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

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Providence College $145,418 on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to design and implement course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in astronomy.

Providence College will develop, validate, and deliver a CURE model adapted from biology and chemistry to prepare undergraduates for collaborative astronomical research. The project identifies student skills necessary for participation in scientific research collaborations, creates assessment tools for those competencies, and delivers the CURE at two undergraduate-focused institutions whose faculty participate in an established astronomy research collaboration. The work emphasizes students' computational literacy, understanding of themselves as scientists, and development of skills applicable to collaborative research—a central feature of modern astronomy and science practice.

The project runs through September 30, 2029, with performance at Providence, Rhode Island. The award will also evaluate medium- to long-term pedagogical impacts of the CURE model, particularly on cognitive competencies and affective skills in collaborative research contexts.

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 not planned for this award.