In this Issue:

National Office News:

CUR Receives NSF CCLI III Grant:

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $999,562 grant to CUR to address the critical national need for continued and more comprehensive dissemination of effective practices for initiating and sustaining faculty-student collaborative undergraduate research. This grant will provide training workshops to develop the skills of CUR members to serve as workshop facilitators, will enhance the mentoring received by workshop participants, provide avenues for leadership development, and further sustain the initiative with a cadre of trained facilitators throughout the country. More than 150 facilitators and coordinators will be directly involved. This award is a follow up to an earlier NSF Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement grant of $499,000, in which CUR assisted 64 college campuses in establishing, formalizing and expanding undergraduate research opportunities. This grant is in addition to the $360,000 award that CUR received last month to develop and expand undergraduate research programs at community colleges.

Request for Proposals for Workshops, Interactive Sessions and Poster Presentations for the 2010 CUR National Conference:

We live in a moment of radical change. But change, by itself, is neither positive nor negative, merely different. In order for change to be positive – to be transformative – we must be intentional, grounding our work in our visions for better lives and a better society. We must challenge what others take for granted, look at our work in new ways and consider the future possibilities of our work.

The subthemes for the 2010 National Conference are:

• Drawing underrepresented students into our fields
• Examining the policy and practice implications of our research
• Using undergraduate research to help students engage with the world
• Making research experiences a universal practice for undergraduate students
• Bringing undergraduate research together with other high-impact, engaged-learning practices

Submissions will only be accepted by using our on-line submission form which can be found by visiting: http://cur.networkats.com/members_online/submissions/substart.asp?action=welcome&cid=45

The deadline for workshop and interactive session submissions is November 15, 2009.

Call for Applications for the 2010 Posters on the Hill Event Occurring April 13, 2010:

Nothing more effectively demonstrates the value of undergraduate research than the words and stories of the student participants themselves. On April 13, 2010 the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) will host its 14th annual undergraduate poster session on Capitol Hill. This event will help members of Congress understand the importance of undergraduate research by talking directly with the students whom these programs impact.

CUR is calling for students to submit an abstract of their research that represents any of CUR's divisions (Arts and Humanities, Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics/Computer Science, Physics/Astronomy, Psychology, and Social Sciences).  

Abstract submissions will only be accepted by using our on-line submission form.  Prior to submitting the form, students should gather the contact information for all co-authors, advisors and sponsors (if applicable), prepare a short vitae/resume, and poster abstract.   

For more information, and the link to submit an application, please visit: http://www.cur.org/pohcall.html 

Call for Nominations for CUR Councilor:

Divisional councilors serve CUR through the projects and initiatives of their division, and the combined work of these individuals contributes to the national scope of undergraduate research.  They play a key role in ensuring that our purpose and goals are fulfilled.  

Elections for CUR Councilors will be held in January 2010 for the three year term of Councilor from 2010-2013.  Nominations will be accepted until November 2, 2009.  Nominees must be CUR individual members.  To nominate yourself or another individual, please visit https://cur.networkats.com/members_online/submissions/substart.asp?action=welcome&cid=57.

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.

CUR Welcomes New Enhanced Members:

CUR Welcomes New Institutional Members:

CUR Welcomes New Affiliate Member:

CUR Institutes:

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

Due to a cancellation, there are a limited number of spaces available in this institute.

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

This CUR Institute will be held November 20-22, 2009 at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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. The application is available by visiting: http://www.cur.org/institutes/newfaculty.html

Please note that the application deadline has been extended to October 15, 2009.

Initiating and Sustaining Undergraduate Research Programs:  

This institute will be held January 29-31, 2010 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.

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.

Application is available by visiting: http://www.cur.org/institutes/isurp.html Deadline: December 1, 2009

Mentorship, Collaboration and Undergraduate Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities:

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 Deadline: January 4, 2010

Ongoing CUR Offerings:

Web Page on Advocacy and Government Relations Issues:

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 federal funding resources, an 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:

Education Sector Hosts Panel Discussion on Higher Education Reform (September 14, 2009)

CUR Logos:

CUR provides institutional members with a personalized CUR logo that states that they are members of the Council on Undergraduate Research. To receive your CUR Logo, please send your institution name as you would like it to appear in the logo to Robin Howard at robin@cur.org. Please see the sample below.

Undergraduate Researchers' Graduate School Registry:

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

Advocacy:

CUR In the News:

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

Power Corridor Amps Mesa's Economy!

The Arizona Republic- Phoenix, AZ, USA

... Cerveny is a member of the national Council on Undergraduate Research and said Red Mountain will host a national workshop for the group next February.

Washington Partners News October 5, 2009 Column:

Congress Working on Health Care, Budget, Student Aid Bills; CUR Chiming In

The recent mood in Washington, DC is best described as “cranky”. Healthcare reform dominates the conversation and both House and Senate leadership are working hard to get healthcare reform bills to their respective floors for debate this month. President Obama and Vice President Biden remain determined to see legislation enacted this fall and are upbeat about the prospects, despite non-stop criticism from all sides.

When not debating healthcare reform, Congress is attempting to make progress on the FY 2010 budget front. While several bills have moved forward, the end is nowhere in sight. Congress recently approved the first of what will likely be several “continuing resolutions”; this one will keep the government operating through October 31, 2009. The budget bills that make funding decisions important to researchers, including the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS-Ed) Appropriations bill, which funds the National Institutes of Health, and the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill, which supports the NSF, NASA, NIST and other agencies, have passed the House, but have yet to be debated by the Senate. While the Senate will take up the CJS bill this week, the same is not true for the LHHS-Ed bill. As the largest and most contentious federal spending plan, it will likely be passed later in the year as part of a comprehensive measure known as an omnibus.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has also been hard at work developing a reconciliation proposal. This bill will differ somewhat from the House’s bill, H.R. 3221, the Student Aid Fiscal Responsibility Act, which provides required deficit reduction, but also makes changes to student loan programs and creates new community college, college access and early childhood education programs. It is unclear when the HELP Committee will unveil and act on their proposal, and whether the bill will become the legislative vehicle to move the highly contentious healthcare reform bill.

College access and persistence, as well as the role of community colleges in postsecondary study are issues being addressed by the student aid bill; CUR and Washington Partners have been working with Senate staff to emphasize the powerful role undergraduate research can play in spurring would-be two-year degree seekers to pursue four-year degrees and even postgraduate study. These efforts have yielded promising responses, and it is hoped the bill will address undergraduate research. Stay tuned!

Carnegie Foundation Names Fong Head of Community College Initiative

Last week, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced that Bernadine Chuck Fong, President Emerita of Foothill College (Los Altos Hills, Calif.), will become a Senior Partner with the Foundation and will work on its new community college initiative. This work addresses what is a signification educational improvement problem: the extraordinarily high failure rates among students in developmental mathematics in community colleges.

Fong formerly served on Carnegie’s Board of Trustees, and has been involved in efforts to reform developmental education in the community college sector through a number of programs, including the Achieving the Dream Initiative, which aims to increase the academic success of under-represented students through institutional transformation. Fong’s charge is to focus on Carnegie’s role in bringing together the right mix of practitioners, researchers, social entrepreneurs, policy makers, and other stakeholders—including students—to map the dimensions of the problem, identify promising solutions, and advocate for and support the efforts of a community engaged in continuous evidence-based improvement.

Undergraduate Mathematics Briefing Features Undergraduate Research

On September 22, 2009, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill titled, “Undergraduate Mathematics: Promising Recruitment and Retention Strategies to Ensure Diversity in the STEM Pipeline.” The briefing highlighted strategies that have led to increased recruitment and retention of minority students and women in mathematics and recommended public policy solutions to address this critical issue. Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), who is the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness and the co-chair of the Diversity and Innovation Caucus, called mathematics, "the foundation for so many endeavors," and agreed to press Congress to support institutional programs that attract and help to retain African-, Hispanic-, and American-Indian students in mathematics. President David Bressoud, the President of the MAA, Professor Sylvia Bozeman of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, and Professor Carlos Castillo-Chavez of Arizona State University, in Tempe, AZ,(all from CUR institutional member campuses) also spoke on the best practices that serve to motivate and engage students to pursue baccalaureate and advanced mathematics degrees noting particular support for undergraduate research. For additional information, visit http://www.maa.org/news/092309brief.html.

NEA Marks National Arts and Humanities Month

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) joins with organizations and communities across the country to celebrate arts and humanities during National Arts and Humanities Month. As part of this effort, and to recognize and celebrate the important role arts and culture play in the daily lives of Americans, the NEA is encouraging citizens around the country to visit their local arts organizations. To facilitate this, the endowment’s website will provide daily highlights of arts projects happening throughout the country during the month of October by past and current NEA grantee organizations.

Currently coordinated by Americans for the Arts, National Arts and Humanities Month is a month-long celebration that grew out of National Arts Week, which was begun in 1985 by the National Endowment for the Arts and Americans for the Arts. For more information, visit www.arts.gov.

Opportunities and Announcements:

The CUR National Office has received the following announcements:  

2010 Vannevar Bush Award Nominations:

The 2010 Vannevar Bush Award, honors truly exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology who have made substantial contributions to the welfare of the Nation through public service activities in science, technology, and public policy.

Nominations for the 2010 NSB Public Service Award may be made through the National Science Foundation's FastLane at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/honawards/, by email, or by postal mail. The website contains detailed information concerning nomination procedures. Nominations remain active for three years, including the year of nomination.

For questions concerning the award, please contact Jennifer Richards at jlrichar@nsf.gov

Deadline: November 4, 2009

ICPSR Undergraduate Paper Competition 2010:

ICPSR is offering two research paper competitions for undergraduates and one for master’s students in 2010. ICPSR invites undergraduate and master’s papers analyzing any dataset(s) in the ICPSR archive or its Thematic Collections. The other competition, sponsored by the Research Center for Minority Data (RCMD), solicits papers addressing issues relevant to minorities in the United States, including immigrants. These papers must draw on data in the RCMD archive.

All undergraduates and graduate students at ICPSR member institutions are eligible. The competition is open to both US and non-US students. Students may use a dataset accessed from another source as long as ICPSR also holds a copy of the same dataset. All papers must be submitted by January 31, 2010. Cash prizes will be awarded in each competition: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, and for the ICPSR Undergraduate paper, $500 for third place. The first-place papers will be published in the ICPSR Bulletin and on the ICPSR Web site. For detailed requirements, please visit http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/prize/index.jsp Questions can be directed to Sue Hodge, shodge@umich.edu

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Building Sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research:

The NIH has established a new program entitled Building Sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research, hereafter called the “Community Infrastructure” grants program. This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), supported by funds provided to the NIH under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5, solicits applications from domestic (United States) institutions/organizations proposing to support the development, expansion, or reconfiguration of infrastructures needed to facilitate collaboration between academic health centers and community-based organizations for health science research. Such collaboration should transform the way in which health science research is conducted in communities, and accelerate the pace, productivity, dissemination, and implementation of health research; applications that build upon extant collaborative infrastructures supported by other Federal agencies are strongly encouraged.

For more information, please visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-010.html

Application Due Date: December 11, 2009.

Call For Papers to Human Development Conference:

The Ford Family Program in Human Development Studies & Solidarity and the Center for Social Concerns of the University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with SIT Study Abroad, a program of World Learning, announce a student conference on topics vital to human development to be held at the University of Notre Dame on February 26-27, 2010.

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit proposals for papers to be presented at the conference. This conference is intended to be an event in which students come together to identify and share the current state of human development in their respective fields through presentations of their research; analyze and assess the way human development issues are being addressed across that wide spectrum of topics; and then formulate a vision for the direction of human development in the future.

Please submit proposals/abstracts (strictly 300 words or less), and questions to aseelaus@nd.edu. Only proposals received by Friday, October 16 will receive consideration.

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program:

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is a program designed to fulfill the National Science Foundation's (NSF) mandate to promote scientific progress nationwide. The EPSCoR program is directed at those jurisdictions that have historically received lesser amounts of NSF Research and Development (R&D) funding. Twenty-seven states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands are currently eligible to participate. Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state's or region's research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5672&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39

Application deadline is November 2, 2009.

NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates:

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or on interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. A partnership with the Department of Defense supports REU Sites in DoD-relevant research areas. (2) REU Supplements may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects or may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39

Proposal Deadline is October 22, 2009.

SOMAS Summer Research Grants Program Announced:

SOMAS-URM: Support of Mentors and their Students in the Neurosciences from Underrepresented Minority Groups

The SOMAS Program is pleased to announce the 2010 SOMAS-URM summer fellowship program designed to support junior faculty (untenured/pre-tenure assistant professors, typically within five years of having completed Ph.D. and postdoctoral training) in the neurosciences seeking to launch research programs with undergraduate student collaborators. Faculty from predominantly undergraduate institutions will be eligible for awards of up to $8,000 to cover a supply budget, summer student housing, faculty and student stipends, and travel expenses to the joint Annual Meetings of the Society for Neuroscience and Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience. Selections will be made based on the justifications for and the quality of the proposed research experience for the undergraduate. Preference will be given to faculty from underrepresented minority groups (URM), to faculty from institutions serving women and/or minority groups, or to faculty who have identified URM students as research collaborators. Special consideration will be given to faculty members with little experience in grant writing and who are just beginning their research programs.

Application deadline is December 1, 2009, with awards made in early February for the 2010 summer research effort. Up to four awards will be made for the 2010 program. For more information, go to www.somasprogram.org.

NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Awards:

NASA is Accepting Applications for Aeronautics Scholarship Awards WASHINGTON -- NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate will begin accepting scholarship applications on Sept. 1, 2009, for the 2010 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 11, 2010.

NASA expects to award 20 undergraduate and five graduate scholarships to students in aeronautics or related fields. Undergraduate students entering their second year of study will receive up to $15,000 per year for two years and the opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend by interning at a NASA research center during the summer. Graduate students will receive up to $35,000 per annually for up to three years, with an opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend interning at a NASA research center up to two consecutive summers.

For details about this scholarship program, including how to apply, visit: http://asee.org/nasaasp

2010 AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship:

AAAS seeks candidates from a broad array of backgrounds and a diversity of geographic, disciplinary, gender, and ethnic perspectives, as well as disability status. Fellows have ranged in age from late 20s to early 70s. They represent a spectrum of career stages, from recent PhD graduates to faculty on sabbatical to retired scientists and engineers. Fellows also come from a range of sectors, including academia, industry, non-profit organizations, and government labs.

The deadline is December 15, 2009 AAAS accepts online applications only. Full details at www.fellowships.aaas.org

ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers:

The goal of the ADVANCE program is to develop systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce.

Creative strategies to realize this goal are sought from women and men. Members of underrepresented minority groups and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

More at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5383&govDel=USNSF_39 Deadline: November 12, 2009

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is one of the most prestigious science and engineering fellowship programs in the United States.  Awardees are provided three years of graduate school support.  Fellows receive a $30,000 annual stipend, a $10,500 annual cost of education allowance, a one-time $1,000 international travel allowance, and access to TeraGrid supercomputing facilities. 

The program ensures the quality, diversity and vitality of the next generation of U.S. scientists and researchers.  The GRFP is intended for students in the early stages of their graduate career who are seeking research-based master's or PhD degrees in NSF-supported disciplines.  Applicants should have completed no more than 12 months of graduate study and must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents prior to the application deadline date. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply for the GRFP. 

The application period will open in August online at www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/ and will close in early November. For more information concerning benefits, eligibility, and tips on applying, applicants are encouraged to visit www.nsfgrfp.org.and www.nsf.gov/grfp/.

Faculty with significant research experience and interaction with graduate students are encouraged to register as panel reviewers for the NSF GRFP at http://panelists.asee.org.  If selected, panelists will be invited for a three-day review session that takes place in the Washington, DC, area in early February. 

Since 1952, NSF has funded more than 43,000 Graduate Research Fellows. President Obama has promised to triple the number of awards in this program, from about 1,000 per year to 3,000 per year by 2012.

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