Deadline: 31 January 2021
This call seeks proposals for an individual or group who has a history of affiliation with the Association of Internet Researchers to organize a full day in-person event devoted to Critical Race and Internet Studies to take place on Day 1, Oct 13, 2021, of the Association of Internet Researchers 2021 conference. The AoIR conference is scheduled for 13-16 October in Philadelphia and has the theme of Independence: for whom, from what, where, and under what constraints?
The CRIS event will take place in-person at the conference hotel, the Sonesta Philadelphia, and will be open to all AoIR conference attendees. Proposers for the 2021 CRIS event commit to working with the Philadelphia host committee and with AoIR’s Executive Board in the planning and execution of this one-day event.
The Association seeks to support and center voices from around the world that have been historically marginalized from internet scholarship, and thus intends to hold similar events in future conferences. While the 2021 event will focus on anti-Blackness, AoIR recognizes that differing host regions may wish to incorporate other marginalized epistemologies and scholarship, including those rooted in Indigeneity, the Global South, migration, People of Color Globally, and other lived experiences. In addition to scholarly discussions, each of these events will be asked to provide a space for thinking about how the Association itself could better support scholarship and scholars that have been historically marginalized.
Proposals for the organization of the 2021 Day 1 event should:
- Be no more than 1-2 pages in length.
- Include a brief description of the leadership team’s history with AoIR and/or their plans for future involvement.
- Include a proposed schedule for the day.
- Discuss how the organizers envision including international perspectives on critical race and anti-Blackness given expected travel restrictions, such as inclusion of descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved via the Atlantic slave trade, more recent emigrants from sub-Sahara Africa, and others who identify with the African diaspora
- Indicate how regional and transnational graduate students will be encouraged to participate.
- Include a preliminary budget (please make arrangements to discuss this prior to submission by contacting Association Coordinator Michelle Gardner )
- Include a discussion of projected outcomes from this event and its potential for ongoing benefit to the AoIR’s mission and goals. These might include, but are not limited to, a special journal issue, a report with recommendations for addressing organizational change to be sent to the Executive Board within two months of the event, plans for involvement in future conference and/or Executive Board roles, etc.
AoIR’s commitment will include:
- Funding for reimbursable costs related to the day. Possible expenses may include travel stipends for participants, support for speakers, costs related to coffee breaks and lunch, and other expenses (please arrange for a budget consultation as you put together your proposal).
- Support for promotion and administration through our various channels and platforms (e.g. via organization social media accounts and email lists), as well as limited AoIR administrative support.
- Mentorship from members of AoIR Executive Committee related to the organization of the event and subsequent deliverables/outcomes.
- Allocation of time in the Annual General Meeting for a brief recap
Proposals will be ranked in relation to their ability to:
- Advance AoIR’s goals and mission of contributing to the diversification of membership and the expansion of international geographical presence in the annual AoIR conference
- Articulate a clear outcome that will foster further conversations
- Demonstrate capacity building for leadership and growth in this scholarly space in future years
- Demonstrate a commitment to present recommendations for the AoIR organization
Submit your proposals to ac@aoir.org by 31 January 2021.
Timeline:
Deadline for event proposals: 31 January 2021
Decision: 15 February 2021
Registration for the Day 1 event will be included as part of the AoIR 2021 conference fee. In order to attend this event, participants need to be registered for the AoIR 2021 conference.
