Establishing a New SASE Research Network

To apply for network status, organizers must first successfully run a mini-conference on the given topic for three years (not required to be consecutive). Network applications are first reviewed by the Network Oversight Committee (in consultation with the Network Organizer Forum), which then makes a recommendation to the Executive Council at its July meeting. Applications for new networks should be received no later than the end of March so that they can be reviewed by the NOC and consulted upon in good time. If the proposal is accepted, the network can officially begin during the conference of the following year.

It is also possible to apply for a mini-conference to be converted into a sub-track of an existing network, or to propose a merger with an existing network. All applications should be sent to saseexecutive@sase.org by the end of March to be considered for inclusion as a network in the following year’s annual meeting.

To submit a proposal to the Executive Council, please provide the following:

1. A short summary (200 words max) on the themes of the network, comparable in style to existing networks. If accepted, this will be used for the website: https://sase.org/about/networks/

2. A short justification (3 pages max) for the research network. This should include:
• The history of the topic within the SASE context, for example, previous mini-conferences and participation rates/number of submissions
• Evidence that there is a substantial constituency interested in the topic
• Evidence that the proposed network and its constituency are distinctive from existing networks, including from discussions with networks that potentially overlap in terms of content
• Commitment from the proposers to promote and administer the network for at least five years, including information on how new network organizers will be recruited, with an approximate (non-binding) timeline
• Alternatively, or additionally, a description of how the proposal might be integrated into an existing network, either as a merger, a sub-track, or through another mechanism

3. Short biographical sketches (200–250 words) of the persons responsible for running the network, similar in format to the ones found on the network pages: https://sase.org/about/networks/

4. A list of supporters (minimum of 10, with affiliation and career stage information) who would be interested in participating in this network at future conferences.

The proposed network must be sufficiently different from existing networks to attract scholars from areas not currently represented, or underrepresented, at SASE conferences.

Proposals for new networks will be reviewed in the first instance by the NOC and scored on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Has the mini-conference demonstrated growth and substantive interest?
2. Has the proposed network shown that there is no overlap with an existing network?
3. Does the proposed network have an interdisciplinary lens?
4. Is there diversity in the proposed co-organizers team?
5. Are there at least 10 persons who have agreed to participate in the proposed new network (in addition to the co-organizers)?
6. Is the new network likely to attract participants outside of SASE (to join SASE)?

In the process of approving new networks, the NOC will elicit feedback from the Network Organizers’ Forum regarding any potential issues of overlap. This feedback will inform the evaluation of the application, which will then be discussed and voted upon by the Executive Council.

The possible outcomes of the application are:

1. Approval of the new network
2. Recommendation of incorporation or merger of the proposed network into an existing network
3. Recommendation of revision and resubmission of the proposal (for example, suggestions to change the name, scope, or description of the proposed network)