Call for Papers: "NEAR Futures"

15th Interdisciplinary Conference of the GSAÉD

Objectives of the 15th Interdisciplinary Conference

The 15th Interdisciplinary Conference of the GSAÉD offers the opportunity for graduate students to present their research to the university community. The Conference will foster critical dialogue across the many fields of academic research, including the social sciences, the natural sciences, applied sciences and the professions. The goal of this conference is to interrogate the broad themes stemming from our fast approaching and diverse future(s) from the specific and multifaceted perspectives of graduate student researchers.

Theme of the 15th Interdisciplinary Conference

The Interdisciplinary Conference "Near Futures" invites a reflection on global contemporary issues and possible developments/innovations stemming from current events.

Theme subcategories

The 15th Interdisciplinary Conference will include the following theme subcategories:

• Philosophy and society in the XXI century;
• Human behaviour
• (Inter)national norms;
• Local vs. global: new social approaches;
• Political movements and civil society beyond the borders;
• Crises and international solidarity;
• Law "of whom, for whom?": transnational perspectives;
• Global governance;
• Policies of security;
• Questions of (over)population and migrations;
• Food sovereignty;
• (Bio)diversity;
• Climate change;
• Energy (in)dependence;
• Bridges between activism and academics;
• Critical methodologies;
• (De)colonization, on the land and in research;
• Commercializing health, knowledge, and life;
• Pandemics;
• (Re)productive technologies;
• Future of the sciences;
• Neuroscience, nanoscience, artificial intelligence and the virtual world;
• Etc.

All communications will be regrouped in nine (9) thematic panels.

First phase: Pre-Conference

Criteria of Admissibility

1. Be registered in one of the programs of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies of the University of Ottawa;
2. Present an abstract of the proposed presentation (250 to 500 words) before Monday, January 30th, 2012
3. Indicate the theme subcategory (listed above) related to the proposed presentation.

Ineligibility

Members of the University Affairs Committee cannot enter the contest, unless they choose to withdraw permanently from the committee.

Selection Process

A jury will select four (4) papers per panel for a total of 36 presentations.

Selection Criteria

The consistency and the originality of research related to one of the underlined subcategory.

Award

1. Participate as a speaker at the time of the 15th Interdisciplinary Conference of the GSAÉD;
2. Eligibility to be considered for one of the nine $200 awards based on the quality of the content and of the presentation (see below).

Second phase: Presentations during the GSAÉD's 15th Interdisciplinary Conference

All submissions will receive a response no later than February 10th, 2012. Those selected to present will be contacted by the University Affairs Committee with further details. Additionally, monetary award eligibility will be based on the judged merit of the paper. Please refer to the following section for the requirements.

An interdisciplinary jury composed of members of GSAÉD's University Affairs Committee and professors of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) will evaluate the presentations on each panel.

Assessment Criteria

1. Present an academic article of 3 000 to 5 000 words before March 12, 2012;
2. Quality of the content (clarity of presentation, including arguments and the logic of the explanations);
3. Quality of the presentation and the interaction with the public (capacity to translate technical jargon).

Award

One (1) $200 award per panel. Since the Conference foresees 9 panels, $ 1 800 dollars will be distributed across panels. These funds will be provided by our institutional partner, the University of Ottawa FGPS.

Third phase: Possibility of electronic publication of the Conference proceedings

At the end of the conference, a jury will choose (15) qualified academic articles to be published in the proceedings of the conference.

Selection Criteria:

1. Quality of the writing and respect of the bibliographical reference rules;
2. Academic value and clarity of the thesis presented.