Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the attendance mode of the 29th HEAS Conference?
The 29th HEAS Conference will be held in person only. The HEAS Conference Committee regrets that it cannot provide travel stipends for participants and encourages participants to seek funding from their own departments.
2. Who can submit papers presented in the conference?
Applicants must be currently enrolled in a program of graduate study. Those pursuing either Master's or PhD-level degrees are eligible to submit their abstracts. Students who have completed their Master's degree studies and are in the process of applying to PhD programs are also encouraged to apply.
3. Does the 29th HEAS Conference require an application fee for submission and attendance?
No. The 29th HEAS Conference is free to apply to, and does not charge any additional fee for conference participation. Please note that participants are still responsible for their own travel costs.
4. What are the presentation formats of the 29th HEAS Conference?
The 29th HEAS Conference will consist of panel discussions and working groups.
Panel Discussions
Panel discussions ask each panelist to present a paper in around 13 minutes, followed by a Q&A session led by a moderator, chair, and sometimes a discussant.
Working Groups
The working groups aim to provide a space for participants to collectively workshop ideas under a shared theme, and to give and receive detailed feedback. Different from panel discussions, this format features no formal presentations; instead, all members (including the chair and moderator) read the work in advance, prepare comments, and actively participate in ensuing discussion.
*To be considered for a working group, you must indicate your interest through the Abstract Submission Form.
5. What kind of paper can I submit?
As long as the applicant is eligible to participate in the conference, scholarly articles written at any time, including but not limited to past undergraduate theses, term papers, and MA theses, are qualified for submission.
6. Can I submit a paper that is currently under review for a journal? Will you publish the paper if I am selected to be a panelist/member of a working group?
We welcome manuscripts submitted to journals and are currently under review. Participants are responsible for checking with the individual journal's policy to determine if it is permissible for the journal.
We will not publish the panelists' papers. They will only be collected for internal circulation in the panel/working group(s).
7. What are the paper submission requirements if I am selected to become a panelist/member of a working group?
A draft of your paper must be submitted either as an MS Word file (.docx) or PDF. It must be between 15-20 pages (not including title page, abstract or bibliography) and it must be double-spaced standard 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins. Any standard professional citation typically endorsed by humanities and social science departments may be used (i.e. MLA, APA and Chicago), and the citation should be consistent throughout the paper. Due to the page limit, we encourage you to put emphasis on your method, findings, analyses, and contributions to the field. For your submission, please title your files with this convention: "2026_HEAS_PAPER_[LAST NAME]_[FIRSTNAME]". This paper will not be distributed at the conference, and is primarily for review by the discussants and moderators of your respective panels/working groups.
8. Can I submit more than one abstract for consideration?
No. Abstract submissions are limited to one per person. You will be required to sign in with your email when submitting the form. Applicants may edit their responses until the deadline (see below).
9. Is the event open to the public?
The event is only open to presenters, Harvard affiliates, and registered audience members with an official university affiliation.
Key Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: Friday, November 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST
Notification of Acceptance: early December, 2025
Paper Submission Deadline: January 23, 2026
Conference Dates: February 13–14, 2026