Summer Workshop

2023 Plasticity of Well-being Summer Workshop – June 26th-30th 

The NIH-funded Plasticity of Well-being Network invites emerging scholars to participate in an immersive summer workshop on emotional well-being. The week-long workshop will be held June 26-30 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Participants will engage with faculty and each other to advance research on emotional well-being. We will discuss conceptualizations of emotional well-being, methods for investigating emotional well-being, and intervention approaches to improving emotional well-being. A blend of structured and unstructured activities will provide opportunities to deepen work and connections, and to explore innovative and interdisciplinary collaborations.

The agenda is still being finalized and while the order of the schedule may shift, but the tentative content is as follows:

  1. Day 1: What is emotional well-being? (Davidson, Dunne, Wilson-Mendenhall)
  2. Day 2: Community-engaged research of emotional well-being (Ward, Grupe)
  3. Day 3/4: Multimodal measurement of emotional well-being (Picard, Goldberg, Rosenkranz, McDade, Miller, Handelsman)
  4. Day 5: Emotional well-being intervention development and RCT design (Davidson, Goldberg, Rosenkranz)

Additionally, the network faculty will be leading/facilitating parts of the workshop as outlined above. However, one of our goals is to minimize lectures and maximize engagement (discussion, Q&A, collaborative projects, feedback on proposals, etc.).

Who Can Apply?

Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research scientists, and junior faculty within five years of appointment or beginning work in the field. Advanced undergraduates and post-baccalaureate research staff who plan to pursue graduate school are also welcome to apply, as well as established faculty for which this is a new direction in their research. Applications from graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will be prioritized.

We are currently only able to offer this workshop to those who are students or employed in the United States.

We welcome candidates of all races, ethnicities, classes, genders, ages, religions and spiritualities, physical abilities, sexual orientations, and geographic locations in the U.S. to apply.

When Are Applications Due?

Applications are due at 11:59 pm CST on 3/31/23 and attendees will have travel expenses including airfare/transportation, lodging, meals and per diem covered.

Application Materials

  1. Personal Statement (five questions, each question 1000 characters or less): (1) How is emotional well-being relevant to your work and research?; (2) How will this workshop on emotional well-being develop and support your research and career goals?; (3) How will you contribute to the workshop? Please highlight the specific experiences, skills, and knowledge that you bring; (4) How can we help you get the most out of this workshop? For instance, what helps you feel engaged, supported, and open during learning exchanges? and (5) What questions in the area of emotional well-being are you most curious about?
  2. CV
  3. Optional Flash Talk Description

Click here to apply.

Review Criteria

  • Relevance: The relevance of applicant’s research and work to emotional well-being (if established researcher, relevance to new direction in research).
  • Development: How participation in this workshop will foster the applicant’s research and/or career goals.
  • Contribution: The applicant’s potential to contribute to the learning exchange at the workshop.

If you have questions about the workshop or application process, please contact jfsachs@wisc.edu