Call for Applications: International Research in Children’s Literature Early Career Researcher Board

International Research in Children’s Literature welcomes applications to join its second Early Career Researcher (ECR) Board. The deadline for applications is 15 November 2025.

Key Activities

The successful members of the ECR Board will be paired with a mentor from a senior scholar in the field, possibly a member of the journal’s current editorial advisory board or translation studies editorial advisory board. Over the course of their two-year term on the ECR board, they will:

Work with their mentor to review at least three manuscriptsBe listed as an ECR Board Member on the journal’s website, as well as in print issues of the journalWrite a book review for publication in the journalPromote their work with the journal by writing for the journal’s blog (currently on EUP)

Key Benefits

Experience: Early Career Researchers who take part in this project will gain invaluable experience in peer review and journal publishing. This will give them an advantage when seeking positions on editorial boards, applying for editorial roles or even starting their own journals. Their work on the ECR board will also prepare them to be confident, active and effective peer reviewers.

Networking: This will be a wonderful networking opportunity for ECRs. Not only will they be able to work closely with an established researcher in their field, they will build a network that spans career levels, as they will have the opportunity to work with everyone from journal editors, to board members, to fellow ECRs.

Development opportunities: Along with the direct experience that they will gain from performing peer reviews, working with the senior editor and their mentor will help to give the participants in the project a well-rounded view of journal publishing.

About International Research in Children’s Literature

International Research in Children’s Literature is essential reading for literary scholars in the field of children’s literature, especially those interested in applications of cultural and literary theories, comparative literatures, and the production and reception of children’s literature as a world literature. The study of children’s literature is an integral part of literary, cultural and media studies, and this scholarly journal, widely international in scope, addresses the diverse intellectual currents of this constantly expanding subject area.

The journal welcomes submissions from scholars in the field, both IRSCL members and others. Acceptance of papers is subject to rigorous international peer review and revision. The journal publishes four issues in a biennium: a general issue, a special themed issue, and two issues largely based on the most recent IRSCL Congress theme. IRCL is indexed by Thomson Reuters Arts and Humanities Citation Index and Current Contents/Arts & Humanities, by MLA and by the British Humanities Index.

Application Requirements

Essential

Applicants must:

Have completed their PhD on or after 1 January 2021 or still be working towards their PhD (ABD preferable)Be able to manage additional journal work on top of their existing responsibilities, Be able to commit to working on the journal for the full 24-month term. Have a relevant research background, there are no geographic restrictions to application.

Desirable

Research program in any area of children’s literature studies Proficiency in English

Application Process

Candidates should send the following to Kate Capshaw, capshaw@uconn.edu, with the subject line IRSCL EARLY CAREER RESEARCHER BOARD by 15 November 2025 at the latest:

An explanation of why they wish to join the ECR board (up to 300 words)A summary of their areas of expertise/research areas (up to 300 words)Personal details (name, affiliation, date of PhD, contact details). These will not be seen by the editors in the selection process.

All applications will be anonymized by Dr. Capshaw before being sent on to the journal editor for consideration. Decisions on which candidates to invite to join the ECR Board will be made within four weeks of the closing date. All candidates will be contacted to let them know whether or not their application was successful (unfortunately we are not able to offer feedback to unsuccessful candidates).

For further information please contact senior editor, Roxanne Harde, rharde@ualberta.ca.

IRSCL is committed to the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility and encourages applications from a diverse range of backgrounds.