VSVR New Researchers – Call for Papers (New Researchers Day or Main Conference)
New Researchers Day: Tuesday, 8 September 2026
VSVR Main Conference: Wednesday – Thursday, 9-10 September 2026
Location: Watershed Conference Centre, Bristol, UK
Submit your abstract by the deadline, 18 May 2026: https://www.vssn.org.uk/vssn-conference-abstract-submissions-2026/
Questions? Email us at NewResearchers@vssn.org.uk
The Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) warmly welcomes new researchers. The Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research (VSVR) Conference 2026 is an ideal opportunity for new or early career researchers to discuss and present their research in a supportive setting either on the dedicated New Researchers Day or within the main conference proceedings.
Our definition of new researchers is inclusive of all early career researchers in the field of voluntary sector/volunteering studies: students, practitioners, those new to an academic career or research role based in a voluntary organisation, etc.
We aim to foster a strong community amongst new researchers by providing an opportunity to:
- share research, learning, and ideas with other voluntary sector and volunteering researchers, and receive constructive feedback in a supportive environment
- connect and develop relationships with other new researchers, as well as established researchers and practitioners
Many well-established researchers in our field started their careers by participating as new researchers at the conference. Feedback from past years suggests that attending as a new researcher helps establish a positive network at the conference and beyond. The dedicated New Researchers Day adds significant value by easing newcomers into the community, fostering early relationships, and enhancing their engagement with the full conference and VSSN research community.
Submissions and presentations
This year, we are expanding the presentation formats open to New Researchers at the conference, to encourage as many New Researchers as possible to take up the opportunity. New Researchers may present in the following ways:
- Full presentation within the main conference proceedings. We encourage New Researchers seeking subject-specific feedback to choose this option. In your submission, you can propose a formal conference presentation or choose other ways to present your research, such as a short workshop, or creative session. Each presenter will be given around 20-30 minutes for their presentation and Q&A.
- Presentation at the New Researchers’ Day. This is a more informal environment, where New Researchers can practise their presentation skills and share their research with an audience predominantly comprising other new researchers. These presentations will be shorter than those in the main conference (approximately 15 minutes each followed by 10 minutes Q&A).
- Lightning talk at the New Researchers Day. This format is particularly suited to new researchers in the early stages of a project and/or wishing to focus on one specific idea arising from their research. Each presenter will be given 5 minutes to talk, followed by 5 minutes’ Q&A.
- Poster displayed at the Conference for both the New Researchers Day and the main conference. This friendly and interactive format is a way to demonstrate your ability to explain your research clearly and engage in scholarly conversation. The A1 sized poster is a visual summary of your project that is meant to interest both non-specialists and experts. The posters will be displayed for the duration of the Conference in a communal space, and time will be scheduled for those displaying posters to showcase and discuss their work with conference delegates. New Researchers will be responsible for producing their own posters.
Submit your abstract here: https://www.vssn.org.uk/vssn-conference-abstract-submissions-2026/.
Full abstracts should be 500 words max for presentations and posters and 300 words for lightning talks. Please also include a 100-word summary abstract – this will appear in the conference programme. When submitting your abstract, please indicate your selected presentation format. Applicants will be informed of whether their proposals have been accepted by the end of May.
New Researchers’ Day
The New Researchers’ Day is a pre-conference day dedicated to early career researchers. It will take place all day on Tuesday, 8 September, is structured to facilitate discussions and learning, and will include lunch. This event is included in the main conference price for new researchers. The main conference will begin the following day, Wednesday 9 September through Thursday 10 September.
The New Researchers’ Day is a great opportunity to get to know each other before the main conference, build networks, think together, and share learning. This event is for all New Researchers: whether you are presenting in the main conference, or during the New Researchers Day – and even if you choose not to present this time).
For those presenting at the New Researchers Day, we aim to have one or two established researchers at each of the sessions to provide feedback. We also encourage participants to give each other feedback.
Duncan Scott New Researchers’ Prize
If you submit a full paper by a deadline of 16th August it will be considered for the Duncan Scott New Researchers’ Prize which includes an award of £100. Your paper should be between 2,500 and 4,500 words, including references, and include:
- a literature review
- a methodology section
- analysis of (early) findings if appropriate
- full references using a recognised referencing style (e.g. Harvard)
If you have not yet completed some aspects of your research (e.g.: data collection or analysis), it is fine to give some idea of any emerging themes or your next steps in the project – they do not have to be fully-formed. We accept that other researchers may have worked on your research project and so may be listed, but the paper itself must be written by one or more New Researchers. All New Researchers accepted to present in any format are eligible to submit a full paper to be considered for this prize.
Fees
As part of its commitment to New Researchers, VSSN subsidises the cost of attending. The exact fee will be announced soon, but we anticipate that it will be in the region of £140-160 for the three days. The fee will include registration for both main conference days and the New Researchers’ Day on Tuesday, 8 September, lunch and refreshments on all days, and the conference dinner on Wednesday, 9 September.
Please note:
- you (or your employer) must be a member of either VSSN, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC), or NCVO to receive the subsidised rate (membership of VSSN starts at £35 and includes a lot of great benefits: https://www.vssn.org.uk/join/)
- once bookings are open, please book as early as possible to ensure your place in the programme
- the fee does not include accommodation or travel
VSSN provides a limited number of bursaries to cover conference fees for individuals who do not have access to funding from their organisation/institution and would not otherwise be able to participate. For more information, please email VSVRconference@vssn.org.uk
Booking a place at the conference
We expect to open bookings for the conference in May, until end of August. Early bird tickets are until mid July. See the Conference Event page for dates, pricing and details.
More information
If you have any queries about the New Researchers’ Stream, please contact us at: NewResearchers@vssn.org.uk
