During a government shutdown, agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) generally pause new grant awards, proposal reviews, and program launches. Institutions with existing federal research awards may still be able to draw down previously obligated funds, but technical assistance, progress reviews, and application processing are typically suspended.

According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), most federal research staff and grant managers are classified as nonessential and furloughed, resulting in delays that can extend well beyond the shutdown itself. Past shutdowns have led to cancellations of reserved time on national lab instruments, closures of field research sites on federal lands, etc.

The impact on undergraduate research is not yet clear, but students applying for NSF, NIH or other federally supported programs might experience delays in response times to email and program timelines might change. UROP advises students involved in projects to stay in communication with project mentors and be attentive to program websites for updates.

CU Boulder’s administration is working to minimize disruptions to research and other grant-supported activities. In the unlikely event that students with UROP funding experience changes in their ability to accomplish project goals, such as the availability of mentors and/or resources, UROP will not withdraw previously awarded funding.
 

CURE Cookbook

Resources

What is a CURE?

CURE is an acronym for ‘Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience’.  It's a form of classroom-based course that offers students hands-on experience doing original research and offers faculty the opportunity to generate new information.

This resource was developed by CU Boulder faculty and funded by NSF's TRESTLE (The Transforming Education, Supporting Teaching and Learning Excellence).

 

CUREnet was established in 2012 to support networking among faculty developing, teaching, and assessing CUREs, to share CURE projects and resources, and to develop new tools and strategies for CURE instruction and assessment. 

EvaluateUR-CURE (E-CURE) provides an assessment of the value of CUREs by documenting student growth in critical academic and workforce-related knowledge and skills without placing a significant evaluation burden on students and mentors.

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