83rd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, April 26, 2026
Hybrid Format: In Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL or Online

All Panels/Paper Sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups will Feature a Hybrid Format (for In-Person or Virtual Participation). Undergraduate Poster Sessions will be In Person Only.

Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Bethany Lacina, University of Rochester
Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, University of California-Berkeley

Learn more about the conference. Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships – Click Here to Submit Your Application Today!

For the 2026 conference, the MPSA will provide $500 graduate student travel scholarships, including one sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha , to help defray expenses related to attending the annual conference.

Twelve scholarship recipients will be randomly selected from a pool of qualified applicants. To qualify for a scholarship, applicants must: 

  • Be a graduate student enrolled in a doctoral program 
  • Be a current MPSA member paid through April 30, 2026 
  • Certify they are not receiving university or institutional financial support for conference participation, and 
  • Have an accepted role on the 2026 conference program and attend the conference in person  

Additionally, the MPSA Status Committee on Gender and Sexual Minorities and the MPSA Status Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities will each award two research-based travel scholarships. These scholarships, worth $500 each, will be awarded to support students whose research aligns with the committee’s area of focus, with financial need also considered in the selection process. 

Those who have received an MPSA Graduate Student Travel Scholarship in the past, are receiving a Conference Fee Waiver, or attend the conference virtually are not eligible for a scholarship. 

For the 2027 conference and beyond, MPSA leadership will review eligibility criteria for named travel scholarships in consultation with legal counsel to ensure compliance with applicable laws.

The deadline for applications is Friday, February 6, 2026. Please note you must be logged in to your MPSA account to apply. If you have not already completed your account profile, you will be prompted to do so before you can submit an application.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships are applicable to in-person conference participation only. Scholarships are designed to offset the costs of attending the conference (travel, hotel, etc.) and recipients will receive their travel fund scholarship check in person at the conference. Funds are NOT dispersed prior to the conference, so don’t delay in registering at the early registration rate!

Please note: if you are awarded a Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, you are not eligible to receive a Conference Fee Waiver, and vice versa.

 

Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee

If you would like to serve on the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee, please indicate your interest on this form.

 

Additional Conference Fee Waivers and Childcare Scholarships

The MPSA offers additional financial assistance opportunities through Conference Registration Fee Waivers and Conference Childcare Scholarships.

 

Make a Tax-Deductible Donation

Thank you for considering a tax-deductible donation to support MPSA’s advancement of the discipline!

Donations to the association help to support awards for best research presented at the annual conference and in the American Journal of Political Science. Gifts from generous donors also support conference attendees through the Conference Registration Fee Waiver Scholarships, Graduate Student Travel Scholarships, and MPSA Childcare Scholarships.

Donate

Donate Online: You may donate to an award or scholarship of your choice. Your support of the discipline and political science scholars makes a difference!

Prefer to donate with a check? Please complete the PDF MPSA Donation Form and mail it to the MPSA office.

 

Application to Name or Create an MPSA Award

Propose a new award by submitting the form here.