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CU Boulder program makes undergraduate research accessible, teaching students to follow their curiosity and reframe their failures

Amy Martinez didn鈥檛 think it would take so long to start her research on Latinx identities. As a junior, she received a research grant from听CU Boulder鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP),听but she struggled to earn separate approval from听CU Boulder鈥檚 Institutional Review Board (IRB).听

Because she wanted to study human subjects, she needed IRB鈥檚 OK before collecting data.

鈥淭here were so many questions and details that the IRB required me to write about that I didn't even have answers or solutions to yet,鈥� says Martinez, who听graduated in December from听CU Boulder with a BA in anthropology and communication.听

鈥淚t really required me to think outside of the box and make tough decisions about where my research would take me.鈥�

It took time for Martinez to address IRB鈥檚 stringent requirements. The complication extended her project timeline, which meant she had to change her summer plans and collect data.听

She completed her project and defended it as an honor鈥檚 thesis in December. Her research documents the struggles of bicultural, bilingual youth who try to maintain Latinx identities while meeting the expectations of mainstream, white-dominant U.S. culture.听

Notwithstanding hardships these youth face, they succeed as resilient, adaptable individuals who feel secure in their Latinx identities.听

Undergraduate research fueled Martinez鈥� self-confidence as a scholar, and she is exploring graduate school.听

But this outcome was no foregone conclusion. Three years ago, she would not have considered applying for a university research grant.听

She鈥檇 heard about听UROP听but figured 鈥渢hat鈥檚 not something that someone like me does. 鈥� That鈥檚 what some other crazy, determined student would do.鈥�

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Redefining 鈥榬esearch and creative work鈥�

Martinez is not alone. According to UROP, many听undergraduates have difficulty seeing a path to research and creative work.

鈥淎 huge issue is what the word 鈥榬esearch鈥櫶齟vokes,鈥� says Joan Gabriele, who directs CU Boulder鈥檚 Special Undergraduate Enrichment Programs (SUEP), which houses UROP.听

鈥淲hen we do workshops, I just love to ask the question, 鈥榃hat images come to mind when you hear the word research?鈥� It鈥檚 usually science. It鈥檚 usually labs. And if you鈥檙e not in that world, then research does seem like something that (only) scientists do.鈥�

Other students don鈥檛 pursue research and creative work because they think they鈥檙e unqualified.

鈥淎 desire we鈥檝e had is to avoid that language of hierarchy that says 鈥榦nly the best and the brightest should do research.鈥� Those definitions are pretty slippery,鈥� says Gabriele. 鈥淩ecognizing that potential looks different in different students, that鈥檚 one of the reasons that UROP is available to everyone.鈥澨�

Since its 1986 beginning, UROP has sought to recruit and support more student research with a relatively flat budget. Four years ago, Gabriele and her staff examined every facet of the application and funding processes, then changed ineffective procedures.听

For example, they removed eligibility requirements for a minimum GPA and credits earned and removed the restriction on simultaneously earning CU Boulder credit while receiving UROP funding.

鈥淭ake about any aspect of the program, and we鈥檝e really tried to say, 鈥楬ow can this be easier? How can students make more sense of this and how can they get started faster?鈥欌�� says Tim O鈥橬eil, assistant director of UROP. 鈥淲e are getting it into a position where we鈥檝e cleared out as much of the bureaucracy as we can.鈥�

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The circuitous path toward a scholarly idea

With a simpler application process in place, O鈥橬eil is helping students see how faculty and students generate ideas.听听

鈥淪tudents don鈥檛 see it (the path to a research outcome) when they see a faculty member in the front of their class with a lot of credentials and a lot of success often highlighted in terms of disciplinary success,鈥� says O鈥橬eil.听

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know that the person up there has taken a far more circuitous route to that destination than they realized. And it has been sign-posted by failure as far back as they can go. The turns are often serendipitous, and in every case, someone helped.鈥澨�

In the case of Martinez, she heard about research and creative work as a first-year student and again as a sophomore, but she thought she needed a focused problem or idea. She had neither. Instead, she knew she loved cultural anthropology field work and wanted to know more.听

She took a class in practicing anthropology at CU Boulder and was introduced to听, a program that supports the siblings of pregnant and parenting teens. While observing the program鈥檚 strategies to support Latinx teens, she reflected on her past.听

鈥淚 had these personal questions about my own cultural identity and why I wasn't given the opportunity to experience some of it,鈥� says Martinez, who is the great granddaughter of Mexican immigrants. 鈥淚鈥檝e always had those questions, and then I was introduced to the (GENESISTER) program.鈥�

A faculty advisor in anthropology helped Martinez form her questions into a potential project. She then applied for and received a grant from UROP.听

Martinez鈥檚 project met unexpected barriers from the outset. Conducting research over the summer challenged her ability to collect data and affected the scope of work. But she adapted, completed her project and successfully defended it before a faculty panel.听

UROP invests in stories like Martinez鈥檚 that stress both the result and the process of coming to that result. Another initiative called the听Lightbulb Moment听uses videos to听describe students driven by curiosity, strategies they deploy to overcome challenges and pathways to results. Staff members with UROP and other programs within SUEP believe that showing research and creative work as a process helps students understand a facet of scholarship that many undergraduates misunderstand鈥攆ailure.

鈥淲e鈥檙e getting high-achieving scholars who a lot of times are stuck in these narratives about who they are as learners,鈥� says Jim Walker, teaching faculty in SUEP. He notes that many feel pressure to avoid failure, which discourages them from taking risks.听

O鈥橬eil says self-forgiveness is critical.听

鈥淚f (students) only see the final outcome and a linear path to it, whenever life presents a turn or a failure, that seems catastrophic,鈥� says O鈥橬eil. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 see how you can turn and actually end up some place better than you had hoped.鈥�

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The hardest part is getting started

Martinez鈥檚 UROP experience听built her confidence as a student, a scholar and as a graduate exploring her next career step.

鈥淚 feel like I can do more. I want to go to grad school, and I鈥檓 thinking about PhD programs,鈥� says Martinez. 鈥淚 learned that I can, really, do anything. It just takes a lot of really hard work.鈥�

Martinez believes her confidence grew as a result of her UROP experience. She encourages fellow students to听apply, even if early in their academic careers.

鈥淵ou can have the most general, overarching idea. A word or a concept. Just meet with professors and as many as you can,鈥� says Martinez.听

鈥淚t can be really scary to show up to someone鈥檚 office hours and say 鈥業 kind of want to do this, but I also have no idea what I鈥檓 doing.鈥� But that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e there for. They want to help you figure it out. The hardest part is making that first decision of 鈥楢m I going to do this or am I not going to do this?鈥欌�澨�

Her advice is succinct:

鈥淛ust do it.鈥�