Announcements

NARST 2020 Early Career Research Award (ECRA) Full Nomination Second Call

The NARST Early Career Research Award (ECRA) acknowledges contributions to science education through research by individuals during the seven years immediately following receipt of the doctoral degree. To qualify for the award in 2020, the nominee must have received the doctoral degree on or after January 1, 2012. Research contributions may vary including, but not limited to empirical, philosophical or historical research, evaluative studies, policy-related research, and studies reflecting new research techniques.

This award is given to an individual who over the seven years immediately following receipt of the PhD has established a promising research agenda, published noteworthy work, and has the potential to make significant contributions to science education through research.

All NARST members are encouraged to consider nominating an eligible and deserving early career NARST member. Nominators must be current members of NARST; self-nominations will not be considered. The nomination letter should help the committee understand why the researcher’s scholarly record is deserving of recognition and contextualize the impact of the research in the nominee's institution and/or home country.

Nominations for the award must include the following materials:

1. A letter of nomination which discusses the nominee’s impact on the field;
2. The nominee’s vita;
3. A two-page summary of the nominee’s research interests, prepared by the nominee; and,
4. Three of the nominee’s most significant papers.
5. In addition, two letters of support should be sent separately. The supporting letters need to discuss the context and significance of the nominee's scholarship in terms of the three criteria, in order that accomplishments on the nominee's vita are understood.

In evaluating nomination materials, the ECRA committee will consider the following:

• Prominence of journals in which the nominee has published
• The extent to which research is represented both nationally and internationally in peer-reviewed journals
• Extent to which the nominee has offered new ideas or new directions for the field
• Quantity of research publications
• Research conference presentations
• Research grant awards (relative to opportunities available to the nominee given his/her national context)
• Extent to which nominee has established her/himself as an independent scholar

For each of the three papers submitted, the committee will consider the following:

• Intellectual quality of the scholarship
• Quality of theoretical foundations
• Methodological rigor
• Creativity/Innovation
• (For multi-authored papers) The nominee’s contribution to the paper

Questions regarding the award should be directed to Christine McDonald (c.mcdonald@griffith.edu.au), chair of the ECRA Committee, on behalf of Erin Furtak (co-chair), and members: Elizabeth (Betsy) Davis, Anna Danielsson, Judy Dori, Patricia Friedrichson, Amelia Gotwals, Kate McNeil, James Minogue, Mauricio Pierocola, David Stroupe, and Michal Zion.

All nomination packages and materials should be sent electronically in PDF format and received by the Committee Chair, Christine McDonald (c.mcdonald@griffith.edu.au) and co-chair, Erin Furtak (erin.furtak@colorado.edu), no later than November 15, 2019.

21 August 2019

On behalf of the NARST Board of Directors and the Publication Advisory Committee, we are pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Troy Dow Sadler (UNC Chapel Hill) and Dr. Felicia Moore Mensah (Teachers College, Columbia University)  as the incoming Editors-in-Chief of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (JRST).  Troy and Felicia were selected as the result of a search conducted by a group comprised of both Board and NARST representatives (chair: Gail Richmond), and the recommendation was approved by the NARST Board following its March meeting.  The new editors’ term runs from 2020 - 2025.

We wish to use this opportunity to thank the outgoing editors, Dr. Fouad Abd-El-Khalick and Dr. Dana L. Zeidler, for their outstanding leadership of the journal these past five years.  Troy and Felicia will begin handling new submissions in January 2020, while Fouad and Dana will continue to adjudicate manuscripts already in the pipeline. There will be an opportunity for NARST members to interact with the new editors at the 2020 NARST Annual International Conference in Portland, OR (March 15 – 18, 2020).

Dr. Tali Tal
NARST President

• Indicate when the nominee completed his/her doctoral degree (ensuring that it has been 20 years since the award of the degree)
• Speak to the evidence that the nominee has made significant contributions to science education through research, including – but not limited to – empirical, philosophical or historical research, evaluative studies, policy-related research, and/or studies reflecting new research techniques
• Speak to the evidence that the nominee has provided notable leadership in science education through research
• Speak to the evidence that the nominee has had substantial impact on science education through research