Summit for the Society of Young Network Scientists (SYNS)
Abstract
In recent years, Network Science has grown from an emerging field to an established discipline in its own right. Today, there are several research institutes and dozens of laboratories built around the idea that we can model, predict, and study complex systems using the tools and theories that have grown out of Network Science over the last several decades. Concurrent to this institutional growth has been an increase in the number of Network Science graduate students. Three years ago, these students founded an organization---the Society of Young Network Scientists (SYNS)---with a goal of creating and maintaining a sense of community among young researchers growing into a field that is inherently multidisciplinary and challenging to navigate professionally. The group s first symposium was held at the NetSci 2017 conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was supported with funding from the Army Research Office. This symposium was designed to inaugurate the organization and to introduce young researchers who would end up being core founding members of SYNS, while also hearing lectures by prominent network scientists, lightning talks by SYNS participants, and receiving technical training in network and complex system analysis. As an organization, SYNS has grown to include over 200 members, most of whom joined the organization after various conferences and workshops where there were SYNS events. SYNS has worked with conference organizers to plan pre-conference workshops at NetSci 2017, CompleNet 2018, NERCCS 2018 (Northeast Regional Conference on Complex Systems), NetSci 2018, and ICCS 2018 (International Conference on Complex Systems), and the organization currently is planning an event at this year s NetSci 2019 event in Burlington, Vermont. Each of these events have been designed around the stated mission of the Society of Young Network Scientists: ``To support young and early-career network scientists as they pursue research, promote their work, and shape this evolving field. SYNS does this by: Building a community of network scientists who celebrate diversity of identities and disciplines as integral to the scientific enterprise; Providing learning, professional development, and funding opportunities to promote access, collaboration, and inclusion; and facilitating outreach and awareness efforts to promote Network Science in research, education, and decision-making. This proposal is to support lodging, travel and registration for students to attend the pre-conference event hosted by the Society of Young Network Scientists and the following 4-day main NetSci 2019 conference. It is crucial that the support enable young scholars to not only attend the student events, but also have the opportunity to engage with and contribute to the larger community. We expect that this Summit will bring together the largest cohort of Network Science students yet. The meeting will conclude with the Summit participants collectively deciding on the priorities and scope of the organization, as well as a plan for leadership transition and a plan for growth over the next three years of the organization. Students in Network Science today study neuronal networks in the brain, food webs and ecological networks, cybersecurity and the spread of misinformation, the prevention of global pandemics, the structure of molecular networks, human cooperation and decision-making, global supply chain and macroeconomics, and so much more. Network Science is believed by some to be a science that will have a species-defining impact in the 21st century. Supporting rigorous academic training and workforce preparation of young network scientists represents an investment in the future of scientific enterprise and human achievement.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 28, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910304
Entities
People
- Kathryn Coronges
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Northeastern University
- United States Army