Call for Proposals
Confronting Failure: Approaches to Building Confidence and Resilience in Undergraduate Researchers
Edited by Lisa Corwin (UC Boulder) and Lou Charkourdian (Haverford College)
with Jen Heemstra (Emory University)
The Council on Undergraduate Research open-access publication Confronting Failure: Approaches to Building Confidence and Resilience in Undergraduate Researchers is envisioned as a compilation of approaches to addressing failure during undergraduate research for students, mentors, and administrators. The publication aims to provide encouragement, lessons learned, and effective methods for addressing failure during research for undergraduate research students and mentors that can be applied to individual situations. A range of disciplines and institutional types is expected to be represented, as well as diversity of authors and student populations covered. The editors welcome submissions related to both traditional undergraduate research experiences and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs).
The editors invite 300-word proposals for case studies that might pertain to one or more of the following areas:
- Approaches that can assist populations of students that may need additional support such as first-generation students, community college students, and underrepresented students, including those that may include issues of privilege
- Approaches that suggest a negative experience can translate into a positive one (e.g., a failure in one line of inquiry can lead to a new, more productive line of inquiry)
- Approaches that address ways for mentoring through failure for students and mentors
- Approaches that address mental health issues for students and mentors who have experienced failure
- Techniques that can be used in the classroom or research setting to discuss issues of failure and build confidence and resilience in undergraduate researchers
- Approaches that support development of mind-sets and attitudes that proactively prepare students to confront and cope with research failures
- Descriptions of institutional structures or resources that help students navigate research failures
The editors welcome proposals for similar topics that are not specifically listed here.
Submission details. Please submit proposals by May 1, 2021, to SPUR@cur.org. The editors will review the proposals and contact authors by May 28, 2021.Questions? Contact the editors at SPUR@cur.org
Founded in 1978, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) focuses on providing high-quality and collaborative undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative activity. Among the many activities and networking opportunities that CUR provides, the organization also offers support for the professional growth of faculty and administrators through expert-designed institutes, conferences, and a wide-range of volunteer positions. The CUR community, made up of nearly 700 institutions and 13,000 individuals, continues to provide a platform for discussion and other resources related to mentoring, connecting, and creating relationships centered around undergraduate research. CUR’s advocacy efforts are also a large portion of its work as they strive to strengthen support for undergraduate research. Its continued growth in connections with representatives, private foundations, government agencies, and campuses world-wide provides value to its members and gives voice to undergraduate research. CUR is committed to inclusivity and diversity in all of its activities and our community.
CUR focuses on giving a voice to undergraduate research with learning through doing. It provides connections to a multitude of campuses and government agencies, all while promoting networking and professional growth to its community.