The Programme Committee invites proposals for participation in the 2026 Canadian Political Science Association Annual Conference to be held in person from Tuesday, June 2 to Thursday, June 4 at the University of Ottawa.
The University of Ottawa (Adàwe/Ottawa) is situated on the traditional, unceded territory of the Omamìwìnini Anishnàbeg (Algonquin) Nation.
The Politics of Division: Conflict, Community, Curriculum
Last year’s conference theme was “The Politics of Belonging: Conflict, Community and Curriculum”. This year’s conference builds on this theme with a focus on conflict, community and curriculum but through a different lens: division.
During the 2025 Canadian federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney repeatedly used the term “hinge moment,” bringing focus to the major issues of the time. Carney was responding to unexpected and historic economic and existential threats to Canada from American President Donald Trump; Carney declared the relationship between the two countries would never be the same. The Trump threat is only another layer of division that builds on Canada’s historic and contemporary governance and political challenges. The efforts toward Indigenous recognition and reconciliation, functional multiculturalism, and effective federalism continue while the external threat builds.
Across the globe other states face “hinge moments” – the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South Asia and Africa are a few of the areas facing major on-going or potential conflicts. The world is a tenuous place. Divisions are taking hold. The study of these divisions could impact change. How transformative or new are these divisions?
On post-secondary campuses division is found in increasingly fraught pedagogical challenges as faculty and instructors confront artificial intelligence in teaching and learning. The academy is facing its own “hinge moment” as old ways of thinking and doing things are turned upside down. The perilous nature of many university programs, especially in the Arts and Social Sciences, contribute to growing precarity. Are we, as political scientists, doing work that is contributing to understanding today’s opportunities and threats in this moment?
While we welcome a diversity of approaches, perspectives, and topics in this call for papers, we encourage you to reflect on the ways in which the politics of division shape our world, communities, and wider profession. As such, we look forward to receiving your paper proposals and to engaging in thought-provoking discussions at the University of Ottawa in 2026!
The Programme Committee also invites submissions in all areas of political science, spanning one or more of our 16 disciplinary sections and competitions (3MT and Posters). CPSA has always embraced a global outlook, and we encourage researchers from all countries and backgrounds to take part by submitting their work.
Reconciliation and EDID
The CPSA continues to prioritize the work of the CPSA Reconciliation and EDID committees as well as broader efforts to decolonize the academic world.
It subscribes to the principles of accessibility, diversity, decolonization, equity, inherent human dignity, and inclusion.
Thus, we particularly welcome proposals that contribute to a diverse and inclusive representation of the Canadian political science community, and those that address all forms of discrimination, bigotry, prejudice, and injustice, including, but not limited to, those rooted in racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism, and classism.
Workshops
The Programme Committee has also organized workshops that focus on specialized themes of interest for political scientists. Explore them HERE and submit your proposal!
Practitioners Section
We especially welcome submissions for our Practitioners Section. A practitioner is a political scientist whose main professional activity is, or has been, outside the academic world (e.g., in government, political parties, consulting, journalism, lobbying, think tanks, and international or civil society organizations). The section welcomes a wide variety of perspectives on political science and its application in Canadian society.
Annual Conference of the International Studies Association (ISA) Canada Region
ISA Canada is proud to host its annual conference in partnership with the CPSA. For the twentieth consecutive year, ISA Canada will co-organize with the CPSA the International Relations section of the 2026 Annual Conference. ISA Canada encourages its members to submit proposals on areas of interest in the study of international relations. ISA Canada is a region of the International Studies Association (ISA), the premier international association of international relations scholars.
Questions? Contact the CPSA Conference Team.
The 2026 CPSA Conference at the University of Ottawa will not be held in conjunction with the Congress of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. This follows the Federation’s announcement that Congress 2026 will not proceed due to challenges in securing a host institution. Read more HERE.
CONNECT WITH US
#CPSA_ASCP26
2026 Programme Committee Workshops Submission and Type of Proposals Participation Information and Fees Conference Documents Submit a proposal
| 2026 CPSA Deadlines and Important Dates | |
| Deadline to submit your proposals | November 10, 2025 @ 11:59 pm PST (Pacific Standard Time) |
| Submission outcome notification | December 2025 |
| Deadline CPSA Membership Fees | March 31, 2026 |
| Deadline Registration (early bird) | March 31, 2026 |
| Paper for the conference | May 22, 2026 |
| Conference dates | June 2 to 4, 2026 |