Embark on a transformative journey with the esteemed ELECTRI International Partnerhsip for Career Advancement (PCA) Program, designed exclusively for researchers new to the ELECTRI community. Building upon the foundation of the original Early Career Awards program, this initiative places a strong emphasis on fostering researchers’ education and network within the electrical construction industry. Through the PCA, ELECTRI offers financial grants to new research partners dedicated to advancing the electrical construction sector.
Overview
The ideal candidates for a PCA grant will be researchers who want to grow their professional network and broaden their knowledge of electrical construction. The selected grant recipient should bring new skills to the EC industry, skills that complement our strengths and challenge our weaknesses. Each year, the PCA goal will be to identify and deliver a valuable research project that benefits both the researcher and the electrical construction industry. The grantee will be required to produce an end product that provides value to contractors and other sectors of the construction industry and, equally important, establishes the researcher as a subject matter expert in a field where the EC industry needs to grow.
Selection Process
The ELECTRI Council will select no more than two candidates who will each be awarded a one-year PCA grant at a maximum of $30,000. Each PCA grant period will be a maximum of one year. During this time, ELECTRI will provide the researcher with mentoring from industry experts who will help support the research efforts. ELECTRI will also invite the selected researcher to participate in ongoing industry events and will provide a stipend to cover the researcher’s travel expenses. This PCA grant is anticipated as a part-time commitment that coincides with the researcher’s full-time position.
Eligibility
Award recipients will become ineligible for future PCA grants. However, these individuals will be strongly encouraged to submit proposals to other ELECTRI research programs. A PCA grant pilot study might be used as the basis for a subsequent larger scale ELECTRI research project. Recipients of other ELECTRI International funded programs, e.g., the January awards for full research projects, are not eligible to submit proposals for the PCA grant.
2024 Schedule
14 March – Request for Proposals
15 April – Submission Deadline for PCA Proposals – 5:00 PM Eastern
29 April – Selection of Top Candidates
Submissions will be reviewed and judged by the ELECTRI International Program Review Committee, and the top candidates will be notified. Please note that top candidates will be invited to an in-person interview in Washington D.C.
30 May – In-Person Interviews – Washington D.C.
Top candidates will be invited to an in-person interview. Please reserve this date.
5 June – Notification of the Finalists
1 July – Submission Deadline for Finalists’ Presentations
22 July – Notification of PCA Winners
Finalists will be contacted no later than July 22, 2024 regarding the final funding decision by the ELECTRI Council.
July 2025 – Winner Research Submission – Final research should be submitted
July 2025 – Presentation of Findings at ELECTRI Council Meeting
Partnership for Career Advancement (formerly Early Career Award) Recipients
2023
MEP Contractors and GCs: What is the cost of inexperience?
Amelia Celoza, University of Colorado Boulder
2021
Knowledge-based Visual System for Ergonomics and Safety Monitoring in Electrical Construction
Mohamad Razkenari, State University of New York
Satisfying the Need for a Systematic Incident Investigation Learning Program
Ahmed Al-Bayati, Lawrence Technical University
2020
Examining a Latent Side-Effect of Electrical Safety Interventions among T&D Line Workers
Sogand Hasanzadeh, Purdue University
Allocating and Leveraging BIM Efforts for Electrical Contractors
Hala Nassereddine, University of Kentucky
2019
Measuring Situational Awareness Among Electric T&D Line Workers
Siddarth Bhandari, Western Michigan University
Harnessing Knowledge and Experience of Specialty Contracting Supervisors
Anthony Sparkling, Purdue University
2018
Safety Training of Electrical Workers in a 360-degree Immersive Digital Environment
Masoud Gheisari, University of Florida
Improving Project Planning and As-Built Verification of Electrical Construction with Mixed Reality: A Healthcare Case Study
Yilei Huang, South Dakota State University
2017
Augmented Reality for Electrical Construction Tasks
Steven Ayer, Arizona State University
Marketing Electrical Apprenticeship Opportunities with Content Targeted Toward Recruiting Women
Heidi Wagner, University of Wisconsin
2016
Best Practices for Early Adoption of Productivity Improvement Programs
Brian Lines, University of Kansas
Flexible Overhead: Agile Strategies That Increase Electrical Contractor Profitability
Jake Smithwick, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
2015
Exploring Where the Electrical Construction Workforce Comes From and Their Career Awareness
Ben Bigelow, Texas A&M University
Electrical Contractors’ Perception and Practices with Risk Management
Anthony Perrenoud, University of Oklahoma
