Announcing Early Bird Registration for the 2016 Freshman Research Initiative Conference March 2–4, 2016 The University of Texas at Austin

The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) was launched in 2005 to improve the quality of undergraduate science education at The University of Texas at Austin. FRI involves first-year students as collaborators on original research as an alternative to entry-level laboratory courses. Ten years later, FRI has become a national model for transforming undergraduate STEM education by offering undergraduate research experiences to ~900 students per year.

This year's FRI Conference is designed to engage and support college and university faculty and administrators in understanding the FRI model and adapting it to fit the needs and priorities of their students, faculty, and institutions. Conferees will learn about the design, operations, and evaluation of FRI, and how it is being adapted to fit other institutions and achieve a range of goals, including students' persistence and success in STEM.

The conference will feature presentations and interactive sessions on the following themes:

· Implementation of the FRI model: curriculum development, infrastructure, and instructional models

· Strategies for program evaluation and student assessment

· Faculty and student professional development

· Funding models and sustainability

You can access the conference registration here. Information about accommodations and a tentative agenda are posted on the FRI Biennial Conference website.

Thank you,

The Conference Steering Committee

Stacia Rodenbusch, The University of Texas at Austin

Jo-anne Holley, The University of Texas at Austin

Greg Palmer, The University of Texas at Austin

Patrick Killion, The University of Maryland College Park

Nancy Stamp, Binghamton University - SUNY

Sue Anne Chew, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley