Collaborative research: designing effective course-based research experiences to prepare undergraduates for collaborative astronomy research

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Towson University $254,260 on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop, validate, and implement course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in astronomy instruction. The project runs through September 30, 2029, with performance at Towson, Maryland.

The award funds identification of student skills necessary for effective participation in scientific research collaboration, development of assessments for those skills, mapping of skills assessment onto a CURE model, and delivery of the CURE at two undergraduate-focused institutions with faculty members participating in an established astronomy research collaboration. The project will investigate pedagogical benefits of the CURE model, with emphasis on student cognitive competencies in computation and affective skills as applied to research collaboration. Research questions address how participation in an undergraduate astronomy CURE impacts development of students' astronomy computational literacy and self-perception as scientists, and how a CURE prepares students for collaborative research in modern astronomy.

Towson University, a public comprehensive institution in Maryland with extensive STEM education and research grant experience, serves as the recipient. The institution is a component of the University System of Maryland.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing, validating, and implementing evidence-based practices in undergraduate astronomy instruction to prepare students for collaborative research. This level i engaged student learning project plans to build upon the established effectiveness of undergraduate research as a high impact educational practice through the course-based undergraduate research experience (cure) model, widely used in biology and chemistry and known to encourage student participation in research. The project will leverage a longstanding collaboration among astronomers at undergraduate-focused institutions with documented success in engaging undergraduates in astronomical research. The project intends to expand the use of cures in the physical sciences and will be a unique evaluation of the medium- to long-term impacts of cures on students? Skill application in collaborative research, a significant feature of modern astronomy, and of science generally. The goals of the project will be to identify student skills necessary for effective participation in a scientific research collaboration and develop assessments for those skills; to map the skills assessment onto a cure; to deliver the cure at two undergraduate focused institutions with faculty who are members of the research collaboration; and to investigate the pedagogical benefits of the cure model. The project plans to determine the effectiveness of the cure for enhancing students? Cognitive competencies, especially in computation, and affective skills as applied to research collaboration. The research questions the project will aim to address are (1) how does participation in an undergraduate astronomy cure impact the development of students? Astronomy computational literacy and understanding of themselves as a scientist? (2) how does a cure prepare students to contribute to an astronomical research collaboration, assessed in a summer research experience, differently from students who do not participate in a cure? The results of the research will be published in the primary education research literature. The project plans to produce deliverables to the broader scientific community, including the specific cure curriculum developed for our astronomical research collaboration and a generalizable model for incorporating cures into other large collaborations. The project will be assessed by an external evaluator to ensure sustainability and broad applicability of the project?s products, which will be disseminated through publications, workshops at professional meetings, and contributions of open educational resources to online repositories. The NSF iuse: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. Through the engaged student learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. 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 planned for this award.