Following on the heels of two successful regional conferences, this project uses funds to cover participants' costs to attend two national conferences which focus upon supporting incipient science education research projects. A primary objective of this project is to provide a venue in which researchers, especially those considered rising stars in the field, can describe their lines of inquiry and to then receive guidance and input about refining those ambitions. The other primary objective is to promote an innovative conference design in which a structured presentation format serves as an incubator for scholarly work. Underwriting by NSF is crucial because it will allow wider participation in this project than would otherwise be affordable. Products of the conference include an electronic proceedings that will be posted to the conference website (www.sciedxroads.org) as well as a book (under contract) documenting the scope and successes of the conference. In addition, the promising scholars attending will generate research papers to be disseminated and published for a wider audience. Ultimately, this project supports developments within science education research even as it advances a fresh vision for professional conferences. As a result, more school-based research will be conducted, more policy-shaping documents will be generated, and more emphasis will be made upon increasing the quality of science learning opportunities for all students.
