Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR):
Council on Undergraduate Research's Advocacy Program

This 6 month program kicks off in October 2023 and Ends in April 2024

The STR Program was developed as an expanded and enhanced program to replace Posters on the Hill and REU Symposium while drawing on their successes. This program will broaden participation allowing for engagement from students at varied stages of the undergraduate research process. they will learn valuable skills in communicating the impact of their undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry experience to a variety of audience members and stakeholders. 

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2023-24 Program until September 7, 2023.

SUBMIT TO STR 2023-2024

Registration will open on September 15, 2023 when acceptances are sent out. Registration will close October 3, 2023. 
* Membership for the team is based on the membership status of the mentor or campus representative.
This individual will be responsible for registering the team if the team is accepted. 

Who – Requirements for a STR Program Attendee: This program will provide an opportunity for institutional teams to apply. Teams must consist of a campus representative team lead – faculty or mentor – and up to three undergraduate research students who are currently enrolled in or have previously completed an undergraduate research experience. Each team member will be involved in all aspects of the trainings provided. There is no need for each member of the team to share disciplines, however each team member must choose a discipline they are individually representing when applying. 

What – Details about the Program: The STR Program serves as a six month professional development opportunity for undergraduate students and faculty/mentors interested in garnering communication and advocacy skills to leverage the impact of their undergraduate research experience by conveying their story to stakeholder groups such as funding agencies, association partners, elected officials, future employers, community, and beyond. The cost of the program is broken down below. This includes the required October online kick-off training and the required November in-person program, however travel and lodging are an additional expense. 

Why – Importance of the Program: This expanded format will allow for participants to extend their reach beyond Capitol Hill, elected officials, and event attendees. Accepted teams will engage during the fall at an in-person skill development, advocacy training, and networking event, participate in virtual skill development and discussions sessions throughout the year, and become part of CUR’s advocacy ambassadors to be called upon to meet with elected officials, write op-eds/blog posts, etc. At the conclusion of the program, CUR’s community will join in the celebration of our program graduates during a spring capstone presentation activity.

When – Important Dates to Note: This program will kick off online for a virtual orientation and kick-off workshop on October 12 and October 26, 2023. The virtual kick off will then be followed by an in-person meeting and congressional meetings over November 5-6, 2023. Submissions will be due on or before September 7, 2023. Notifications will be sent out by September 15, 2023. After the initial in-person training, there will be various check in points and a Virtual Spring Showcase happening up until April 2024. Please see further details in the Deadlines Locations chart below.

Where – Locations to Note: This program will be available at multiple different locations, both in-person and virtually. Please note the dates and locations listed in the Deadlines Locations chart below.

Deadlines Locations Chart

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REQUIRED NOVEMBER IN-PERSON TRAINING INFORMATION

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A Special Congratulations to our 2022-23 STR Program Class!

EXPLORE THE 2022-23 STR TEAM GRADUATES
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• When will submissions open? The submission process will is currently open and will close September 7, 2023. 
• Who can submit the application? There will be various portions on the application for each team member to fill out/answer. Only one application per team must be submitted. Any teammate (faculty/mentor or student(s)) can submit as long as all names on the submission agree to participate in all of the training and events listed in the program. 
• Once the team has been accepted into the program, who can register the team? Membership for the team is based on the membership status of the mentor or campus rep. The mentor or campus rep can hold an individual or institutional membership. This individual will be responsible for registering the team if the team is accepted. 
• Who can be a team lead/Campus Representative? Each team must consist of one - three students and one team lead/campus representative from their institution. This faculty/mentor will be categorized as "Campus Representative" on the application. A team lead can by any campus representative that is overseeing or involved in overseeing student work. Examples would include a graduate student, a program director, professor, mentor, or other faculty personnel. There can only be one team lead for up to two undergraduate research students. An individual cannot be a team lead for more than one team/group. The team lead will be very hands-on and involved in all aspects of trainings. 
• Can I have more than three students on my team? Teams must consist of one campus representative and up to a max of three student researchers. 
• What kind of student can be included in the teams? Students can be at any level in their undergraduate career (first-year to senior). Research projects do not have to be fully complete to apply, but student researchers should either be currently enrolled and/or have completed at least one undergraduate research experience. The undergraduate research experience can be from a variety of types (e.g. CUREs, independent research project with traditional mentor/mentee, research group experience such as summer research, etc.). Campus representative should ensure student researchers have enough substantive experience with research experiences to convey the impact of their experiences.
• Can there be multiple teams from one institution? Yes. More than one group may apply from the an institution, however, the same campus representative cannot be listed on multiple applications. 
• Can teams consist of cross disciplines? This program is focused on teaching presentation techniques and advocacy for undergraduate research in general. Because of this, teams can consist of cross disciplinary participants as this program will not focus on disciplinary/project specific presentations.
• Do you need to be a member of CUR? No. The institution nor the faculty/mentors or students need to be members of CUR to participate in this pilot program. 
• Can you be a non- US Citizen? Non-US Citizens can apply; however, the advocacy strategies that will be shared are US focused. Because of this, this program may not be as beneficial to some students that are non-US Citizens or don’t have plans to remain in the US. If you decide to proceed, when filling out the application where it asks for the students “congressional district”, please have them use the district for the university. When asked about the voting district, the student should select “N/A”.
• Is the in-person training required? Yes. The in-person training taking place in November is required for all team members, including the Campus Representative to attend. 
• What are the details for the in-person training? These details, including deadlines, hotel rates, and location will be released in the coming months. 
• What are the approximate time commitments for the team during this six-month journey? There will be approximately 3 1-hour webinars (recorded), an in-person training in November for 6.5 hours each day, a spring showcase that consists of 2 hour sessions, and any prep time dedicated to the materials needed leading up to the spring showcase. 
• What is the fee for the program? The fee for the program can be found here and depends on if you are a member vs a nonmember and a two-person team vs a three-person team. 
• Can recent graduate participate? Yes as long as they are anticipated to graduate in 2023 or beyond and are either currently enrolled in an undergraduate research experience or have completed an undergraduate research experience during their tenure as an undergraduate student. 
• Can changes be made to the abstract after the final submission deadline? No. Please make every effort to submit a complete and accurate submission. 
• What is the cancellation policy? We will follow the standard Cancellation and Substitution Policies listed on our Events Policies and Procedures.

For questions, event information, etc. please email CUR@CUR.org.
Please review our Events Policies and Procedures.