Eligibility and Review Criteria

Early and mid-career rural researchers (10 years post doctorate) are eligible to apply. Applicants must have a background in rural education or research in addition to substantive policy or practice interest in rural STEM education. Applicants should have limited statistical background (beginner to intermediate level of regression), and qualitative researchers interested in mixed methods research are encouraged to apply.

Review criteria include:

• Course work, teaching, and/or research in rural contexts.
• Limited statistical background with no more than intermediate level of multiple regression.
• Substantive policy or practice interest in rural STEM education.
• IMMERSE’s fit with career goals and research agenda.

 

Fellow Support 

A select group of fellows will be chosen to participate in IMMERSE. Those selected for participation will receive a $1,000 stipend, as well as support covering travel, lodging, group meals, training materials, virtual workshop fees, and NREA conference fees. Fellows must bring their own computer. Over the course of the year, online training will require the statistical software SPSS and R Studio. 

 

Required Activities if Accepted to IMMERSE 

• Attend the 3-day Summer Institute in Columbia, South Carolina (July 24 - 26, 2023) 
• Participate in 7 online live-stream workshops throughout the first year (dates TBD, workshops range from 1-2 days) 
• Attend online monthly check-in calls with your faculty mentor (dates TBD) 
• Participate in ongoing peer discussion via the moderated online social media group 
• Present your psychometrically sound measure at the 1-day Virtual Summit (July 2024) 
• Upon completion of the first year, serve as a peer mentor to new Fellows throughout the following year  
• Dedicate sufficient time throughout the year to make satisfactory progress on your proposed measure development project 

 

Application Requirements

All applications should include:

• Background information, entered via the online submission form.
• Statement of Interest in PDF (maximum two pages single-spaced), describing the applicant’s background, career goals, and how the applicant would benefit from IMMERSE.
• Summarized Curriculum Vita in PDF (maximum two pages), listing education, research, relevant employment history, relevant graduate courses, and publications that are relevant to IMMERSE Submit the Statement of Interest and the Summarized Curriculum Vita in one PDF or Word document and upload in the submission form by the deadline.