Biology Division

Who are we?

Biology Division Chair: Michael Wolyniak, Hampden-Sydney College

The Biology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research provides networking opportunities, activities, and resources to assist biology administrators, faculty members, students, practitioners, mentors, and others in advancing undergraduate research.

Division Activities

The Biology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research supports research in the biology discipline. To support these activities, the division provides networking opportunities, activities, and resources for faculty, students, and others. Some of the active resources are provided below:

  • Biology Student Travel Grants – currently closed
    • The Biology Division of CUR is offering a limited number of travel grants, up to $250 each, for undergraduate students presenting original biological research results at a regional or national, discipline-specific meeting during the spring of 2024.
  • Biology Mentor Awards – The nomination window is closed; application materials are due by April 15, 2024.
    • The Biology Division of CUR offers an annual award to honor biology mentors for their long-term efforts in supervising undergraduate research students. Individuals who wish to be considered for this award must be members of the CUR Biology Division or from a CUR institution. Faculty mentoring interdisciplinary projects are encouraged to apply as long as those projects involve a major biological component. 
  • Biology Division Small Research Grant Award – currently closed
    • The Biology Division is pleased to announce a limited number of research supply grants, up to $275 each, to members of the Biology Division. These grants are intended especially for projects with undergraduates in which a small grant will make a big difference. Grant funds will be given as a stipend and do not need to be used during this fiscal year. Grant recipients are required to acknowledge CUR for support of their research in publications and presentations of work stemming from the support. Mentors for these projects must be individual CUR members or working at an institution with CUR membership.  
  • Grant Preview Service
    • Experienced division members (volunteers) will read rough drafts or nearly complete research proposals and provide valuable feedback prior to final submission. Please reach out to division councilor Karen K. Resendes for more information. â€‹â€‹
  • MIRIC
    • The Biology Division’s Mentoring the Integration of Research into the Classroom initiative is inspired by a similar project developed by the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) as a way to provide a means for new and future faculty to receive long-term mentorship opportunities in active-learning techniques as advocated by the 2011 AAAS Vision and Change document.