Institutional membership is designed to assist colleges and universities with developing, supporting and sustaining their undergraduate research enterprise. CUR can be a catalyst for campus transformation, offering opportunities for faculty professional development in research and curriculum. Institutional membership exemplifies administrative commitment to undergraduate research, a message that is much appreciated by the faculty and prospective students. In addition, institutional members join with many other prestigious colleges and universities in support of undergraduate research as an important component of higher education. Our national contact base allows us to be particularly effective in representing the interests of those concerned with undergraduate research in all disciplines.
Institutional dues for Regular memberships for 2012-2013 are $825. Please note this cost is pro-rated for new members joining during the membership year, which runs from July 1st- June 30th.
More than 650 colleges and universities are Institutional CUR Members. Our members come together as a unified voice for the impact and importance of undergraduate research.
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Keep up with inside information on government relations, funding opportunities and breaking news. Keep your institution informed with valuable and timely news and information on issues affecting undergraduate research and education at the federal policy level. Through action alerts, you will have an opportunity to add your institution's voice to the national policy debate.
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Receive special notice on all CUR programs and events. Receive priority notice of CUR Institutes and other events. Obtain reports on the status of undergraduate research based upon CUR's surveys of academic institutions and information from organizations, agencies, and foundations synthesized from many sources available to CUR.
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Receive three individual memberships. One membership is suggested to be given to the chief academic officer. All are to be assigned at the institution's discretion. Deans, directors of undergraduate research, sponsored research directors, and department chairs are all appropriate to be listed. The three representatives receive the same membership benefits as individual members. Also, please note that we also offer the Enhanced Institutional Membership with unlimited individual memberships.
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Enjoy Substantial Discounts. Institutional members receive discounts on CUR Institute Registration fees and CUR consulting services. Popular CUR Institutes (workshops for teams of faculty members and administrators) include Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research, Proposal Writing, and The Vital Faculty: Issues after Tenure and our two newest institutes Mentorship, Collaboration, and Undergraduate Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities, and Initiating and Sustaining Undergraduate Research Programs. CUR's consulting service will provide your institution with qualified consultants for overall program assessment or more specific objectives. CUR will help you implement faculty development retreats, as well as departmental and college-wide reviews and planning exercises.
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Benefit from CUR Institutional Membership as a Public Relations Tool. Mentioning your CUR institutional membership in recruiting materials and grant proposals sends a message to prospective students and funders that your institution supports high-quality undergraduate research - an important standard to many incoming students as well as funders and policymakers. Institutional membership places your campus in the same category with other CUR institutional members.
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Mentoring Service: Experienced faculty helping others along—this is the essence of CUR. Individual members can be matched with someone close to your interests, with whom you can discuss job applications, grant applications, tenure documents, and other professional concerns.
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Media Contacts: CUR prepares media kits that are sent to national media for contacts when they need comments on national issues. This is an opportunity for campuses to receive national media coverage and recognition.
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Participation in the Posters on the Hill. This highly competitive event brings 60 students with their faculty mentor each year to Washington D.C. to present their research on Capitol Hill. Institutional membership will be one consideration in the selection process.
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Reduction on fee to receive Graduate Student Registry. Doctoral degree-granting institutions will receive a discount on subscriptions to the Graduate Student Registry. The Registry lists students who have had significant undergraduate research experience and wish to pursue a doctoral degree.
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Gain Public Notice. Information about your institution that is also related to CUR's mission can be posted on CUR's website and printed in CUR publications. Your institution's website can be linked to CUR's online listing of institutional members.
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Receive CUR Publications. A copy of each publication in the 'how-to" series will be sent to all new institutional members. Current publications include How to Get Started in Research, How to Develop and Administer Institutional Undergraduate Research Programs, How to Get a Tenure Track Position at a Predominately Undergraduate Institution, and How to Mentor Undergraduate Researchers.