Venue: Napier University, Edinburgh

Dates: 18th to 19th November 2026

More information around the SERA 2026 Conference theme and strands can be found here.

The conference will accept individual papers, symposia, short presentations and poster presentations as well as suggestions for roundtable discussions, workshops and performance/arts-based sessions. See below for more details on each of these different formats.

Individual Papers

Individual papers require a 250-word abstract.  Each paper will be allocated a 20-minute slot (15 minutes presentation: 5 minutes questions). Abstracts should include:

• Strand (best fit from the list above);
• Title of paper;
• Author name(s), affiliation(s), contact email address;
• 4 keywords
• Aims; methods; main findings; conclusions

Symposia

A symposium is a planned event lasting 60 minutes with between two and four individual contributions on a theme. If you are thinking of organising a symposium and are looking for collaborators, please get in touch with our network leads for advice. Symposia organisers are free to decide on how their symposium is run. They should provide a chairperson who will introduce the session and highlight relationships amongst the contributions. Symposia organisers should also provide a discussant to offer a critique of the whole symposium. The contact person identified on the proposal must act as a link between the conference organisers and other contributors. Proposals should include:

• title of symposium;
• Name(s), affiliation(s), contact email address of the symposium organiser;
• Name of chairperson/discussant;
• An outline of 200 words
• Symposium presenters;
• 250-word abstract describing the purpose of the symposium and the relationship between papers.

Short Presentations

A short presentation is an engaging and highly visual presentation of 15 slides for a maximum of 20 seconds each (300 seconds or five minutes in total). The format keeps presentations concise and fast-paced and is useful when wanting to highlight key points, pose questions, present evocative insights, and/or share research in-progress efficiently.

Short presentation proposals require a 250-word abstract. Abstracts should include:

• Strand (best fit from the list above);
• Title of paper;
• Author name(s), affiliation(s), contact email address;
• 4 keywords
• Aims; methods; main findings; conclusions

Poster Presentations

Submissions to the individual poster category require a 250-word abstract. Abstracts should include:

• Strand (best fit from the list above);
• Title of paper;
• Author name(s), affiliation(s), contact email address;
• 4 keywords
• Aims; methods; main findings; conclusions

Please also note the following details if your abstract is accepted: posters should be prepared in advance and brought to the conference by the presenter/designer. Posters should be no larger than A0 paper size. Posters will be displayed in a public area during the conference, and presenters will be invited to an interactive session to present their posters at the conference.

Workshops and Round Tables

Workshops and round tables will be scheduled as 60-minute events. Proposals for workshops should include the design and delivery of a learning activity that engages participants directly both in experience and subsequent reflection. Workshop proposals can centre on the analysis of a research methodology/approach or a teaching and learning method. Proposals should include:

• Strand (best fit from the list above);
• Title of paper;
• Author name(s), affiliation(s), contact email address;
• 4 keywords
• Rationale and/or theoretical background
• Aims and methods of proposed activity

Proposals for round tables will indicate the theme to be discussed by a range of stakeholders sharing a range of views and experiences. Cross-cutting themes that are of interest to a range of educational stakeholders are welcomed.

Performance/Arts-Based Sessions

Performance/arts-based sessions will be scheduled as 60-minute events. A performance-based or arts-based session aims to involve participants to work experientially to explore and to reflect on a particular theme. All forms of activities are welcome: spoken word poetry, narratives or oral storytelling; art forms, including painting, drawing, sculpture; drama and dance; walking and fitness; digital multimedia presentations, and more. A descriptor of 250 words should include:

• Strand (best fit from the list above);
• Title of paper;
• Author name(s), affiliation(s), contact email address;
• 4 keywords;
• Aims of the session and details of the proposed activity;
• Indication about the spaces and any special equipment that may be required;
• Maximum number of participants.

Prizes and Awards

Estelle Brisard Award

This award is presented on an annual basis to the best research paper written by an early-career researcher based in Scotland. The cash prize of £250 is presented at the annual conference. Further details can be found on our webpages and through posts on our LinkedIn account. To apply, please send your name, email address, area of research, course, university and title of your paper to sera.conference@gmail.com.

Best poster/short presentation

Two prizes of fifty pounds are awarded at the SERA conference for the best poster and best short presentation. A panel composed of SERA executive members will review the entries and winning entries will be announced during the conference.

SERA Submission Dates

• Call for proposals opens Monday, 6^th April 2026
• All proposals to be sent to sera.conference@gmail.com by Friday 15^th May 2026. Deadline extended to Friday, 5th June 2026. 
• Peer review of abstracts will be completed by the end of June 2026
• Notification of acceptance will be given on or before the week beginning Monday, 27th July 2026

SERA Conference Registration Arrangements

SERA Conference registration will open from early May 2026.