Council On Undergraduate Research Research Articles

Mentorship In Converting Research Into A CURE: The Mentoring The Integration Of Research Into The Curriculum (MIRIC) Initiative

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Vision and Change document has spurred several initiatives designed to improve the way in which undergraduates learn science. Often, these initiatives have been disseminated as one‐time workshops that generate awareness of and interest in developing authentic research experiences for undergraduate STEM classrooms. Conversely, whole “standardized” curricula have been developed and made available for adoption. However, successfully generating the sustainable change necessary to bring real reform to undergraduate science education should benefit both students and faculty scholarship. To create sustainable change, long‐term faculty development initiatives focused on mentorship are needed so that instructors can develop and implement sustainable curricula with local relevance. Experienced instructors seasoned in developing and implementing course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) based on their own scholarship and local resources can convey their experiences to mentees interested in using these pedagogical techniques as the centerpiece of their own teaching. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Biology Division has created the Mentorship for Integrating Research Into the Classroom (MIRIC) program to provide a means for members with an interest in developing improved and sustainable active learning techniques to gain experience in this style of teaching through close, long‐term interaction with a veteran teaching mentor. Developed from the former ASCB Mentorship in Active Learning and Teaching (MALT) program, MIRIC focuses on the development of instructors who wish to develop a dynamic CURE. Current and future life science instructors pair themselves up with seasoned veterans of CURE development and work with them and their students over the course of a semester or longer to develop a CURE that will allow the mentee to bring authentic research into his or her classes. In our pilot studies, we collected qualitative data based on participant interviews that suggest that MIRIC mentorships have made positive gains in promoting sustainable active learning techniques among participants. Since then, we have surveyed the first cohort on both the success of their CURE development process as well as the benefits of the mentoring relationship on both the mentors and mentees using validated questions derived from Mathur (2012) and Pamuk and Thompson (2009).Support or Funding Information‐The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)

Mentorship for developing course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs): The Council on Undergraduate Research Mentorship for Integrating Research into the Classroom (MIRIC) program

The life science education community has responded to the recommendations of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Vision and Change document with several initiatives designed to improve the way in which undergraduates learn science. These initiatives have often taken the form of one‐time workshops that generate awareness of and interest in developing authentic research experiences for undergraduate STEM classrooms. However, they have been less successful with respect to generating the sustainable change necessary to bring real reform to undergraduate science education. To create sustainable change, long‐term faculty development initiatives focused on mentorship are needed so that instructors seasoned in developing and implementing course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can convey their experiences to mentees interested in using these pedagogical techniques as the centerpiece of their own teaching. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Biology Division has created the Mentorship for Integrating Research Into the Classroom (MIRIC) program to provide a means for members with an interest in developing improved and sustainable active learning techniques to gain experience in this style of teaching through close, long‐term interaction with a veteran teaching mentor.Developed from the former ASCB Mentorship in Active Learning and Teaching (MALT) program, MIRIC focuses on the development of instructors who wish to develop a dynamic CURE. Current and future life science instructors pair themselves up with seasoned veterans of CURE development and work with them and their students over the course of a semester or longer to develop a CURE that will allow the mentee to bring authentic research into his or her classes.In our pilot studies, we collected qualitative and quantitative data based on participant interviews and coding videos of student and instructor actions during classroom activity (Smith et al., 2013), respectively, that suggest that MIRIC mentorships have made positive gains in promoting sustainable active learning techniques among participants. Going forward, we wish to use instruments like the Laboratory Course Assessment Survey (Corwin et al., 2015) and Experimental Design Ability Test (Sirum and Humburg 2011) to assess the effectiveness of the MIRIC laboratory intervention.Support or Funding InformationCouncil on Undergraduate Research (CUR)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

UR in Curriculum: DNA Barcoding Research Tool can be Scaled from Traditional to Course‐based Research Project with Ease

Most of our students at Queensborough Community College, CUNY are first generation, non‐traditional students with a vast majority working full‐time or part‐time to meet family obligations and sustain themselves outside the classroom. As an educator, one has to constantly be mindful of this reality. While a few of our students can follow a traditional one‐on‐one research model, majority cannot. Therefore, the option to bring research to them in their classrooms was considered as part of the CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research) initiative. This pedagogy was reluctantly implemented in honors courses in the Biotechnology degree program.UR (undergraduate research) has since been institutionalized and used cross curriculum in multiple disciplines. A formal approach has been implemented for faculty development. Authentic research experiences are embedded in the curriculum. I partnered with Cold Spring Harbor DNA Barcoding Lab that runs an Urban Barcoding project. This was originally done to help local high school students with authentic research experience. Later, I requested the Urban Barcoding Project team to allow my Queens borough students to participate in the project. I incorporated a DNA Barcoding experiment in my Genetics course as an honors component. Biotechnology students served as mentors to Genetics students while being closely supervised. This served as a capstone experience for sophomores at a community college. A detailed curriculum and assessment strategy was developed for the DNA Barcoding to be incorporated in the curriculum. The Queens borough honors committee then approved this project and its timeline. Students developed a hypothesis driven project while working in teams of three. They met during free club hours all semester long to complete their lab work and analyze their results. This experience also became part of their resume and helped them tremendously as they applied for senior colleges or competitive summer research programs after graduation. After seeing the significant success of this project, my belief that students learn more when they get to do hands on science was reaffirmed. Students not only retained skills that are transferrable but also gainedvconfidence in their skills and work as a team toward completion of their project.This experience also made me realize that the DNA Barcoding project can be scaled from two to twenty students with great ease! I have offered DNA Barcoding project in three settings: Traditional mentor mentee experience; Course‐based authentic research experience and Peer‐Led authentic research experience. Pros and cons for all three will be discussed.Support or Funding InformationNIH‐BioPREP QCC ‐ Stony Brook CollaborationThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Mentorship for developing course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs): The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Mentorship for Integrating Research Into the Classroom (MIRIC) program

The life science education community has responded to the recommendations of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Vision and Change document with several initiatives designed to improve the way in which undergraduates learn science. These initiatives have often taken the form of one‐time workshops that generate awareness of and interest in developing authentic research experiences for undergraduate STEM classrooms. However, they have been less successful with respect to generating the sustainable change necessary to bring real reform to undergraduate science education. To create sustainable change, long‐term faculty development initiatives focused on mentorship are needed so that instructors seasoned in developing and implementing course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can convey their experiences to mentees interested in using these pedagogical techniques as the centerpiece of their own teaching. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Biology Division and American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Education Committee are creating the Mentorship for Integrating Research Into the Classroom (MIRIC) program to provide a means for members with an interest in developing improved and sustainable active learning techniques to gain experience in this style of teaching through close, long‐term interaction with a veteran teaching mentor.Developed from the former ASCB Mentorship in Active Learning and Teaching (MALT) program, MIRIC focuses on the development of instructors who wish to develop a dynamic CURE. Current and future life science instructors pair themselves up with seasoned veterans of CURE development and work with them and their students over the course of a semester or longer to develop a CURE that will allow the mentee to bring authentic research into his or her classes.In our pilot studies, we collected qualitative and quantitative data based on participant interviews and coding videos of student and instructor actions during classroom activity (Smith et al., 2013), respectively, that suggest that MIRIC/MALT mentorships have made positive gains in promoting sustainable active learning techniques among participants. Going forward, we wish to use instruments like the Laboratory Course Assessment Survey (Corwin et al., 2015) and Experimental Design Ability Test (Sirum and Humburg 2011) to assess the effectiveness of the MIRIC laboratory intervention.MIRIC will undergo its full launch in 2018. At present, please consult http://www.ascb.org/mentoring‐in‐active‐learning‐and‐teaching‐malt/ for more information on becoming involved.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR): What's in it for Post‐Docs and New Faculty? Advancing your research career with/through the Council on Undergraduate Research

This poster is intended for post‐docs and new faculty to identify the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) as a professional society that supports and promotes high‐quality undergraduate student‐faculty collaborative research and scholarship. What is CUR: The Council on Undergraduate Research, is a national organization of individual and institutional members representing over 900 colleges and universities. CUR achieves its vision through efforts of its membership organized into 13 disciplinary divisions including Biology. In an effort to raise the visibility of this professional organization, The Biology Division of CUR has recently initiated outreach efforts aimed at post‐docs to raise awareness about building a successful and fulfilling research program with primarily undergraduate students. Our workshops and topics have included topics such as ‐ (1) Examining the academic environment at primarily undergraduate institutions, and others that do not have doctoral program, (2) Preparing oneself to be competitive for faculty positions at these institutions, and (3) Balancing research and teaching responsibilities as a beginning investigator. Conferences: A biennial conference features workshops as well as presentations by faculty and administrators, and other stakeholders with an interest in promoting undergraduate research. A yearly forum called CUR Dialogues brings together representatives of funding agencies and foundations, to discuss funding opportunities to support undergraduate research. NCUR is a conference for students which is held each year at an academic campus. In addition to providing a forum for undergraduate presentations, this venue assists under‐represented students in the development of networks and support structures. Undergraduate Students are selected to participate in a yearly forum called Posters on the Hill, which raises awareness with legislators about the educational significance of undergraduate research. Other CUR Activities: Faculty development opportunities are offered through Institutes and Workshops (Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research, Initiating and Sustaining Undergraduate Research Programs, Proposal Writing, and Beginning a Research Program); Publishing books and articles related to creating, managing, and evaluating undergraduate research programs, including CUR Quarterly, the organization's journal; Assisting administrators and faculty members in improving and assessing the research environment at their institutions; Providing information on the importance of undergraduate research to state legislatures, private foundations, government agencies, and the U.S. Congress.

A Survey of Library Support for Formal Undergraduate Research Programs

Undergraduate research is defined by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) as “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.” This study serves as a snapshot of current library practices in relation to formal undergraduate research programs and identifies common elements of library support among different types of institutions. The results of this research fill a gap in both the library and education literature, provide critical background data for libraries wishing to build support for undergraduate research programs, and suggest a foundation for further research into an underexplored area.

CUR and NCUR Join Forces on Undergraduate Research

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) have officially joined forces under the CUR banner. Building on a long-standing alliance, the joint organization will be a leading voice for undergraduate research both within the academic community and with external constituencies. The merged organization will also continue to support undergraduate research students through the annual NCUR meeting, and faculty mentors through publications, institutes, advocacy efforts, and the biannual national meeting, among other resources.

Role of Undergraduate Research in an Excellent and Rigorous Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

In 2008, the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Committee on Professional Training (CPT) issued new guidelines for the approval of undergraduate chemistry programs. Undergraduate research continues to meet the requirements for a portion of laboratory hours necessary for a certified degree, and can also contribute to the in-depth course requirements. The CPT supplements on undergraduate research, excellent and rigorous undergraduate programs, and student skills expand on the pedagogical advantages of undergraduate research. The ACS Guidelines and CPT supplements are supportive of the important role that a research-supportive curriculum can play in the development and training of chemistry students. Departments interested in establishing or strengthening research-rich environments can find support from the ACS Guidelines and from the resources available through the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).

Transformative Research Initiative: The Role of Undergraduate Institutions

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) recently held a summit meeting to address the role of undergraduate institutions in transformative research. This summit was prompted by the omission of undergraduate institutions from the conversation that had occurred at several National Science Board workshops held between 2004 and 2006 to identify key factors to foster transformative science. Given that the National Science Foundation Grant Proposal Guide has now incorporated the revised new intellectual merit criterion specifying potential transformative research, this CUR summit meeting sought to provide recommendations to individuals, PUI institutions, CUR, and federal funding agencies to enable faculty at predominantly undergraduate institutions to submit competitive proposals successfully satisfying this criterion.

Barriers to Seeking External Research Funding: Perceptions and Facts

Members of the scientific community are keenly aware of the intense competition for research funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies. Pressure for external funding is further exacerbated by the declining economy and reduced institutional budgets. For primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) seeking to expand and enhance their undergraduate research opportunities, the need for research support from external funding agencies is critical. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) continues to aggressively communicate the needs of the PUI community to federal and private funding sources. One of CUR's historic roles has been to help faculty members overcome the barriers to establishing and sustaining a productive research program that incorporates undergraduate collaborators. Thus, CUR routinely seeks to better understand the obstacles that keep potential grant applicants from applying. This helps the organization to provide compelling evidence of these concerns to funding agencies and to develop the most effective initiatives to support PUI faculty.

Strengthening Undergraduate Social Work Research: Models and Strategies

There is debate in the social work education community regarding the structure and depth of undergraduate research. This article emphasizes the importance of a commitment to undergraduate research in social work education. Because generalist practice is the first level of professional practice, students in baccalaureate programs need to be prepared to assess their own practice, evaluate the effectiveness of agencies and organizational structures, and study societal issues affecting clients. All of these components are vital to effective practice. The authors present the current state of undergraduate research, discuss issues in undergraduate research, and provide models and strategies to strengthen undergraduate research to prepare students for practice and graduate education. They also emphasize the benefits of undergraduate research for students and faculty and for the social work profession. KEY WORDS: evidence-based practice; research models; social work education; teaching research; undergraduate research ********** Research at the undergraduate level has been offered long social work accreditation has been in existence. Undergraduate research is receiving national attention in many universities and in many disciplines, including social work. Much of this attention is because of the efforts of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), which has defined undergraduate research inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original, intellectual, or creative contribution to the discipline (CUR, 2007). This reflects the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) definition of research in its statement on research integrity as a systematic process of investigation and analysis that develops and promulgates generalizable knowledge to inform professional practice and social policy (CSWE, 2006, p. 2). IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL Research is one of the central elements to improving students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Understanding and applying research methods, ethics, and conduct rules strengthen students' ability to value subjects and outcomes that affect them. Other benefits include learning to read the discipline's literature in critical ways to understand the issues in social work and the methods of evaluating them; understand the link between theory and professional intervention; develop communication skills; learn to work independently; expand innovation and creativity; use technology, including specific research-based computer programs; and work successfully with diverse people. Students develop stronger problem-solving skills and an enhanced ability to apply academic concepts to practice situations both in their field internships and in professional practice. A crucial benefit of collaborative undergraduate research is developing mentoring relationships with social work faculty. Collaborative projects can help students expand their professional interests and discover new areas of research opportunity. Successful collaboration with faculty enhances students' self-esteem, which can increase their confidence in their ability to move onto graduate education. When students engage in research with faculty, retention rates increase (CUR, 2007; Secret, Ford, & Rompf, 2003), do the rates of graduate school attendance (Ohio State University [OSU], 2006). In research classes, students learn information and concepts that can be applied to practice situations, particularly professional communication skills, collaboration, and effective teamwork. They also have the opportunity to take their experience into local communities to evaluate the problems of those communities. Students can address real issues and truly learn to evaluate the person-in-environment (Reid & Vianna, 2001).Jenson (2006) argued that community partnerships can provide learning opportunities for students and contribute to the public good. …

Broadening Participation in Undergraduate Research

Numerous reports and initiatives are focused on the need to prepare a diverse workforce for the 21st Century. Organizations such as the National Academies, the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST) are calling for collective action at departmental, institutional, and national levels. Responding to that challenge, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and its members have undertaken a variety of initiatives to extend research opportunities to undergraduate students who have not traditionally participated. These activities are part of continuous and collective efforts to help students, faculty, institutions, and the research community tap into the benefits of a vibrant and inclusive undergraduate research program.

Starting a Successful Research Program at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution

Establishing an active research program involving undergraduates can pose significant challenges for new faculty members. Predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs) often present unique considerations when new faculty attempt to make productive research a reality, for these environments are typically characterized by an emphasis on teaching, strong expectations of service, and small departments with few colleagues in one's area of specialization. The programs and services of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) are focused on faculty development to share successful models and strategies for establishing and institutionalizing undergraduate research programs. CUR is announcing the inaugural offering of a workshop geared toward new faculty to address these challenges: "Beginning a Research Program in the Natural Sciences at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution". This workshop is designed for pre-tenured faculty in the first three years of appointment as well as graduate students and post-doctoral associates interested in obtaining a faculty position at a PUI. Participants in the workshop will have the opportunity to learn from and discuss with experienced faculty how to establish and manage a research program with undergraduates.

Alliances to Promote Undergraduate Research

The publications and outreach activities of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) are designed to share successful models and strategies for establishing and institutionalizing undergraduate research programs. As CUR conducts its programs, provides services to its members, and advocates for undergraduate research at the state and national levels, numerous opportunities arise to collaborate with other professional organizations and associations who share a similar vision of the value of collaborative undergraduate research. Some of CUR's collaborative initiatives to promote this pedagogical approach are highlighted here.

A Council on Undergraduate Research Workshop Initiative To Establish, Enhance, and Institutionalize Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research is a proven and powerful pedagogy, and the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is structured to provide faculty support to disseminate this practice. The primary goal of a new National Science Foundation Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Phase 2 initiative is to share successful models of collaborative student-faculty undergraduate research and assist departments and institutions to take initial steps in establishing, formalizing, and expanding undergraduate research opportunities. To meet this project goal, CUR will conduct a series of regional workshops at host institutions in several geographic regions throughout the country during the three-year term of the award. In particular, the project will encourage and support networking and community-building among faculty and institutions within a geographic region in an effort to increase the interaction and shariang of ideas.

Faculty Mentoring Faculty: Lending Support within the Undergraduate Research Community

The Chemistry Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) provides a mentoring service for prospective, new, and established faculty seeking information on various aspects of initiating and enhancing undergraduate research opportunities. Experienced CUR members provide advice on such issues as getting started in reearch, mentoring undergraduate researchers, obtaining tenure-track positions at PUIs, developing research-supportive curricula, reinvigorating research programs, and establishing collaborations. CUR Chemistry Division members are invited to offer their services as mentors or to inquire about finding a mentor to discuss career questions and options.

Showcasing Successful Practices That Enhance a Research-Supportive Undergraduate Curriculum

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) seeks to contribute further to national efforts to integrate research and education by collecting and disseminating a variety of mechanisms that are effective means of creating a research-supportive undergraduate curriculum. These best include curricular and pedagogical approaches that develop research skills and encourage intellectual inquiry, institutional infrastructure that facilitates the development of research-supportive curricula, and administrative perspectives that encourage the development of a research culture. Readers are invited to share their successful approaches and practices to be highlighted in a new CUR publication.

On-Site Reviews and Institutes To Assess and Strengthen Undergraduate Departments and Programs

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) offers consulting and mentoring services to individuals, academic departments, divisions, and entire campuses. Sensitive to the issues relevant to predominantly undergraduate institutions, on-site CUR reviews include traditional department and divisional reviews as well as interdisciplinary, multi-department reviews and campus-wide campus Institutes. The flexibility of the CUR Consulting Service and the expertise of our consultants in undergraduate education enable each review to be tailored to the individual needs of a department or institution.

Community-Based Research. A New Paradigm for Undergraduate Research in the Sciences

The recent national conference of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), Crossing Boundaries: Innovations in Undergraduate Research, enabled participants to explore a variety of methods for engaging undergraduates in collaborative research with faculty. Community-based research offers an opportunity to extend this partnership to address community needs. CUR conducted a survey among conference participants to distinguish the essential elements of this form of undergraduate research and to highlight the benefits, challenges, and obstacles of this learning activity.

Creating Time for Research. Recommendations from Faculty at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is an advocate for a research-supportive curriculum that provides ample time for students to undertake research. The Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society also endorses undergraduate research as a vital component of the undergraduate curriculum. In response, many chemistry departments have redesigned curricula to enable undergraduates to participate in collaborative research with a faculty mentor. CUR members offer here their strategies to create the time needed to make productive research a reality.