twelve of Penn’s schools.

Gift and Grant Guide

The Wharton Gift and Grant guide provides helpful information for Wharton faculty and staff leaders of research centers and initiatives interested in utilizing gift and grant funds from corporations and foundations. This guide and the accompanying webinar provide a comprehensive overview of the gift and grant process and were developed in partnership with our colleagues at Wharton F&A, Wharton External Affairs, ORS, OGC, and PCI.

Penn Funding Opportunities

PennAI

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Penn AI Council invite Penn faculty to submit proposals for a new funding opportunity called Discovering the Future of AI. This program is designed to catalyze high-risk/high-reward research and education at the intersection of artificial intelligence and domain-specific scholarship for the benefit of society. This program moves beyond incremental advances to support research with the potential to transform a field of study and/or the educational experience through the innovative application of AI. We seek to fund visionary, collaborative projects that will challenge existing paradigms and help position Penn at the forefront of AI.

Penn Global

Penn Global administers a competitive global engagement grant program that provides resources to help faculty and staff undertake research, teaching, service, and other activities with a country, region, or international focus.

Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

Each year, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy awards grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 to support new research or supplement existing research in energy and climate policy.

We seek requests for proposals from University of Pennsylvania faculty, postdocs, and doctoral students for research projects in the areas of energy and climate policy that can leverage Penn research and support the advancement of our mission.

For questions about the research grants program, please email Oscar Serpell.

Additional Funding Opportunities

ISB-Wharton Joint Research Initiative

Grants are available to Wharton faculty to facilitate research collaboration between Wharton and the Indian School of Business (ISB). ISB has over 50 fulltime research active tenure-track or tenured standing faculty. Through its alumni network and other ties, the ISB can facilitate access to firms throughout India. ISB will facilitate access to these databases for projects funded under this initiative. Funding of projects involving human subjects will be contingent on clearance or exemption by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Pennsylvania and applicable laws, if any, in India.

For further details about funding and resources available, contact Jagmohan Raju, who manages our relationship with ISB. 

Metzler Bank Visiting Professorship at the Goethe University of Frankfurt

The Metzler Bank has long sustained a visiting professorship program to broaden offerings at the Goethe University of Frankfurt in the areas of investment banking, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, household finance, insurance, securities, and capital market analysis. The foundation’s funds are used to finance an annual exchange program for faculty of the Wharton School and the University of Frankfurt.

The next deadline will be in February 2025. To apply, please submit a two-page memo to Itay Goldstein and Olivia Mitchell with:

• Your name, Wharton address, current position, and email;
• Research motivation for visit and intended faculty collaborators at the Goethe University of Frankfurt (if possible, you should reach out to them in advance to secure a promise of collaboration);
• Potential course topics (& information on which types of students you’d target for them);
• Potential Seminar topics;
• Also, attach your CV in PDF format.

Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative Funding Opportunities

AI Research Fund

The AI Research Fund is designed to provide faculty with essential resources to explore the intersection of AI advancements with modern business models, industries, and global economies. Faculty can apply for funding for a specific project or general research support to advance their work.

Examples of support include, but are not limited to: funding for data, computing, and dataset acquisition; financial assistance for research assistants; and matching dollars for Post-Docs, Pre-Docs, and Doctoral student support.

Applications for the AI Research Fund are submitted via the Research Common Application.

AI Education Innovation Fund

The AI Education Innovation Fund is designed to support curricular innovation by providing resources for faculty to augment, adapt, and reimagine how they incorporate AI into classroom instruction and course materials for both degree and non-degree learners. By offering the necessary resources, the fund aims to accelerate the creation and enhancement of AI-related coursework and educational materials, ensuring that our offerings remain at the forefront of technological advancements.

Examples of support include, but are not limited to: funding for developing new AI courses; enhancing AI learning tools; and resources for updating and expanding existing course materials.

New for 2026: The AI Education Innovation Fund is no longer part of the Research Common Application. Requests are now accepted on a rolling basis via the AI Education Innovation Fund Application.

Applications for the Data Science and Analytics Fund are submitted via the Research Common Application.