Faculty Resources

Who is CUR? CUR is the premier community of higher education professionals advancing excellence in undergraduate research. CUR provides support and professional development for faculty, staff, administrators, and students.

MSU is an enhanced institutional member of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). All MSU faculty, staff, and students are eligible for membership – this is not automatic. You might sign up, but it is free for you.

Why should I sign up for CUR membership?

• Student & Mentor resources
• Competitive awards and funding
• Networking with others in your discipline
• CUR Community - discussion forum (Student Journals, Job Board, etc.)
• Online access to Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research Journal (SPUR)

CUR also hosts awards, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), and more.

To sign up for membership, you can visit CUR’s Membership Activation page. Fill out the form on the page. Make sure to choose Morehead State as your member institution.

You can join any of the following divisions:

• Arts & Humanities
• At-Large
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Education
• Engineering
• Geosciences
• Health Sciences
• Mathematical, Computing, & Statistical Sciences
• Physics & Astronomy
• Psychology
• Social Sciences
• Undergraduate Research Programs

The Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) is Kentucky’s statewide scientific society, with over 4,000 members. Its mission is to foster scientific discovery and understanding in Kentucky. KAS offers resources (workshops, grants, etc.) to students and faculty. Its annual meeting, where students can present their work, is held in November. 

MSU offers free membership to students and faculty. 

Filling out the request form does not mean students can start working. Students cannot begin work until they are approved by human resources and payroll. The coordinator of undergraduate research will inform you when this happens. Students can work up to 20 hours a week in total; however, data show that students work an average of 10 hours a week. If they’re working multiple jobs on campus, they need to split their time between them.

The time students spend completing the CITI training and attending UR events can count as work hours, but they must not exceed the number of hours they’ve been approved to work in a week. 

This varies by department and college. If you’re unsure who the time supervisor for your URF should be, please consult with your department chair. If you, as the mentor, are supervising time, please see below for instructions on how to approve time.

Faculty mentors must approve student hours worked through the my.moreheadstate portal. Visit the Information Technology website for instructions.

You can have multiple students working as URFs under your mentorship, either on the same project or on separate projects. Please keep in mind that department chairs and college deans might limit the number of students faculty can mentor.

The proper training and IRB approval must be completed before research using human or animal participants commences. To learn more about CITI training, IACUC, and IRB approval, see Research and Sponsored Programs.