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2027 Call for Participants

The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences would like to invite up to 40 advanced doctoral students from accredited doctoral programs to participate in the ACJS Doctoral Summit during the 2027 annual meeting. The conference will be held from March 31st to April 3rd in Orlando, FL.

Scholarship

Students selected to participate in the Summit will be awarded a scholarship that includes the conference registration fee, a printed research poster, one meal, and hotel lodging with an assigned, same-sex roommate from another university for three nights (Wednesday, March 31, Thursday, April 1, and Friday, April 2). Students who successfully complete all of the requirements will receive a certificate of completion and official recognition as a Doctoral Fellow of ACJS by the Academy.

Eligibility Conditions

Advanced doctoral students with a minimum GPA of 3.5, or equivalent, are encouraged to apply. Advanced doctoral students are those who are done with classes, have taken their qualifying exams (or their program’s equivalent progress marker), or have completed their prospectus. Potential applicants do not have to meet all three criteria to be considered eligible, but they should have made substantial progress toward the degree. Students must submit both the online form and application packet to be considered. Those who have previously been awarded are not eligible. Students must be willing to share a room with another same-sex student from a different university. Roommates will be assigned by ACJS; scholarship recipients may not select their own roommates. Candidates who are unable or unwilling to share a room with another same-sex student from a different University are not eligible for the scholarship.

Scholarship Requirements and Expectations

  1. Participants must complete 8 hours and 45 minutes of professional development training, plus attend the ACJS DSS Orientation & Research Symposium, the Presidential Address, and Debriefing Dinner for another 4 hours and 15 minutes of participation time.
  2. Students will present a research poster at the Orientation & Research Poster costs are covered by the Doctoral Summit scholarship.
  3. Participants will prepare for the professional development training sessions by completing several short readings prior to the Summit.  The professional development training will be covered in six required sessions and one additional session of the participants' choosing.

Required Sessions

    • Juggling Work-Life Balance
    • Managing Stress and Maintaining Sanity
    • Navigating the Job Market 1 & 2
    • Identity-Based Barriers in Academia 1 & 2

Options for Additional Sessions

    • Navigating the Politics of Research
    • Careers Outside of Academia
    • Tips for Junior Faculty Members
    • Tips for Completing the Dissertation
    • Audience-Driven Research Communication

4. A scholarship recipient may only miss one 75-minute required session because s/he is presenting research at another scheduled panel, and s/he is the first author of that paper. The session must then be made up by attending another optional session so that the total time in Doctoral Summit sessions equates to 13 hours. Students who have more than one scheduling conflict with Summit events will be excluded from participating.  The scholarship will be rescinded and offered to another student. Recipients must notify Dr. Porter of any schedule conflicts when completing the Scholarship Agreement and Acceptance Form.

5. Students who are selected to participate must complete the Scholarship Agreement and Acceptance Form by December 30, register for the conference, using the promo code (TBD), by February 1, and upload their research poster file by March 1. Those who fail to complete these tasks will be excluded from any Summit benefits and participation in closed sessions.

 6. The scholarship recipient must either join a Section or volunteer to serve on one of the Academy’s standing committees and/or Section committees in the year following the Summit to demonstrate their investment in the Academy. 

Application Materials and Submisson Deadline

Application Materials and Submission Deadline

Applicants may self-nominate and should submit their own application package. It is not required that graduate program directors nominate candidates for the scholarship. There is no limit on the number of students who may apply from each program. In addition to the ACJS Doctoral Summit online application, the following materials should be submitted in order as one pdf file to Dr. Courtney Porter at cporter@marymount.edu by October 1, 2026. Files should be saved as last name, first initial (e.g., Porter, C.). Please look for a confirmation of receipt within 48 business hours.

  • Cover letter of no more than 500 words
  • One letter of recommendation
  • Current curriculum vitae
  • Current official or unofficial transcript

Scholarship Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by the ACJS Doctoral Summit organizers. Each applicant will receive a separate score for their cover letter, recommendation letter, and curriculum vitae. Applicants with the highest scores will be invited to participate. The following criteria will be used in the scoring process:

  • Minimum 5 GPA, or equivalent, requirement
  • Cover letter (500-word limit):
    • General indication of desire to participate in the Summit;
    • Discussion of how the Summit may help with professional development, networking, teaching, service, and/or research goals;
    • Indication of the participant’s interest in joining a Section or volunteering to serve on one of the Academy’s standing committees and/or Sections
  • Recommendation letter from a current faculty member with a generally positive review and a favorable review of the student’s academic, scholarship, and/or leadership

Important Dates

*Dates are approximate and may shift depending on when the preliminary and final ACJS program is published

July 1

 

First Call for Applications

 

   December 15

 

Deadline to Accept Award

Deadline to Submit Research Symposium Abstract

August 1

 

 

 

Second Call for Applications

 

 

 

   January 5

 

 

 

Letter of Acceptance Sent

Final Roster Announced

Roommates Assigned and Pre-Summit Tasks Sent

 

September 1

 

Third Call for Applications

 

  February 1

  March 1

Deadline to Register for the Conference

Deadline to Upload Research Poster File

September 15

 

Final Call for Applications

 

  March 24

 

Final Confirmation of Attendance

 

October 1

 

Deadline to Apply

 

  March 31

 

Arrival Orlando, FL

 

 

Please contact Courtney Portner at  cporter@marymount.edu with any questions.

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The networking opportunities provided by this event are often understated. We were able to meet past and present presidents of ACJS, prominent authors and researchers from the discipline, recent graduates as well as new doc students. In other words, the Summit allows new doc students to meet academicians and practitioners of all ages and levels of experience, each with different yet similar interests in CJ. If not for this event, it is unlikely that I would have ever approached any of the individuals encountered at the Summit. Thank you for an amazing experience. I look forward to helping with the Summit in the future, and will always remain a dedicated supporter."