In this Issue:

National Office News:

CUR's New Enhanced Institutional Membership
New CUR Publication: Broadening Participation in Undergraduate Research: Fostering Excellence and Enhancing the Impact
CUR Quarterly Archive Sale
CUR Welcomes New Institutional Members

CUR Institutes:

Beginning a Research Program in the Natural Sciences at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution
Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research Institute
Mentorship, Collaboration and Undergraduate Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities

Ongoing CUR Offerings:

Advocacy:

CUR In the News
Attached to this E-News
Washington Partners News June 26, 2009 Column

Federal Spending Bills Move Through Annual Process
Administration Officials Mark Anniversary of Title IX
NEH Announces $21.4 Million in Awards

Opportunities and Announcements:

LI-COR Biosciences Offers $1.75 Million in Matching Funds for Genomics Education
Scialog® 2009: Solar Energy Conversion
Student Centered Education in Molecular Life Sciences: Essentials for Education Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Undergraduates
Open-Access Article entitled "Ten Simple Rules to Combine Teaching and Research"
Open Position at NSF
NSF Community-based Data Interoperability Networks (INTEROP)
NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program
NSF Research Coordination Networks in Biological Sciences (RCN)
Student Centered Education in Molecular Life Sciences: Essentials for Education Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Undergraduates
Call for Proposals for Faculty Roles in High-Impact Practices
Recovery Act Limited Competition: Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)
NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI-R²)

National Office News:

CUR's New Enhanced Institutional Membership:

This new enhanced institutional membership allows all faculty members from your institution to join the Council on Undergraduate Research, as individual members, at no additional cost to the individual. Institutional cost is based on the number of Full-Time Equivalent students at your institution and ranges from $2000 to $4000 annually.

We hope that your institution will take advantage of this new membership opportunity to more fully engage faculty members, at your institution, in undergraduate research.

In addition to this new enhanced membership, we will continue to offer the regular institutional membership. Each institution may elect to choose one model or the other. The cost of the regular institutional membership for the 2009-2010 membership year will remain the same, at the current rate of $800, and includes three individual memberships.

Should you have any questions regarding institutional membership programs, or any other membership opportunities, please contact Robin Howard at robin@cur.org or 202-783-4810x203.

Current Enhanced Members:

Allegheny College
Baylor University
Bradley University
Christopher Newport University
College of the Holy Cross
DePauw University
Furman University
Grinnell College
Harvey Mudd College
Hope College
Lewis & Clark College
Mercer University
Missouri Western State University
Morehead State University
Northern Kentucky University
Occidental College
State University of New York College at Plattsburgh
Texas A & M University
The College of New Jersey
The College of The Bahamas
Trinity University
University of Dayton
University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Pittsburgh
Westminster College

New CUR Publication: Broadening Participation in Undergraduate Research: Fostering Excellence and Enhancing the Impact:

Editors: Mary K. Boyd, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, University of San Diego (mboyd@sandiego.edu) and Jodi L. Wesemann, Assistant Director for Higher Education, American Chemical Society (j_wesemann@acs.org)

Member price is $45.00, Non-member price is $55.00 

To place your order, complete the online order form, or fax the order form to 202-783-4811.

For more information, please visit: http://www.cur.org/publications/broadening.html

CUR Quarterly Archive Sale:

Many issues of the CUR Quarterly are now available for $1. Complete your library today by visiting http://cur.networkats.com/members_online/members/createorder.asp. Remember to login using your Members Only username and password to receive the best price.

CUR Welcomes New Institutional Members:

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Gainesville State College
Truckee Meadows Community College

CUR Institutes:

Beginning a Research Program in the Natural Sciences at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution:

This CUR Institute will be held October 2-4, Location TBA.  

Starting a successful research program and doing scholarly work at a predominantly undergraduate institution poses unique challenges for a beginning faculty member. The overall goal of the institute is to give pre-tenured faculty the opportunity to learn from and discuss with experienced faculty how to establish and manage a research program with undergraduates. The application will be available shortly by visiting: http://www.cur.org/institutes/newfaculty.html

Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research Institute:  

This institute will be held October 23-25, 2009, at Concordia College at Moorhead, Minnesota. This workshop will bring together teams of three to five faculty members and administrators from institutions that are interested in either initiating an undergraduate research program or 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.  For more information, please visit http://www.cur.org/institutes/instugr.html

This institute will be held February 5-7, 2010, in Mesa, Arizona. The institute 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. Application is available by visiting:  http://www.cur.org/institutes/socscihum.html

Ongoing CUR Offerings:

The staff at Washington Partners has put together a web page of materials for CUR Member reference.  The web page houses information on advocacy and government relations issues.  Topics of interest include legislative and event summaries, information on on federal funding resources, ongoing update on the higher education act, and a learning and links section with descriptions of common government processes and links to useful websites.  

To access this page, please visit the members only page from the CUR homepage.  Please note that you will need your members only login to access the page.  Should you have any questions or comments regarding this page, please direct them to wpllc@cur.org

Recent Additions:

National Science Board Meeting (May 20, 2009)
House Science and Technology Committee Hearing on FY 2010 Federal Research and Development Budget (May 20, 2009)
Testimony of Secretary Duncan before the Senate and House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcomittees (June 4, 2009)
House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee Markup (June 8, 2009)
House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Hearing on National Environment Research Parks (June 9, 2009)
FY 2010 Selected Federal Investments in Undergraduate Research-Related Programs (June 9, 2009)
House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Science Education Discusses Cyber Security (June 12, 2009)
House CJS Appropriations Full Committee Markup (June 19, 2009)
NGA CCSSO Common Standards (June 24, 2009)
Senate Consideration of FY 2010 CJS Appropriations (June 26, 2009)

CUR assigns usernames and passwords to members so that they may: login, update records, register for meetings at member rates, and purchase publications at member rates.  Your username and password have been sent to you previously.  Should you need another copy of this information sent to you via email, please visit http://cur.networkats.com/members_online/members/password.asp .  Non-members who have records in our database may also login to expedite registration processes, however discounts will only be given to members. 

Please encourage your students to sign up for the Undergraduate Researcher's Graduate School Registry.  The purpose of this registry is to facilitate connections between undergraduates and graduate schools seeking high quality students who are well prepared for research.  More information and the submission form are available at:  http://www.cur.org/ugreg/

Graduate Schools that are interested in purchasing a subscription to the registry should contact Robin Howard at robin@cur.org

Newsletter Subscriptions:

The CUR E-News is a membership benefit for individual members and contacts designated on CUR Institutional Memberships.  Should you know anyone that would like to receive a subscription, please encourage them to become a member by visiting http://www.cur.org/membership.html

CUR is pleased to announce two additional newsletters also available to CUR Members:

This Week In Washington is a weekly newsletter prepared by the staff at Washington Partners that provides an overview of upcoming events in Washington D.C. affecting American Education.

Deadlines and Upcoming Events is a newsletter published by the CUR National Office which sends reminders of submission deadlines, event registrations, and other important dates in the CUR Community. 

To subscribe to either of these newsletters, please login to the members only website, click "Review My Membership Information" and submit an update of your membership profile.

Newswise is an academic news distribution service that provides media with news leads from our member institutions.  Journalists receive this news by subscribing to an emailed Daily Wire.  From the wire, they review news releases and decide whether or not to follow up on any leads and contacts. 

Upcoming Thematic Wires:

Healthcare Wire Submission Deadline: July 9, 2009

Climate Change Wire Submission Deadline: July 16, 2009

Back to School Wire Submission Deadline: July 23, 2009

CUR Institutional Members may submit releases to Nancy Hensel at nancy@cur.org.  Please indicate whether your press release is for a thematic wire, or a general wire.   For more information, please refer to the following document:  http://www.cur.org/pdf/newswise%20flyer.pdf

Advocacy:

Washington Partners, LLC provides a monitoring service of articles that mention CUR.  Please see the following articles below: 

CSUC research recognized
Chico News & Review - Chico,CA,USA
Barbara Boxer during the annual undergraduate poster session on Capitol Hill. The Council on Undergraduate Research sponsors the Posters on the Hill event...

Bridget L. Gourley
DePauw University - Greencastle,IN,USA
Gourley credits the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) as being her lifeline during the last two decades. CUR supports and promotes high-quality...

Bates students advocate for research funding in Washington event
Bates Magazine - Lewiston,ME,USA
... NY, were among 78 undergraduates from across the nation to take part in the May 4-5 event sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research,...

Student presents research on Capitol Hill Kaleidoscope...
Posters on the Hill is a competitive annual Council [on] Undergraduate Research event that showcases high quality student faculty collaborative research and...

The Faculty and Undergrad Research
Inside Higher Ed - Washington,DC,USA
But a panel of experts who gathered here Wednesday by the Council on Undergraduate Research kept circling back to the idea that the real key may be getting...

Solar Research Team Heading to Europe for Experiments
Newswise (press release) - USA
Valpo, a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research, has been pursuing the research project since 2006. Led by Dr. Robert Palumbo, one of the world's...

Attached to this E-News:

Federal Investments in Undergraduate Research-Related Programs (pdf)

Federal Spending Bills Move Through Annual Process

As the familiar heat and humidity creeps over Washington, DC, the annual budget process seems to be making some progress on Capitol Hill.  In fact, the bill that allocates funding for the National Science Foundation and a number of other agencies has moved with surprising speed, and has already been passed by the House.  In the Senate, at a Committee hearing on the bill, Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) reminded her colleagues that the funding provided by this bill contributes to some of the nation’s most important science research and education programs.  She also noted that legislators have a responsibility to ensure that these programs are properly funded while providing stewardship over taxpayer dollars and enforcing accountability and oversight. 

The Chairwoman also highlighted some of the bill’s funding recommendations, noting that this bill would spend a total of $64.9 billion, $400 million more than the House bill, $200 million more than the President’s request, and $7.2 billion more than the $57.7 billion provided in FY 2009.  More details on the bill and its specific proposals can be found on the Washington Partners page of the CUR website.

CUR has weighed in with Senator Mikuslki and dozens of other appropriators charged with deciding federal spending levels this year.  In June, CUR sent letters to the leadership of eight Congressional subcommittee conveying its opinions and recommendations on federal investments in education and research programs.  Students and faculty affected by these programs should consider weighing in as well, and are encouraged to use these letters as models.  Members can find the letters on the CUR Washington Partners web site, and if they have any questions about how or what to say, or how they can reach appropriators and their own Congressional representatives, they can either refer to the Advocacy Toolkit, also a resource offered members on that page, or email the Washington Partners team at wpllc@cur.org with any questions. 

The Congress hopes to finish consideration of their federal spending bills during the month of July. 

Administration Officials Mark Anniversary of Title IX

On June 23rd, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and several all-star women athletes and scientists for a roundtable discussion of so-called “Title IX”, which refers to a provision of the Education Amendments of 1972 that banned many discriminatory activities in education and educational institutions.  During the event, Duncan announced the award of $2.4 million in grants to 13 groups to support projects that will help high school girls gain higher proficiency in math and science.  "These grants go hand-in-glove with our efforts to improve equity and access for women and girls in the classroom and on the playing field," Duncan said. "While much has been accomplished since Title IX was enacted, we must continue to push for further progress. Fairness and equity continue to be important issues that contribute to gaps in achievement between students.”  The four-year grants were made under the Women's Educational Equity Act Program within the Department of Education. The program provides financial assistance to enable educational agencies to meet the requirements of Title IX. The grantees were selected from 63 eligible applicants. Grantees received additional points if their projects included activities to help at-risk students meet challenging state academic standards and graduate. All of the awardees will serve females at the secondary level. For more information visit: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/06/06232009.html

NEH Announces $21.4 Million in Awards

In June, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced $21.4 million in grant awards and offers for 154 high quality humanities projects.  This funding supports a wide variety of projects, including undergraduate course development, humanities initiatives for faculty at historically black, high Hispanic enrollment, and tribal colleges and universities, traveling exhibitions, collaborative research, scholarly editions, programming offered by state humanities councils, digitization of historic newspapers, and preservation of collections and the creation of reference resources.

The grants announced provide support to projects in diverse fields of the humanities. Among the projects receiving support are those who will, according to NEH, for example, provide for the development of undergraduate courses that engage the “great questions,” such as “What is justice?”; support programs sponsored by state humanities councils that explore significant events and themes in American history and culture; enable libraries to host exemplary programs in the humanities; and promote advanced humanities research that contributes to scholarly knowledge and the general public’s understanding of the humanities.

For more information, including a complete state-by-state listing of grants and offers of matching funds visit:  http://www.neh.gov/news/archive/20090615.html.

Opportunities and Announcements:

The CUR National Office has received the following announcements:  

LI-COR Biosciences Offers $1.75 Million in Matching Funds for Genomics Education:

LI-COR® Biosciences announces an enhanced matching funds program to support undergraduate and high school hands-on education in Genomics. $1.75 million in matching funds is available with LI-COR providing 60% of the funding to each qualifying institution in the United States.

The Genomics Education Matching Funds (GEMF) program now features a streamlined application process to help colleges acquire LI-COR DNA analysis systems for use by undergraduate students studying molecular biology and related fields. The new application process notifies institutions of award status within two weeks of submitting a fund request.

“Students who have the hands-on experience using the LI-COR system have a distinct advantage when they seek jobs and admission to post-graduate programs,” says Jackie Potts, LI-COR GEMF coordinator. “GEMF-partner schools tell us that integrating the 4300 into their curriculum provides a competitive advantage for students and their department, noting that work on the analyzer allows students to be knowledge producers not just knowledge consumers.”

More than 370 undergraduate programs are currently benefiting from the LI-COR GEMF and LEEF programs. The LEEF program helps primarily undergraduate institution acquire LI-COR environmental instrument systems for educational purposes.

LI-COR DNA analyzers are used in academic labs worldwide for a variety of research applications including sequencing, microsatellite analysis, AFLP®, and SNP discovery and reverse genetics research using TILLING and Eco-TILLING.

Complete information on how schools may apply for a grant is available at www.licor.com/gemf. Grants may be submitted between May 1 and September 30, 2009.

For more information:
D. Doc Chaves
Director of Marketing Communications
LI-COR Biosciences
4647 Superior St.
Lincoln, NE 68504
402.467.0700
doc.chaves@licor.com

Scialog® 2009: Solar Energy Conversion:

Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement is pleased to announce a new research funding program, Scialog® 2009: Solar Energy Conversion.

Scialog 2009 will accept proposals describing fundamental research at the molecular and nanoscale level that are directly related to conversion of solar energy to electricity or fuels. Preference will be given to plans describing: (i) development of novel high-performing materials that possess greater stability, lower cost, or offer higher efficiency than materials currently used in solar energy devices; (ii) innovative, highly efficient methods for solar energy conversion that take advantage of unique chemical or optical properties and are poised to overcome current bottlenecks limiting performance efficiency.

A Scialog award will provide $100,000 for an individual PI or $250,000 for a team of PIs over three years with considerable discretion for the PI.  The full award is for direct costs and no overhead expenses are allowed. Preliminary proposals are due August 17, 2009.

A full program description along with application instructions can be found on our website, or please feel free to contact us via email or telephone, 520.571.1111.

Student Centered Education in Molecular Life Sciences: Essentials for Education Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Undergraduates:

Sponsored by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, this special symposium is designed for educators engaged in teaching undergraduates.  The meeting will focus primarily on emerging pedagogies in the education of students in the molecular life sciences. The principal focus of the meeting will be a series of hands-on workshop sessions, similar in style to Project Kaleidoscope, with ample time for networking.  Each session will be run by a team of established educators, with a focus on small group participation as well as individual mentoring.  The goals of the meeting are to supply participants with educational approaches and materials that they can implement in their own classrooms and to provide them with networking and mentoring opportunities.  Travel awards are available for some sessions.  Early registration deadline is July 5, 2009.  To view detailed information and to register online go to: http://www.asbmb.org/page2.aspx?id=2092. 

Open-Access Article entitled "Ten Simple Rules to Combine Teaching and Research":

The late Lindley J. Stiles famously made himself an advocate for teaching during his professorship at the University of Colorado: “If a better world is your aim, all must agree: The best should teach” (http://thebestshouldteach.org/). In fact, dispensing high-quality teaching and professional education is the primary goal of any university. Thus, for most faculty positions in academia, teaching is a significant requirement of the job. Yet, the higher education programs offered to Ph.D. students do not necessarily incorporate any form of teaching exposure. We offer 10 simple rules that should help you to get prepared for the challenge of teaching while keeping some composure.

Please view this article by visiting: http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1000358

Open Position at NSF:

The Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) announces a nationwide search for a Program Director position at the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Appointments will usually be made for one year and may be extended for an additional year by mutual agreement.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/hrd0903/hrd0903.jsp?govDel=USNSF_147

NSF Community-based Data Interoperability Networks (INTEROP):

Full Proposal Target Date: July 23, 2009
Program Guidelines: NSF 07-565

Digital data are increasingly both the products of research and the starting point for new research and education activities.  The ability to re-purpose data – to use it in innovative ways and combinations not envisioned by those who created the data – requires that it be possible to find and understand data of many types and from many sources. Interoperability (the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been...

More at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=502112&govDel=USNSF_39

NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program:

Full Proposal Deadline Date: July 23, 2009
Program Guidelines: NSF 08-557

CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating...

More at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214&govDel=USNSF_39

NSF Research Coordination Networks in Biological Sciences (RCN):

Full Proposal Target Date: July 23, 2009
Program Guidelines: NSF 09-554

The goal of this program is to advance a field or create new directions in research or education. Innovative ideas for implementing novel networking strategies are especially encouraged. Groups of investigators will be supported to communicate and coordinate their research, training and educational activities across disciplinary, organizational, institutional, and geographical boundaries.

There are two tracks in the RCN program, the research coordination network track (RCN), the...
More at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11691&govDel=USNSF_39

Student Centered Education in Molecular Life Sciences: Essentials for Education Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Undergraduates:

Sponsored by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, this special symposium is designed for educators engaged in teaching undergraduates.  The meeting will focus primarily on emerging pedagogies in the education of students in the molecular life sciences. The principal focus of the meeting will be a series of hands-on workshop sessions, similar in style to Project Kaleidoscope, with ample time for networking.  Each session will be run by a team of established educators, with a focus on small group participation as well as individual mentoring.  The goals of the meeting are to supply participants with educational approaches and materials that they can implement in their own classrooms and to provide them with networking and mentoring opportunities.  Travel awards are available for some sessions.  Early registration deadline is July 5, 2009.  To view detailed information and to register online go to: http://www.asbmb.org/page2.aspx?id=2092. 

Call for Proposals for Faculty Roles in High-Impact Practices:

Proposals due September 8 for the conference to be held March 25-27, 2010

AAC&U's Network for Academic Renewal invites proposals that explore the faculty’s use of high-impact practices (such as learning communities, writing-intensive courses, and capstone projects) to foster student learning of essential outcomes. The conference seeks proposals highlighting models of these high-impact practices and those that address issues of faculty rewards, promotion and tenure, cost-effectiveness, and more.

This conference will highlight the new and expanding roles that faculty are playing in developing and using high-impact practices—in courses, majors, general education, and in partnership with student affairs—along with discussion of their impact on both faculty and students.

The conference is designed for faculty members seeking innovative, robust, and practical designs for learning and teaching; assessment approaches proven to deepen student engagement; and a network of engaged colleagues. It is also geared toward administrators and others on campus looking to support and partner with faculty to advance the use of high-impact practices for more students, more intentionally, across multiple points in time.

Submit your proposals online by filling in each field of the submission form as directed. For more information, please call 202-387-3760 or write to network@aacu.org.

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15):

Request for Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-OD-09-007

Application Due Date: September 24, 2009

Purpose. This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is supported by funds provided to the NIH under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“Recovery Act” or “ARRA”), Public Law 111-5. The purpose of the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program is to stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. These AREA grants create opportunities for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH programs, to contribute to the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research effort. AREA grants are intended to support small-scale health-related research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible, domestic institutions.

Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) R15 award mechanism.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. It is estimated that up to 50 awards will be made in FY 2010. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

Budget and Project Period. Applicants may request up to a total of $300,000 direct costs plus applicable Facilities and Administrative (F&A)/ indirect costs. Use the modular budget for direct cost amounts up to $250,000 and the detailed budget for direct costs amounts above $250,000. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may be up to three (3) years.

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-007.html

NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI-R²):

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program is announcing a call for proposals that is separate from the standard January submission deadline. Awards made in response to this solicitation will be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Public Law 111-5), and have special award conditions. Unless otherwise specified, ARRA funding should be considered one-time funding. Deadline: August 10, 2009.

In addition, please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.)   As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals.  Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement). 

More information available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09561/nsf09561.htm?govDel=USNSF_25

If you have problems viewing this newsletter, please contact robin@cur.org.  To view this email as a website, please visit: http://www.cur.org/newsletter/newsletter062909.html

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