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Sponsored by the Mack Institute at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Beginning December 1^st 2023, we will accept online applications for a webinar launching the second annual Collective Impact Doctoral Workshop on Choosing an Impactful Dissertation Research Topic, to be held on January 18^th 2024 (9-11 am US Eastern Standard Time). The webinar will be led by Jerry Davis (U of Michigan) and Phanish Puranam (INSEAD).

The workshop is meant to help Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Macro-OB doctoral student entering the dissertation stage to select research topics that are impactful while still being feasible and rigorous research projects. It is aimed at students who have completed their coursework and comprehensive exams but have not yet finalized the topic for their thesis.

By impactful research we mean "relevant to important contemporary problems that our societies face"- another way to operationalize that would be to say, "of interest to audiences in addition to the readers of our academic journals". Much like any doctoral PDW, the workshop is an opportunity for students to explore topic selection and development in consultation with faculty members outside their home institutions. However, it has two distinct features:

• After the initial webinar, attendees are welcome to apply (by February 1^st 2024) for a limited number of spots to meet with workshop faculty for more detailed discussion of their ideas. It will be necessary to complete the Dissertation Canvas exercises and submit them as part of this second application. Faculty members who have already committed to meet with students for these discussions include Gautam Ahuja (Cornell), Beth Bechky (UC Davis), Jerry Davis (U of Michigan), Sarah Kaplan (U of Toronto), Dan Levinthal (Wharton), Anita McGahan (U of Toronto), Phanish Puranam (INSEAD), Olav Sorenson (UCLA), and Batia Wiesenfeld (NYU). Selected candidates will be scheduled with two faculty members from this panel for an hour-long meeting.
• A closing plenary will be held in mid-March, led again by Jerry Davis & Phanish Puranam, providing students an opportunity to exchange ideas amongst themselves and a broader set of faculty.

Please note that the link for registering for the inaugural webinar on January 18^th will open on December 1^st, and we are only able to accept the first 100 applicants.

Hope to see you there!

Lori Rosenkopf and Dan Levinthal (Wharton)