REMINDER: APPLICATIONS DUE 1/19

The Educational Research and Methods Division of ASEE announces the opening of applications for the

2010 Apprentice Faculty Grant to attend the ASEE Conference in Louisville, KY from June 20-23, 2010.

Please note that this year is we are introducing a pilot program with new eligibility and evaluation criteria—please read the new requirements carefully and forward this message to potential applicants. A summary of changes from prior years has been included at the end of this message.

The Educational Research and Methods Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) will award up to four grants to travel to the 2010 Annual Conference as part of its Apprentice Faculty Grant (AFG) program. Each grant consists of reimbursement of receipted registration, travel, food, and accommodation expenses up to a maximum of $2,000.  Grant recipients are expected to attend the full duration of the conference, including two ERM events, and are highly encouraged to attend at least one workshop.

What Are the Goals of the AFG Program?

· To build capacity for the engineering education community through “apprenticeship” and mentoring to members of the engineering education research and scholarship community.

Who is Eligible?

· Individuals who are currently pursuing or plan to pursue a career in engineering education and who have demonstrated potential for substantial contributions to the field through engineering education research or scholarship.

· Any engineering education researcher who is at an “apprentice” stage of their pathway into the engineering education research community, and wishes to become an active member of the ERM Division. This might include graduate students, post doctoral researchers, junior faculty, staff members, or senior-ranking faculty who are transitioning into engineering education research.

How Does One Apply?

· Candidates may self-nominate by completing an application packet as described below.

What Does the Application Packet Include? (Max 6 pages total)

Note that page limits are strictly enforced and materials should be submitted in the order listed.

1.Application Materials (up to 2 pages)

o Nominee information – name/address/phone/e-mail address

o CV including items relevant to the goals of the ERM Division, including but not limited to: education – degree(s),  institution(s), major(s), date(s) and dissertation title(s); educational research activities, instructional innovations

2.Statement of the nominee’s career goals, including an explanation of why the nominee qualifies as “apprentice faculty,” and a reflection statement by the nominee about how apprenticeship in the ERM division will help achieve his/her career goals (up to 2 pages)

3.One additional letter of recommendation from someone familiar with the nominee’s engineering education research activities and/or commitment to engineering education (up to 2 pages)

How Are Nominations Evaluated?

· Nominees are evaluated by a team of ERM reviewers on (a) potential for future contributions to engineering education research, (b) need for mentoring/apprenticeship and (c) possible future involvement with the ERM Division. Specifically reviewers will rate candidates on:

o Career goals—e.g. consistency with ERM mission

o Qualifications—e.g. apprentice status, demonstration of prior commitment to engineering education research

o Potential for candidate to contribute to engineering education research and the ERM Division; perceived value of apprenticeship status/mentoring to further candidate’s career goals

o Letter of recommendation—e.g. How well does the author know the work of the candidate? Are specific examples provided?

When Is the Deadline?

· Nomination packets must be received by 5pm Eastern time on January 19, 2010 via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   Faxes and hard copies will not be accepted.  All nominations will be acknowledged via email.

Questions?

· Nominees with questions are highly encouraged to contact the AFG Committee Chair, prior to submitting an application via email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone: 864-656-4321.

What Changes Have Been Made From Prior Years?

A summary of changes compared to past years for this pilot program are listed below:

1. Change in eligibility: Eligibility has been broadened to include engineering education researchers any stage of their career that make a sufficient case for the need for mentoring and “apprentice” status. This is designed to be inclusive of the many pathways into engineering education research.

2. Application packet:  (1) Applicants can now self-nominate. The requirement of a teaching philosophy has been removed; instead, a statement of how the applicant qualifies as an “apprentice” is required.  This statement is the nominee's opportunity to discuss what being an AFG would do for the nominee's career trajectory and how the nominee would leverage this formal introduction to the ERM community to make a stronger mark in engineering education. (2) The required number of letters of recommendation has been reduced to one.

3. Evaluation criteria: To mirror the changes in the nominee eligibility and the application package, the reviewer criteria has changed to reflect evaluation of the need for mentoring on the part of the nominee and alignment of this award with the career trajectory of the nominee.

Successful Applications Will:

· Be clearly aligned with the goals of the Apprentice Faculty Grant and the Educational Research and Methods Division of ASEE.

· Focus on evidence of commitment to and potential for future contributions to of the field of engineering education research in both the candidate’s statement and the letter of recommendation. Examples and specifics are particularly helpful to the review committee.

· Clearly describe the candidate’s career goals.

· Provide compelling evidence for “apprenticeship” status and how the applicant plans to leverage the AFG award to help achieve career goals and contribute to the ERM Division.

 

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Julie Martin Trenor, Ph.D.

Asst. Professor of Engineering & Science Education

864.656.4321

 

 

President