Faculty: Nominate Students for the Interdisciplinary Research Learning Community
Once again the Student Research Advisory Committee will conduct the Interdisciplinary Research Learning Community (IRLC). Students from across the disciplines meet biweekly to engage in professional development activities and build intellectual links across disciplinary boundaries.
We seek to create an intentional linkage between the IRLC and our student delegation to the CSU Student Research Competition (SRC). We hope that many of the students chosen for the Learning Community will go on to represent CI at the Research Competition.
We want faculty to nominate students who are conducting research for inclusion in the Spring IRLC. You can submit your nominations here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of participation?
- Students chosen for the Learning Community will 1) be guaranteed $500 for travel to a disciplinary conference or a research site, and 2) have all travel expenses paid if selected for the CSU Student Research Competition.
- Students will benefit from the professional development activities related to the Learning Community.
- Students who successfully apply for the learning community will satisfy the initial selection criteria for the Student Research Competition. All students will have to complete the full selection process to be included in the final SRC delegation.
- Students will receive 1 credit for enrolling in UNIV 311 and successfully completing all of the requirements of the Learning Community.
What is the timeline for selection?
- Faculty nominations for IRLC by November 11th
- Complete student applications for IRLC by November 21st
- IRLC selections by November 30th
How will students be selected?
Students will be nominated by faculty and selected by the Student Research Steering Council. Selection will be based on 1) a short recommendation from faculty who are involved in mentoring the student’s research, and 2) an application and abstract submitted by the student. Participants will be selected for the quality of their proposed research and the faculty nomination, with due consideration for representation of a variety of disciplines.
How many students will you select for the Learning Community?
The total number of students depends on funding considerations. However, we do not anticipate more than 20 participants.
Can I submit more than one nomination?
Yes. But please limit yourself to your most promising students.
Can I submit a group of students who are working together on a project?
Yes. But we may not be able to select all of them for inclusion in the learning community. Each individual will be submitting an application and will be chosen based on their individual qualifications and the need to maintain the interdisciplinary quality of the Learning Community.
Does the student’s research have to be interdisciplinary?
Interdisciplinarity is achieved by choosing discipline-centered students. Students and faculty SHOULD NOT alter their research to make it interdisciplinary. If the student’s research is interdisciplinary that is great, but that WILL NOT influence the decisions of the Committee.
Are students required to register for UNIV 311?
YES.
Can a student participate in the Student Research Competition if they are NOT in the Learning Community?
YES. The SRAC will continue to conduct its vetting of projects as it has in the past. Our purpose, however, is to try to identify likely SRC participants much earlier than usual.
If a student is chosen for the IRLC does that mean they automatically will be included in the CI Student Research Competition team?
NO. However, selection satisfies the first round selection process (submission of an acceptable abstract) of the on-campus SRC competition. We hope that faculty nominating their best students now will result in many of the IRLC students also being included on CI’s team.
