51³Ô¹ÏÍø

The AAC&U identifies undergraduate research as a high-impact practice with far –reaching positive effects on student learning gains and outcomes. Evidence of research or creative activities on a student’s CV can also make them more competitive for jobs or entrance to other educational programs. Finally, students involved in undergraduate research often develop closer relationships with faculty that can help improve retention and provide the basis for strong letters of recommendation for future activities.

Many faculty members find research or creative activities personally rewarding, fun and a good way to establish more meaningful relationships with students. Some departments also recognize evidence of undergraduate research and creative activities on annual activities forms and in promotion and tenure. Check your specific departmental promotion and tenure guidelines for more details.

Start by talking to your department head or department/college colleagues. You can also reach out to CURCA directors, faculty fellows or ambassadors. There are also several workshops on campus to help faculty learn about how to get started with research. Lastly, attending 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s is a great way to learn about what is already going on around campus, and it may help you identify potential collaborators. Talk to someone about any idea you have and start planning! You’ll realize that some ideas are tractable and some might need to wait.

Financial support for research through 51³Ô¹ÏÍø comes from 2 main places, CURCA and the Office of Sponsored Programs Colleagues or professional contacts could be good sources of information about external funding opportunities.

51³Ô¹ÏÍø supports faculty who are interested in applying for external funding. If you’re thinking about this, contact the Office of Sponsored Programs. They administer the external grant application process at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and offer pre and post-award support. You could also approach your department head to discuss the possibility of a course release to allow you time to prepare a competitive grant.

Yes! There are many wonderful opportunities for students to present their work. Please see the Presentation Opportunities page in our student section of the website. There may also be appropriate discipline specific opportunities at local (ex. ) and regional conferences (ex. ). Talk to your colleagues and department head about their experiences.

To defray the cost of travel, CURCA offers student conference/travel grants. Many departments also support this kind of activity and have money for student and faculty travel.

To help recruit students, consider talking to students from class, contacting the CURCA ambassadors or faculty fellows and/or posting flyers. Some departments on campus also hold seminars each semester where faculty collectively advertise research opportunities.

One way to maximize time management is to consider Discipline Based Education Research (DBER) in your classroom. You may also want to contact us to talk through strategies for incorporating research. In addition, CTLL and CURCA often offers teaching workshops that look at how to include undergraduate research. While research can be slow at first, small advances over time can lead to great projects and opportunities for students and faculty alike.