X-lites Network - Early Career Development Workshop at the FiOLS Conference
About this Event
X-lites is sponsoring early career researchers to advance their research careers by participating in a professional development workshop and attending the 2026 FiOLS Conference. Pre-tenure professors, postdocs, late-stage graduate students, and junior researchers working in the field of “extreme light” can apply now.
X-lites is hosting the workshop (description below) and providing travel fellowships to cover the travel costs for any researchers who wish to attend the workshop and the conference. The workshop is on the afternoon of Sunday, September 27, and the FiOLS Conference is from September 27 - October 1. Both events will be in Rochester, NY. The researchers will have the opportunity to build their professional network, learn about Extreme Light research, and present on their research at a poster session.
⇨⇨ Register for the FiOLS Conference
⇨⇨ Submit a poster or paper for FiOLS (Paper Deadline: 02 June 2026)
Critera for Application
All travel support recipients will be required to:
1. Provide a CV (email instructions will be provided in the application)
2. Agree to attend the Early Career Researcher Workshop
3. Commit to submitting a poster presentation for the FiOLS Conference
To keep your application active and under consideration, please include in your CV email a statement which confirms:
• You are available and agree to attend the Sunday afternoon workshop.
• You agree to apply to present a poster at the conference.
⚠️ Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
Navigating Polarity: Fostering Both/And Mindset in Team Science
Time: Sunday, September 27th 2026 from 2pm to 5pm
Location: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
Dr. Gemma Jiang
Senior Team Scientist
Institute for Research in the Social Sciences
Colorado State University
Workshop Description:
In complex scientific environments, the tensions teams encounter—such as task :: relationship, assert :: accept, or advocacy :: inquiry—are rarely problems to solve. They are polarities to navigate. Developing a both/and mindset helps researchers move beyond either/or thinking and engage these tensions as interdependent dynamics that can strengthen collaboration, learning, and innovation.
In this highly interactive workshop, participants will learn to recognize and reframe limiting beliefs through polarity thinking, cultivating a both/and mindset that supports more adaptive and generative approaches to scientific teamwork and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Through guided reflection, small-group dialogue, and hands-on practice with the Polarity Navigator, participants will strengthen their ability to shift from defensiveness to curiosity and from habitual either/or reactions toward more flexible, complexity-informed leadership mindsets.
Especially relevant for early career researchers navigating interdisciplinary environments, this workshop offers practical tools, shared reflection, and collaborative learning experiences that participants can immediately apply in their research teams and professional interactions. Participants will leave with greater confidence in navigating complexity, engaging across differences, and fostering a both/and mindset that supports more effective collaboration within scientific communities.
Sign Up for the Early Career Workshop
⚠️ Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
What is the X-lites Network?
The Extreme Light in Intensity, Time, and Space (X-lites) network promotes collaboration around the world to make use of new extreme light facilities.
The network is bringing together facility users and facility operators to support high-impact science and engineering using extreme light.
