FORCE

FORCE (Faculty Opportunities for Research, Collaboration, and Engagement) is a new scholar community designed to help faculty develop effective, inclusive, and sustainable practices for engaging undergraduates in their scholarly work.

The overall goal of FORCE is to increase faculty and undergraduate research capacity at CSUN by building the mentorship skills, confidence, and infrastructure of faculty who do not currently engage undergraduate students in research, using faculty development as the primary mechanism for expanding equitable student access to high-impact research experiences (Kuh, 2008).

We designed FORCE for faculty members who: 1) are beginning their research endeavors, 2) have never mentored students in their research, 3) have active research programs but have difficulty sustaining student involvement, and 4) need support with research program organization.

FORCE achieves its goal through four integrated components:
(1) a one-day collaborative faculty training workshop in inclusive research mentorship
(2) a summer project development period during which faculty members plan and prepare to onboard a student researcher
(3) a paid, Federal Work-Study funded undergraduate research assistant, spanning the academic year; and
(4) a Faculty Development Seminar in which cohort members reflect on and share their mentorship experiences.

FORCE Scholar Benefits:

• Join a growing community of faculty committed to student-engaged research
• Get direct support from OUR to recruit students for their research lab or project
• Get a paid PODER Federal Work-Study research student during the academic year
• Receive $500 in research supplies
• Receive $1,000 as additional pay

The application period is currently closed.  Applications for 2027-2028 will open in Spring 2027.