Collaborative research: enhancing collaboration with inquiry-based labs - leveraging a community of transformation to amplify inquiry in chemistry teaching laboratories

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded DePaul University $211,624 on July 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program to enhance inquiry-based laboratory instruction in general and inorganic chemistry across the nation.

The project trains chemistry faculty from two- and four-year institutions to develop and implement evidence-based laboratory experiments. The recipient will recruit 60 faculty members and deliver a multi-year cohort experience combining in-person and virtual meetings focused on modernizing laboratory teaching practices. Participating faculty will revise experiments to embed authentic research experiences and develop skills that crosscut STEM disciplines, with emphasis on topics applicable to both general and inorganic chemistry contexts to increase flexibility and impact. Faculty will reflect on teaching beliefs and practices alongside student learning data to improve laboratory experiences and better prepare graduates for modern chemistry and STEM careers.

Performance occurs in Chicago, Illinois through June 30, 2031. The award is classified as a Project Grant, a Level 2 Institutional and Community Transformation initiative within NSF's education portfolio.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest of training the next generation of scientists by helping faculty access and implement evidence-based laboratory teaching practices. Chemistry laboratory training is a central component of all undergraduate degrees in stem fields. These hands-on experiences will push students to apply theoretical ideas, deepen their understanding, and develop the skills necessary for success in future stem careers. Because developing impactful laboratory experiences takes significant time and expertise, many experiments across the country are outdated and require modernization, both in techniques and overall structure and approach. This level 2 institutional and community transformation project aims to improve general and inorganic chemistry laboratory instruction nationwide by training faculty to develop laboratory experiments and advancing understanding of faculty professional development. Using a multi-year cohort experience, in-person and virtual meetings are planned to help enhance the educational value of chemistry laboratory experiments by focusing on skills that crosscut stem disciplines and by embedding authentic research experiences. An emphasis will also be placed on topics that are found in both general and inorganic chemistry contexts, providing flexibility in experiment use and increasing impact. By reflecting on their teaching beliefs and experiences along with data on student learning, participating faculty members can improve teaching laboratory experiences for students and better prepare graduates for the modern chemistry and stem workforce. The project plans to recruit 60 chemistry faculty members from 2- and 4-year institutions and assist them in revising teaching laboratory experiments for general and inorganic chemistry contexts. Faculty will learn about inquiry-based laboratory practices, science practices, and overall best practices for supporting student learning in the lab. In-person workshops can provide faculty members with time and space to revise laboratory experiments, including testing and refining procedures and overall experimental parameters. The planned in-person and virtual activities for the cohorts over their 2-year experience are designed to equip participating faculty with the skills and resources needed to implement innovative experiences for students in chemistry teaching laboratories. An emphasis will be placed on activities that span chemistry subdisciplines, enabling modular designs that allow for implementation at multiple course levels and in various contexts. The developed labs and activities, along with evaluation results, will be published in an open-access format on the virtual inorganic pedagogical electronic resource (viper) website. The multiple theoretical frameworks applied have the potential to provide insights into the roles of professional development and communities of transformation on faculty change. Learning outcomes for individual participating faculty will inform a contextualized understanding of the project?s impact on students' cognitive learning. Data on students? Critical thinking, information processing, and self-identification as scientists will provide a more comprehensive basis for assessing the project's overall impact. The NSF iuse: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. Through the institutional and community transformation track, the program supports efforts to transform and improve stem education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.