The CIRTL Network

The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) seeks to enhance excellence in STEM undergraduate education through development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing evidence-based teaching practices for diverse learners. CIRTL was founded in 2003 as a National Science Foundation Center for Learning and Teaching in higher education. CIRTL uses graduate education as the leverage point to develop a national STEM faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences as part of successful professional careers. The goal of CIRTL is to improve the STEM learning of all students at every college and university, and thereby to increase the diversity in STEM fields and the STEM literacy of the nation.

The CIRTL Network

To prepare the future STEM faculty, CIRTL must influence graduate-through-faculty preparation in teaching and learning at a significant number of research universities. We plan to achieve this goal through CIRTL’s core ideas — that is, through a learning community of diverse research universities mutually engaged in the deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance STEM learning.

Established in fall 2006, the initial CIRTL Network was comprised of Howard University, Michigan State University, Texas A&M University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Vanderbilt University. After substantial expansions in 2011 and 2016, the Network now includes 43 research universities in the United States and Canada.

The Mission

The CIRTL mission is to enhance excellence in undergraduate education through the development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse learners as part of successful and varied professional careers.

CIRTL Constitution & Bylaws

Using a sociocratic process in accordance with CIRTL’s decision-making policy the CIRTL Constitution and Bylaws were adopted on March 4, 2021. The Constitution & Bylaws will be implemented beginning July 1, 2021.

CIRTL Value Statements

CIRTL Value Statements were developed through the collective efforts of CIRTL members and the CIRTL Values Working Group in 2019. These statements represent what we value both in our mission and our operations as a shared learning Network.