Despite the favorable student outcomes and call to increase opportunities for undergraduate research experiences, many students do not have the opportunity to engage in traditional research experiences. Undergraduate institutions are increasing efforts to integrate course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into undergraduate curricula, however, allocating time for instructors to develop materials is a significant barrier to implementing CUREs in life science laboratories. To streamline the process of developing and implementing CUREs, we present a versatile multi-week curriculum that reinforces scientific process skills and complements a variety of life science CURE research projects conducted in upper-division laboratory courses. By broadening the participation of students in scientific research and facilitating students in essential elements of scientific inquiry, this CURE curriculum can maximize both academic research milestones and student educational gains.