The Academic Employment Initiative (AEI) launched recently by the American Chemical Society (ACS) aims to create a broader and more inclusive system for universities and colleges to recruit faculty members. A poster session enables recruiters to meet a wider range of candidates in less formal settings before invitations for campus visits are issued.

Casting this wider net increases the chances for greater diversity among candidates and for finding better matches between candidates and institutions. In addition, an interactive panel–audience discussion sets up a dialogue among candidates, recruiters and recently hired faculty members.

The AEI poster session is the heart of the programme and takes place at the ACS's autumn meeting. At this meeting two months ago in Washington DC, more than 170 graduate students and postdoctoral candidates presented their research results as well as plans for future research and teaching. The poster session was held in the evening with snacks and drinks available.

Faculty members looking to hire met and talked with several prospective candidates in an informal, low-pressure setting without the cost of a recruiting visit. And the candidates had the opportunity to meet each other and share their hopes and anxieties.

The panel–audience discussion is held at the spring national meeting and helps prepare candidates for the recruiting process. During most of the three-hour session, experienced and recently hired faculty members answer questions from the audience about such topics as how to put together a good application and how to prepare for the interview process.

As a measure of the programme's success, the AEI poster session grew from about 120 candidates and 80 faculty recruiters in 2004 to more than 170 candidates and aisles brimming with faculty members in 2005. Job-seekers reported that they learned about opportunities they had not previously considered, but which still met their career goals.

Now that the two-year pilot test of the AEI, funded by the National Science Foundation, is complete, the ACS has decided to adopt and fund it. Because of its informal and relaxed atmosphere, the AEI reduces stress on both sides and provides a good mutual introduction for candidates and departments. Questions or comments can be directed to GradEd@acs.org.