2007 CUR Dialogues:

The 2007 CUR Dialogues  -- "The Art of Grantsmanship" will be held March 8-11, 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.  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 one-on-one with program officers from NSF, NIH , DOE, NASA, USDA, as well as other agencies and groups.

-- Sharing ideas and networking with colleagues

Attendance is limited to 300 participants.  Early registration deadline is January 15th, 2007.  Registration materials and hotel information will be available shortly on the CUR Website.

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

Posters on the Hill 2007:

Posters on the Hill is tentatively scheduled for April 25, 2007 in Washington, D.C.  We will begin accepting applications on September 1, 2006.  The deadline for submitting applications is November 10, 2006.  More information is available at: http://www.cur.org/postersession.html.   

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 cur@cur.org.   

CUR Institutes:

Fall Institute:

Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research Institute:

This institute will be held October 13-15, 2006, at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.

This workshop will bring together teams of three to five faculty members and administrators from institutions that are interested either in initiating an undergraduate research program or in institutionalizing existing research activities.  The three days will consist of plenary lectures presented by facilitators associated with CUR interspersed with individual team meetings with CUR mentors.  The teams will begin the workshop by meeting with their facilitator and reflecting on the current status of undergraduate research on their campuses.  This inventory will include the examination of institutional strengths, as well as the obstacles currently preventing achievement of desired results.  After this assessment, the teams will begin formulating mission statements, goals, and action plans for their own institutions.  The event will conclude with the teams discussing their plans with the entire community.  Throughout this process, the facilitators will be engaged with the teams in order to assist them in discussions and deliberations.  Teams typically consist of at least one academic administrator, one or more department chairs, and several interested faculty members.  The Institute is open to academics from all fields.  To apply for the Institute, please visit http://www.cur.org/institutes/curinst.asp and complete the on-line application.  Questions may be addressed to the CUR National Office (cur@cur.org or 202-783-4810).  Enrollment is limited so apply early.

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.  

Opportunities:

The CUR National Office has received the following announcements.  

LI-COR Biosciences is offering 1.75 million dollars in Genomics Education Matching Funds (GEMF) to high schools, colleges and universities. The GEMF program is to be used to acquire LI-COR DNA sequencing systems and software for use by undergraduate students studying molecular biology and related fields.

The GEMF program demonstrates LI-COR’s ongoing commitment to undergraduate colleges interested in establishing or enhancing their programs in genomic studies.

“This particular grant program will help colleges and universities compete for awards,” says Amy Soden, LI-COR GEMF Program Coordinator. “Colleges will be evaluated on how they will incorporate the LI-COR DNA analysis system into their curriculum as the main criteria for the award process.”

LI-COR genomic analysis systems are used in academic labs worldwide for a variety of research applications including sequencing, microsatellites, AFLP®, SNP discovery and reverse genetics research.

Complete information on how schools may apply for a grant is available at www.licor.com/gemf. Deadline for submission of grant requests is October 2, 2006. 

Council on Undergraduate Research Biology Division Student Travel Awards

The Biology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is offering a limited number of travel grants (up to $250 each) for undergraduate students presenting original research results at a regional or national, discipline-specific meeting during the fiscal year 2006 - 2007. 

Award recipients are required to acknowledge CUR for support of their travel in their talk or on their poster. Criteria for Eligibility can be found at: http://www.cur.org/biostudenttravel.html

Deadline: Applications must be received by 5 pm PST September 1st for meetings held July - December 2006 or by 5 pm PST March 1st, 2007 for meetings held January - June. 2007. Award decisions will be made as quickly as possible after the appropriate deadline. Send Application Materials: by email to ahernrin@up.edu and fax receipts (only) to A. Ahern-Rindell/Biology 503 943-7784

The Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship:

The Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for students seeking a Ph.D. at the University of Kansas. The fellowship seeks students who demonstrate leadership potential and the desire to make a difference. The four-year fellowship provides a $23,000 annual stipend, covers full tuition and fees, and provides a unique professional development program.

 

Eligible fields of study include business, economics, engineering, mathematics, and biological, pharmaceutical, and physical sciences. Interested students should apply early, since department nominations are due by the end of January. For more information, visit www.ku.edu/~selfpro

Washington News:

This is the fifth column by Washington Partners to appear in CUR E-News. The National Office would appreciate your suggestions for topics that you wish to learn more about and information that you need about federal legislation and funding. Please send comments to nancy@cur.org. Please note the Washington Partners legislative alert(s).

Washington Partners News:

ACTION Alert:  Since Congress is moving into its August recess, very little action will occur this month.  Therefore, this is a good time to plan ahead.  If you have not done so already, find out who your Senators and Representative are and what committees they sit on.  Also, know how to contact their offices.  This will help you react to developing situations quickly and effectively when Congress returns in September.  You should contact your Senator or Representative in DC by email or fax.  DC mail goes through a lengthy security check.  You can send letters to your representatives local offices.  This would be a good time to make an appointment with a legislative aid in the local office to discuss how undergraduate research can support the American Competitiveness Initiative and the benefits of undergraduate research.

Appropriations Update
Major Themes in Competitiveness Legislation
Writing Legislation

Appropriations Update

The best way to describe Congress these days is “hurry up and wait.”  By the end of June the House of Representatives had completed significant work by rapidly passing 10 of its 11 appropriations bills.  The one remaining bill is the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (Labor-HHS-Education) Appropriations bill.  There is a slight chance that it could be considered in September, however the most likely scenario is for the House to consider it after the November elections. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee had a frenetic work period in July, but it now seems the momentum has ended.  The Senate has only passed one of its appropriations bills – the Homeland Security Appropriations bill.  The others will most likely be considered sometime this fall. 

When Congress returns after Labor Day, they will be in session until the end of September.  With so much on the agenda, one might expect September to be a busy month.  However, this most likely will not be the case.  The already toxic and partisan atmosphere on Capitol Hill will only worsen as the elections drawn near meaning that there will be a lot of talk, and little substantive action.  That being said, a flurry of work could occur – stranger things have happened. 

Major Themes in Competitiveness Legislation

There is one positive note regarding legislative action this September – the potential for “competitiveness” legislation to pass in the Senate.  For over a year, the tenor on the hill has clearly focused on “doing something” to improve the U.S.’ long term economic competitiveness by making changes in three areas: research & development; K-12 education; and higher education (both graduate and undergraduate).  Recommended action in all three of these areas focused on what is known as the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

The Senate started off the year with the introduction of three extremely ambitious, bipartisan and popular pieces of legislation collectively known as the “Protecting America’s Competitive Edge” (PACE) bills.  These bills seek to leverage existing resources at the NSF and Department of Energy to improve competitiveness, with a strong focus on education.  There are a myriad of other proposals as well including Senator Ensign’s (R-NV) American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (S. 2802); Senator Kennedy’s (D-MA) New National Defense Education Act (S. 3502); and the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI).  The final competitiveness bill is expected to include pieces taken from all of these proposals.

Since there is a chance that competitiveness legislation could come up in the Senate this fall, it is important to look at what is at stake for CUR and undergraduate research.  There are three main themes to keep in mind:

1. “Experiential Learning” – several bills in the Senate reference the vaguely defined concept of “experiential learning” as important to STEM education.  The thinking behind the concept is the need to improve hands-on education in the STEM fields at all levels.  At the postsecondary level, “hands-on” often translates to “research.” 

2. Join degree programs – The “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” report advocates for programs that combine four-year undergraduate degrees in the STEM fields with teaching certification.  A large part of the joint degree program is scholarships/stipends for students that participate in them.  It is not clear if there will be specific “research” requirements for these programs, but it is clear that significant new resources would be given to undergraduate departments in these areas.

3. Specific reforms to undergraduate education – Legislation from the House Science Committee has a strong focus on improving STEM education at the undergraduate level.  This focus has the potential to carry over into Senate legislation.  One proposal is to increase the size and scope of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) at the NSF.  The program provides grants to higher education institutions to increase the number of undergraduate STEM majors.  While there isn’t a specific “research” requirement, it is another example of attempting to devote resources to areas where undergraduate research may occur.  The second proposal is to create a new program to make competitive awards to science, mathematics and engineering departments at higher education institutions to establish undergraduate education centers.  The centers are designed to improve the curriculum and teaching methods of STEM undergraduate courses.  There is significant potential for these centers to integrate research into the undergraduate curriculum. 

Writing Legislation

While we often discuss legislative proposals, it is helpful to take a step back and address a more fundamental question: how does legislation get written?  Using the PACE and similar legislation as an example, let’s look at the process. 

Almost two years ago, Senators Bingaman (D-NM) and Alexander (R-TN) requested that the National Academies – a congressionally charted entity designed to provide scientific advice – write a report on what can be done to ensure the nation’s long-term economic competitiveness.  Why did they request this?  Because constituents, particularly those with business interests in their states, were communicating about their problems recruiting qualified employees in the U.S. and that corporate outsourcing was a growing phenomenon. 

Several months later, the National Academies produced “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” a report providing a laundry list of specific actions for Congress to take in order to ensure economic competitiveness.  To say that this report was well received would be an understatement.  Virtually every member of Congress has mentioned either the report or its recommendations in the past year.

Several Senators quickly decided to convert the report’s recommendations into legislation, but this is not a simple act of cut and paste.  For instance, one of the recommendations from the report is the following: 

“Increase the number and proportion of U.S. citizens who earn bachelor’s degree in the physical sciences, the life sciences, engineering, and mathematics by providing 25,000 new 4-year competitive undergraduate scholarships each year to U.S. citizens attending U.S. institutions.”

This seems to be fairly straight forward, until additional details are discussed.  Who should administer the program?  Should it be the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation (NSF) or a different agency?  What should be the level of the scholarship?  Should there be a financial means test of recipients?  How should “physical sciences, the life sciences, engineering and mathematics” be defined?  The list goes on. 

Do staff simply sit down at night and write what they think?  The answer is no.  Rather, staff seek the counsel of many resources at their disposal; one of the most important being professional associations.  

Generally speaking, associations receive input from their members on the best way to structure policies – either through personal experience or other means.  The association staff can then aggregate this expertise in order to help education congressional staff.  In this way, a single point person can speak on behalf of many individuals and draw on their experiences and data.  These associations can also bring individual members with very specific expertise into the conversations as well. 

Aside from associations, congressional staff use other resources as well.  This includes the expertise of fellow staff members, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and advocacy organizations.  CRS is Congress’ nonpartisan research service, whose job is to answer staff questions on any conceivable issue.  Although CRS is for the exclusive use of congressional offices, some of their extremely helpful reports are available at http://www.opencrs.com/.

Once a congressional office has the “specs” on a bill they want to write, they send it to Legislative Counsel. The professionals on this staff have the expertise of translating thoughts, concepts and ideas into legislative language.  Once a bill is in legislative form, Members of Congress begin to see support from outside groups as well as their colleagues.  Often more input is gathered and a bill can be rewritten numerous times.  As we all know, the life of a bill can be a very long one before it is signed into law.