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

Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.

PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATIONS for the conference have begun to go out. Please check your status and respond to your participation roles after logging in here. 

 

 
The proposal system is currently locked for any edits to proposals. The system will allow edits to proposals in mid-January.

 

 

Accept or Decline Your Conference Participation  

Was your proposal accepted for the conference? Log in to your account as soon as possible to confirm or decline your participation. Use the same email address that your acceptance notification email message was sent to as your username. If you haven’t logged in before, click here to set your password. Do not create a new account, as this will prevent you from accessing previously submitted proposals. If you have another MPSA account associated with a different email address contact mpsainfo@mpsanet.org to request the accounts be merged.

All co-authors must log in and respond, even if they don’t plan to attend the conference.

If you are planning to attend the conference and present, please ACCEPT your role and purchase a conference registration. If you aren’t planning to attend the conference, please DECLINE your invitation to present. If you are the only author on a paper, the paper will be removed from the conference program when you decline the role. If you are a co-author on a paper and decline your role, the paper will remain on the conference program as long as at least one co-author accepts their role.

If you are being offered multiple participation roles on the program, you will receive a separate email for each one. Each offer must be accepted or declined individually after logging in. Instructions for confirming or declining your participation can be found here.

Register Now for the Conference 

Registration is open for the 83rd Annual MPSA Conference! Reduced registration rates are available to MPSA members (see membership rates here) and to those who reserve a room at one of the official conference hotels. Additionally, the MPSA is accepting applications for a limited number of Conference Fee Waivers. 

Attendees have the flexibility to change their registration status from in person to virtual (or vice versa) if plans change. In order to minimize any changes to the program, all sessions will be available in real time for those participating either in person or online and sessions will consist of individuals participating in person, online, or a mixture of both. 

To ensure you receive the best conference registration rate:  

  1. Check to see if your membership is active through April 30, 2026 to get member pricing.  Log in to your account to check your membership status, or join the MPSA/renew your membership before registering for the conference. 
  2. Book your hotel accommodations in an official MPSA hotel to receive the in-hotel registration rate. Unsure about the length of your stay? Book as many nights as you want in order to secure the reduced rate, and then drop any extra unneeded room nights prior to the cutoff date and after you secure your schedule and travel plans. For guests staying at the Palmer House Hilton and the Hilton Chicago, please be aware that the hotels require a $50 deposit for a room reservation in lieu of one night hold normally placed on a credit card (per stay, not per night). If you cancel your room reservation within 48 hours of arrival, you will be charged a cancelation fee equal to the cost of one room night plus tax. If you register for the conference at the lower in-hotel rate but are not a registered guest in an official conference hotel, you will be billed for the difference between the in-hotel and out-of-hotel rates. If more than one person is staying in the room, make sure everyone’s name is on the reservation or your conference registration rate will be adjusted.
  3. Register by the deadline of February 11, 2026 to get early bird pricing! 

You must be logged in to your MPSA account to register. If you do not have an account, or are unsure, click here. If you need to reset your password, click here. 

If you have another MPSA account associated with a different email address, contact mpsainfo@mpsanet.org to request the accounts be merged. Do not create a new account, as this will prevent you from accessing previously submitted proposals. 

Request a Letter of Invitation for the Conference  

If you need a letter of invitation for a Visa, log in to your MPSA account and click “Request a Letter of Invitation.” You will be prompted to complete your profile first, if you have not done so already. 

Opportunities to Get Involved at the Conference 

Network and share career advice with your colleagues on a Professional Development Roundtable at the 2026 MPSA Conference!
Call for Professional Development Roundtable Participants:
​​​​​​​The MPSA is currently seeking participants for Professional Development Roundtables at the 83rd Annual MPSA Conference.  More information, including topics and descriptions for the proposed 2026 roundtables can be found here. Volunteers can sign up to participate here.

Offer to Serve as a Chair or Discussant
Please consider volunteering your expertise to demonstrate your support of your colleagues in the discipline. Professional-level members and submitters may volunteer to be a discussant or chair via the MPSA proposal system. Second-year graduate students may volunteer to serve as a discussant on undergraduate sessions (poster sessions are for in-person participation only, no virtual option is available). You must be logged in with your MPSA username and password to volunteer. All users must complete their profile before volunteering for a chair or discussant role. You will be prompted to complete your account profile if you have not done so already. Learn more about conference participation roles here.

A complimentary registration will be available for those who are attending the hybrid conference (either in person or online) and participating as a discussant. 

In order to qualify for a complimentary registration: 

  • You must sign up for at least one discussant role. (While not required, fulfilling additional discussant or chair roles is greatly appreciated by your colleagues in the discipline looking for feedback on their research.) You must be logged in with your MPSA username and password to volunteer. All users must complete their profile before volunteering for a chair or discussant role. You will be prompted to complete your account profile if you have not done so already. Learn more about conference participation roles here. 
  • You cannot be assigned to any author roles. 
  • You cannot be a participant on any roundtable outside of the MPSA Professional Development Section 63. 

Being added as a chair on a panel in addition to your discussant role(s) will not disqualify you from a complimentary registration. However, holding a chair role alone does not qualify you for a complimentary registration. We highly encourage you to volunteer for chair role(s) in addition to your service as a discussant. You must hold at least one discussant role to qualify.

If you are eligible to receive a complimentary registration, you will be emailed a link to register at no charge. 

If you receive a complimentary registration but no longer meet the above requirements, your complimentary registration will be revoked and you will be need to purchase a conference registration. 

Schedule a Meeting or Reception at the Conference
MPSA intends to hold some networking sessions, meetings and receptions. Attendees are also invited to propose meetings, receptions and networking events for the conference. If your group needs to arrange for a meeting, reception, or catered meal in conjunction with the 2026 MPSA Annual Conference, complimentary meeting and reception space is available to our professional colleagues on a first-to-ask, first-to-receive basis. Hurry! Rooms are going fast! If your group needs to arrange for a function at the conference, please complete this form and email it to MPSA Conference Administrator, Bonnie Van Deventer (vandeventer@mpsanet.org) by January 15, 2026. Meeting rooms will be assigned in February 2026. 

Conference Registration Fee Waivers and Scholarships

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships
The MPSA provides a limited number of $500 travel scholarships for graduate students enrolled in a doctoral program who meet scholarship criteria. Learn more about Graduate Student Travel Scholarships and how to apply. The application deadline is February 6, 2026.

IIE-SRF Complimentary Memberships and Conference Fee Waivers
The MPSA partners with the Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund® (IIE-SRF) to provide complimentary membership and conference registration fee waivers to threatened or displaced scholars. Learn more about the IIE-SRF here. If you are an IIE-SRF fellow, contact Carly O’Connell at coconnell@iie.org for more information on how you can qualify for complimentary MPSA membership and a conference fee waiver.

Exhibit, Sponsor or Advertise

We invite you to secure your chance to share information about your organization, its books, products and services, and network with members and attendees through exhibiting, advertising and sponsorship opportunities throughout the conference. We have some great bundle deals featuring options to get in front of conference attendees, expanding your outreach and visibility to more professionals in the political science community. For questions or assistance, please contact MPSA Professional Development Manager, Lewis Hoss, Ph.D. at hoss@mpsanet.org or (812) 558-0588, ext. 13.  

About the MPSA Annual Conference

The MPSA Annual Conference is one of the largest political science conferences in the discipline with over 1,000 panels, a large exhibit hall, and a variety of networking and professional development activities. The conference historically averages more than 4,000 attendees from every state in the US and over 65 countries around the world representing 80+ political interest areas. The conference brings together scholars, researchers and decision makers in the political science community to exchange information and address the latest scholarship in political science.

The conference has the international and multidisciplinary research collaboration opportunities you seek and the networking opportunities and professional development sessions tailored to help you take the next step with your research. 

Hybrid Session Formats and Real Time Sessions
The 83rd Annual MPSA Conference will feature a hybrid session format for all Panel/Paper sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups. Sessions will be broadcast online in real time. Panels may consist of individuals participating in-person, online, or a mixture of both. Poster sessions and Receptions and Networking Events are available for in-person participation only. Each format is described in detail here.

In-Person Conference Participation and COVID-19 Policies
In-Person Participation. All conference events, including research panels, networking and mentoring receptions, will be held at the historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel. For those participating in-person, hotel rooms will be available at various price points at the Palmer House and at multiple nearby hotels. Featuring two international airports (ORD and MDW), Chicago is one of just FIVE cities on Earth with direct air service to all inhabited continents – traveling to Chicago couldn’t be easier!

COVID-19 Policies. The MPSA will follow state and local guidelines requiring masks and vaccination. The City of Chicago has lifted its indoor mask mandate, its proof of vaccination requirement, and has no capacity restrictions; however we highly encourage you to take appropriate health and safety measures. If there are any changes to state and local guidelines, we will communicate them as they become available. Please see additional COVID-19 recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

Presenter Registration Status Flexibility
If you register for in-person attendance and are unable to travel, you can change your registration status to virtual if you are participating on a session featuring a hybrid format (Panel/Paper sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups). You may also switch your registration status from virtual to in person as needed. If you have a participatory role (presenter, chair, discussant) on an undergraduate poster session, you will not be able to switch your registration status from in person to virtual as this session type is available for in-person participation only. Information on how to update your participation will be available in 2026. Adjustments to registration pricing (based on in-hotel/virtual, out-hotel status) will be processed accordingly. If a balance is due, your registration will not be updated until the balance is paid in full. Any refunds due to registration status changes will be issued after the conference.

Conference Policies
The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) is committed to providing a safe, harassment-free, hospitable and productive meeting environment for everyone attending our events, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, religion or belief. All conference participants must agree to abide by the MPSA Code of Conduct at Events as well as the MPSA Streaming and Recording Policy. 

About the MPSA

Home of the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), one of the top-ranked academic journals in the discipline, the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) was founded in 1939 and is dedicated to the advancement of scholarship in all areas of political science.

The purposes of the MPSA are to promote the professional study and teaching of political science, to facilitate communications between those engaged in such study, and to develop standards for and encourage research in theoretical and practical political problems.

As such, MPSA is a nonpartisan association. It does not support political parties or candidates.

Questions?

Please contact MPSA staff at mpsainfo@mpsanet.org.

Future MPSA Conference Dates

    • Thursday, April 1 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
    • Thursday, March 30 – Sunday, April 2, 2028
    • Thursday, April 19 – Sunday, April 22, 2029
    • Thursday, March 28 – Sunday, March 31, 2030