CFP: 2026 Writing Research Across Borders conference Site Proposals

[ten grrl]

Colleagues:

On behalf of the International Society for the Advancement of Writing Research (ISAWR), I'm pasting below a call for proposals to host the 2026 Writing Research Across Borders conference. This is a fully international conference and we especially encourage site bids from countries or regions not yet represented among past ISAWR conferences. The deadline is Nov. 30, 2022.

Please address all questions to the current chair of ISAWR, Dr. Tiane Donahue: Christiane...@dartmouth.edu

Many thanks.

Chris Anson, Vice-Chair, ISAWR

 To write to me personally, please use anso...@gmail.com

2026 Writing Research Across Borders VII Conference 

Invitation for Site Proposals

The Steering Committee of the International Society for the Advancement of Writing Research invites proposals to host the seventh Writing Research Across Borders Conference in 2026.  Please submit proposals to ISAWR Chair Tiane Donahue at  <christiane...@dartmouth.edu>, and please also cc the ISAWR Corresponding Secretary Jonathan Marine <jma...@gmu.edu>, by November 30, 2022. As you begin to formulate a proposal, we would appreciate your contacting us well in advance of the deadline so we can provide support, answer questions, and share successful previous conference bids.

The WRAB conference is the signature event for the International Society for the Advancement of Writing Research [https://www.isawr.org]. Hosting the WRAB conference has brought many positive benefits for previous host institutions, including drawing attention to the university, its research faculty, and its programs, and highlighting the value and international respect writing research and teaching bring to an institution. It can also drive research interests externally in the wider field. For example, the conference local host works closely with the ISAWR steering committee to define the conference theme, which can focus and shape research inquiry priorities into the future, and can create innovative modes of work that define new pathways for equitable and robust exchange of writing research from various disciplinary traditions, institutional contexts, linguistic frames, and global sites.

The academic plan (including solicitation and selection of presentations as well as distribution of possible international travel scholarships) will reside with the ISAWR Steering Committee and the Local Site Chair, who will together act as the Conference Organizing Committee. The Conference Organizing Committee will work closely with the Site Leadership Committee to coordinate the conference schedule and events. This is thus an exciting intellectual opportunity for all involved, as well as a chance for the local host  to showcase a region and an institution(s).

Conference plan:

The conference and Society have been growing rapidly and the conference plan should be appropriate to this expansion. The 2026 conference will add to a legacy of WRAB conferences stretching back to 2008.

• WRAB I, Santa Barbara, California, February 2008 <http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/wrconf08/>: 600 attendees
  
  
• WRAB II, Fairfax, Virginia, February 2011 <http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/wrconf11/>: 700 attendees

• WRAB III, Paris, France, February 2014 < http://conference2014.fr >: 1100 attendees

• WRAB IV, Bogota, Colombia, February 2017 <http://www.javeriana.edu.co/wrab2017/index.html>: 700 attendees

• WRAB V, Xi’an China (canceled due to the global pandemic)

• WRAB 2021, Virtual Conference, March 2021, 200 attendees

• WRAB VI, Trondheim, Norway, scheduled for Feb. 18-22, 2023

<https://www.ntnu.edu/wrab23/wrab2023>

Proposals should anticipate a conference of 600 to 1200 attendees, but with sufficient flexibility to accommodate actual response. The conference will take place over three or four days, with the possibility of additional pre- or post-conference workshops or meetings. This is a substantially sized conference and will require a high degree of planning and work, and proposals should reflect that awareness in their details of management, personnel, and support. Issues of virtual attendance and hybrid models should also be discussed depending on external circumstances, though final decisions about these models would be a collaborative decision with ISAWR. 

The proposal should identify and elaborate on:

1. The proposed venue, with any benefits or difficulties associated with the venue. Ease and cost of travel to the city should also be elaborated. If multi-sited extensions are proposed (for example,  regional collaborations), please specify, including logistic capabilities to facilitate such extensions.

2. The specific dates proposed, and any secondary dates that might be acceptable to the site organizers. In the past the conference has taken place in mid-February, as this has not conflicted with other conferences that might be of interest to substantial numbers of potential attendees. We would prefer that proposals continue this mid-February schedule. We will consider proposals for other dates, but they would need to be accompanied by a rationale and a detailed confirmation that the dates will not conflict with other regional congresses that might be of interest to our attendees. In conjunction with the conference dates, we would like to see a timeline for preparatory activities, including dates for the call for proposals, submission, and acceptance notification, as well as logistics of the organization.

3.  A Site Chair and a Site Leadership Committee (made up primarily of scholars in writing), with a statement of their experience in conference planning and arrangements. Please identify in some detail potential groups and individuals who might assist in the work. If the site chair, committee, or sponsoring institution has run previous conferences, please provide some specifics and URLs. The site team will be responsible for activities such as arranging meeting rooms, equipment, refreshments, meals, housing, on-site registration, participant email access, security for equipment, reception(s), signage, and help during the conference. In the past, the local host institutions have provided a stipend to support a graduate student or staff person who is central to the correspondence, management of an email list, record keeping, and organization. If you intend to appoint such a person, please specify, including the intended stipend.

4. A local and regional writing research community that can support the event and that will benefit from having an event in the region. This would include opportunities for co-hosting with other colleagues or institutions.

5. Language(s) to be used during the event and plans to support multiple languages. We strongly encourage active consideration of issues of multilingual participation, including translation services for the plenary sessions. As an organization, we are keenly interested in creating opportunities, including the WRAB conference, that legitimize the use of multiple languages and varieties for transnational scholarly exchange, enabling promotion and enrichment of transnational dialogue in scientific-academic contexts and addressing inequality in knowledge-making dynamics and opportunities. 

5. Rooms for plenary sessions (able to accommodate at least 600 persons), meetings (each able to accommodate at least 40 persons and enough at a given time to accommodate multiple parallel panels), preconference workshops, poster sessions, meals, reception/registration, and social events, including specification of capacity of the rooms, which rooms will be available at which times, and any acoustical issues. Keep in mind the potential total number of presenters and thus of rooms needed for parallel sessions. Please include pictures of the venues.

6. At the selected location(s), physical access to all venues for differently abled people, including the provision of ramps, elevators, etc.; in addition, other accommodations for those with accessibility needs to present their research, to have access to presentations and presentation materials, and to occupy spaces and participate without discomfort, including provisions for those with visual, auditory, dietary, and other needs.

7. Technology available to participants, including projection, connections for laptops, and WiFi, with specification of how widely and where these will be available.

8. Food to be provided as part of the event, including coffees, meals, and snacks. In the past we have provided continental breakfasts and box lunches on all meeting days, as well as snacks during selected breaks. We have found that this combines convenience for the participants with increased opportunities for interaction.

9. Planned receptions and social events. In the past we have had a reception on the opening night and at least one other evening. If other social events are planned, or if the venue offers many entertainment and social opportunities convenient to the conference site, these should be presented. Any other interactional opportunities to be provided for presenters and participants should also be explained.

11. Publicity plans and capabilities, including website design and hosting as well as production of print materials and mailing. 

12. Registration, including the preparation of a program (preferably digital) and other registration materials. As international advance registration and payment can present difficulties, plans for online registration and payment should be specified. We encourage the minimal development of printed material and encourage app based solutions whenever possible. 

13. Hotels and other lodging arrangements, including number of rooms available, rates and special arrangements, and any contractual terms the hotels might demand for special rates and other amenities such as meeting rooms or receptions. Also distance and convenience of hotels to meeting sites and any transport arrangements if necessary.

14. Food and entertainment in the vicinity of the hotels and meeting venue. Other touristic benefits of the location should also be presented.

15. Sponsorships and potential sponsorships from hosting or co-hosting the conference, including the participation of neighboring universities, government grants, publishers, or other sources. The proposal would also benefit from commitments of support and cooperation from the hosting or co-hosting university administration(s).

16. Budget. The proposals should contain a detailed budget estimate, showing careful and realistic projections. The budget should include all anticipated costs, including meals and refreshments, receptions, fees incurred for use of space and technology, special transport arrangements, publicity, paid staff, administrative expenses (including such things as services of a campus conference unit and its associated administrative overhead), disability accommodations, language support and translation, registration handling and credit card fees, print and mailing processes and costs, and other anticipatable expenses. 

Some budget items built in to the conference need to be included in planning:

• Support for the Chair of ISAWR at the time of the conference for travel and accommodations. 

• Support for the publication of a volume of research based on the conference; each of the previous WRAB conferences has produced a co-edited volume of research or a special issue of a journal. 

• A fee remission program for accepted presenters with documented need, traditionally up to USD $20,000. 

The proposed fee structure should anticipate a positive balance after all expenses, from which an amount not to exceed USD $5,000 will be transferred to support ISAWR.

While the final attendance fees will be set in consultation with the ISAWR Steering committee, the preliminary budget should indicate, with various attendance levels, the break-even fee levels (for example, 700, 900, and 1200 paying attendees). In the past we have had two tiers of fees based on student and employment status.Previous total conference budgets have been in the range of US $120,000 to $300,000, depending on size and regional costs. Please also include anticipated support from sponsors and other income sources.  

If you have further questions, please contact the chair of ISAWR, Tiane Donahue, at  <christiane...@dartmouth.edu>