The National Institute of Statistical Science (NISS), American Statistical Association (ASA), and Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) will hold a writing workshop for junior researchers (subject to availability of funds) August 9 and 12 at JSM in Seattle.
The goal of the workshop is to provide instruction for writing journal articles and grant proposals. Participants will be required to provide a recent sample of their writing, which will be reviewed by a senior mentor. The sample could be a current draft of an article to be submitted for publication, or it could be an early version of a grant proposal. (Submission of the will be required as part of the registration process. Prior experience suggests that the best results come from submitting an early draft of something written solely or primarily by the participant.)
The mentors will be former journal editors and program officers, who will critique (a portion of) the submitted material. Individual feedback will be provided as part of the opening session, and participants will be expected to prepare a revision in response. The workshop will open with a one-day session of general instruction in effective writing techniques. It will continue with a half-day session for participants whose native language is not English and close with discussion and debriefing at a follow-up lunch.
At the close of the formal activities on August 9, mentors will meet individually with participants to go over the writing samples they submitted. Each participant will then prepare a revision of a critiqued portion of the paper and return it to the mentor by the evening of August 11.
Mentors and participants will meet again in conjunction with a lunch on August 12 to discuss the success of the revisions. The lunch program also will include general feedback to participants, mentors, and organizers.
The half-day session for non-native English speakers will be held on the morning of August 12 and include a continental breakfast.
Attendance will be limited and depend on the number of mentors available. Applications are due by June 1; successful applicants will be notified by June 30. Applications received after June 1 will be considered if space is available. There is no fee for participation, but participants must agree to attend the full August 9 session, half-day August 12 session, and the August 12 lunch. We have requested funding for partial travel support.
This workshop is designed for researchers with a recent PhD in either statistics or biostatistics. Top priority will go to those who have held the PhD for 0–3 years. Current PhD students who are completing their degree before the end of the summer and who will be at U.S. institutions in the fall also will be considered. If space is available, researchers at institutions outside the United States will be admitted.
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