Early Career Colloquium

Early Career Colloquium

The purpose of the Early Career Colloquium (ECC) is to provide a high-quality mentorship and networking opportunity for early career researchers who work in an iSchool, a similar department, or want to work in an iSchool (e.g., post-doctoral fellows, assistant professors). During the colloquium, early career scholars will share their research plans and aspirations with accomplished mentors that have expertise in various interdisciplinary areas represented within the iSchool community, as well as extensive experience in grant writing, promotion and/or tenure review, the peer-review process, teaching, and professional service. Early career scholars will engage in discourse with these mentors and their peers to improve their understanding of having a successful career in the information field.

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Overview

Please note that iConference 2026 will have a virtual and a physical component, but the Early Career Colloquium will only be held physically onsite in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK!

During the iConference 2026, participation in the Early Career Colloquium will be restricted to those who have applied and been accepted; the colloquium will not be open to observers. Participants in the Early Career Colloquium will be selected based on their application, perceived relevance and potential contribution to research in the information field, and their anticipated contribution to the colloquium goals. The applications will be reviewed by the chairs. Emphasis will be placed on the formation of groups of participants whose research careers are at a stage that can best benefit from the colloquium and who reflect individual excellence and motivation while at the same time contributing to the colloquium objectives and the aggregate diversity of the cohort.

Conditions: Please note that accepted applicants must register during the Early Bird registration period for the full conference to take part in the Early Career Colloquium at iConference 2026. The organizers reserve the right to withdraw the acceptance if these conditions are not met.

Application

The Early Career Colloquium is open to scholars within eight years since completing their Ph.D. at the time of application submission. Early career scholars will be chosen through a competitive application process. Scholars with involvement in iSchool-related research are encouraged to apply.

Each application should contain the following within one PDF document in the following order and be submitted through the ConfTool submission system by 20 October 2025. All materials must be in English.

A cover page containing:
- Name
- Institution
- Current position
- Personal webpage
- E-mail address
A 1-page personal statement including:
- Research topic and/or specialization (e.g., research questions)
- Current career status
- Career objectives
- Reason for participating
- Research and career challenges to explore in the colloquium
Career-related questions
Current CV

Participation & Format

In order to promote extended interaction among conference attendees, those accepted for the Early Career Colloquium will be expected to meet the following obligations after they have been accepted:

Register for the iConference during the early-bird period, and participate throughout the entire iConference.

Applicants are expected to participate physically.

The colloquium is projected to be a 90-minute to half-day event, with multiple small group discussions. We will focus on collaborative inquiry and scholarly discourse with peers and a panel of experienced faculty serving as mentors.

Main activities can include:

Discussion on crafting a research agenda, careers paths, and teaching strategies with mentors and peers.

Opportunities for group and individual consultation and networking between early career scholars and senior colleagues, exploring potentials for long-term mentorship from accomplished mentors in the early scholars’ field(s) of interest.

Meeting with conference chairs to discuss the writing and reviewing process in highly regarded journals and conferences.

Prior to the session, a few preparatory activities are required to enable us to use the time within the session as best as possible. More information will be forthcoming once selected.