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1980-1993. Maturity: The Years of Broadening and Deepening

The CCHE-funded Program of Excellence

From its earliest days, CIRES had a commitment to the involvement of undergraduate students in research. In addition to the intellectual bene- fits to participating students, this was partly in order to impress typical entering undergraduates with the advantages of being part of a research university. Until 1989 individual research grants obtained by fellows were the principal source of support for CIRES undergraduate research participants.

In that year CIRES was successful in submitting the first winning proposal to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education for a Program of Excellence. The award of $2,500,000 over five years enabled CIRES to provide research experience and mentoring by first-rate scientists for hundreds of undergraduates students. CCHE required reauthorization each of the five years of the grant, based on proof of performance. Sievers provided the concepts for the program. Hanson handled the preparation of the proposal, the renewal requests, and the program administration. Julie McKie and other CIRES staff ably assisted Hanson in these tasks.

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