The Sandra K. Abell Institute for Doctoral Students (SKAIDS) was established to support the professional development and education of doctoral students involved in the study of science education. Over the years, SKAIDS has provided a space for doctoral students to establish a community within NARST and to build long-lasting relationships with peers and mentors. 

SKAIDS 2023 was co-sponsored by Clemson University and Michigan State University and held at Clemson University's Outdoor Lab June 4-9, 2023. Organizers were Amelia Gotwals, Christina Schwarz, Julianne Wenner, and Brooke Whitworth. SKAIDS 2023 hosted 30 doctoral students (Fellows) matched with 10 faculty mentors. In addition to the co-organizers, the mentors were:

• Tia Madkins, University of Texas-Austin
• Sonya Martin, Seoul National University
• Regina McCurdy, Georgia Southern University
• Zukiswa Nhase, University of the Free State
• Meredith Park Rogers, Indiana University-Bloomington
• Laura Zangori, University of Missouri

The goals for SKAIDS 2023 were:

1. Support Fellows in forming a network of emerging and experienced science education researchers.
2. Make the hidden curriculum of the PhD process explicit to the Fellows and help them understand the place of their research in the broader research community.
3. Improve science education research through dialogue with a community of researchers.
4. Model and discuss issues of work-life balance in academia.

To meet these goals, activities throughout the week included office hours, Critical Friends groups, write-on-site time, historical tours of Clemson, outdoor free time, goat yoga, and s’mores. There were also needs-based workshops on resilience, writing/publishing, politics/ethics of science, indigenous/critical/decolonial lenses, the job search process, and seeking funding.

SKAIDS Fellows will present their research posters stemming from work during SKAIDS 2023 at the NARST Annual Meeting in March, 2024.

The next SKAIDS will be held in 2025, with sponsor and location TBD.