Programs for Community Colleges

In 2006, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and the National Council of Instructional Administrators (NCIA) received a two-year planning grant from the Advanced Technological Education program (ATE award #0603119) of the National Science Foundation. The key component of this planning grant was a series of regional conversations about undergraduate research at community colleges.

The primary goal of our CUR/NCIA planning grant was to develop a basic understanding of the status of undergraduate research in community colleges. In the process of developing this understanding, we wanted to identify potential partners from community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, business and industry, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. We also wanted to develop resources that will broaden the involvement of community college students in undergraduate research. To accomplish our goal, we worked with a steering committee to organize and develop a series of regional conversations.

Regional conversations were the cornerstones of our NSF-ATE planning grant (Award# 0603119). The information and insights gathered in this series of six events are included in this monograph. This publication includes descriptions of existing undergraduate research programs at community colleges; an analysis of successful programs and challenges overcome; recommendations regarding the establishment of undergraduate research programs at community colleges in technician education and transfer programs; and a list of resources for undergraduate research at community colleges.

Review the full text of the publication Undergraduate Research at Community Colleges.