When submitting and accepting panel and individual paper proposals, please follow the following four participation rules:
Rule 1: Participation Limitation
Participation is limited to two (2) roles, with a maximum of one (1) presenting paper author role. This means an individual may appear in:
- Up to two (2) non-author presenter roles (for example, on a roundtable or Author Meets Critics panel), or
- One (1) non-author presenter role and one (1) presenting paper author role.
Chair and discussant roles are considered service roles and do not count toward this limit.
An attendee may present only one (1) paper at the conference but may also appear as a non-presenting co-author on up to two (2) additional papers without exceeding participation limits.
Presenting and non-presenting paper author roles apply to full paper panels and mini-conferences. In the submission system, these roles are listed as “Author” and “Non-Presenting Co-Author.” Presenting authors are expected to upload a paper corresponding to their presentation.
Non-author presenter roles typically appear in roundtables, Author Meets Critics sessions, cafés, workshops, and some mini-conferences. In the submission system, these roles are listed as “Presenter.” Presenters do not submit a paper for these appearances.
Review the full definitions of panels and roles here.
Participation Limit Exemptions:
- Participation as a non-presenting co-author does not count towards the author presentation limit.
- Participation as a discussant or chair does not count towards any appearance limits.
- Participation in one (1) theme panel is allowed. If you’ve met already the paper author role limit, an exemption is available for one (1) theme panel.
- Participation in APSA-organized panels or status committee panels is exempt.
- Presenting in a panel organized by Division 10: Political Science Education does not count towards these limits.
- Participation in TLC at APSA is exempt.
- Participation in an Emerging Scholars Symposium Lightning Round is exempt. (Note: This exemption does not apply to Division or Related Group Lightning Rounds.)
- Serving as a leader of a pre-conference short course does not count towards the participation limit.
- iPoster presentations do not count towards the participation limit.
There are no other exemptions from the participation limits.
Rule 2: Pre-Registration
APSA requires all program participants to pre-register for the meeting by June 8, 2026.
Rule 3: Paper Delivery
If you are a paper presenter, you have an important obligation to ensure that all members of your panel, especially discussants, receive your paper two (2) weeks prior to the conference, with enough time to prepare for the meeting. Papers should be uploaded to the conference system no later than August 19, 2026. Authors will receive email instructions on how to upload a paper to the system as well as other details closer to the Annual Meeting.
Rule 4: Panel Schedule
Panels are scheduled in time slots beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday and concluding at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Participants are expected to be available for any of the time slots.
Please note that due to the large number of participants on the meeting program, scheduling requests are not accepted.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
Submission Procedure
APSA accepts a wide range of proposal types. To learn more about the session formats and submission options, visit the Submission Options page.
To use the online proposal submission system, you need a valid email address, an APSAnet.org account, and an internet connection. If you don’t yet have a free APSA account, you can create one here. You are not required to be an APSA member to submit a proposal.
Submission Rules
The following submission rules were established by the APSA Committee on the Annual Meeting:
- You may submit up to two proposals. Additional proposals from the same author or organizer will not be accepted. Others may submit you for additional roles, but it’s recommended that your name appear on no more than four proposals total. This helps reduce last-minute withdrawals due to participation limits or over-committing.
- Pre-Conference Short Courses, TLC at APSA, and Emerging Scholars Symposium Lightning Rounds are exempt from the two-submission limit. (This exemption does not apply to Division or Related Group Lightning Rounds.)
- Each proposal may be submitted to no more than two divisions, related groups, or partner associations.
- All paper proposals will also be considered for iPoster presentation.
- All proposals must be submitted by Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
Confirmation of Proposal Submission
After submitting your proposal, you’ll receive a confirmation email and a unique submission ID number. Please save both for future reference. If you don’t receive a confirmation email within 24 hours, contact meeting@apsanet.org for assistance.
You can view, edit, or delete your submission any time before the deadline by going to “Submit or Edit a Proposal” in the Submitter Menu, navigating to the “Submissions” tab, and selecting “Edit” or “Delete” in the far-right Action column next to your proposal.
Acceptance Notification
In mid-March 2026, all submitters will receive an email confirming whether each proposal was accepted or declined. If your proposal is accepted for a panel or poster presentation, the email will specify the division for which it was accepted.
If your proposal is not immediately selected for a panel or poster session, your division chair(s) may reach out to you at a later date if space becomes available on the program. Division or panel chairs will provide further details about session format, scheduling, and participation requirements once assignments are finalized.
If your paper or panel proposal is accepted, you will be required to formally confirm your planned participation in the 2026 Annual Meeting.
APSA reserves the right to select or remove panels and participants and to modify the date, time, or format of any panel or presentation at its sole discretion.