Announcement: Application Call for the American Taxation Association PIPEline – Pathway into PhD Experience
We are excited to announce the launch of PIPEline (Pathway into PhD Experience), an initiative of the American Taxation Association (ATA) designed to encourage students and professionals interested in pursuing a PhD in accounting and academic career with a focus in taxation.
The program aims to provide selected individuals with the opportunity to attend the 2026 ATA Midyear Meeting in Nashville, TN on February 19–21, 2026. Our goal is to connect interested individuals to members of the academy, expose them to a wide range of tax research, and provide valuable insights and opportunities for those considering a future in tax education.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Support and Guidance:
The ATA will cover flight/transportation, hotel, and registration costs for attending the ATA Midyear Meeting, ensuring participants can fully engage without financial constraints. We estimate we will be able to support approximately 10 participants this year.
Participants will benefit from dedicated meetings and information sessions focused on academic careers. The program begins on Thursday afternoon (2/19) with sessions specifically curated towards providing insights about PhD and faculty life followed by a joint evening social activity with ATA Doctoral Consortium attendees.
Participants will also attend the Midyear Meeting on Friday and Saturday (2/20 and 2/21). Participants should arrive in time for the start of the program, 2:00 PM on Thursday, February 19th, and stay until the end of the meeting, which is around 12:30 on Saturday, February 21st.
Each participant will be paired with a faculty mentor to help them navigate the meeting and make the most of their experience. After the Midyear Meeting, additional efforts will be made to help program members with the process of applying to PhD programs. .
Application Process:
The application process consists of three components:
- A recommendation from a faculty member
- A personal statement of interest from the applicant
- A copy of the applicant’s resumé
Faculty are invited to submit letters of recommendation (no longer than one page) for students or professionals who would benefit from the program. The letters of recommendation should explain why the candidate is a strong fit for the PIPEline Program and their potential for success in the doctoral program. The nominator should also indicate whether they would be available to serve as a mentor for the individual during the ATA Midyear Meeting.
Applicants should submit a personal statement (no more than one page) explaining why they would like to attend the PIPEline event and how this experience would inform their career path.
The nominating faculty member should upload the letter of recommendation, personal statement, and nominee’s resume in a single document to our Dropbox Folder. When uploading the document, please title the document [ApplicantsLastName][ApplicantsFirstName]. For example, if the nominee is named James Smith, please upload the document simply as “SmithJames”.
Eligibility:
Nominees can be current or past students or practicing accountants. Nominees should not have applied, or been accepted, to a PhD program. Nominees should demonstrate an interest in obtaining information about an academic career. Nominees must agree to participate in the entirety of the PIPEline event and Midyear Meeting program (Thursday – Saturday).
Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 21st. We will inform applicants of our decision by December 1st.
We encourage all accounting programs to take advantage of this unique opportunity to increase the number of individuals pursuing a PhD in accounting.
For more information, please contact Nathan Goldman at ncgoldma@ncsu.edu.