The Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS) is excited to issue an ongoing call for proposals to host its annual conference, to be reviewed annually in July. We are interested in receiving proposals from around the world, regardless of geographic location.
Background
SIPS has made a concerted effort in recent years to expand where it hosts its conferences. As noted in the Global Engagement Task Force Report commissioned by SIPS, “When major conferences are held in only one or two geographic regions, less financially secure scholars are systematically excluded, which limits the exposure of their perspectives to an international community” (Steltenpohl et al., 2021, p. 8). Therefore, we will not limit proposals to specific geographic regions, instead prioritizing a diversity of options for our members.
To get a sense of our previous and upcoming conference locations and size, we are providing attendance information (year, location, and number of registrants):
- 2016 Charlottesville, VA, USA (~100 in person)
- 2017 Charlottesville, VA, USA (~200 in person)
- 2018 Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA (271 in person)
- 2019 Rotterdam, the Netherlands (521 in person)
- 2020 Remote/online (1,197 online)
- 2021 Remote/online (1,012 online)
- 2022 Victoria, BC, Canada (82 in person, 478 online)
- 2023 Padova, Italy (261 in person, 279 online)
- 2024 Nairobi, Kenya TBD
- 2025 Budapest, Hungary TBD
The Proposal
Brief proposals for hosting a future SIPS Conference should focus mostly on logistics such as where the conference events would take place (hotel/institution and in what city and country) and roughly how much it would cost, whether the site has sufficient space to accommodate typical conference sessions, accessibility of the nearest airport, and accessibility of affordable lodging and meals. (To get a sense of typical conference sessions, please refer to programs from past conferences.)
SIPS conferences are financed by SIPS in large part through registration fees, sponsorships, and donations; therefore, proposals for hosting the conference do not need to consider how the conference will be funded. That said, hosts are welcome to note sources of funding they could contribute or obtain to defray the costs of the conference. Similarly, the scientific program for SIPS conferences is coordinated by a program committee that works together with the logistics committee to plan the conference. The program committee evaluates submissions and creates the schedule of events. Therefore, proposals for hosting and handling the logistics of the conference do not need to address the scientific program.
Evaluation
The strongest proposals will meet the criteria below:
Host Characteristics
The conference is hosted by an individual or group committed to SIPS and improving psychological science in general. The host(s) have previous experience with this kind of event or have demonstrated skills that are relevant to doing so.
Conference Site
The conference site facilities are adequate for approximately 300-500 participants and typical conference session activities (universities or similar are preferred due to cost effectiveness). The site has spaces that facilitate networking and informal exchange among participants. The site is close to eateries, lodging, and transportation venues. Host provides an approximate cost to reserve the site.
Advantages & Limitations
The proposal addresses potential advantages of the conference location (e.g. accessibility, funding sources that can be applied for, local SIPS or similar communities in the area) The proposal addresses potential limitations of the conference location (e.g., laws or local ordinances that target marginalized members of the SIPS community, potential travel/visa restrictions).
Financial, Travel, and Timing Considerations
The proposed costs are acceptable. The proposal specifies the nearest airport and its distance to the conference site. The date proposed for the event is appropriate; it should occur in June or before.
Submission
Please send a single PDF of the proposal to sips@improvingpsych.org. The subject/title of the email should be “SIPS Conference Host Proposal: XXX” (replace XXX with the name of the proposed site). Complete proposals will be reviewed by the SIPS Executive Committee based on the criteria noted above on a yearly basis, beginning in July.
Questions?
Please direct any questions to sips@improvingpsych.org. We are excited to discuss your ideas for a proposal prior to submission; feel free to request a conversation before investing effort in your proposal. Similarly, the SIPS Executive Committee may request to schedule a conference call with potential hosts to address questions about their proposal before making a decision.