The MCC Faculty Fellows Cohort Program Application

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Program Overview: The Malate Dehydrogenase CUREs Community (MCC) Faculty Fellows Program is focused on providing support to faculty without MDH CURE experience and for faculty who are interested in developing and teaching their undergraduate laboratory courses as an MDH CURE. The program’s goal is to support faculty who want to teach labs in a CURE-format based on the enzyme malate dehydrogenase.  We are particularly focused on supporting faculty from under-resourced institutions and/or those who work with large populations of students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education. However all interested faculty from any institution is welcomed to apply.

Each year we will host virtual and in-person workshops for the incoming MCC Faculty Fellows Cohort.  The Cohort of new MCC Faculty Fellows will include faculty from a range of different types of institutions (community colleges, MSIs, PUIs, regional comprehensives, research intensives), teaching different types of courses (introductory, advanced, interdisciplinary, remote/online), and different stages in their careers (new faculty members, experienced faculty members interested in changing pedagogical approaches). Priority will be given to faculty who have not yet taught a CURE. 

Faculty chosen to be in the Cohort will be funded to travel and participate in a summer in-person workshop, will receive a stipend for developing an MDH CURE, provided with funds for supplies for the first year teaching an MDH CURE and may apply for funds for small equipment. In addition, each MCC Faculty Fellow Cohort member will be part of a regional hub of local faculty teaching MDH CURES.  Opportunities to teach well developed MDH CURES or to design new MDH CURES exist, as do in collaboration with faculty from other institutions.

The in-person and virtual workshop provide those new to MDH CUREs an insight into the planning, logistical needs and execution of an MDH CURE. The Cohort will participate in a two-day in-person workshop to gain experience with hands-on aspects of an MDH CURE including protein expression, purification, MDH enzymatic assays, opportunities to build new ideas and form collaborations.

Benefits of MCC Faculty Fellows Cohort Membership: Members of each MCC-Faculty Fellows Cohort will be provided with two years of professional development opportunities, including an individual mentored experience to get your CURE up and running. These experiences include both virtual and hands-on professional development during the first summer (a one-day virtual workshop, a 2-day hands-on workshop, and a flexibly scheduled access to their mentors and Hub Leaders as they adapt techniques/protocols to their home institutions). In the second year of each Cohort, Faculty Fellows will begin to provide mentorship to the new cohort of faculty fellows.

MCC Faculty Fellows Cohort Expectation: An expectation of cohort membership is that 1) each fellow will endeavor to get an MDH CURE up and running as part of their teaching load within two years, 2) they will become part of a national group of supportive faculty working together to provide research opportunities to their students within the context of the labs they teach, 3) and each faculty fellow will be part of a regional hub of local faculty teaching MDH CUREs.

MCC Faculty Fellows Cohort Eligibility:  Our goal is to support Faculty members teaching at an under-resourced institution (community college, primarily undergraduate liberal arts institution, regional comprehensive institution, R1 institution) and/or faculty serving large populations of students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education as well as faculty who identify with populations historically underrepresented in STEM.

  • Faculty members wishing to apply should indicate their plans to be listed as instructor of record for a lab-based course they can teach as an MDH CURE no later than Spring semester of the second year of their Cohort. A letter from the applicant’s chair supporting future teaching assignments to such a lab course (introductory, upper division, interdisciplinary, etc.)  is required as part of the application. 

  • Applicants need not have prior experience teaching a CURE nor working with MDH, and priority will be given to those who have not previously taught a CURE.

  • Graduate students and postdoctoral scientists without a teaching responsibility are not eligible for the cohort program but are encouraged to engage with their Regional Hub Director for learning opportunities.

Others who wish to participate in the virtual and in-person hands-on workshop are invited to attend – see your Hub leader for details and information.

Timeline for the 2024 Fellows Cohort:

  • Application due date: April 25, 2024

  • MCC Faculty Fellow Cohort-2024 selected/notified: Early May 2024

 Summer professional development:

  • A two half-day virtual meeting (June 24 & 25; 12-3pm CST) focusing on CURE pedagogy and syllabus development.

  • A two-day hands-on lab-based workshop at the University of San Diego, CA. Arrive Wed July 17 and depart Sat July 20 2024.

  • Optional Sat July 20 fun day selections include: San Diego Zoo, Mission/Pacific Beach, Snorkel at La Jolla Beach, Balboa Park, discover Point Loma Tide Pools, Festive Dinner at Drs Bell.

  • Flexible, virtual working time to adapt techniques learned at the workshop to your own equipment and instrumentation, with access to your mentors (late July-early Aug).

Awards: From the applicants, nine MCC-FF Cohort-2024 fellows will be selected and will receive:

  • Two years of individually mentored experience to get an MDH CURE up and running

  • Travel funds to participate in a hands-on workshop in the first summer of award

  • Invitations to virtual workshops in the first summer (before and after the workshop), and in subsequent summers

  • Possible funding for small equipment/instrumentation necessary to teach MDH CUREs

  • Access to all plasmids, protocols, sample syllabi needed to teach a well-developed MDH CURE or to design a new one

  • Membership in an MCC Region and a local MCC Hub that will provide support and opportunities to collaborate with other local faculty teaching MCC CUREs

  • Access to professional development for graduate TAs or postdoctoral fellows who teach the course with you

The Application for the 2024 MCC Fellows Cohort will include:

Applicant letter:

  • A description of why you want to be part of the MCC-FF Cohort and how you would implement a CURE as part of your teaching load (including student enrollment in the course)

  • Describe your interest in becoming a mentor to future diversity cohort members

  • Your interest in protein related biochemistry, molecular or cellular biology and experience with teaching CUREs, inquiry-based courses, or other active learning pedagogies (if any).

  • Your experience in mentoring undergraduate research that would help contribute to the success of this CURE (not required but helpful for the application). Describe resources including the budget you have for running your lab and any relevant equipment you have for your teaching lab use, you may refer to our list of recommended equipment.

  • Description of your institution and student population and how you, your students and/or institution fit in with the goals of the Fellows Cohort.

Chair’s letter of support, that addresses:

  • Support for faculty learning new CURE pedagogy, how will the chair and the department support this faculty member using this pedagogy at the faculty’s institution.

  • Support faculty member teaching an MDH CURE starting no later than spring semester, 2026