A high-level description of the invitation process
For each invitation round you will send us a list of invitees as well as the dates you want to invite them. The deputy director and program manager review the list. We may accept it or ask for explanations or amendments. Once approved by the deputy director, the invitations are processed by the KITP conference and program assistant. They add the visit to the KITP database and issue invitation letters. The letters indicate visit dates, explain KITP’s housing arrangements, and describe other KITP resources. They also request that the recipient confirm their visit with KITP. Some visitors confirm, others request date changes and others decline. Sometimes KITP will approve the date changes without the coordinators involvement, other times we ask the coordinators to decide. The program and conference assistant update the KITP database with the decision of the participants.
Between now and the program deadline.
- Monitor your applicant list. Is it shaping up how you’d like? If it isn’t get in touch with people, call colleagues and ask them for the names of promising applicants, add a slide to your conference presentation advertising your program. Get the word out!
- Follow up with your key-long term participants, make sure that they apply to the program.
- Let KITP know if there are any key long-term participants who can be enticed into a longer stay with KITP resources.
After the program deadline
- Meet with your fellow coordinators to determine who you want to invite for the first round. Try to invite at least 20 people.
- Focus on inviting key long-term participants and participants who plan on staying for most or all of the program (6 weeks or more for most programs).
- Write a short report about your efforts at encouraging a diverse group of applicants to apply, and what efforts you will make going forward to cultivate diversity in your program and among your program’s applicants.
For your second round of invitations (about a month after you submit the first round)
- Use the coordinators’ data site to see who has accepted your invitation. People who have accepted will be marked with an “A.” Those who have declined with a “D.” Those who haven’t confirmed will be marked with an “E.”
- Ask yourself: Are there any deficits? If there are, encourage applicants who would correct the deficits! Have you invited any speakers to the conference who you want to invite to the program? Recommend them for an invite! Are there weeks that have become overcrowded (check the histogram labeled “AEQ” at the bottom of the coordinators’ spreadsheet)? You might need to ask a potential participant if they can modify their visit dates.
The third round of invitations (about a month after the second round)
- The third round will go much like the second, but with the goal of reaching your target number of participants.
- With this round you should also determine which applicants you want to put on the waitlist and which you want to say “sorry” to.
After the third round until the program begins
- The coordinators and KITP will monitor your applicant list for any major changes, for example a rash of late cancelations or an application from a prominent scientist. We may also extend some short-term visit invitations to experimentalists in this period.
About a month before the program begins
- KITP sends housing assignments.
- The Director and Deputy Director set up a telecon about your program’s talk and discussion schedule.
After the program ends
- Submit your Coordinators' Summary report.