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”.  

This publication is available for purchase via the order form.  The cost is $45.00 plus shipping costs, and individual members are eligible for a reduced rate of $35.00, plus shipping costs.

The publication was featured in an article in Inside Higher Ed to view this article, please click the following link:  http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/02/22/research

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 Ackerman at julie@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   Please Note:  This is an updated contact for CUR Fellows.  

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:

On February 5^th, the Administration released its $3 trillion FY 2008 proposed budget.  According to the White House, the proposal “reduces the deficit each year and reaches a balanced budget within five years.”  Further, the Administration asserts, “A strong economy and better spending restraint will help us achieve this goal, while continuing to invest in the Nation’s prosperity and security.”  The broad budget discusses keeping the economy strong, spending taxpayer dollars wisely, and combating terrorism and protecting the homeland.  The budget elicited a strongly critical reaction on Capitol Hill from Democrats.

When considering funding for programs impacting education, it is important to note that the Administration is looking through the lens of the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Department of Education

For FY 2008, the President is requesting $56.0 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Education, matching the FY 2006 level but $1.5 billion below the funding in the long term continuing resolution for FY 2007.   

Of particular interest to math and science educators is the $365 million in new funding to improve math and science instruction in K-12 schools, as well as investments in professional development by ED and other agencies. In addition, the broader plan maintains investments in professional development and recruitment efforts that focus on math and science teachers.

For more information: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget08/summary/index.html.

National Science Foundation

The budget request for the National Science Foundation for FY 2008 is $6.43 billion,  “to advance the frontiers of research and education in science and engineering,” according to the Foundation’s website.  This is an increase of $408.79 million (6.8 percent) over last year’s request, and, “At this level, NSF will build on recent advances and support promising initiatives to strengthen the Nation's capacity for discovery and innovation.”

The request builds on last year’s American Competitiveness Initiative, which commits “to doubling investments over 10 years in NSF and other principal sources of federal support for the physical sciences and engineering. NSF's task in this ambitious undertaking is to uphold the leadership and excellence in fundamental research and education that keeps America at the leading edge of science, engineering, and technology.”

Recently, NSF Director Arden Bement appeared on Capitol Hill to discuss the budget request and noted that the Foundation’s priorities include polar research, climate change research and observations, nanotechnology, oceanic research, and creating a strong science and engineering workforce for the future.  Dr. Bement also commented that this year’s budget is similar to those of recent years, with larger increases within the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI).  He also added that while the increases at the Education and Human Resources Directorate are small, he was confident it was moving in the right direction.

For more information: http://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2008/index.jsp

National Endowment of the Arts

The budget request for the National Endowment for the Arts for FY 2008 is $128.412 million.  Of that amount, $102.942 million would be for grant-making activities ($61.765 for Direct Endowment Grants, and $41.177 million for State/Regional Partnerships).  Further, the request would allocate $1.636 million to program support efforts and $23.834 million for salaries and expenses.

The budget request outlines what the agency's goals are for 2008 and what the plans are for the $4 million proposed increase in funding—the first time in three years that the administration has proposed an increase for the agency. While the arts community finds that encouraging, the proposal still falls far short of what they argue should be the federal investment in these programs.

For more information: http://www.arts.gov/about/Budget/NEABudgetFY2008.pdf

National Endowment of the Humanities

The Administration budget request for FY 2008 would fund the National Endowment for the Humanities at a level of $141.355 million, an increase of $400,000 over the agency's FY 2007 budget request. The 2008 request includes $15.2 million for the agency's We the People program, which encourages and strengthens the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. It also includes $1.4 million for NEH's recently launched Digital Humanities Initiative.

For more information: http://www.neh.gov/news/archive/20070205.html

Against the backdrop of consideration or appropriate federal investments in these and other programs, the “competitiveness” debate continues, with a number of pieces of legislation having already been introduced.  House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) has forwarded several proposals that would increase investments in programs that encourage the pursuit of postsecondary study in STEM disciplines, as well as increased spending on important research efforts.

In addition, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), recently reintroduced legislation that he and many other members of the Senate worked hard to put together last year, even though it was never debated on the floor of the Senate.  This updated version of the National Competitiveness Investment Act, dubbed the America COMPETES Act, was introduced on March 5^th.  The legislation addresses a number of issues and recommendations made in reports of recent years, most notably the “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” report of 2005.  It purports to increase research investment, strengthen educational opportunities in STEM and critical foreign languages and develop in innovation infrastructure in the US.  The bill was negotiated in such a way that it will bypass Committee consideration and can be considered on the Senate floor at any time.