Newark, New Jersey, USA
May 15-17, 2006
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Ph.D. Student Colloquium
Sunday, May 14, 2006
 

Chair:  David Mendonça, mendonca@njit.edu, Information Systems Department, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Co-chairs and past Ph.D. colloquium participants and awardees:
Jonas Landgren, jonas.landgren@viktoria.se , Viktoria Institute, Sweden
Jiri Trnka, jirtr@ida.liu.se, Linköping University, Sweden
 
The Ph.D. Student Colloquium of the ISCRAM 2006 conference supports the goal of developing and sustaining a network of young scholars working in the area of Information Systems for crisis response and management.  The one-day colloquium links current Ph.D. students to each other and to a range of senior researchers, enabling various types of interaction among them.  It provides an opportunity for students to refine and focus their thesis research based on input from all colloquium participants.
 
The colloquium will be held at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey (USA) on 14 May 2006.  The ISCRAM conference itself takes place from 13 to 17 May 2006.
 
Participation is via application only, and the number of participants is limited.  Summary thesis proposals submitted as part of the application package will be the focus of discussions during the colloquium.  The authors of the best three proposals will be given an opportunity to present their work to an audience of all ISCRAM attendees and to have abstracts of their work published in the ISCRAM proceedings.
 
The agenda of the colloquium is as follows:
 
1. Preliminaries
Prior to the colloquium, the organizers make available to all participants (i) summaries of each student’s thesis work, (ii) a template for use in presenting their work to the colloquium and (iii) a photo roster of colloquium participants.
 
2. Introduction
A welcome and a short introduction to the colloquium are given by the conference organizer and the colloquium organizers in order to provide a brief overview of the type of work that the PhD students are involved in.  Students also briefly introduce themselves to the group as a whole.
 
3. Rapid Presentations
Each student provides a five- to seven-minute overview their proposed research.
 
4. Work Group Discussions
Participants, including faculty members, meet in groups of three to five to discuss and provide feedback on the proposed work.  The primary goal of these discussions is to define and understand the relationships (commonalities and differences) in the various research projects, and thus to begin building a network of colleagues (i.e., a “virtual college”).  The secondary goal is to provide useful feedback on the substance, organization, and conduct of the proposed work.  To conclude, a representative from each group prepares a summary of the results of the discussion.  The representatives then meet briefly to develop a consensus representation of the relationships among the various research projects.  

5. Open Presentations
Each group representative gives a presentation on
conclusions from the group discussion.  These presentations are open to all conference participants.  Summaries are then made available for comment and discussion during the social event.  

6. Social Event
The social event—an informal gathering of all colloquium participants—is an opportunity to pursue some of the connections discovered or fostered during the group discussion.  This is an excellent chance for participants to investigate another important dimension of their expanding community—interpersonal interaction.  

Eligibility and How to Apply
DEADLINE: February 1, 2006

Participation in the colloquium is competitive and via application only.  Eligible students are those who have completed at least a preliminary draft of their thesis proposal but have not yet defended their thesis.  The application should include only a single PDF format file, emailed from the applicant, containing the following materials:
 

1. An abstract of less than 250 words describing the proposed research and its potential significance.
2. A  statement of less than 250 words describing what the student hopes to contribute to and receive from participation in the colloquium.
3. A three- to five-page statement of the proposed thesis research.  The statement should contain only in-text call-outs to tables and figures at the appropriate places (e.g., <<insert Table 1 here>>).  The tables and figures themselves should be included in an Appendix,  which  should also list the references cited in the main body of the document.
4. A current curriculum vitae, clearly listing degrees, publications and any other pertinent information.
5. A digital photo for inclusion in the colloquium photo roster.
6. Note on preparation: The general ISCRAM submission guidelines should be followed, with the following changes: format in Times 12pt font, single-spaced, for printing on US letter-sized paper (8.5in by 11in).  Detailed guidelines on paper formatting and preparation are available at http://www.iscram.org.  (If it is not possible to send a single PDF file, a single ZIP file containing the application materials may be submitted.)
7. A single PDF or MS Word format file, emailed from the applicant’s advisor, which states that the student has at least written an acceptable draft of the full thesis proposal.  The letter should also address the potential significance of the proposed work in the area of Information Systems for crisis response and management.
8. Both documents should be sent before 1 February 2006 to iscram06phd@njit.edu.  Any questions can be sent to the chair and co-chairs at this same address.