AECT’s Research and Theory Division will be hosting the 2010 Early Career Symposium sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The symposium will be held at the annual AECT International Conference on October 26-27th, 2010, in Anaheim, California. The symposium will engage participants in a day and a half of focused career mentoring and networking.
The symposium will provide each participant with the following:
- AECT Conference registration fee
- conference travel expenses up to $500
- two community building lunches
- lodging for the AECT conference not to exceed $200/night for the duration of the conference
The intended outcomes of the Early Career Symposium include:
- mentoring of early career faculty and advanced doctoral students into the social/professional network as partners in idea-making,
- supporting early career faculty and advanced doctoral students in developing viable technology-oriented research agendas,
- providing specific feedback and guidance to early career faculty and advanced doctoral students about their research agendas,
- providing information about building a research agenda, pursuing funding, and building collaborations,
- developing a community of researchers interested in ways technology can transform teaching and learning
The Symposium will occur over a day and a half as part of the AECT Annual Meeting. On the first day, the mentors will work with their primary team of participants (6 participants per mentor) for much of the day. Then, on the half-day, they will talk to other participant groups so that each participant gets some personal feedback from at least two mentors. Participants in the symposium will be asked to identify a project to work on in consultation with their mentors over the following year. Participants will participant in a follow-up video conference Spring 2011.
Our model for the Early Career Symposium relies on three groups of people working together to create a supportive community. Participants will be assigned to one of three mentors. Each of these mentors is a mid-career faculty member who has a strong record of scholarship and grant activity.
Early Career Faculty Participants
Nine early career faculty applicants will be selected through a competitive application process. The symposium is focused on faculty members who have received their terminal degree in the last five years. Preference will be given to those faculty members who are not at research-intensive schools as they typically have fewer opportunities for mentoring at their home institutions than faculty in research-intensive positions. Three early career faculty will be assigned to each mentor.
Advanced Doctoral Students
Nine advanced doctoral student applicants will be selected through a competitive application process. Students should be in the final stages of completing their degree. Preference will be given to students who are nearing completion and whose research agendas align to the technology in teaching and learning focus of the Symposium. Three early doctoral students will be assigned to each mentor.
Lunch for both days will be provided as part of the Symposium to offer an opportunity for unstructured conversation among all participants. Given that one of our desired outcomes is the development of a community of researchers, providing opportunities for that community to develop is a critical aspect of the experience.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be AECT Members in good standing
- Applicants must have not participated in a previous year’s symposium
- Applicants must be current faculty (within first five years of career) or graduate students (within one year of finishing doctoral degree)
- Applicants will be selected based upon their strength of argument for participation. Additionally, the Symposium board seeks to accept a diverse group of scholars representing the entirety of the membership of AECT.
Application
Faculty applicants should submit:
* Cover letter providing a career statement as well as discussing why they would like to attend the Early Career Symposium, how they are qualified and how it would benefit their careers (letter should be limited to a single page).
* Updated Curriculum Vita
Student applicants should submit:
* Cover Letter discussing career goals, including description of dissertation and progress toward completion. The cover letter should also discuss how they are qualified for the Early Career Symposium and how it would benefit their careers (letter should be limited to a single page)
* Updated Curriculum Vita
* Statement supporting participation from dissertation advisor (limit to one paragraph)
Deadline: All applicants are due September 1, 2010. Cover letters and vita’s must be sent to Symposium coordinator, David Richard Moore (moored3@ohio.edu). All materials must be sent electronically. Applicants will be informed of their status on September 21, 2010.
