Honoring the Visionary Founder of the AIS Doctoral Student College
Application Status
Application period for 2025 is now closed. Details about the 2026 grants will be announced here later.
Background
Dr. Jessica Pye was the driving force behind the creation of the AIS Doctoral Student College, establishing a vibrant forum for discourse, mentorship, and career coaching that empowers over 2,400 doctoral students worldwide. Her unwavering dedication, compassionate spirit, and commitment to academic excellence have left an enduring mark on the AIS community. The Jessica Pye Memorial AIS Doctoral Student College Grant was established to carry forward Jessica’s legacy by supporting doctoral students globally, especially those attending major AIS conferences, beginning with ICIS 2025. The grant is made possible by the Jessica Pye Memorial AIS Doctoral Student College Fund, and donations to support future scholarships are gratefully accepted here.
The Jessica Pye Memorial AIS Doctoral Student College Grant supports doctoral students in the field of Information Systems from around the world, enabling their participation in major AIS Conferences. For its inaugural year, the grant targets student attendance at ICIS, with plans to expand to AMCIS, ECIS, PACIS, and AIS Chapter Conferences in future years.
The program will provide up to three ICIS conference experience grants in 2025 to Ph.D. students enrolled in IS Doctoral Programs (preferably in Low and Medium HDI countries) to help cover their cost of attending the conference. Grant recipients may receive:
- Conference Registration Fee: Full coverage of your ICIS conference registration.
- Workshop Access: Funding to attend official ICIS workshops.
- Daily Experience Allowance: Receive $50 per day during ICIS to help cover daily essentials such as meals, local transit, and incidentals.
- Mentorship Opportunity: Access to a “Lunch with a Professor” mentoring session during the conference
- Membership Fee: If you need to renew your AIS membership to register for the conference the cost can be covered. However, an active membership is expected at the time of application.
Please note: The grant is designed to supplement other funding. Applicants should secure support for travel and accommodation from their own institutions or other sources.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be currently enrolled in an Information Systems doctoral program at a university in an AIS region.
- Have an accepted (short/completed) paper, TREO talk, workshop paper, or doctoral consortium acceptance at ICIS.
- Be an active AIS member at the time of application.
- Demonstrate need for supplemental support (primary funding for travel should be secured from your university or other sources).
- Articulate the benefits of attending ICIS.
- Applicants from underrepresented or resource-constrained regions (preferably in Low and Medium HDI countries) are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Process & Timeline (2025 - closed)
- Application Opens: September 1
- Application Deadline: September 30 (11:59 PM CDT, Nashville)
- Notification of Recipients: By October 15
- Public Announcement: December (Doctoral Student College Annual General Meeting at ICIS)
Applicants should submit:
- Completed online application form
- Current CV
- Brief letter of recommendation from a supervisor or advisor
- Documentation of primary travel funding (optional but recommended)
- Proof of accepted submission (paper, TREO, workshop; optional)
Grant recipients will be asked to submit a short summary of their conference experience and the impact of the grant, which may be shared as a testimonial to inspire future applicants.
The Jessica Pye Memorial AIS Doctoral Student Grant is funded by the Jessica Pye Memorial Fund. To support future generations of doctoral students, please consider making a donation here.
The grant is administered by the AIS Doctoral Student College Grant Committee, composed of the Immediate Past-President (Lead) and the two Directors-at-Large. Any conflicts of interest are managed according to College policy to ensure impartial selection. Members of the Doctoral Student College Executive Committee are not eligible to apply for the grant.
For further information about the grant, the application process, or making a contribution in Jessica’s memory, please contact the AIS Doctoral Student College Grant Committee at [jenny.m.elo@jyu.fi].
In Honor of Dr. Jessica Pye
Jessica’s vision continues to guide us. Any benefit experienced from this community is largely due to her passion for supporting doctoral students. Together, we ensure her legacy lives on in the next generation of scholars.