2025 CSST Summer Research Institute (Syracuse)

Call for Participation in the
2025 CSST Summer Research Institute

Hosted by the Consortium for the Science of Sociotechnical Systems (CSST)

  • When:                  28 May-1 June 2025 [Main program: 29-31 May]
  • Where:                 Minnowbrook Conference Center (in person)
  • Organizers:        Josh Introne & Ingrid Erickson (Syracuse University)
  • Deadline:            Apply by 31 March, notifications by mid-April.

Submission link:    https://forms.gle/EVjRfVcdnQgfUsNr7

The Summer Research Institute has been an activity of the Consortium for the Science of Sociotechnical Systems Research (CSST) since 2008. Its key initiative is to support the development of emerging scholars within the field of sociotechnical systems research, including the following:

  • Doctoral students expected to graduate by the end of December 2026
  • Post-doctoral scholars (or any other position en route to faculty or industrial research positions)
  • Those in their first two years as research-oriented university faculty (start date on or after Aug 2023)
  • Those in their first two years as an industry researcher (and focused on publishing in peer-reviewed literature) (start date on or after Aug 2023)

Participants with research interests in (but not limited to) people/organizations/society together with tech/systems/data are encouraged to apply. Scholars from a wide range of intellectual communities including CSCW, HCI, social computing, organization studies, information visualization, social informatics, sociology, information systems, social media and society, health informatics, computer science, ICT for development, education, learning science, journalism, political science, and others are warmly welcomed!.

Throughout the institute, participants can expect to engage in peer networking, roundtable discussions, and skill-building tutorials aimed at identifying how sociotechnical theories, approaches, and tools could positively advance their research. The 2025 Summer Institute will be led by an outstanding cohort of mentors:

  • Ishtiaque Ahmed (University of Toronto)
  • Joel Chan (University of Maryland, College Park)
  • Dan Cosley (National Science Foundation)
  • Rosta Farzan (University of Pittsburgh)
  • Matt Germonprez (University of Nebraska Omaha)
  • Katie Pine (Arizona State University)

Lodging, meals, and other onsite costs will be covered for all participants. We also expect to be able to reimburse up to $500 of travel expenses and provide ground transportation to Minnowbrook Conference Center from the Albany International Airport. Children or partners are welcome pending available space, however regrettably we are unable to cover or compensate for childcare expenses.

Applying to the CSST 2025 Summer Institute

To apply, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/EVjRfVcdnQgfUsNr7 and upload a SINGLE PDF FILE, containing the following:

  • Sociotechnical Research Statement: 500-word single-spaced response to the question: “How does/will your work advance our ability to understand or design sociotechnical systems?” Include three to four relevant citations to situate your work within the larger research community. These may be a mix of your own publications or those that inspire your work.
  • Mentoring Statement: Please briefly tell us about what kind of mentoring you would find most beneficial for where you are in your career, including: (1) What characteristics of a mentor you would ideally like to be paired with, which may include characteristics of their job experience, their disciplinary or research background, other personal experiences, or demographics and (2) What kind of session content or skill development would you find most interesting or helpful.
  • CV

Students, please ask your advisor to address the following points in a signed PDF letter, and to email it to: imericks AT syr.edu, with the subject line: “CSST Letter for <Name>”. Their letter should contain the following information:

  • Relevance of applicant’s work to the CSST community (one or two paragraphs)
  • Stage of applicant’s work (e.g., quals completed, proposal defended, etc.)
  • A date by which the advisor is confident the dissertation will be completed

The CSST Summer Institute Advisory Group will review applications shortly thereafter, using the following criteria:

  • Clear articulation of the hoped-for contribution to theoretical analysis and theory-building, practice, and/or design of sociotechnical systems;
  • Likelihood of Summer Research Institute participation providing significant practical benefit for the individual;
  • Contribution to a balanced and diverse group of participants.

We anticipate extending invitations to approximately 18 participants by mid-April. In order to accommodate the largest possible number of participants from across the sociotechnical research community, individuals who have previously attended a CSST Summer Research Institute are ineligible to apply.

For more information about the 2025 CSST Summer Research Institute, contact either Josh Introne (jeintron AT syr.edu) or Ingrid Erickson (imericks AT syr.edu). For information about the broader community of researchers interested in the design and study of sociotechnical systems, see https://www.sociotech.net