The Academic Research program "aims to encourage researchers to focus on research questions and issues concerned with agile software development. Researchers are encouraged to apply for small grants to support activities such as conducting a series of visits to practitioner sites, performing interviews, supporting a researcher for a short time to extend existing work into agile development, running workshops, and so on." I'm on the approval committee. We've approved two proposals so far.

The "Agile Times" newsletter is being reborn. The first of the new issues will be out in March 2006. Remaining issues will come out quarterly. The editor is Rebecca Traeger, formerly editor of Better Software. Both Mike Cohn and I have worked with her. She's good. She's also being paid, so the deadline is more firm than it can possibly be with volunteer work.

The newletter is currently lookingfor agile how-to articles, case studies, opinion pieces, book reviews,conference reports, and emerging trends pieces. Articles can coversoft skills (selling, cooperation, interactions) or hard skills(coding, testing, etc.). Deadline for the first issue: January 23.

Also contact Rebecca if you want to advertise.