2026 Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program

Inside Higher Ed; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 67,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Mentorship from Penn faculty

Online GRE prep program

Participation in academic conferences

Job summary

A prominent educational institution is offering the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program for students interested in health services research. This full-time, paid internship will allow participants to work with faculty mentors from the Wharton School and participate in various seminars. Applicants should have strong quantitative skills and an interest in health care. The program runs from May 26 to August 14, 2026.

Qualifications

• Program participants should have an interest in health care and strong quantitative skills.
• An academic or research career should be something they are considering.

Responsibilities

• Work on paid research projects with Penn faculty mentors.
• Participate in a 6-month online GRE prep program.
• Attend various seminars and academic conferences.
• Present research at End of SUMR Symposium.
• Attend academic conferences.
• Participate in an 8-week critical writing program.
• Present research at End of SUMR Symposium.

Skills

Interest in health care

Strong quantitative skills

Education

Undergraduate student

Job description

2026 Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program

Join to apply for the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program role at Inside Higher Ed

Location: Philadelphia, PA
Open Date: Oct 15, 2025
Deadline: Feb 02, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program (SUMR) is a full-time, paid summer internship presented by the Wharton School's Health Care Management Department and Penn LDI at the University of Pennsylvania that introduces promising undergraduates to health services research. The 12-week program aims to promote students to conduct research in graduate programs in the fields of health economics, health care management, health policy, population health, and clinical epidemiology. SUMR 2025 will start May 26, 2026 and end on August 14, 2026.

• Work on paid research projects with Penn faculty mentors
• Hear about graduate school opportunities
• Participate in a 6-month online GRE prep program
• Attend week-long orientation and 20 seminars with Penn faculty
• Attend academic conferences
• Participate in an 8-week critical writing program
• Present research at End of SUMR Symposium

Qualifications

• Program participants should have an interest in health care and strong quantitative skills.
• Prospective participants do not have to make a commitment in advance to attend graduate school to be accepted into the program, but an academic or research career should be something they are considering.

Application Instructions

Interfolio/Dossier is the platform through which you will upload various parts of your application and allow you to track the progress of your application to SUMR. If you have not already signed into or created your Interfolio/Dossier account, use this link to do so now: https://account.interfolio.com/login. (If you are creating a new Dossier account, make sure to select the free option).

In addition to the application form, we also require a resume, an unofficial college transcript, and two confidential letters of recommendation.

The deadline is February 1, 2026. All parts of your application must be submitted by 11:59pm on February 1st. Upload your unofficial college transcript and resume to Dossier. To request letters of recommendation through Dossier, go to the Letters tab. In the upper right corner, click on "Request a Letter" and fill out the contact information for your two references.

You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete by February 1, 2026.

To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/174349.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.