Dr. Wang Receives NSF Award to Advance Doctoral and Early Career Development in the Learning Sciences

Dr. X. Christine Wang has been awarded a $50,000 National Science Foundation grant (Award #2625305) to support participation by U.S.-based doctoral students and early career researchers in the 2026 International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) Doctoral Consortium (DC) and Early Career Workshop (ECW).

The ISLS Doctoral Consortium and Early Career Workshop are premier professional development programs that bring together emerging scholars from around the world with leading researchers in the learning sciences. These programs provide opportunities for participants to receive feedback on their research, build international collaborations, explore career pathways, and strengthen their scholarly networks.

In addition to serving as the NSF Principal Investigator, Dr. Wang co-organized the 2026 ISLS Doctoral Consortium, contributing to the design and facilitation of this important international mentoring event. The PlayfulAI Lab was also represented by doctoral student Grace (Yaxin) Xing, who participated in the Doctoral Consortium and engaged with fellow emerging scholars and senior mentors from across the global learning sciences community.

This award reflects PlayfulAI Lab’s ongoing commitment to cultivating future leaders in the learning sciences through research, mentorship, and international community building. By supporting participation in these flagship ISLS programs, the NSF award helps broaden access to high-quality professional development opportunities for doctoral students and early career researchers across the United States.