Linda Mason, Ed.D.
Coordinator for Grantwriting and External
Funding Technical Assistance
Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education
lmason@osrhe.edu
www.okhighered.org/grant-opps/
IP: 164.58.250.178
HOW TO GET STARTED IN
RESEARCH
http://www.cur.org/publications.html
COUNCIL ON RESEARCH (CUR) – 1999
RESEARCH POLICY AS
AN AGENT OF CHANGE
– WORKSHOP REPORT
http://transcoder.usablenet.com/tt/http://w
ww.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf05209/start.htm
NSF - 2003
How to Get Started in Research CUR
Why do research with undergraduates?
– Science is a method, not a body of knowledge
– Learning a new research language, i.e.
symbols, names, formulas, concepts
– Environment for developing problem-solving
skills
– Make original contributions and test them
How to Get Started in Research CUR
Support from the Administration,
Department Chair, and Colleagues
– One committed person – contagious
enthusiasm
– Important pedagogy
– Recruitment of top notch students
– “Checklist of Institutional Support for
Research” by Professor Jack Pladziewicz,
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
How to Get Started in Research CUR
Get started in research early in your career.
– Sustain graduate training as a scientist
– Enable you to be active in research 20 years from
now
– Important to submit proposals within 2-3 years of
starting teaching career: funding agency won’t readily
grant to experienced teacher who is a nonresearcher.
– Network of other researchers
– Exposure to similar works
– Refine own thinking
– Exposure to new research efforts
– Engage in grant writing prior to going to first job
How to Get Started in Research CUR
Benefits of Undergraduate Research
– Attracts bright young people to the field
– Can be a major force in career decisions
– Interrelates science with composition and
speech
– Keeps mentor faculty current – enrich their
teaching
– Increase in morale, self-esteem & satisfaction
in working with intelligent & stimulating
students
– Positive professional contacts in scientific
meetings
Planning
Significant amount of time in preliminary
planning
Select a Research Area
Research-quality Instrumentation
Funding to Support the Research
Academic Year Versus Summer
Selection of Research Students
Curiosity
Dedication
Common Sense
Proper Motivation
Group Dynamics
Students should begin early
Variety of levels of research experience,i.e.,
senior students, beginners, high school
teachers, industrial retirees
Research Presentations
Oral presentations
Poster presentations
State, regional or national meeting
– Campus Research Day
– Capitol Research Day
– UCO Research Day
– NCUR – Asheville, N.C.
Get by with a little help from your
friends…..
Time and money important
Collegial interaction
Institutional support
Interaction via OneNet, email, website,
videoconference
Interact with experts and superstars
Contact other Primarily Undergraduate
Institutions
Research Policy as an Agent of
Change - NSF
Economics
Politics
Individuals
Ethics
Democracy
Social mores – social acceptance
Risks
Research Policy as an Agent of
Change - NSF
What advantages and disadvantages
accrue to universities that engage heavily
in research?
How does research funding interact with
internal institutional resource allocation?
Does involvement of public universities in
research diminish institutional resource
allocations to undergraduate instruction?
Research Policy as an Agent of
Change - NSF
Job creation versus wealth creation
How do individuals and various groups
benefit from research?
Are they best served by economic growth?
Public health? New technologies?
What are the roles of people and
organizations that are not conventional
research? “Paraknowledge” about science
and research – is this good?
Research Policy as an Agent of
Change - NSF
Consequences of research policy
– Staffing by postdocs at minimum salary
– Economic growth
– Job creation
– Wealth creation
– Prediction of future
– Solution of problems
Research Policy as an Agent of
Change - NSF
Unintended consequences of research policy
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
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Increase of foreign nationals
Increase of political secrecy
Leaks of partially trained people into other fields
Lifestyle changes of individuals
Financial conflicts of interest
Research institutions becoming more political
Unexpected ethical and legal issues
Unexpected future – uncertainty about forward
movement
– Unexpected problems created
– Strange bedfellows
Research policy – or the absence of it – will
change. It is important for the policy
makers to think about the change and
direct policy in a wise way.