Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) courses engage undergraduate students

Aug. 28, 2026
To: University Faculty and Staff
From: Office of Undergraduate Research
Subject: Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) courses engage undergraduate students
Date: Aug 28, 2026

Faculty and staff members who are thinking about how to create authentic research experiences for undergrad students can learn about how to create course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) courses at the 2026 CURE Training Institute. 

CURE courses are an excellent way to engage undergraduate students in the research process and to further your research agenda. 

Learn how to develop a CURE at the 2026 CURE Training Institute hybrid workshop on Sept. 18. Attend via Zoom or in person at the Health Sciences Innovation Building (1670 E Drachman St).

RSVP for Friday, Sept. 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The CURE Training Institute is appropriate for instructors who are at any stage of development for their CURE course. After the September training workshop, we will convene a few more times during the fall semester to continue with a community of practice and engagement in the CURE development process.

About CURE courses

CURE courses are often interdisciplinary and can be developed for any academic field. U of A currently offers CURE courses nine different colleges, including Fine Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Science, CALES, Education, and the Honors College. Between spring 2021 and fall 2025, 5,528 undergraduate students have successfully completed a CURE course at the University of Arizona, which demonstrates a practical mechanism for engaging more undergraduate students in a research experience.

Some features of a CURE:

  • CUREs offer opportunities for students to make discoveries that are of interest to stakeholders outside the classroom (e.g., the broader scientific community) and communicate their research results to stakeholders.
  • Similar to a faculty member's research group, the research in a CURE progresses as students work. This means that new research questions and directions are generated each term and the CURE is unlikely to look the same from year to year. Further, many faculty have had success with leveraging CUREs to further their own research activities. The CURE Training Institute will provide information about how to incorporate CUREs into your existing research endeavors, including how to write a CURE course into a grant proposal.
  • Students may engage in a range of research practices such as developing a research question, collecting and analyzing data, building and defending arguments, and collaborating with one another and more experienced researchers. 

For more information, visit the CURE website. For questions, contact Leah Callovini.