Implementation and Assessment of a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in General Microbiology

The STEM workforce is large and fast-growing. However, underrepresented minorities- URMs (African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans) remain poorly represented within the STEM workforce. This is partly due to the lack of retention of URMs in STEM majors. It has been shown by various studies that immersion in undergraduate research enhances the educational experience of science undergraduates and attracts and retains talented students to careers in science. However, access to undergraduate research experiences is few and often limited to high performing students. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage more students in research-based learning. In this study a network-based CURE was implemented, resulting in significant gains in students’ self-efficacy science community value, factors closely linked to students’ intentions to persist in STEM fields.