And the Results are In!

Over the past several months we, as members of the Emerging Scholar Committee, have asked for your suggestions and input on how to make SRA a better organization. First, thank you to all who participated in the on-line survey. As a way of showing our appreciation, we thought we would take this opportunity to let you know what we have learned.

 

So here we go. Those of you who responded were:

 

·         Predominantly graduate students who had obtained a Master’s degree

·          Or were employed in research academia

Those of you who were students indicated that your post-grad career plans were to obtain a research position in academia.

In general, you joined SRA for:

·         Professional development,

·         Networking opportunities,

·         Discount on conference registration,

·         And access to member only information on the website

You want:

·         To hear about Emerging Scholars programming from the SRA Connection email

·         To see programs about applying to jobs, grant writing and funding, and networking at the Biennial Meetings 

·         To see ESC offer programs about granting writing/funding opportunities, workshops (e.g., balancing life in academia), mentoring, and professional development throughout the year

·         To see the following topics blogged about on the SRA website: job information/process, publishing, professional development, and research (e.g., topics, collaboration)

Here are some initiatives the ESC is doing in response to your input:

·         We have sent announcements through the Connection letting you know the events the ESC has planned for the upcoming Meeting in Vancouver. Click here for a list all of ESC events.

·         At the 2012 Biennial Meeting we have planned Coffee and Conversation hours in the Emerging Scholar Lounge. Topics during the C&C include Networking at a Conference (with Dr. Rob Crosnoe), Your CV and Navigating the Job Market (with Dr. Moin Syed), Work-Life Balance (with Dr. Vonnie C. McLoyd), and Cross-Cultural Research (with Dr. Raija-Leena Punamäki).

·         Also in Vancouver there will be three sessions dedicated to grant writing and obtaining external funding for research projects. As the meeting gets closer, keep your eyes out for specific days and time.

·         We are currently looking into the process of uploading webinars highlighting lectures and discussions by leading scholars in the field of adolescence. The website already has a podcast page where you can go and listen to Past President Reed Larson’s 2010 Presidential Plenary address on positive youth development.

·         Currently, the ESC page of the website has information on job resources, funding opportunities, and professional development resources. Throughout the year, we will be updating the information on these pages and adding new pages to directly address the topics you suggested.

Stay tuned to the SRA website and Connection email to see how your input continues to shape the direction of the Emerging Scholar Committee and SRA!

Have more to say? Email us at emergingscholars@s-r-a.org or come to the ESC Community Meeting in Vancouver to share your ideas.