An Editorial Fellowship to Mentor Education Researchers

This has been another exciting year for the Journal of Physical Therapy Education (JoPTE), which is now indexed in MEDLINE and launched a new manuscript type–JoPTE EduGraphics. We ended the year with a record number of manuscript submissions, recently submitted an indexing application to Web of Science, and next year, JoPTE will join a growing list of journals that offer Editorial Fellowship opportunities. After graduating from Johns Hopkins School of Education, I supported the school's Dissertation Writing Clinic for 2 years under the guidance of Dr. Laura Quaynor PhD, who at the time was the Chair of the Department of Advanced Studies in Education. Laura introduced me to 2 of my favorite books about writing, Sword's1 “Air & Light & Time & Space” and Jensen's2 “Write No Matter What.” Laura believed, like Sword1 and Jensen,2 that writing was a craft that could be improved with time and attention (and mentorship). Jensen2 argues that writing does not have to be an ordeal, or existential trauma, or a measure of inner worth! I believe this about writing and the peer review process and publication. Laura sadly passed away last year. I try to honor her memory by attempting to be a patient and supportive editor like she was. I appreciate that not everyone has been fortunate enough to be mentored in the writing and editing process, and many of our readers hold identities that have been historically excluded from leadership opportunities in research and publishing. It is for this reason that we are launching the JoPTE Editorial Fellowship. The aim of the JoPTE Editorial Fellowship is to support education researchers and develop a cadre of peer reviewers and future Editorial Board members who bring diverse perspectives to the Journal. This 12-month editorial fellowship offers early career physical therapy faculty the opportunity to learn about peer review, editing, publication decisions, and serving on an Editorial Board. The fellowship will offer hands-on, practical experience and mentorship where fellows will work with the team at JoPTE to learn about the process of education research publication as well as the roles of the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board. Fellows will attend monthly virtual meetings with the JoPTE team and will be invited to attend the JoPTE Editorial Board meeting held at the Combined Sections Meeting in 2026. Fellows will work with the Editor-in-Chief on screening manuscripts for appropriateness, identifying reviewers and then work with seasoned Editorial Board members on making decisions based on reviews, ultimately seeing accepted manuscripts through the publication process. Responsibilities will also include assisting with JoPTE's social media over the course of the fellowship that will run from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026. Applicants must currently serve as physical therapy faculty members and need to meet the criteria to serve as a peer reviewer for JoPTE having authored/coauthored at least 2 peer-reviewed, published manuscripts. This fellowship experience will hopefully translate to increased success with article submission and publication and fellows may consider serving on an Editorial Board in the future. Interested and qualified candidates should submit a curriculum vitae and a 500-word statement about interest in serving as a JoPTE Editorial fellow to [email protected]. Be sure to tell us about the diverse perspective you will bring to JoPTE. Applications are due March 31, 2025, decisions will be rendered in April, and appointments will begin in June 2025. We will interview select applicants and appoint up to 2 fellows for 2025. We look forward to reviewing your applications!