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“Introduction to Research” (or “Gateway”) courses play a critical role in introducing undergraduates, especially those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, to scientific research norms and skills. This paper describes the co-creation of a model Gateway course by ten institutions located across [area]. Designed to be interdisciplinary, offered to lower division students, and adaptable for both two-year and four-year colleges, the course introduces basic research techniques alongside the customs of scientific research. Developed as part of an undergraduate research training program, the course was intended to prepare students for entering research placements. We report on the collaborative process of course creation, adaptation to individual institutions, and modification over time. Preliminary evaluations suggested positive outcomes for Gateway students. A program-wide evaluation (n = 55) indicated students on average “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they had met guidelines based on the course learning objectives. Pre/post assessments at a pilot site (n = 57) found that participants had significantly higher research knowledge and self-efficacy scores after taking the course. Qualitative student course feedback suggested that students valued the course for the research skills it gave them and thought the curriculum should be more widely available. Overall, this suggests the course met its primary objective of preparing students to enter research placements. We further discuss the challenges and successes of institutionalizing the course across diverse campuses and share key lessons learned from nearly a decade of implementation. We contend that interdisciplinary, lower-division Gateway courses offer broad value and transferable skills for students regardless of their intended career path.
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Waugh et al. (2026) studied this question.