Regional Workshop Program
on Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research

Overview and Institutional Eligibility

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program to expand the successful model of CUR’s annual, national-level Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research workshop using a regional approach.

The regional workshops are designed for institutions that do not have a tradition or culture of campus-wide engagement in undergraduate research.   The workshops will assist participating institutions in articulating their goals for institutionalizing undergraduate research, as well as developing strategies to achieve these goals on their campuses.   The workshops are also designed to develop communities of scholars among the participating campuses that will aid in building a culture that supports undergraduate research.

All types of institutions of higher education are invited to submit an application to send an institutional team to attend one of the regional workshops.   Eight workshops will be offered around the United States in 2007 and 2008:

Fall 2008

      • Northeast Region – Buffalo State College (NY)
               September 26-28, 2008

      • Midwest Region – Hope College (MI)
               October 10-12, 2008

      • Central Region – Truman State University (MO)
               October 24-26, 2008 

Team Composition and Expectations

Each selected institution will send a four-member team, composed of faculty members and at least one administrator. CUR’s grant-funded project will cover all expenses for the selected institutions’ team members to attend the regional workshop, with the exception of the teams’ travel to the workshop.  This will include tuition, materials, meals, and housing for two double occupancy rooms.  Should a team require any rooms in addition to the two double occupancy rooms, the team will be responsible for making their own arrangements, including reservations, as well as payment for those accommodations.  

At the workshop, institutional teams will have the opportunity to work directly with experienced facilitators who have successfully engaged students in undergraduate research and developed programs within their departments, institutions, regions, and at the national level. Examples of the broad topics to be addressed at the workshop include:

• Developing a campus culture that supports undergraduate research

• Highlighting successful undergraduate research programs and models

• Promoting undergraduate research on campus

• Sustaining an undergraduate research culture

 A draft agenda for the workshop can be downloaded here: Draft Schedule.

Each team will leave the workshop having developed a customized and action-oriented plan to institute an undergraduate research program on their own campus, as well as a network of colleagues in the region who are engaged in the same activity. In addition to the immediate outcomes of the workshop, each participating institution will benefit from a robust series of coordinated, follow-up activities that are designed to 1) foster continuing and expanded interactions among workshop participants, 2) provide support during implementation of campus plans to facilitate sustainability, and 3) establish a community of faculty and administrators that share a mutual interest in undergraduate research. The major follow-up activities are described below.

• Continuing Facilitator-Team Interactions – After the regional workshop, facilitators will continue to communicate with her/his institutional teams on the schedule developed as part of the institutional action plan. In addition to these direct communication with teams, CUR will set-up an electronic list-serve for workshop participants, which will allow facilitators to provide guidance as questions, concerns or difficulties arise.

• Site Visits to Participant Institutions – All institutions that are selected to participate in the regional workshops will receive a site visit within one year after their attendance at the workshop. These follow-up site visits can be very helpful in gaining broader campus support by providing the opportunity for an external expert to meet with key administrators and/or faculty groups, deliver topical presentations, serve as a moderator for a retreat, etc. CUR will contact the institutions’ team leaders to set-up the site visits and will work with them to identify and secure a consultant for the site visit. The grant-funded project will cover the honorarium and travel costs for the consultant. The host institution will be responsible for providing funds for the consultant’s local travel, housing, and meals.

• Networking and Interactions with the Broader Undergraduate Research Community – A networking reception for all regional workshop attendees will be held at the CUR National Conference in June 2008 (College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN) and at the CUR Dialogues meeting in April 2009 (Washington, DC). In addition to the networking reception, CUR will organize symposia on ‘Successful Outcomes from the Regional Workshop Initiative’ to enable participants to share their progress and strategies in achieving their institutional plans. Faculty leaders from the eight regions will be invited to join CUR in planning and leading these symposia. Institutional participants will also have the opportunity to present other contributed sessions and posters that report individual, collaborative, and/or institutional results and best practices. Registration waivers will be provided for two members of each institutional team to attend one of these two professional meetings (CUR National Conference in 2008; CUR Dialogues meeting in 2009). Institutions will be responsible for covering all of the other expenses associated with attendance (travel, housing, meals).

Application and Selection Criteria

Institutions interested in participating in this exciting project must formally apply to be considered for participation. The online application includes the following components:

Team composition – Applications will provide the following information about team composition: 1) identify the four members of the proposed institutional team, along with the institutional role, title, and contact information for each team member, 2) identify the designated team leader, and 3) provide any preferred roommate information.

Institutions are reminded that the four-member team should be composed of faculty members and at least one administrator. Participating faculty members should be affiliated with a department/program that is typically funded by the National Science Foundation (e.g., natural sciences, physical sciences, earth sciences, mathematical sciences, information sciences, social sciences, technology, engineering, etc.).   The administrator does not have to come from a science/technology/engineering-based discipline.

Narrative statement – A narrative statement will be submitted by the team leader that describes 1) the current state and future goals of undergraduate research at their institution, 2) the outcome the team hopes to realize through workshop participation, 3) the rationale for why particular team members were chosen, and 4) their commitment to participate in the workshop’s follow-up activities and to sustain their effort at developing and/or enhancing an institutional undergraduate research program.

Institutional teams will be selected on the basis of 1) the perceived need for the workshop, as reflected in their narrative, and 2) the commitment to institutional change, as evaluated on the basis of the team composition and willingness to engage in all workshop and follow-up activities. Accepted teams will be required to complete a questionnaire that will serve as a self-guided examination, or inventory, of campus research strengths and obstacles.  This self-study will also be used to help the workshop facilitators prepare for the specific needs of the team and to pair institutions to work with facilitators.  A sample copy of the questionnaire is available for download by clicking here.

Letter of Support – A letter of support must be submitted by the Provost of your institution.  This letter should address your campus commitment to undergraduate research, specifically your institution's commitment to the attending the workshop, and completing the follow-up activities.  The follow-up activities include attending networking opportunities at the 2008 National Conference or the 2009 CUR Dialogues, as well as consultant visits on your campus.  Both follow up activities require the applying institution to pay the cost of accommodations and travel for participants in the CUR Meetings or the consultants visiting their campus. This letter of support should be submitted to Julie Ackerman via email, at julie@cur.org and should be submitted after your application and narrative have been submitted online. CUR must receive the letter no later than the application deadline.  If the letter is not received by the application deadline, your application will be considered incomplete. 

Deadline and Decisions – The deadline for application is six weeks before each workshop.  Decisions will be made within two weeks of the deadline.  Each accepted team will then need to complete, as a team, a detailed self-study to be submitted prior to the workshop. 

Apply for CUR’s regional workshop program here: Online Application.

View the Self-Study Document here: Self-Study.

Results from Previous Workshops –  

Mid-Atlantic Region – Penn State Delaware County College (PA)
September 28-30, 2007

"The workshop was a wonderful time for us to get away and have the time to focus on our vision for undergraduate research and to begin to construct realistic plans toward that vision. Our mentor was fabulous and led us through the weekend to a workable plan for this year and the coming year. Since returning to campus we have put our work to use in forming an undergraduate research task force and we are making progress on our short term goals for this year. In addition to the actual concrete result, it was also a productive "bonding" experience for our team." Charles Ross, Dean, Longwood College

Participating Teams:

Carlow University
Christopher Newport University
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Community College of Philadephia
Harrisburg University
Longwood University
Mary Baldwin College
Marymount University

Southeast Region – Spelman College (GA)
October 26-28, 2007

"The workshop was an invaluable opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded colleagues from other schools. We were able to pull together both a coherent vision for our campus and an achievable route to realize that vision in an amazingly short time." Robert E. Bachman, Associate Professor of Chemistry, The University of the South

Participating Teams:

Augusta State University
Bennett College for Women
Centre College
Lindsey Wilson College
North Georgia College and State University
University of the District of Columbia
University of the South
Western Carolina University

South Central Region – University of Texas, El Paso (TX)
January 18-20, 2008

Participating Teams:

Mesa Community College
Northern Arizona University
Northwestern State University
Tarleton State University
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
University of Texas at Brownsville
The University of Houston

West Region - California State University - Northridge (CA)
February 15-17,2008

Participating Teams:

California Lutheran University
California State University Chico
California State University San Marcos
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego City College
University of San Francisco
Vanguard University
Whittier College

Northwest Region - Lewis & Clark College (OR)
February 29-March 2, 2008

Participating Teams:

Boise State University
Concordia University
North Seattle Community College
Pacific University
Rocky Mountain College
The College of Idaho
Whitworth University
Washington State University