Are you a student based outside Scotland studying for a PhD in Information Science or a related discipline? If so, this is for you!

Apply for a bursary award to support attendance at the ASIST Annual Lecture 2016 and an Information Science Masterclass at Edinburgh Napier University on Wednesday 30th November 2016.

The awards

PhD students in Information Science located in universities outside Scotland are invited to apply for bursary funding offered by the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST). There are three bursaries available. Each is to the value of £170 and is intended to cover accommodation and travel expenses associated with attending (1) the ASIST Annual Lecture 2016, and (2) an Information Science Masterclass. Both events take place at Edinburgh Napier University on Wednesday 30th November 2016 and are led by Professor Steve Fuller of the University of Warwick.

The ASIST Annual Lecture 2016 is entitled What, if anything, makes knowledge an improvement over information? In his presentation Professor Fuller will discuss the tension between our thirst for easy access to vast quantities of information and our fears of information overload, and he will explore how concepts of information vary across contexts. The ASIST Annual Lecture 2016 starts at 18:00 and is followed by a drinks reception at 19:00. Find out more at http://tinyurl.com/fuller-asist.

In the Information Science Masterclass, which takes place from 14:00 to 17:00 (prior to the lecture), PhD students will explore a range of research philosophies applicable to Information Science and related domains. The session will be of value to students at all stages in the PhD process. The bursary award holders will join PhD students based at Scottish universities at the masterclass. The participation of students based at Scottish universities is funded by the ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS).

(Students based at Scottish Universities (only) should sign up for the masterclass through the SGSSS web site. Applicants for the bursaries should NOT sign up for the masterclass through the SGSSS web site. Students based at Scottish universities are not eligible to apply for the bursaries described here.)

The venue for both events is Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart Campus.

How to apply for an award

To be eligible apply for this funding you must be a current PhD student in Information Science (or related discipline) based outside Scotland.

The maximum value of each bursary is £170. Any additional expenses associated with participation at these events must be met by the award winners or their home institutions.

Applications should be sent by email to Professor Hazel Hall (h.hall@napier.ac.uk) by 17:00 BST Monday 31st October 2016 in a document that includes:

•    Student name
•    Student email address
•    Contact telephone number
•    Name of the student’s Director of Studies/principal supervisor/main advisor
•    PhD title and stage (e.g. Year 1/2/3)
•    Statement on the benefits of attending the Masterclass and ASIST Annual Lecture 2016 (maximum 500 words)

Bursary award holders must be available to attend both events. They will be expected to write a review of each with a focus on their learning and how this will be applied in the research for their PhDs.

Award winners will be notified in the week beginning 7th November 2016.

Further information

For further information please contact Professor Hazel Hall, School of Computing, Edinburgh Napier University, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, email h.hall@napier.ac.uk