CALL FOR NOMINATIONS–2026. TAPUYA’S NEXT EDITOR IN CHIEF

Posted on by Angel in Calls & Applications

Introduction

Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society is a highly innovative journal due to its distinctive transregional scope and its dense network of connections with institutions and scholars across South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and other regions of the world. The journal was conceived not only as a publication venue, but also as an intellectual and infrastructural platform for strengthening Latin American and Global South perspectives within Science and Technology Studies (STS), while fostering sustained dialogue with international STS communities. A recipient of the 4S 2023 Infrastructure Prize, Tapuya is an indexed, internationally recognized journal that publishes multilingual abstracts and has built a robust and expanding body of peer-reviewed scholarship. It has established itself as a leading venue for STS research on Latin America and the Global South, with growing visibility across global academic networks.

In its current form, Tapuya operates through a complex editorial and organizational ecology that extends well beyond conventional manuscript evaluation. In addition to overseeing peer review and editorial decision-making, the two first Editors-in-Chief, together with the Editorial Team, have devoted substantial effort to financial planning and fundraising, social and scholarly networking, negotiations with the publisher, the establishment and maintenance of journal infrastructures, staff recruitment and training, and the ongoing resolution of operational challenges associated with the journal’s day-to-day activities. As a result, editing Tapuya has functioned—and will continue to function—as a multi-faceted role that combines scholarly leadership with significant organizational and managerial responsibilities.

The incoming Editor-in-Chief (EiC), or editorial collective, will play a decisive role in shaping the
future of Latin American STS and its global positioning.

Role and Mission oftheEditor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) provides intellectual, editorial, and strategic leadership for Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society. The EiC is responsible for advancing the journal’s scholarly mission, strengthening its institutional sustainability, and consolidating its position as a leading international venue for Science and Technology Studies (STS) grounded in Latin American and Global South perspectives.

In particular, the EiC will advance Tapuya’s core missions:

  • To engage diverse social, economic, political, and epistemic actors in critical debates on science, technology, innovation, and knowledge production, with particular attention to their roles in shaping the futures of Latin America and other Global South regions.
  • To serve as an intellectual and organizational hub for STS networks based in Latin America, while actively engaging with global scholarly communities. To foster South–South and South–North scholarly exchanges and contribute to the consolidation and international visibility of research traditions that have been historically framed as “peripheral” within global STS.
  • To promote sustained, reflexive dialogue between centers and peripheries of knowledge production, encouraging theoretically ambitious, empirically grounded, and methodologically diverse contributions that challenge asymmetries in academic publishing and knowledge circulation.

Core Responsibilities and Duties

The Editor-in-Chief holds ultimate responsibility for the journal’s editorial direction, scholarly
standards, and public presence. Working closely with the Editorial Team, Associate Editors, and
Submission Editors, the EiC’s responsibilities include:

a. Editorial Oversight and Decision-Making

  • Take final responsibility for all editorial decisions, including the approval of manuscripts for publication and decisions of rejection, in coordination with submission editors and peer reviewers.
  • Ensure consistency, rigor, fairness, and transparency in editorial processes.
  • Maintain uncompromising ethical standards, demonstrate knowledge of COPE guidelines and a commitment to uphold them at all times.

b. Strategic Content Development

  • Actively recruit high-quality submissions, including research articles, review essays, and other formats aligned with the journal’s scope.
  • Initiate, solicit and oversee thematic clusters and special sections that advance the journal’s intellectual agenda.

c. Mentorship and Editorial Coordination

  • Support and guide cluster editors throughout the editorial process, from proposal development to final publication.
  • Contribute to capacity-building in editorial practices, particularly for early-career scholars and scholars based in the Global South.

d. Editorial Coordination

  • Work collaboratively with the Editorial Office on operational, procedural, and workflow-related matters, ensuring smooth day-to-day functioning of the journal.Manage submitted manuscripts promptly, consistently, and professionally.
  • Coordinate interactions among the Editorial Team, Editorial Board, and editorial staff.

e. Editorial Vision and Communication

  • Write the annual Editorial Welcome for each volume and commission additional editorials that articulate the journal’s intellectual direction, contextualize published content, and engage broader scholarly and public audiences.
  • Willingness to energize the Editorial Board, including organizing and chairing meetings

f. Publisher Relations and Institutional Negotiation

  • Serve as the journal’s primary academic representative in negotiations and ongoing communication with the publisher, Taylor & Francis.

g. Leadership of Special Initiatives

  • Oversee special projects and initiatives associated with the journal, such as prizes, awards, collaborations or exchanges with other journals, and partnerships with academic societies or institutions.

h. Scholarly Representation and Visibility

  • Act as an active ambassador in scholarly networks and institutional initiatives within the scope and possibilities of the Editor.
  • Enhance the journal’s profile, reputation, and impact within the global STS community and related fields.

i. Fundraising

  • Develop and coordinate fundraising strategies to support the journal’s long-term sustainability, including securing resources for the EiC position, editorial operations, and new focused initiatives (e.g., special issues, prizes, training programs, or regional collaborations).
  • Cultivate relationships with institutions, donors, and partner organizations to expand Tapuya’s financial and institutional base.

In addition to the previous editors-in-chief (EiCs) and senior advisor, who are available for consultation upon request, the EiC is supported by a dedicated team to carry out the aforementioned duties and responsibilities. The current editorial team includes a Managing Editor, an Assistant Managing Editor, a Site Manager, and an Assistant to the Editor-in- Chief/Community Manager. We also have a T&F Senior Publisher, and Leandro Rodriguez Medina, founding EiC of Tapuya, currently serves as Chief Financial Officer. The EiC position is expected to require 15–20 hours per week, depending on the operational needs of the journal.

It is expected that Tapuya’s EiC should ideally be based in a country in Latin America or the
Caribbean and, if institutionally affiliated, such affiliation should be with an institution in the region. For candidates who do not meet this requirement, but who believe are exceptionally well-
suited to the role, they are encouraged to discuss the position with the Editor-in-Chief (tapuyalastseditor@gmail.com) before applying. They need not hold a permanent institutional
position. However, if they do hold such a position, the journal will expect the candidate(s)’s
institution to provide course releases or other assistance whenever possible. Moreover,
candidates will identify available institutional support when submitting their applications.

For the first time, the journal welcomes collectives of applicants who wish to assume the editorial leadership of the journal through collaborative and solidaristic arrangements, jointly carrying out the roles and responsibilities associated with the directorship. There are no specific requirements regarding the profiles of individual members. However, throughout the selection process, diversity will be valued to sustain a plural, inclusive, and open working environment. Editorial collectives may be composed of members from different institutions, ideally based in Latin America or the Caribbean.

Selection process

The EiC/Editorial collective will be in office for five years, starting in January 2028. Ideally, they will shadow the current EiC throughout the year 2027 to get familiar with processes and infrastructure, as well as ongoing projects. In year 5, they will similarly work closely with the incoming EiC to guarantee a smooth transition. The EiC will retire to the International Board in perpetuity.

Early in year 4, the EiC will constitute a committee to nominate, discuss, reach consensus, and select the new EiC by the end of Year 4. The committee will consist of:

  • Current and all past EiCs
  • Current Senior Advisor
  • 2 Senior Representatives of the Editorial Board, one from Latin America and one from other regions

Applicants should submit: a CV, a 250-word statement of their vision for Tapuya, and a brief statement of support from their institution. If an editorial collective applies, curricula vitae for each member of the collective must be submitted as well as a statement on how they would jointly lead Tapuya. Documents should be sent to tapuyajournal@gmail.com before June 30, 2026.

For the 2026 selection process, the members of the Committee will be Eden Medina, Marko Monteiro, James Griesemer, Vivette García-Deister, and Leandro Rodriguez Medina.

The schedule for the selection of the third EiC/editorial collective is as follows:

  • May 2026: circulation of call for applications.
  • June 2026: reception of expressions of interest.
  • July 2026: Applications reviewed by the Committee.
  • August-September 2026: 3 candidates shortlisted and interviewed.
  • November 2026: Committee selects a new EiC; agreement with his/her institution is signed.
  • December 2026: New Editor-in-Chief/Editorial collective is announced.
  • January-December 2027: incoming EiC reorganizes their schedule to enable Tapuya Editorial work.
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