2007 CUR Dialogues:

The 2007 CUR Dialogues  -- "The Art of Grantsmanship" will be held March 8-10, 2007 at the Hilton Mark Center, in Alexandria, Virginia.  

This location is close to Washington, DC, which allows participants to easily interact with program officers and sponsored research officers.  

Highlights include: Plenary presenters Kathie Olson, Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation; Scott Jaschik, Editor of Inside Higher Education; and Jennifer Blackmer, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Ball State University, and her undergraduate students will present a staged performance of The Human Faustus Project.

Opportunities include:

-- Joining fellow faculty members at all career stages, sponsored research officers and development officers in discussions of grantsmanship.

-- Meeting in small groups to talk with program officers from NSF, NIH, DOE, NEH, NEA, the Fulbright Program, the Smithsonian Institution, as well as other agencies and groups.

-- Sharing ideas and networking with colleagues

Attendance is limited to 300 participants.  The registration application is available by visiting http://www.cur.org/07CURDialogues/registration.asp.

For more information please contact Nancy Hensel at (202) 783 4810 or nancy@cur.org.

Developing and Sustaining a Research - Supportive Curriculum: A Compendium of Successful Practices:

The Council on Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce a new publication designed to share successful practices that enable faculty and institutions to design, implement, and sustain a research-supportive undergraduate curriculum.  The volume focuses on three broad areas: curricular elements and teaching and learning strategies that develop critical research skills, curricular infrastructure that enhances a research-supportive curriculum, and administrative contributions that initiate and sustain a research-supportive curriculum.  Authors across disciplines and from a variety of types of institutions have contributed over 30 chapters and 50 “highlights’ describing curricular approaches, methods, techniques, developed for their courses and programs of study to enhance the research experience of students and the research culture of their institutions.  Topics include curricular approaches to build research skills such as inquiry-based laboratories and interdisciplinary courses and programs, institutional infrastructure and assessment practices that promote a research-supportive curriculum, and the role of the faculty and the administration in nurturing a curriculum to support a research culture.  Specific examples of known practices at particular institutions are included in each chapter. 

Edited by Kerry Karukstis, Harvey Mudd College, and Tim Elgren, Hamilton College, this compendium of successful curricular and institutional practices to develop critical research skills emphasizes the importance of the collective efforts of the undergraduate community to integrate research and education.   By collecting and disseminating a variety of mechanisms that are effective means of creating a research-supportive undergraduate curriculum, the Council on Undergraduate Research aims to encourage faculty and institutions to continue to seek creative, useful, and significant ways to promote “learning through research”.  

The publication will officially be released on February 21st, 2007 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  Should you wish to attend this event, please contact Nancy Hensel at nancy@cur.org.

CUR Directories of Research:

The Council on Undergraduate Research has Directories of Undergraduate Research in several disciplines remaining in our inventory.  The original price for these publications varied from $45.00 - $65.00.  CUR is now offering these remaining directories to CUR Members for the cost of shipping only.  For available disciplines, publication dates, and shipping costs, please contact the National Office at (202) 783-4810 or cur@cur.org

Call for Bids to CUR Meetings:

The Council on Undergraduate Research requests bids for the 2009 Annual Business Meeting and 2010 National Conference and Annual Business Meeting.  The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2007.  Please visit http://www.cur.org/bidprocess.html for more information as well as bid documents.  Should you have any questions, please contact Julie Nicholson at julien@cur.org.   

Call for Nominations for CUR Fellows:

The Council on Undergraduate Research requests nominations for the CUR Fellows Awards.  The CUR Fellows Awards are presented at the biennial National Conference to two CUR members who have developed nationally respected research programs involving undergraduates.  Each CUR Fellow will also be awarded a Brian Andreen-CUR Student Research Fellowship that they will give to a deserving undergraduate at their respective institutions. Awardees have established outstanding records of obtaining funding for their work and for their students, and have published research findings with undergraduate co-authors. They reach out to students of all backgrounds, incorporate research activities into the courses they teach, and lead efforts to institutionalize research on their campuses and across the nation. In sum, they are leaders and role models for countless faculty and students. Full details of the CUR Fellow criteria and biographies of past CUR Fellows are available at www.cur.org/CUR_Fellows.html. 

Any member of CUR may submit a nomination for the CUR Fellows Awards. A nomination consists of a two-page letter highlighting the nominee's contributions to all areas of undergraduate research. Additionally, a two page C.V. of the nominee should be included. Although abbreviated, the CV should detail the nominee's contribution to undergraduate research, ranging from mentoring undergraduate students with resulting publications to promoting undergraduate research beyond the local level. The letter and C.V. must be submitted to the CUR National Office as a single PDF document attached to cur@cur.org with CUR Fellows in the Subject. The deadline for nominations is MAY 4th, 2007. Questions may be addressed to Mike Jackson, at jackson.mic2@uwlax.edu   

CUR Institutes:

Spring Institute:

Initiating and Sustaining Undergraduate Research Programs:  

This institute will be held May 23-25, 2007 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  

The purpose of the institute is to provide new directors of undergraduate research programs the means to develop and effectively administer their programs and to help seasoned directors disseminate best practices and further build and improve their programs. 

This institute has the following goals: 

·   To provide models of effective UR Programs
·   To equip UR Program directors with a “tool-kit” of essential items needed for running an undergraduate research program
·   To provide access to resources that are available for directors for continuous development of their undergraduate research programs
·   To provide UR Program directors with “mentors” who are willing to provide advice after the institute ends
·   To further develop a network of directors that will extend beyond the dates of the workshops
·   To share with directors a variety of campus models that include broad disciplinary scope and focus, and work with students at different stages of their academic careers.

Please check the CUR Website for updates on this Institute and others

Summer Institutes:

Proposal Writing Institute:  

This CUR Institute will be held July 19-23, 2007 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.  This Institute will bring together faculty and administrators interested in preparing proposals for submission to external funding agencies.  The four-day institute will consist of one-on-one work with a mentor, small group discussions, writing and critiquing of proposals, and plenary sessions.  The institute has been developed to assist novice to experienced proposal writers in drafting complete proposals for submission.  

Registration is available by visiting: http://www.cur.org/institutes/proposal.html

Mentorship, Collaboration and Undergraduate Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities:  

This CUR Institute will be held July 13-15, 2007 at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  This workshop will bring together teams of three to five faculty members and administrators engaged in enhancing undergraduate research opportunities at their home institutions, focusing on undergraduate research as faculty development, student-based inquiry and institutional support structure.  The three days will consist of plenary lectures presented by facilitators associated with CUR interspersed with individual team meetings with CUR mentors.  Faculty and administrators from disciplines throughout the social sciences and humanities will spend the weekend discussing models of undergraduate research, mentorship and collaboration; what "research" and "mentorship" mean in different disciplines in the social sciences and humanities; assessing the value of undergraduate research; and means of augmenting funding for undergraduate research internally and externally.

Registration is available by visiting:  http://www.cur.org/institutes/socscihum.html

Washington Partners News:

It’s a new year in Washington, with a new Democratically-controlled Congress and the first female Speaker of the House.  The 110^th Congress got off to a running start this year, with the House Democrats pushing through their “first 100 hours” agenda and approving measures to implement recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, reform lobbying and other ethics rules, and provide students and families some relief from the increasing cost of college.  While the work, amount and scope of these legislative efforts are impressive, the House must now watch their colleagues in the Senate consider these measures in a more deliberate manner.  This means it could be weeks or months before any of these measures become law. 

President Bush faces a new Washington dynamic for the next two years.  On January 23^rd, he addressed a Democratically-controlled Congress for the first time during his administration, and congratulated the new majority, while noting, “Our citizens don't much care which side of the aisle we sit on—as long as we're willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done.”

Budget

While the President is set to release his FY 2008 budget on February 5, Congress is still working out the details of year-long Continuing Resolution (CR) that will fund programs at FY 2006 levels.  A general sense of unease has settled on Federal agencies with the details of the year-long CR being uncertain.  Currently, most Federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and others, are operating under a CR through February 15, 2007. Under the terms of this current CR, NSF is being funded at the FY 2006 level, roughly $400 million below the Administration’s FY 2007 request.  It is quite possible, that the new CR will mirror the current CR funding level.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to debate the matter on Wednesday and the Senate is scheduled to take up the measure the week of February 5.   Staff in both chambers hope to reach agreement on the bill’s provisions before they hit the floor in each of the chambers to avoid floor amendments or the need for any additional short-term CRs.  Of course, if Senate consideration actually occurs the week of the release of the Administration’s budget, floor time could be consumed by statements and amendments that react to its contents. 

In response to the prospect of a year-long CR, NSF director Arden L. Bement, Jr. posted a letter on the NSF website notifying the grantee community of the current fiscal climate.  “The outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year remains highly uncertain … It is likely, however, that NSF may be unable to fund a number of activities planned for this fiscal year. We believe it is important for NSF’s grantee community to be aware of this uncertainty, as a number of activities may be affected later in the fiscal year.”

To read the full letter, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0720/nsf0720.jsp

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Regarding the education centerpiece of his administration, the No Child Left Behind Act, Bush said, “Five years ago, we rose above partisan differences to pass the No Child Left Behind Act …And because we acted, students are performing better in reading and math, and minority students are closing the achievement gap…Now the task is to build on this success, without watering down standards ... without taking control from local communities ... and without backsliding and calling it reform.

Following the State of the Union, the Department of Education released its policy recommendations for improving NCLB.  Building on Results: A Blueprint for Strengthening the No Child Left Behind Act, a detailed policy recommendation, outlines the Administration’s plan for improving a law that has, according to ED, “evolved from idea to law to a way of life.”  These recommendations largely focus on increasing flexibility under the law, giving parents more options, providing teachers resources to improve instruction in math and science, and to increase efforts at the high school level to improve achievement. 

It is clear from discussion with key education staff, that No Child Left Behind will be the lens in which policymakers view education as they have already begun setting the stage for consideration of changes to this law.  The president’s remarks came after the introduction of bills touting national standards in mathematics and science.  Concern over the quality of American mathematics and science education and the future of American competitiveness within the global economy fed the ideas of implementing a national curriculum and national standards, as well as creating more rigorous assessments.  Already, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) has collaborated with Representative Vern Ehlers (R-MI) to introduce legislation that would provide grants to states for the voluntary implementation of math and science standards.  Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) also introduced a measure that would create national benchmarks and examine the gaps between state-level assessments and the NAEP.  It is clear this will be a pervasive conversation as No Child Left Behind is discussed this year. 

Discussion on the necessity of national science and mathematics standards has been intensifying over the past twelve months.  Diane Ravitch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and at the Hoover Institution, encompassed the national sentiment in an online discussion with Education Week, “We should have national standards in both [mathematics and science] because there are already implicit international standards and our students fall way behind.” 

Also of interest, on January 23, the National Board of Education Sciences (NBES), consisting of 15 voting members appointed by the President and oversees the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), met for a two-day winter meeting.  The first day, the board received an update from Institute for Education Sciences (IES) director Grover “Russ” Whitehurst in which he discussed the following long term research and dissemination goals: develop or identify a substantial number of programs and practices that are effective in raising student achievement; and disseminate information on what works in increasing student achievement that substantially affects education policy and practice.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

MSP Impact Report

On January 26, NSF released its first national impact report assessing the NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, which was established in 2002 to integrate the work of higher education with K-12 to strengthen and reform mathematics and science education.

The document reports progress on improving teacher quality, quantity and diversity; developing challenging courses and curricula; emphasizing evidence-based design and outcomes; and promoting institutional change. It highlights examples of partnerships at all levels of education in communities across the country, and outlines impacts on student proficiency and benefits of professional development for teachers.

In addition to the impact report, results of student proficiency data for math and science were just released by NSF for 2004-2005. Over a 3-year period, the data show the most significant improvements in mathematics proficiency, with a 13.7 percent increase for elementary, 6.2 percent increase for middle-school, and 17.1 percent increase for high-school students. Science proficiency at each level showed marked gains as well since 2002, with a 5.3 percent increase for elementary, 4.5 percent increase for middle-school, and 1.4 percent increase for high-school students.

For more information:
MSP Impact fact sheet: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsmedia/msp_impact/final_msp_factsheet.pdf
MSP Impact Report: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsmedia/msp_impact/final_msp_impact_report.pdf
Impact Report Executive Summary: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsmedia/msp_impact/msp_exec_summary.pdf

Other Washington News:

Impacts on NSF by Year Long Continuing Resolution (From NSF):

The National Science Foundation has received numerous requests for information on the impacts of a year long Continuing Resolution (CR) based on 2006 funding levels.  We hope to post a notice shortly that will provide some guidance on how the CR would impact our programs.  In the interim, we would like to provide a copy of a letter that Dr. Bement wrote to the Association of American Universities in response to their request for information.  The letter and a power point presentation that we provided to Hill Staff are available in the link below.  As this is public information, please feel free to distribute it.

http://www.cur.org/newsletter/NSFContinuingResolution.pdf

Please feel free to call Jeff Nesbit if you have any specific questions.

Jeff Nesbit
Director
Office of Legislative and Public Affairs
National Science Foundation
(703) 292-8070
jnesbit@nsf.gov
www.nsf.gov

News on the House Committee on Science and Technology:

Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) began his tenure as a House Committee Chairman with the announcement of a new name for the Committee, a new website and an overview of action areas that will comprise an ambitious agenda for the 110^th Congress.  

The House Rules Package (H.Res. 6) passed today changes the Committee's name from The Committee on Science to The Committee on Science and Technology.  This name change brings the Committee back to its roots to more accurately reflect its broad jurisdiction in the areas of science, research and technology. 

The Committee also unveiled its new website - http://science.house.gov - a one-stop shop for the latest science and Committee news, hearing and event schedules and broadcasts, science educational tools for teachers and students, and a clearinghouse of federal science resources.

"The Committee on Science and Technology has an exciting session ahead," stated Chairman Gordon.  "We look forward to listening to 'good ideas' from our Committee Members and the public as we work to assure America 's competitiveness in the world." 

Among the areas on the Committee's agenda in the new Congress: a continued effort to assure that U.S. workers are equipped to compete in the global economy; a firm commitment to math and science education on all levels; work to utilize the strategic energy fund created in Congress' "first 100 hours" to increase our nation's energy independence; maximizing the effectiveness of the nation's civil and commercial space and aeronautics programs; working to assure the security of our nation, citizens and communities; and insuring adequate federal support for basic research. 

Chairman Gordon added, "The federal commitment to science, technology and research is an integral part of the U.S. ability to compete in the global economy.  In the next few weeks, the President will submit his budget to Congress.  I am hopeful he will finally fulfill the pledge he made in last year's State of the Union address to act on and fund competitiveness and innovation efforts with clear budget direction."

Chairman Gordon expects the Committee to meet in the coming weeks to formally organize and assemble subcommittees.  The first order of legislative business will likely be a 'housekeeping' mark-up session aimed at clearing non-controversial bills that passed the Committee in the 109^th Congress, but failed to complete the legislative cycle.

Opportunities:

2007 VISUALIZATION CHALLENGE NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES:  

If you understand the power of visual communication to explain, explore, and extend our knowledge of the world around us, then you are invited to enter the 2007 Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge, co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Entry Deadline is May 31, 2007

Awards are expected to be made in the following categories: illustration, photography, informational graphics, interactive media, and non-interactive media.

Winning entries will be published in a special section of the September 28, 2007 issue of the journal Science and Science Online and on NSF's website. One winners' entry will appear on the front cover of Science.

For more information, see: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) has programs that place undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in research facilities across the nation.  Eligibility is based on the demands of the programs and the requirements established by the program sponsors.

Because these opportunities are limited, we are asking you to help us spread the word on your campus.  Links to two programs are available below:

Minority Institutions Biological and Environmental Research Participation

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Participation Program

For more information please contact:  Pat Pressley, Program Specialist, (865) 576-3409, pat.pressley@orau.org

U.S. Department of Energy DOE scholars Internship Program  

Benefits to student interns will include:

• Ten-week appointments at DOE offices, laboratories, or facilities
• Weekly stipend payments of $550 for undergraduates or $600 for graduate students
• Round-trip travel from home or institution to the appointment site
• Opportunities to apply academic studies to DOE programs in science, engineering, safety, finance, project management, policy, planning, and other professional areas.

Full details and an application can be found at the program website at http://orise.orau.gov/doescholars.   The deadline for the internship application is January 31, 2007.

For other ORISE Opportunities: http://see.orau.org

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