PME-NA Doctoral Consortium

Call for Applications

2022 PME-NA Pre-Conference Doctoral Consortium

The PME-NA Doctoral Consortium is designed to support the development of emerging scholars in mathematics education through a workshop for advanced Ph.D. students to share their dissertation research with peers and established faculty serving as mentors. Participants will engage in collaborative inquiry and scholarly discourse to support their dissertation work and develop a better understanding of their emerging role as mathematics education scholars during a pre-conference workshop and with a poster in the conference poster session. To benefit from the Doctoral Consortium, applicants should be advanced graduate students, and be at a stage in their dissertation research where the participants and mentors may be of help in shaping and framing the research, analysis, and/or writing activities (see details in Who Should Apply?).

Goals of the Doctoral Consortium 

• Provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on their in-process dissertation research and to identify problems/issues for discussion and inquiry;
• Contribute ideas and receive feedback and guidance on their current research and writing;
• Discuss theoretical and methodological issues of central importance to the future direction of mathematics education;
• Develop a network of supportive scholars in mathematics education across North America;
• Support early-career scholars in the process of entering the Mathematics Education community.

Workshop Activities

The workshop will be conducted virtually the first day of the PME-NA conference before the opening plenary, and we are exploring the possibility of providing an in-person option at the conference location. Additionally, participants will present a poster about their dissertation study design as part of the PME-NA conference poster session. 

Pre-conference workshop activities will allow participants to meet and talk with other emerging scholars and mentors, share their dissertation research and receive feedback on specific aspects they highlight, discuss future directions in the broader field of mathematics education research, and learn about key aspects of transitioning into diverse careers as mathematics education scholars (e.g., publishing, career trajectories, navigating the job market). Participants will be assigned to small groups and matched with a mentor based on their research interests. The focus of whole-group activities will be based on common issues and themes identified in participants’ applications. 

Application Instructions

Applications (second deadline) are due Friday, April 29 11:59PM PST. Applications can be submitted in English, Spanish or French. The final summary of dissertation research (published in the proceedings) will need to be in English, and optionally in any of the two other languages as well. To apply, please submit one document with the following three sections to pmenaloc@gmail.com:

• A cover sheet (see template) with your name, institution, email address, and mailing address; title of your dissertation study; dissertation proposal completion date (or anticipated date); anticipated graduation date;  your advisor’s name (or thesis chair’s name, as appropriate); names of 2-3 scholars in mathematics education with whom you would enjoy learning from in a research mentor capacity (do note that these names will be used as recommendations, the program committee cannot guarantee that any of these names will be able to serve as mentors). 
• A personal statement, not to exceed 500 words, that includes: (a) current status of your dissertation research; (b) where in the dissertation process you expect to be in November 2022 (e.g., data collection, analysis, writing, defending); (c) what specific issues or challenges with your research you would like to explore further; (d) why you want to participate in the Doctoral Consortium; and (e) the potential benefits of participation for you and/or the Mathematics Education community. 
• A summary of your dissertation research, not to exceed 2 pages excluding references, that includes: (a) goals of your research, such as the problems/questions your study addresses; (b) background and theoretical framework; (c) methods/research design used, and (d) why your research is important and how it extends previous work (e.g., anticipated contributions, preliminary findings). It should be clear how your research relates to Mathematics Education research. This summary should follow the PME-NA Template and Author Guidelines (with no abstract). If accepted, you will be asked to revise this paper based on reviewer feedback and it will be published in the conference proceedings.

Questions about the Doctoral Consortium and applications should be directed to pmenaloc@gmail.com. Accepted applicants will be notified by April 22, 2022 or May 9, 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should apply?

The Mathematics Education Doctoral Consortium is open to PhD candidates whose research interests incorporate mathematics education. Priority will be given to applicants that have completed their dissertation proposal (or equivalent) by the 2022 conference so that they are at the stage in their work where participation in the consortium can contribute to the design and analysis of their dissertation, as well as their future career goals. Students who have not been admitted to candidacy (or equivalent) or will have completed their dissertation before Fall 2022 should not apply. Graduate students from institutions outside of the U.S., as well as students from underrepresented groups in Mathematics Education, are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Can I apply if I submitted proposal(s) for a poster, brief research report, or research report to PME-NA?

Yes, graduate students can apply and participate regardless of whether they have submitted other proposals to PME-NA and/or those proposals were accepted. 

How is the doctoral consortium poster different from presenting a poster or paper at PME-NA?

Doctoral consortium participants’ posters will focus on the design of their dissertation study rather than an empirical or theoretical poster submission. As with other PME-NA posters, doctoral consortium participants will have an associated publication in the conference proceedings (with a slightly longer page limit of 2 pages). Thus, the format is more similar to a dissertation abstract. Participants in the doctoral consortium will present a poster during the normal PME-NA poster session, either virtually or in person, similar to other poster presentations. Additionally, doctoral consortium participants’ posters will be highlighted in the program to increase visibility. 

Can I participate if I do not attend the PME-NA conference?

No, participants will be required to register for the PME-NA conference, but no additional costs are required to attend the doctoral consortium. Participants can attend PME-NA either virtually or in person.

Can I apply to the doctoral consortium if I also plan to apply to the PME-NA scholarship program?

Yes, and we encourage applicants to apply for the PME-NA scholarship program to assist with the cost of conference registration. Separate applications must be submitted for the scholarship program and the doctoral consortium.

Review Criteria

Participants for the Doctoral Consortium will be selected based on:

• academic quality of their proposal; 
• relevance and potential contribution to the field of mathematics education; 
• anticipated contribution to the workshop goals and potential to benefit from the workshop; 
• interest in developing cross-national collaborations; and
• assembly of a complementary and diverse cohort regarding institutions, topics, disciplines, and nationalities.