WORKSHOP: iConference 2019 Doctoral Colloquium

University Of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

This is funding to partially support participation by approximately 23 U.S.-based students (out of an estimated 28 total participants), along with distinguished faculty mentors, in a doctoral colloquium (workshop) on information science research to be held in conjunction with the 14th iConference that will take place March 31-April 3, 2019, in Washington DC, and which will jointly be hosted by the Information School at the University of Maryland, by Syracuse University, and by the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Since 2005, the iConferences have provided a forum where information scholars, researchers and professionals from around the world gather to share insights on critical information issues in contemporary society. An openness to new ideas and research fields in information science is a primary characteristics of these events, which have been successful in bringing together people who otherwise might rarely interact with one another, thereby helping to promote interdisciplinary research. Recent iConferences have drawn close to 500 attendees, a testament to participants' appreciation for the inspiring sense of community, high quality research presentations, and myriad opportunities for engagement. The iConferences are presented by the iCaucus, now a consortium of 87 schools within the United States and abroad (plus 10 associate members) ,dedicated to advancing the information field and preparing students to meet the information challenges of the 21st Century. This year's theme is "inform | include | inspire". The iConference doctoral colloquia traditionally bring together the best of the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers focused on the interplay of information and technology in a social context, allowing them to develop a network both among themselves and with senior researchers. Participation is encouraged from a broad range of relevant disciplines, thereby expanding attendees' perspectives on their topics of study and promoting advancement of the field. The 2019 Doctoral Colloquium will be tightly integrated into the conference experience, starting with a full-day event on Sunday March 31, the first day of the iConference. The primary objective of the Doctoral Colloquium is to help train the next generation of information science researchers. To this end, it will provide the student participants with an environment in which they can share and discuss their goals, methods and results in order to gain feedback on their work both from the mentors and from other students, which should allow them to enhance their research. The student participants will come away with a better understanding of the various research communities engaged in the study of information science, and they will learn how to position their work within the field. At the end of the day, a closing plenary session will provide an opportunity for the faculty mentors to discuss various professional issues, such as the job market, getting grants to support research, negotiating work-life balance, and developing one's research program post-Ph.D. Thus, the colloquium will provide students with the chance to make new professional connections beyond their own disciplines and institutions, and it will also help them successfully launch their careers whether in industry or academia. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.