In this Newsletter

• President's welcome message
• Slate of candidates for board of directors election
• AEFP 2023 updates
• Membership updates
• Awards and travel grants
• Programs and engagement opportunities

President's Welcome

To the AEFP community,

As an academic, my life ebbs and flows with the academic calendar. A real perk of the job is that a new school year comes around every fall, bringing with it a sense of optimism. New students, new colleagues, new ideas, new energy. At this time of year, I always get this feeling of moving in the right direction, like everything is changing for the better.

I have a strong feeling that AEFP is moving in the right direction as well. Our membership is growing. As we are growing, we are taking steps to hold on to what makes AEFP special and to diversify our membership. We are finding new ways to strengthen connections with and among researchers and practitioners, and especially those from communities traditionally less represented within AEFP. I feel strongly that becoming a more inclusive organization is essential to AEFP's central mission of advancing the use of rigorous research to inform education policy and finance decisions. A rapidly evolving policy environment constantly poses complex new challenges. A more diverse and inclusive AEFP community is going to provide better solutions to those challenges.

Among our steps toward greater inclusion, I am most proud of the success of AEFP's community groups in the last year. We had outstanding co-chairs of these groups in the first year, and we are fortunate that many agreed to continue in those roles and that we were able to recruit exceptional new folks to join them. We have community groups comprised of first-generation scholars, scholars of color, LGBTQ+ scholars, policymakers/practitioners, and scholars of education in developing countries. New for this year, we are launching a group for researchers and practitioners interested in qualitative methods for policy research. Each of these groups is an excellent way to network with others in the AEFP family. If you are interested in getting involved, go to https://aefpweb.org/community-groups. 

We also want to highlight our members whose work is advancing the use of evidence to further justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). To this end, a new JEDI award will recognize the efforts of individuals impacting research, service, practice, and/or public engagement in these areas (nominate recipients for the inaugural award here.

In a more procedural change to the organization, this year we'll be running Board elections a little differently, moving them before (rather than during) the annual meeting. We have a great slate of candidates to join the Board and help lead AEFP in the coming years. The slate you elect will join a stellar group of leaders whose thoughtfulness and dedication I have really appreciated over the last 18 months. 
 
Change will also be the theme of our 48^th annual conference, held next March in Denver. President-elect Colin Chellman has chosen as the conference theme, “A Great Upheaval: Research and Evidence in a Time of Political and Social Transformation.” The conference will highlight our collective response to dramatic shifts in the education policy and broader social policy landscape. The conference program will continue to have tracks devoted to two of the defining transformations of the last few years (COVID-19 and the struggle against racial and other forms of inequity). New this year, it will include a track called Work Relevant to the Local Context, aimed at featuring research that is timely and salient to the conference location. Research and policy talks related to these three areas will complement those examining, as in every year, important policy and finance topics spanning pre-K to graduate school and beyond. I am excited for the great program Colin and the program committee will put together. 

Like a new school year, AEFP members, their commitment, and the great work they do make me feel optimistic about where we are headed and our capacity to respond to this moment of social change. Thanks for being part—and letting me be a part—of this great community.

I look forward to seeing you in Denver in March.
-- Jason Grissom, AEFP President

Slate of Candidates for 2023 Elections

Government (1 will be selected):
Stephen Cornman
Matthew Duque

Teacher Organization (1 will be selected):
Brad Alter
Stacey Pelika

#AEFP2023 Updates

The Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) is pleased to announce its call for proposals for the 48th Annual Conference, which will be held March 23–25, 2023, at the Grand Hyatt Denver Hotel in Denver, Colorado. Submissions will be accepted for individual papers, posters, and policy talks from Monday, September 19, through Friday, October 28, 2022, at 11:59 pm EST.

Sponsorship Opportunities 

We are pleased to announce multiple sponsorship opportunities for AEFP 2023, our 48^th annual conference. Sponsorship during #AEFP2023 will bring high-level visibility to your organization. Sponsorship opportunities open up on September 12, 2022.

Membership Updates

New Membership Rates 

The board of directors has adopted a new membership fee structure. The student membership rate will remain the same ($70 per year). For regular members, we have adopted a graduated conference fee by income band. Conference registration fees will remain the same for students and regular members at the early bird, regular, and late registration rates. Conference registration will open on December 1, 2022. View updated rates below and review member benefits here. 



New Membership System

AEFP recently transitioned to a new membership management system. This change will make it easier for you to access your account and AEFP benefits, including a member directory, community groups, posting jobs, and registering for our conference and other events. 

To access your account, you will need to simply reset your password! Current members will receive an email with login instructions. If you do not receive this email or have any difficulty accessing your new account, please contact us at info@aefpweb.org so we can help you! 

Awards & Travel Grants 

NEW! Advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Award 
The newly established Advancing JEDI Award recognizes individuals at all levels with an impactful record of research, service, practice, and/or public engagement around justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Learn more about the award here. 

Awards

• Jean Flanigan Outstanding Dissertation Award
• Early Career Award
• Policymaker & Practitioner Award
• AEFP-CUE Higher Education Award
• Advancing JEDI Award

• Roe L. Johns Student Travel Grants
• Policymaker & Practitioner Conference Subsidies

• Deadline: December 31, 2022
• Nominate a colleague 
• Award application links can be found on each award page 

1Programs and Engagement Opportunities 

Community Groups
Last year we created AEFP Community Groups to foster more supportive and inclusive spaces within AEFP. We were thrilled with the participation and evolution of these groups over the year, and are glad to have them continue this year! Our inaugural set of community groups included: doctoral students, first-generation scholars, LGBTQ+ scholars, policymakers and practitioners, scholars of color, and EdDev scholars. 

Starting this year, we are excited to announce a new community group - 
qualitative policy scholars!

Community groups are open to the public and DO NOT require AEFP membership for participation. Learn more about or sign up for community groups here. Find upcoming community group events here. 

Pre-Doctoral Diversity Fellows 
The goal of the Pre-Doctoral Diversity Fellowship Program is to provide opportunities for individuals who have not yet applied to doctoral programs to learn more about education finance and policy research and to help them navigate the process of applying to doctoral programs. The application deadline for the fellowship program is December 31, 2022. 

Early Career Mentorship Program
The goal of the Early Career Mentorship Program is to support early-career professionals from backgrounds historically marginalized or underrepresented in fields that center on education finance and policy. The application deadline for mentors and mentees is December 31, 2022. 
 
Virtual Networking Series
We will continue to offer an ongoing series of virtual networking sessions, organized around topical research areas. Stay tuned for more details and check our Events Calendar for upcoming dates.