All Writing Workshop Dates:

Writing Workshop for Junior Researchers 2026 - Day 3 In-person at JSM in Boston, MA 2026:

Course Objective

The goal of the workshop is to provide instruction for junior researchers writing journal articles and grant proposals. Participants will be required to provide a recent sample of their writing, which will be reviewed by a senior mentor. The sample could be a current draft of an article to be submitted for publication or an early version of a grant proposal. Senior mentors will be former journal editors and program officers, who will critique the submitted material and provide individual feedback. Participants will be expected to initiate a revision in response with additional feedback from their mentors. Deadline for the Writing Workshop application submission is June 30, with notification of acceptance soon thereafter. In response to ongoing discussions about the use of AI in academic writing and publishing, the workshop will introduce journal and agency-specific policies and regulations regarding the use of AI in publishing, grant applications and reviews.

  Submit Your Writing Sample

Pre-Registration Deadline:  June 30, 2026

How to Register for the Writing Workshop

You can register by clicking on the link just ahead, but please note that you will need to submit a copy of your full writing sample during this online registration. This submission must be much more than simply an abstract. You only need to submit once, as your one time submission creates a submission for both Fridays and 8/2 at JSM automatically. Please plan to attend both Fridays (July 17 & 24) to be considered for course completion. You get an automatic entry into the 8/2 Short Course at JSM, but are not required to attend for course completion (we realize not everyone goes to JSM).

TO REGISTER, click on the (Submission Webform) and please answer all questions! All submitted material will be handled confidentially! If you have trouble with the submission of your paper on the registration form, please send a PDF or Word version to officeadmin@niss.org after you have completed the entire registration form. Thank you! You will not be asked to pay for the course ($250 USD) until after you have been accepted. The August 2 date is optional and not required for course completion status; as we understand not everyone will be attending JSM. Acceptances are notified on a rolling basis.

If you are a current NISS Affiliate (NISS Affiliates List), please reach out to officeadmin@niss.org for the affiliate promo discount code.

Eventbrite Registration Link will be provided to accepted participants.

Target Audience

The workshop is designed for researchers with a Ph.D. awarded or anticipated during 2019-2026 in statistics, biostatistics or related field. Attendance at the Writing Workshop will be limited and applicants within 6 years’ post-PhD and members of the participating societies will receive preference.

Course Content

The workshop consists of two sessions plus a final meeting with the mentor. The first day is an all-day session that covers scientific writing, as well as how to organize a paper. It also discusses ethical issues, writing grant proposals and issues of journal choice and understanding and responding to reviewers’ comments. During this session, each participant meets with the mentor who analyzed a paper the participant submitted prior to JSM. The second session focuses on the specific issues covering the writing process and details of grammar, sentence structure and word choice, especially helpful for participants whose native language is not English. A panel of senior researchers will discuss their experiences with technical writing in English. We are offering a tutorial on ChatGPT and how it may be adopted by statisticians to help with writing at JSM 2026. For career development, speakers will not only share their experiences with writing but also address the impact of AI on writing and our profession as they see it.

Short Course on Day 3: AI for Technical Writing

Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026 |  Time: 8:30 am – 10:15 am 

Instructor: Linjun Zhang, Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Abstract: This course introduces statisticians to the practical use of Generative AI tools, with a focus on ChatGPT and Codex Skills, to enhance the academic writing process. Participants will learn how to use AI agents to generate manuscript outlines, summarize papers, improve drafts, and assist with tasks like LaTeX formatting and R scripting. The session will also touch on autoresearch, and the related ethical considerations and common pitfalls in AI-assisted research writing. No prior AI experience is required.

Writing Workshop Participants: No need to pay additionally for the short course, it is included in your registration for the Writing Workshop.

Non-Writing Workshop Participants: Please use the registration link below to attend the short course, you do not need to purchase the full Writing Workshop ticket if you only want to attend the short course. For non-writing workshop participants, the short course is $35 for the earlybird ticket price, then $50 after July 24 or at the door. 

NISS Affiliates (Non-Writing Workshop Participants): Reach out to mglenn@niss.org for your promo code for your affiliate discount! Qualified individuals need to use their institutional email address to receive the code. For NISS Affiliates, the short course is $10 for the earlybird ticket price, then $20 after July 24 or at the door.

FULL AGENDA  (tentative) 

Speakers & Mentors

Xiao-li Meng, Harvard University

Nick Jewell, University of California, Berkeley

Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Brown University & NIH Analytics and Statistics for Population Research Panel B (ASPB) Study Section Chairperson

Jun Zhu, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Program officer for NSF's Division of Mathematical Sciences

Xujing Davis, Program Manager, Office of Science, US Department of Energy

Naomi Altman, Penn State University

Susan Ellenberg, University of Pennsylvania

Rebecca Hubbard, Brown University

William Rosenberger, George Mason University

Hongtu Zhu, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Peter Imrey, Cleveland Clinic & Case Western Reserve University

Linjun Zhang, Rutgers University–New Brunswick

David Banks, Duke University

Scarlett Bellamy, Boston University

Tian Zheng, Columbia University

Monnie McGee, Southern Methodist University

Sponsors of Writing Workshop 2026

Writing Workshop Organizers