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Conference Guidelines and FAQs

Read carefully before submission

Overview

UACES accepts papers and panels on all areas of contemporary European Studies, from established academics, practitioners, early-career researchers and doctoral students worldwide.

We broadly define contemporary European Studies as an interdisciplinary field that focuses on current and recent developments in European integration.

We accept proposals from a range of disciplines including (but not limited to) political science, EU public policy, geography, cultural studies, anthropology, European history, European law, economics, philosophy and sociology.

At last year's conference, panel topics included rule of law, race and decolonisation, gender issues, human rights, environment, and trade. See last year's research programme to get a full idea of the diversity of topics covered at UACES conferences.

Once again, the UACES conference will be gathering panel and paper proposals in themed tracks. In order to submit your proposal, first make a selection of the track you'd like to join. You can then choose to submit to either an individual paper, panel or non-traditional panel (see below for information about these different types of submission). If you don't think your proposal fits within the themed tracks offered, you can choose to join the Open Track which is open to work from any area of European Studies.

NB:

  • We accept no more than two paper proposals per person: whether they are individual or part of a pre-organised panel, or a co-author.
  • UACES as an organisation actively promotes gender balance in the formation of panels at its annual conference and at UACES sponsored events. As such, it does not permit all-male panels. Please take this into account when submitting panel suggestions.
  • Please read all the submission guidelines below before submitting your proposal(s).
  • All panel participants must register for the event in order to participate in the conference.

We use ConfTool to manage paper submissions and registrations. To submit your paper, panel or non-traditional proposal, you will need to create a user account on ConfTool.

Individual Paper Proposals

You will need to provide:

  • Your Full Name
  • University/Institution
  • Postal Address
  • Email Address
  • The names and email addresses of any co-authors (if your paper has more than one author, the paper proposal should be submitted by the person who is most likely to present the paper at the conference, and you need to indicate the presenting author(s). Any co-author(s) will be recognised on the conference programme.)
  • The Title of Your Paper
  • Keyword(s)
  • Research Discipline
  • Research Theme
  • A 250-Word Abstract

Please note: If you are part of a pre-organised panel you do not need to fill in the Individual Proposal Form.

Coherent panel proposals have a better chance of being accepted than an individual paper. This is because whilst an individual paper may be excellent, it is not always possible to group it with other papers to form a panel.

Panel Proposals

The panel proposal form should be filled out by the panel organiser. Please follow this link for full details of the format of panel sessions at UACES conferences.

The panel organiser must gather the details of all the participants in the panel including:

  • Full Name
  • University/Institution
  • Postal Address
  • Email Address
  • The name of any co-authors
  • The Title of the Paper
  • Keyword(s)
  • Research Discipline
  • A 250-Word Abstract

Panels usually consist of 3-4 paper-givers and a chair (who cannot also be a papergiver). A discussant can be included but is not mandatory. For panels without a discussant, chairs are expected to fulfil this role.

*UACES actively promotes gender balance in the formation of panels at its annual conference and at UACES sponsored events. As such, it does not permit all-male panels (i.e. presenters must not all be male). Please take this into account when submitting panel suggestions.

Chairs must not be presenting a paper in the panel.

Panels should be balanced: not too narrow in their theme, preferably involving a mix of speakers from different institutions and if you have some inexperienced paper-givers, these should be balanced with some more experienced colleagues.

Please note: For our purposes the panel organiser is simply a contact person for queries relating to the panel. They will not be acknowledged directly in the conference literature, unless they are also a paper-giver, discussant or chair.

Non-Traditional Panels

We have recently introduced the option to propose a non-traditional panel for the UACES Annual Conference.

These are panels that differ from the usual format of 3-4 research papers moderated by a Chair. Within the non-traditional panel section we accept proposals for innovative and non-traditional sessions (book panels, roundtables, mini-symposium, etc).  Like the traditional research panels, they will need to fit into a 90-minute timeslot – so please bear this in mind when planning your session. If you have a non-traditional session proposal that has not been mentioned and wish to discuss it further, please contact admin@uaces.org.


The organiser of the panel should submit the proposal and they will need to provide:

  • Name
  • Email Address
  • Organisation
  • A short description of the session
  • A list of people who will participate (this can be provisional)

Some of the non-traditional panels at the 2023 conference in Belfast included an EU decision-making board game, workshops on Teaching and Learning, and panels on research and interdisciplinarity.

Please ensure that all members of your panel are made aware on invitation that they will be expected to pay to register for the event. If panel members do not do this, they will not be able to participate in the event. UACES has a small pot of funding available to assist non-traditional panellists in attending. More information about this funding is available here. If your panel forms part of a UACES Research Network, you could consider using the RN budget to cover registration of panel speakers. 

Policy on Gender Balance at UACES Events

UACES as an organisation actively promotes gender balance in the formation of panels at its annual conference and at UACES supported events.

As such, UACES does not permit all-male panels (manels). Presenters must not all be male (even if the Chair is not). Please take this into account when submitting panel suggestions. A panel is designated as constituting more than two participants. 

Due to last minute cancellations, non-registration and unexpected non-attendance at the conference, there could be a scenario, in exceptional circumstances, where UACES is faced with an all-male line-up for a panel at the annual conference. If it is impossible to re-arrange the presentations of the registered participants, UACES would proceed with the panel, rather than cancel these presentations, in this exceptional and unlikely scenario.

Terms, Conditions and Cancellation Policy

Substitutions may be made free of charge. Note: The registration fees are in euro. This means that if you use a non-EURO credit or debit card, the amount you pay will depend on the prevailing exchange rate. However, any refunds that we process will also be in euro and will also depend on the prevailing exchange rate. When exchange rates are relatively stable, the discrepancies in the amounts are usually trivial; when exchange rates are fluctuating the amounts can be more significant (i.e. the amount you are refunded may be less than the amount you paid).

  • The registration of participation is binding.
  • The registration will be refunded in full if you cancel before conference registration closes (i.e., by 26 July 2024). After this date, the registration will not be refunded.
  • The participation fees are owed upon registration and are payable within 30 days following submission of the registration (but not later than 7 days before the starting day of the event).
  • Participation is not guaranteed until full payment of the registration fee is received.
  • The conference programme may be subject to changes.
  • Payments will be refunded if the conference will be cancelled by the organiser. In that case, the organiser will have no further liability to the client. Registrations remain valid if the conference has to be postponed.

FAQs

See a list of frequently asked questions below:

What topics can my panel/paper cover?

UACES accepts papers and panels on all areas of contemporary European Studies, from established academics, practitioners, early-career researchers and doctoral students worldwide.

We broadly define contemporary European Studies as an interdisciplinary field that focuses on current and recent developments in European integration.

We accept proposals from a range of disciplines including (but not limited to) political science, EU public policy, geography, cultural studies, anthropology, European history, European law, economics, philosophy and sociology.

At last year's conference, panel topics included EU climate change policy, European space policy, gender issues, Human Rights, Euroscepticism and trade. See last year's research programme to get a full idea of the diversity of topics covered at UACES conferences.

When will I know if my proposal has been accepted?

We aim to inform everyone about the outcome of their proposal in April 2024.

What is the conference format?

The conference will take place in-person at the Università di Trento from 1-4 September 2024. If you cannot attend in person, we will be holding an online day on Monday 9 September 2024. You can choose whether you wish to present in-person or virtually when you submit your proposal.

What are the requirements for the conference paper?

Papers for the conference should be word-processed, 1.5 spaced and sized to A4. They should not exceed 7,000 to 8,000 words in length, including footnotes and references. Papers should be shared amongst panellists before the start of the conference. Instructions will be given about deadlines and where to send your paper.

Is there a limit to the number of paper proposals I can submit?

Yes. We accept up to two research paper proposals per person, inclusive of whether they are individual paper proposals or part of pre-organised panels. Some of you will, of course, be involved in more than two panels in another capacity - as chairs, discussants, organisers or just active participants.

Do paper-givers, chairs and discussants have to pay a registration fee?

Yes. Travel, accommodation and the conference registration fee are the responsibility of the participant whether they are a paper-giver, discussant, chair or panel organiser. There is travel support available for postgraduate students and early-career researchers attending the conference (find out more).

Can I choose the day on which I present?

No. By submitting a paper proposal you are making a firm commitment towards attending the conference and for being available to present your paper on any day of the conference i.e. from Monday 1 to Wednesday 4 September 2024.

If you submit a proposal for the virtual day, this will take place on Monday 9 September 2024.

What is the format of the research sessions?

Please read this for full details of research session formats.

Please note: The sessions are 90 minutes. Paper-givers will have a maximum of 15 minutes each in which to make a short presentation of their paper at the conference. It is important that this time allocation is not exceeded as the presentation is intended as an introduction to the following discussion. It will not be possible to read the paper in the time available and all paper-givers should adequately prepare their presentation with this in mind.

I am a doctoral researcher. Can I submit a proposal?

Yes. postgraduate researchers are always welcome at the UACES conference, and are encouraged to submit paper and/or panel proposals.

Doctoral and early-career researchers also benefit from discounted registration fees and are eligible to apply for funding for travel costs from UACES (find out more).

I am not a UACES member. Can I still submit a proposal?

Yes. Researchers new to UACES are always welcome to the conference. UACES members receive generous discounts on UACES conferences, so it is highly recommended that you join UACES. Registration for the conference opens around May 2024, but you can join UACES now and start enjoying the range of benefits.

What are the chances of my proposal being accepted?

Coherent panels have a better chance of being accepted than an individual paper. This is because whilst an individual paper may be excellent, it is not always possible to group it with other papers to form a panel.

How can I join a track?

When you submit your proposal, you can choose whether to submit it to one of the themed tracks organised by UACES members, or to submit it to the Open Track which welcomes research from all areas of European Studies. Visit ConfTool in order to submit your proposal.

How much will it cost to attend?

There are different price rates, depending on your membership and professional level. As a guide, an individual members' registration usually costs around 150 GBP + VAT (early-bird) or 170 GBP + VAT (standard). Please note, until we have received 2024 prices from our suppliers we cannot confirm the exact registration fees for 2024. 

Do you provide support for people with caring responsibilities?

UACES recognises that caring responsibilities create challenges for those who wish to attend conferences. There is some financial support available to assist with this and you can find out more here.

I require a visa to attend the conference, can you provide me with assistance?

Yes. UACES can help in several ways:

  • We can provide you with a visa letter. Simply indicate when you submit your proposal that you require a visa and ConfTool will generate one for you.
  • We will try and fast-track your proposal. If you have indicated that you require a visa, we will try and get your proposal reviewed as quickly as possible, so that you have your acceptance in place and have enough time to apply for a visa ahead of the conference.
  • We have some funding available to help with the costs of visas. Find out more.