Submit a Proposal
The Iowa Network of Human Rights Academics is excited to announce its annual research conference will take place Saturday, April 10, 2027, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow students and faculty members from across Iowa, learn about human rights issues, and polish your presentation skills! Are you working on a paper, poster, or creative project that intersects with human rights issues? If so, submit a proposal and plan to join us for a day of invigorating discussion.
Proposals are due February 8, 2027. If you are an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student, we invite you to submit a proposal including a 1,000 character description of your paper, poster, or creative work. Notification of acceptance will be sent out by late February. Accepted projects will be presented at the conference and receive feedback and commentary from faculty members.
Submission Details
We welcome proposals from currently enrolled students (including December 2026 graduates) from any Iowa college or university on human rights topics (broadly defined).
Proposals are submitted using this form (available at www.iowahumanrights.org) and should include a description of up to 1,000 characters, which can be copied and pasted into the form. Please provide a brief explanation of your topic, proposed methodology, and – for creative works – form of presentation. You should use your university email address when submitting.
You must identify a supervising faculty member and discuss your project with them before submitting your proposal. You will include your faculty supervisor’s name and email address and they will receive a copy of your proposal.
The submission deadline is February 8. Notification of acceptance will be given in late February.
Final submissions from accepted participants will be due March 24. For traditional papers, final papers of 3,000-6,000 words are preferred. For posters or creative works, we ask that you follow the standard academic presentation style for your discipline to the extent possible.
Conference Details
The conference is organized by the Iowa Network of Human Rights Academics with support from the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights.
The conference takes place Saturday, April 10, 2027, at the University of Iowa from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A tentative conference schedule will be released in late March.
This is an in-person event. We are unable to accommodate remote presentations or participation.
Traditional research papers will be grouped into themed panels. Each panelist will have approximately 10 minutes to present an overview of their paper, followed by commentary from faculty discussants and Q&A. For co-authored papers, you will designate one co-author to represent all authors during the panel.
We will plan the presentation of posters and creative works, and the method for faculty feedback, based on the type and number of proposals accepted.
There is no registration fee for accepted student presenters.
Questions can be directed to Dr. Brian Farrell (brian-r-farrell@uiowa.edu). Persons with disabilities who may require accommodations in order to participate in this event are encouraged to attend. For accommodation assistance, please contact brian-r-farrell@uiowa.edu.