Promoting Chemistry Undergraduate Research Equity (ProCURE)
We are a small student-led working group advocating for change in our department – specifically when it comes to undergraduate research equity in the chemical sciences.
We have three primary initiatives that we are focusing on to reach our goals:
INITIATIVE I: Paying undergraduate researchers INITIATIVE II: Improve access to information on how to obtain undergraduate research positions INITIATIVE III: Improve Mentorship Standards You can read more about these efforts below. For updates on our progress, check out our News section! |
Next meeting September 28th at 3pm! We will have a quick info session for new members (~15 minutes) and then head out for coffee as a group. |
PAY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS
The vast majority of undergraduate researchers in the chemistry department at the University of Washington are unpaid for their labor. Furthermore, current options for funding are limited, competitive, and frequently require previous research experience. The result is a gate-keeping effect, where underrepresented minorities (URMs) and socioeconomically disadvantaged students cannot obtain the necessary experience to qualify for post-graduate education and jobs. ProCURE is currently working to remove the monetary barrier to scientific research for URMs by advancing the cause for paying undergraduate researchers, thereby ensuring a more equitable department.
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IMPROVE INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY
According our recent survey, ~70% of students are "unsure how to apply" for research positions. Furthermore, 66% of students stated "a lack of department guidance" contributed.
If we want to improve access to research, we need to ensure that students are getting the information and guidance they need to find, apply for, and obtain research positions. To this end, ProCURE members are currently working to improve the information presented on the departmental webpage, arrange an annual informational panel for students interested in undergraduate research, and set up a undergraduate research network through a partnership with Free Radicals. We intend for the second two programs to have a focus on reaching out to marginalized and underrepresented communities such as Black Student Union, Black Fraternities, Q-Center, etc to improve accessibility and provide an additional resource for navigating research and academia. |
IMPROVE MENTORSHIP STANDARDS
Graduate students perform the bulk of mentorship and training for undergraduate researchers. Despite this, very little guidance is given on how to best mentor students - particularly students of different gender, race, or ethnic backgrounds.
As an initial step, we intend to put together materials reviewing culturally sensitive mentorship practices, reasonable expectations for undergraduate researchers, and how to navigate selecting an undergraduate student to join the lab. We intend to make these materials available on this website, the department website, and through intermittent seminars. Long term, we would like to see the department implement a course into the graduate curriculum that will review culturally sensitive mentorship and how to navigate mentorship of undergraduates in classes and in the lab. Recognizing that chemistry graduate programs are predominately white and non-black POC this training would be directed towards these groups with the intent of examining the way white people, non-black POC, and chemistry culture maintain inequities in our society. |