Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) is a program sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) to aid in the professional development of mathematicians, statisticians, and mathematics educators after they receive their PhDs. It involves workshops and lectures on teaching, academic research, academic scholarship, and professional activities. The participants in the program are called Project NExT Fellows or sometimes Dots, and the program also provides ample networking opportunities for them. Each fellow is also provided with a consultant, who serves as a mentor for them.
Project NExT was founded by James (Jim) Leitzel (Ohio State University) and Chris Stevens (Saint Louis University). The first fellows were selected in 1994. Jim Leitzel died in 1998, and Aparna Higgins (University of Dayton) and Joe Gallian (University of Minnesota Duluth) became co-directors of Project NExT. Chris Stevens stepped down as director in 2010, and was succeeded by Aparna Higgins. Judith Covington (Louisiana State University, Shreveport) and Gavin LaRose (University of Michigan) first served as Associate Co-Directors and later became Co-Directors. In 2007, the total number of fellows surpassed 1000. By 2012 the total number of fellows reached 1400.
The program is aimed at faculty who are in their first or second year of a full-time teaching position after receiving their Ph.D. Fellows are selected based on an application, including a short curriculum vitae, a research statement, and a teaching statement expressing interest in the program. The application also requires a letter from the applicant's department chair guaranteeing funding to attend several conferences. The number of selected fellows depends on funding. Currently, about 100 are selected each year.