ECR Programs

Call for Applications

Receiving high-quality feedback on research projects is immensely valuable to the development of academic manuscripts. Given that many early-career researchers have limited opportunities to gain personalized feedback on their work from editors of top-tier finance journals, FIRN Early Career Researchers (ECR) Program offers the ECR Manuscript Feedback Program to provide participants with the opportunity to address this need.

Program Details:

FIRN offers ECR members a valuable opportunity to received specific feedback on their academic manuscripts (working papers) from an experienced editor of top-tier finance journals, Professor Sumit Agarwal (National University of Singapore). Professor Agarwal is Low Tuck Kwong Distinguished Professor of Finance at the Business School and a Professor of Economics and Real Estate at the National University of Singapore.

He is the Managing Director of Sustainable and Green Finance Institute at NUS. He is also the President of Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research. In the past, he has held positions as a Professor of Finance at the Business School, Georgetown University. Before that he was a senior financial economist in the research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and prior to joining the Chicago Fed, he was a senior vice president and credit risk management executive in the Small Business Risk Solutions Group of Bank of America. Professor Agarwal is the Associate Editor of Journal of Financial Stability, Management Science, Journal of Financial Services Research, and has served as an editor in Real Estate Economics.

Authors of selected manuscripts will receive written feedback from Professor Agarwal on their manuscripts and have the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with Professor Agarwal. The feedback conversations will take place at the 2025 FIRN Annual Conference. Authors of selected manuscripts will be notified sufficiently in advance of the meeting date and time.

Applications Now Open:

FIRN will select 4 academic manuscripts authored by early-career researchers (Levels B–C within 8 years of PhD graduation) at member institutions. Priority will be given to manuscripts related to financial intermediation and household finance, in alignment with Professor Agarwal’s research expertise.

Application Deadline:
Friday 1st August, 2015, 5:00pm AEDT.

Eligibility:
All manuscripts must fulfill the following criteria to be considered, which should all be addressed in the submission email. They must:
1. be authored by early career researchers (Levels B–C within 8 years of PhD graduation),
2. have no senior co-authors, defined as Professor or an Associate Editor or more senior in A* journals,
3. have not been submitted to a journal,
4. have not participated in the Adopt a Paper Program.
Each applicant is welcome to submit one manuscript (but can be co-authors on other submissions).
Successful applicants will be required to provide feedback on the submission/publication outcomes of their selected manuscripts by undertaking annual surveys until the manuscripts are published.
FIRN reserves the right to allocate any or all of the four opportunities, and that opportunity is not transferrable to another researcher nor another paper other than as submitted.

Angel Zhong | Professor, RMIT University
Vice President (ECR), FIRN | E: angel.zhong@rmit.edu.au

Call for Applications

Receiving high-quality feedback on research projects is immensely valuable to the development of academic manuscripts. Given that many early-career researchers have limited opportunities to gain personalized feedback on their work from established researchers in the field, FIRN Early Career Researchers (ECR) Program offers the Adopt a Paper Program to provide participants with the opportunity to address this need.

Program Details:

FIRN offers ECR members the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on a working paper from senior researchers in their field, helping bridge the gap between doctoral studies and early academic careers. Authors of selected manuscripts will receive written feedback from established researchers on their manuscripts in the form similar to a referee report, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement. ECRs will also have the opportunity to engage in ongoing feedback conversations with established researchers.

Applications Now Open:

FIRN will select 6 academic manuscripts authored by early-career researchers (Levels B–C within 8 years of PhD graduation) at member institutions.
Application Deadline: Monday 28th July 2025, 5:00pm AEDT.
Application Process: Please apply via this link.
Eligibility: All manuscripts must fulfill the following criteria to be considered, which should all be addressed in the submission email. They must:
1. be authored by early career researchers (Levels B–C within 8 years of PhD graduation),
2. have no senior co-authors, defined as Professor or an Associate Editor or more senior in A* journals,
3. have not been submitted to a journal
4. Papers that receive feedback through FIRN’s Manuscript Feedback Program are not eligible for submission to the Adopt a Paper pilot. This ensures we can extend support to a broader range of research projects and researchers.
Each applicant is welcome to submit one manuscript (but can be co-authors on other submissions).
Successful applicants will be required to provide feedback on the submission/publication outcomes of their selected manuscripts by undertaking annual surveys until the manuscripts are published.
FIRN reserves the right to allocate any or all of the six opportunities, and that opportunity is not transferrable to another researcher nor another paper other than as submitted.

Angel Zhong | Professor, RMIT University
Vice President (ECR), FIRN | E: angel.zhong@rmit.edu.au

FIRN Early Career Researchers (ECR) Lunch at 2024 Asset Management Meeting

FIRN Invites Early Career Researchers (ECR) to join the ECR Networking Lunch at the UQ Asset Management meeting in Brisbane. Details below:

Date: 21st June 2024

Time: 1pm to 3pm

Venue: Aquila Brisbane (82 Eagle Street, Brisbane CBD, 4000)

Register for the conference lunch on June 21st below before June 10th. 

Early Career Researchers Writing Course with Professor Eliezer Fich, Drexel University 

Finance Research Network (FIRN) in partnership with Monash University cordially invites early career researchers (assistant professor equivalent or Levels B–C) at FIRN member institutions to participate in the FIRN ECR Writing Course taught by Professor Eliezer Fich from Drexel University. The one-week intensive writing course is designed to help early-career researchers improve their academic writing.

About the writing course

This course is developed to educate early-career researchers conducting empirical research (in finance, accounting, economics or related disciplines) about aspects of scientific writing that are not normally part of doctoral curriculum but are necessary to succeed as an academic. The main focus will be on creating and presenting an academic paper. The course is specifically designed with the goal of generating a manuscript based on a research proposal.

Date: Monday July 8th – Saturday July 13th, 2024

Time: Daily schedule to be provided.

Venue: Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (detailed information TBA).

EOIs close 20 May 2024.

FIRN Early Career Researchers (ECR) Lunch at 2023 Asset Management Meeting

Below you can find the details for FIRN ECR Lunch at Asset Management meeting.

Date: Date: 21st July 2023 (Friday) 

Time: 1:00–3:00pm 

Venue: Aquila Brisbane (G/82 Eagle St,, Brisbane City QLD 4000). 

The ECR Lunch is open to all ECRs based at FIRN member institutions (Levels B–C within 8 years of PhD Graduation). The lunch is hosted in conjunction with the FIRN Asset Management Meeting but all ECRs (regardless of research expertise or conference attendance) are welcome to attend the lunch. Guests can either come to UQ Brisbane City Campus (308 Queen Street) between 11:30am to 12:30pm or go directly to Aquila Brisbane restaurant. 

To RSVP for the lunch, please register through the following  link  and make sure to tick the “Yes” box ECR lunch by 14th July 2023.

FIRN Early Career Researchers (ECR) Workshop

Berger’s Free Research & Career Management Tips

September 19, 2023, Australian National University

Call for Travel Grant Applications

Finance Research Network (FIRN) in partnership with the Australian National University cordially invites early career researchers (assistant professor equivalent or Levels A–C) at FIRN member institutions to attend the FIRN ECR Workshop titled “Berger‘s free research and career management tips for Ph.D. students, assistant professors, young economists, and anyone else.”

Early career researchers from all finance research backgrounds are welcome to attend. This workshop provides an opportunity for early career researchers to network with finance academics and receive career and publication advice from one of the world’s leading scholars. FIRN will offer 15 travel grants of AUD$300 each to early career researchers from member institutions based outside Canberra to fund their travels to attend the workshop.

Venue and Time: The FIRN ECR Workshop is hosted by the Australian National University in conjunction with the FIRN Banking and Financial Stability Research.

Date: September 19, 2023 (Wednesday)

Time: 1:30pm – 4:00pm (120-minute workshop followed by networking afternoon tea)

Venue: Allan Barton Forum, Second Floor, College of Business and Economics, Building 26C Kingsley Street, Australian National University, ACT

Travel Grant Applications Now Open:

FIRN will offer up to 15 travel grants of AUD$300 per attendee to early career researchers from member institutions based outside of ACT to fund their travel to Canberra to attend the workshop. All early career researchers are welcome to apply. The applications will be received on a first-come-first-serve basis with consideration for the stage of career of the applicant. Successful applicants will be reimbursed up to $300 of travel cost (e.g., cost of flights) upon production of tax invoice following attendance at the event.  

Application Deadline: Saturday 8 July 2023

Application Process: Please email your CV to chelsea.liu@adelaide.edu.au and phong.ngo@anu.edu.au along with a short cover letter in the body of the email, with the email title (subject line): “FIRN ECR Travel Grant Application”.

Decision communication: Saturday 5 August 2023