Call For Papers
Abstract Submission is Now Open!
If you have any questions, please email us on: academic.conferences@contacts.bham.ac.uk
The organizers of the 2026 annual conference invite individual papers and panel papers that discuss drivers and challenges of social policies, including but not restricted to the global and international dimensions of social policy.
The annual conference will bring together an active and lively community of scholars from different fields of social policy studies, ranging from PhD students and early-career researchers to established scholars. Beyond the broad theme outlined above, we also invite RC19 members to present their recent work, even if they are not closely connected to that theme.
Abstracts from non-RC19 members are most welcome, but all presenters must be members of RC19 by the time of the conference. To become a member, please contact our treasurer, Hildegard Theobald at hildegard.theobald@uni-vechta.de.
The conference will follow "Korpi's rules", which have made RC19 meetings famous for their intellectual liveliness and seriousness. Walter Korpi, past president of RC19, instituted the following workshop-style meeting format to foster lively discussions during the conference: Full papers are circulated (and read) in advance by all participants of the respective panel.
At the conference, a discussant designated by the conference organizers briefly presents the paper and comments on it (12 minutes).
The author(s) of the paper has/have a limited time to react to the discussant's presentation (3 minutes) so as to leave room for a general discussion (15 minutes).
Single Abstract Submission Guidelines
- Title: Abstract titles should be concise (under 100 characters) and clearly reflect the focus of the research.
- Theme Selection: During submission, please indicate the conference theme under which you wish your submission to be considered.
- Author Details: Enter all authors’ surnames, first names, and affiliations.
- Abstract Length: Abstracts should be between 250 and 300 words.
Panel Proposal Submission Guidelines
- Panel Leader: One person should act as the panel leader and submit the complete panel proposal on behalf of all presenting authors. Once submitted, we’ll get in touch with the panel leader and the presenting authors about any updates or further details regarding the submitted panel.
- Panel Composition: Panels should consist of 3–4 papers.
- Title: Panel titles should be concise (under 100 characters) and clearly reflect the focus of the research.
- Theme Selection: During submission, please indicate the conference theme under which you wish your panel to be considered.
- Author Details: Enter only the presenting authors’ surnames, first names, and affiliations. Any additional authors and their affiliations should be included in the uploaded document.
- Abstract Length: The panel proposal and each individual abstract should be between 250 and 300 words.
- Submission Template: Use the provided template to structure your panel proposal and included abstracts within a single document. Upload the completed file through the submission portal when prompted.
- These papers will adhere to Korpi’s rules, with discussants assigned to each.
As part of the organisation of this conference, The University of Birmingham's Event Management Team is collecting income via registration fees and sponsorships on behalf of the RC19 Committee.