What is “CURI”?
The St. Olaf Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program provides opportunities for St. Olaf students of all academic disciplines to gain an in-depth understanding of a particular subject through working closely with a St. Olaf faculty member in a research setting.
CURI promotes collaborations between students and faculty during the academic year through directed undergraduate research (DUR) and during the summer, both on and off-campus. Throughout the experience, students gain insight and learn about how research is performed in the discipline of their choice. The program is also a good time for students to reflect and further evaluate where their skills, interests, and values best fit with their future professional endeavors.
CURI’s summer research program involves 80-90 students who work together with faculty on faculty research projects. Each year the project results are presented on research posters and in oral presentations during the final symposium in early August. Recent research topics have included:
- The Genetics of Nutrient Uptake in an Aquatic Bacterium
- Beliefs and Practices of Secondary School English Teachers
- Out of a Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope: Composing a Work for Concert Band
- Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry: Differentiation of Cotton Fibers
- Identifying Fossil Specimens for Reconstructing Equatorial Ocean Properties between the Pliocene and Today
- Exploring Computational Biology
- Sustainable Farming
- Just Data: County Development Index
Browse our multimedia database of past research projects to learn more about these and other projects.
Why undergraduate research and inquiry? What is the difference between research and inquiry? What will I learn through undergraduate research with CURI? Who is eligible for the summer CURI program? How do I find out about research opportunities at St. Olaf? How do I find out about research opportunities outside of St. Olaf? What is expected of me as an undergraduate research student? Will I be paid? Can I take a summer school course and do research? Can I receive academic credit for mentored undergraduate research?
There are many different models for collaborative faculty-student work. Many people imagine scientists in lab coats testing hypotheses when they hear the word “research,” yet scholars across the natural and social sciences, humanities and arts all conduct research, guided by the conventions of their own fields. “Inquiry” signals that we recognize and celebrate the variety of rigorous exploration, investigation and creative processes pursued by artists and scholars, beyond hypothesis testing and empirical data gathering.
Our intended learning outcomes include:
A student interested in applying for the CURI program must be enrolled as a St. Olaf student and be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior. There is no GPA requirement that must be met in order to apply for the program, but a student’s academic record will be considered during the selection process.
know of students who have completed research in the past that the inquiring student
could get in touch with.
Summer: Yes – students are paid taxable wages of $12/hour for 40 hours per week, as well as housing support if they live on campus.
School Year: Not usually – students may earn credit with DUR. Some programs do provide for stipends during the academic year, e.g. the CIR offers a modest stipend.
Typically, the answer is no. Students accepting summer undergraduate research positions at St. Olaf are expected to work 40 hours per week on their research projects. If a student is interested in taking a St. Olaf summer school course while employed as a summer researcher, the student should work with their faculty supervisor to write a proposal that describes how the student will meet both the course and research demands. The proposal is submitted to the CURI Director, who will confer with the supervising faculty member before approving the request.
Yes. During the academic year, you can enroll in a Directed Undergraduate Research (DUR) courses with a variety of departments to earn credit. Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CIR) participants can also earn credit. Summer CURI researchers, however, do not earn credit.