CUR Transformations Project Impact: Curricular and Cultural Change Pathways

The Council on Undergraduate Research’s Transformations project—a six-year, longitudinal research study funded by the National Science Foundation—examined the process of transforming student learning and academic culture through scaffolding of and connecting research with undergraduate curricula. This article discusses the design and outcomes that evolved from the experiences of 24 academic departments at 12 diverse colleges and universities creating innovative undergraduate curricula and campus cultures that maximized student success. The project’s scholarly findings and outcomes, including a theory of change, and practical lessons are transferrable across institutional types and disciplines. This article and the volume Transforming Academic Culture and Curriculum: Integrating and Scaffolding Research throughout Undergraduate Education (2024) are framed to help readers execute similar transformative change processes on their own campuses.