Council on Undergraduate Research

Amanda Doherty examining microstructures inside of a gastropod shell using a petrographic microscope in the UW Oshkosh Geology Department as part of her Honor's Thesis research.

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).

What is CUR?

CUR is a national organization whose goal is to strengthen science, mathematics, and engineering research programs at predominantly undergraduate institutions.

CUR has eight disciplinary divisions: Biology, Geosciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics/Astronomy, Psychology, Social Sciences, and At-Large Administrative. CUR offers:

Workshops and national conferences. CUR has an annual national conference that provides opportunities for faculty and administrators to exchange ideas and debate current issues.
Undergraduate research support. CUR has an Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship in Science, Mathematics and Engineering that provides stipends for undergraduates. Awards range from $3000 to $4000 plus a minimum of $3000 for student stipend.
Publications. CUR publications include a directory of undergraduate programs, a series of books, such as: How to Mentor Undergraduate Researchers, How to Get Started in Research, and the CUR Quarterly. The CUR Quarterly includes information about funding opportunities and helpful articles about undergraduate research.
Online Undergraduate Researcher Graduate School Registry. The purpose of this registry is to help match undergraduates (with research experience and the desire to pursue an advanced degree) with graduate programs seeking high-quality students. Any undergraduate may go to www.cur.org/ugreg/ to fill out a simple vitae form. There is no charge to the student, and student information will be made available only to graduate schools that contract with CUR for this service.
Peer Reviewers’ Registry. The purpose of this service is to provide federal and private agencies in the sciences with names of individuals qualified to serve as reviewers of grant proposals, members of advisory panels dealing with issues of science and education, and sources for science and education reporters.
Consulting services. CUR can provide qualified consultants for departmental or divisional reviews with expertise to initiate, strengthen, or assess an undergraduate research program. Also, consultants are available that can help with setting up research-rich curriculum, writing grant proposals, or evaluating needs for facilities.

I encourage all UW-Oshkosh faculty to become members of CUR. I am the University Liaison for CUR. Please feel free to contact me (Eric Hiatt, hiatt@uwosh.edu) for membership materials or go to the CUR website for more information and to become a member online, www.cur.org.

Members receive: 1) a subscription to the CUR Quarterly, 2) discounts to attend CUR’s National Conference and the April Dialogue, 3) access to special information on funding opportunities, jobs, and other resources, 4) discounts on CUR’s publications, and 5) gain opportunities to participate with their students in the Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship program. Click here for CUR membership services.

Important dates:

Publications:

"How to Mentor Undergraduate Researchers" - CUR's new book in "How to" Series.
How To Develop and Administer Institutional Undergraduate Research Programs.
How To Get A Tenure-Track Position At A Predominantly Undergraduate Institution.
How To Get Started in Research.

UW Oshkosh undergraduate researcher Piper Poe making a petrographic thin section-- a 30 µm thick slice of rock on a microscope slide-- as part of her undergraduate research project.

UW Oshkosh undergraduate researchers Cole Edwards (now Dr. Cole Edwards) and Meg Seibel at the 2008 UW Oshkosh Celebration of Scholarship.

More information on Undergraduate Research Resources at UW-Oshkosh

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