Researcher Membership in Founding SoL

Individual Research members may be faculty at universities, employees in research institutes, or other individuals for whom research relevant to SoL plays a critical role in their work. They may be tenure-track faculty at research universities who have a documented record of relevant research or researchers who have been actively engaged in relevant research which has made significant contributions to the SoL community. Currently there are 45 Research Members of Founding SoL.

SoL's membership model emphasizes engagement in three key processes – community connections, applied learning, and exploring core questions. It honors varying levels of engagement, experience and interest in this field while maintaining appropriate standards of quality and fairness.

Criteria:

A Research Member of SoL actively supports the Purpose and Principles and:

• Is a faculty member at a university, an employee in a research institute or other individual for whom research relevant to SoL plays a critical role in their work

• Is in the process of inquiry into organizational, social, or life sciences and can document demonstrated ability to:
  • understand and add to existing theoretical and/or practical bodies of knowledge relating to organizational learning, systems theory, or other domains relating to SoL,
  • articulate research questions and/or design and conduct original research
  • communicate conceptual insights and research results to relevant audiences

• Has a record of publication in academic journals or other publications that demonstrate the ability to develop theoretical perspectives and/or new knowledge.

• Demonstrates a desire and willingness to engage with the SoL community (practitioners and consultants) to create new knowledge.

Special attention is given to individuals who can add variety in practice and diversity to our community.

Research Member Benefits:

• Contributing to the continuing advancement of theory, method, and empirical foundations relevant to SoL's purpose

• Opportunities to contribute to and study significant learning and change processes in member organizations

• Partnerships with other researchers, consultants and practitioners to explore collaboratively critical "research domains" identified in SoL's integrated research agenda. Such research domains include organization-wide transformation, assessing impacts of significant learning initiatives, and the role of leadership in transcending the barriers to such change

• Access to organizational learning related courses and conferences

• Reflections: The SoL Journal

Application Information:

In addition to a completed Research Membership Application, we request two letters of reference from colleagues or others who are familiar with your work. (References from other SoL members are helpful, but not required.) The SoL Council approves applications on approximately a quarterly basis. Applicants will receive formal notification of their status after the Council's decision.

The next deadline for receipt of research applications has not yet been determined. It will most likely be in February 2009. Please check this webpage in mid-December for an update.

Cost: The individual research membership fee is $275 for 2008, payable for the calendar year. (There is likely to be a moderate increase for 2009.) Fees for the initial year of membership are pro-rated based on date of acceptance. Upon notification of acceptance as a member you will be invoiced for your membership dues.

If you have any questions about membership that are not answered by the information on our website, please contact Membership Services at solmembership@solonline.org.

For more information or questions about research at SoL, please go to Research at SoL.