An Interdisciplinary Faculty Community Using a Protein-focused Course Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) to Improve Student Learning

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The Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Report, as well as other publications, recommend integration of core concepts and skills throughout the curriculum and a focus on student-centered learning environments using validated high impact practices, such as research experiences for all students. This project will engage students in undergraduate research and incorporate research activities into a classroom context using a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). The overall goal is to create a faculty network using protein-centric CUREs to serve a community of biochemists, chemists and biologists, and also examine essential CURE aspects to improve pedagogical development. This project has the potential to transform the impact of teaching laboratories at participating institutions by the incorporation of quantitative, authentic research into the classroom and curriculum. This project brings together STEM disciplinary faculty from two and four year (undergrad and research intensive-land grant) institutions to fill a CUREs gap by creating self-supporting and sustainable protein-centric CUREs focused on the enzyme malate dehydrogenase. This protein-centric CUREs community will examine two critical aspects of a CURE: 1) the impact of the length of CUREs (course long CUREs (cCUREs) or shorter modular CUREs (mCUREs)), and 2) the role of research collaborations across courses or institutions to assess their importance for student learning, retention and motivation. Student and Faculty outcomes will be assessed using validated assessment tools and an outside evaluator working with both an internal advisory team and an external advisory board as well as the participants. This project will build a framework supporting a sustained, protein-centric CURE community to foster adoption amongst higher education institutions to impact a large and diverse set of students.