DRAFT – Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning at the University of Rhode Island (CIRTL @ URI)

February 20, 2026

The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) seeks to transform higher education through implementing innovative, culturally responsive pedagogy that benefits all 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 future faculty committed to implementing and advancing evidence-based teaching practices to enrich undergraduate education that is accessible to all learners. (About CIRTL, 7/21/25) In 2025, the University of Rhode Island became a member of this cross-institutional network of research universities.

Through CIRTL, all of URI is working with the next generation of faculty to develop knowledge about and engagement with evidence-based teaching practices. Our membership in the CIRTL Network provides you with access to virtual courses and workshops offered by the Network’s 40+ member institutions. Your engagement in these cross-network offerings, in addition to URI-specific professional development opportunities can all count towards your progress through CIRTL’s three badge levels—completion of which can be included on your vitae and enhance your postgraduate job applications.

Badge Levels

CIRTL offers three different levels of badging to recognize the work you put into your professional development as an effective educator and distinguish you as an emerging leader in evidence-based teaching and research on teaching.

CIRTL Associate: Describe and Recognize Value

Completing the CIRTL Associate badge indicates that you dedicated time and effort to learning best practices in teaching and learning. You are able to describe these practices and recognize their value for improving undergraduate learning.

CIRTL Practitioner: Engage

Completing the CIRTL Practitioner badge indicates that you have applied best practices in a teaching setting, and have built an awareness of the value of Teaching-as-Research.

CIRTL Scholar: Advance and Disseminate

Completing the CIRTL Scholar badge indicates that you have contributed to knowledge about best-practices in teaching by completing a Teaching-as-Research project and sharing your work publicly through presentation or publication.

Get Started with CIRTL

Interested in participating? 

  • Submit your program participation to Brightspace for credit to earn your badges.
  • Fill out the CIRTL Interest form to be added to CIRTL @ URI’s Brightspace Site. 
  • Identify programming at URI and from the CIRTL Network to participate in.

Questions? Reach out to our leadership team for more information, or email teach@uri.edu to get directed to the right person.

CIRTL Leadership

Alissa Cox

Faculty Leader for Grad Student Instructor Support

Sophia Abbot

Faculty Development Specialist Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

The CIRTL Advisory Board

The CIRTL Advisory Board offers guidance and support on the development of CIRTL programming and structures here at URI.

Additional CIRTL Resources

About CIRTL

How to Attend CIRTL Programs

CIRTL offers a range of online programming to our cross-Network learning community. Drop-in events are open to anyone, while courses and workshops are limited to participants from a CIRTL Network institution or CIRTL Network alumni. CIRTL’s online programming comes in addition to what our member institutions offer locally for their own students.

Inclusive Teaching

While many bias interventions are aimed at faculty, scientific trainees (graduate students and post-docs) are a powerful group with the potential to enact future change.

Instructional Materials

This page includes links to materials from select courses and workshops that have been offered previously in synchronous online environments through the CIRTL Cross-Network Learning Community.

Job Board

Want to share an academic or education related job post? Submit a title, description, contact information, and link via our CIRTL Job Posting Request form, and we may choose to include it here and in our newsletter.

Teaching as Research

The improvement of teaching and learning is a dynamic and ongoing process, just as is research in any STEM discipline. At the core of improving teaching and learning is the need to accurately determine what students have learned as a result of teaching practices.

Writing Support

Graduate Writing & Presenting Lab

At the Graduate Writing and Presenting Lab, we provide writing and presenting support to all URI doctoral and master’s students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting assistant professors to foster continuing development of academic and professional skills necessary to succeed in graduate programs and academic or professional careers.

Winter Writing Retreat

Writing Across URI (now housed in ATL) invites all writers to join our Winter Writing Retreats. Keep the momentum going on your academic article, grant proposal, or creative project! There’s no formal program: just bring your laptop and other materials, plus your own lunch/snacks. We will provide coffee and tea!

Writing Across URI

The focus of Writing Across URI is to offer retreats, forge strategic partnerships, provide personalized consultations, and facilitate collaborative writing groups that bring together faculty and grad students from every discipline.