7 January 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In furtherance of their shared goals to build and sustain the global science talent pool,the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU outlines the organizations’ commitment to promoting undergraduate research opportunities, enhancing diversity in the geosciences, and supporting the geoscience talent pool.
“From helping us to understand how and why natural hazards threaten our families and homes, to adaptation and mitigation strategies for the growing impacts of climate change, we know that Earth and space science research plays an important role in public health and well being and the competitiveness of our economy,” said AGU executive director/CEO Christine McEntee. “That’s why it’s so important that we develop and support a steady and diverse pipeline of creative and knowledgeable students who are well-prepared to meet society’s demands for scientific knowledge. It’s also why AGU is so pleased to be able to partner with a respected and knowledgeable organization like CUR as we work to advance this important goal.”
“The initiative is in line with the strategic goals of CUR, not only to expand and retain undergraduate research opportunities, but to do so in a way that diversity is sought and achieved,” said Elizabeth Ambos, CUR’s Executive Officer. “I am thrilled about the opportunities that this relationship will represent to the members of the two organizations.”
“We are excited about partnering with the AGU to promote undergraduate education in the geosciences through engagement in research skills development and applied research opportunities. Our combined efforts will help promote the offerings of each organization, which should broaden the pathways to careers in the geoscience community,” stated Lee Phillips, CUR Geoscience Division Chair. “The AGU’s virtual poster showcase will, no doubt, help broaden participation in research by providing many more students the opportunity to present the results of their inquiry without the added expense of travel. As we all know, presentation of one’s research has tremendous potential to be an incredibly transformative experience for aspiring scholars.”
The collaboration will focus on developing and growing programs and initiatives designed to strengthen research opportunities in the Earth and space sciences at the undergraduate level, as well as expanding such research opportunities at two-year colleges. This will include a particular focus on enhancing diversity in the undergraduate geoscience talent pool, as well as creating opportunities for these students to present their work to the broader scientific community, and beyond.
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The American Geophysical Union is dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity through its scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach programs. AGU is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization representing more than 60,000 members in 139 countries. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and our other social media channels.
The Council on Undergraduate Research supports faculty and student development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research, scholarship, and creative activities. More than 700 institutions and over 10,000 individuals belong to CUR. CUR believes that the best way to capture student interest and create enthusiasm for a discipline is through research in close collaboration with faculty members. You can also find CUR on Facebook.
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Joan Buhrman, 202-777-7509, [email protected] and Elizabeth Ambos, 202-783-4810, [email protected]