WisCUR Executive Committee Meeting, October 13, 2020

Attending: Cherie Barta, Catherine Chan, Scott Cooper, Nigel Rothfels, Julie O’Leary, Lissa Schneider-Rebozo, Jalal Nawash, and David Specht-Boardman

  • Research in the Rotunda is scheduled for 4/14/2011. David Specht-Boardman updated the group on discussions regarding format for the event and solicited input. There is interest in maintaining the in-person nature of the event, perhaps with a split day format – half of the campuses in the morning and half in the afternoon. There would also be a website. Concerns expressed included risks associated with student travel and the loss of the feel and energy of the event with a changed format. Support was expressed for a virtual event, which we are all gaining experience with; posters could be provided for a display in Madison. Discussions are ongoing and David will keep us updated. There will likely be a reduction in the number of posters allotted to each campus from six to four (with two additional for receiving campuses), regardless of format.
  • The UW System Symposium will be held 4/23/2021 at UW-Whitewater. Jalal Nawash reported that the format will be virtual. The campus had some compatibility issues with WordPress, so Guidebook has been selected as the platform and UWW will do a trial of it at their fall undergraduate research symposium. Given the cancellation of the UW System Symposium in 2020 and the virtual plan for 2021, Jalal requested that UW-Whitewater be approved to host the event in 2022 to have the opportunity for an in-person event. A motion to approve UW-Whitewater as the location for the 2022 UW-System Symposium was made by Scott Cooper, seconded by Nigel Rothfels, and approved unanimously.
  • Funding concerns – Funding cuts are being experienced on all campuses; some campuses have experienced decreases in requests for UR grant funding due to distance learning, difficulty accessing labs, and demands on faculty. 2021 is expected to be a difficult year.
  • Workshop recap – The fall workshop was deemed successful, but there is little energy for a follow-up at this time and a sense that many opportunities are available for those interested.
  • Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin opportunities – Julie O’Leary met with Marissa Jablonski, the new FCW Executive Director to share information about WisCUR and request that we be kept informed of FCW opportunities as they arise. FCW will be participating in the WiSys webinar series with a session about their funding opportunities on December 3rd . Details are on the WiSys website at https://www.wisys.org/grants/webinars. WiSys webinars are free and open to all.
  • Other – Julie O’Leary inquired about other campus’ reliance on the Grants Resource Center membership that has been subsidized by System in the past. We are not aware of a decision on continued support.
  • Next meeting date – There will be an e-mail check-in after Thanksgiving, unless issues arise that require a meeting.