81st Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7, 2024
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:
Gisela Sin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Elizabeth Suhay, American University

 Request a Letter of Invitation     Volunteer to Serve on a Professional Development Roundtable     Schedule a Meeting or Reception     Organize a Conference Within a Conference     Conference Fee Waivers and Scholarships     Exhibit or Sponsor     Conference Policies

Register Now for the 81st Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference

Registration is open for the 81st Annual MPSA Conference! Reduced registration rates are available to MPSA members 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 and Graduate Student Travel Scholarships. Please view more details below to see if you qualify.

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, 2024 to get member pricing.  Login 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. Please be aware 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. If you are planning to participate virtually, you will automatically receive the lower in-hotel rate.
  3. Register by the deadline of January 17, 2024 to get early bird pricing!

You must be logged into your MPSA account to access the registration system. If you do not have an account, or are unsure, please click here. If you need to reset your password, please click here.

Confirm or Decline Your Conference Participation

Was your proposal accepted for the conference? Confirm or deny your participation after logging in here and selecting the “Confirm/Decline Roles” button. Please coordinate with your co-authors; if you are not planning on attending, you must DECLINE your role(s). If you are an author on a paper and have a co-author who ACCEPTS their role, the paper will remain on the program and the person who accepts will continue to receive updated conference information via email. Instruction on how to RSVP to your participation role can be found here.

Request a Letter of Invitation for the Conference

If you need to request a letter of invitation for a VISA to attend the MPSA Annual Conference, please complete this form. A staff member will then review the information and contact you regarding your request.

Opportunities to Get Involved at the Conference

Offer to Serve as a Discussant or Chair
Discussants are always needed! Please consider volunteering your expertise to demonstrate your support of your colleagues in the discipline. Discussants play an essential role at the conference by providing guidance and feedback to scholars looking to move their research forward. 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 (please note poster sessions are for in-person participation only). After logging into your MPSA account, click the “Volunteer to be a Chair or Discussant” button. You will be redirected to the proposal system. In the Submitter Menu of the proposal system click “Volunteer to be a Chair or Discussant for a Section.”

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 cannot be assigned to any author roles.
  • You cannot be a participant on any roundtable outside of the MPSA Professional Development Section 73.

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 81st Annual MPSA 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 2024 MPSA Annual Conference, complimentary meeting and reception space is available to our professional colleagues on a first-to-ask, first-to-receive basis. 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 at vandeventer@mpsanet.org by February 2, 2024. Meeting rooms will be assigned on or before February 29, 2024.

Organize a Conference Within a Conference
Individuals holding a Ph.D. may submit a proposal to convene a conference-within-a-conference, or multiple organized sessions related to a single theme, topic, or area of study. Proposals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The convenor(s) are responsible for recruiting participants, organizing them into sessions, and facilitating communication and cooperation within the group. If you are interested in organizing a Conference-within-a-Conference, please contact MPSA Professional Development Manager, Lewis Hoss, Ph.D. at hoss@mpsanet.org.

Conference Fee Waivers and Scholarships

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships
The MPSA provides 13 different $500 travel scholarships for graduate students in a doctoral program who are members and presenting at the annual conference. After the awards committee verifies candidate eligibility, they will select a round of finalists. If you are selected as a finalist, the Awards Committee will contact the advisor listed on your travel scholarship application for a letter of recommendation. Learn more about Graduate Student Travel Scholarships and how to apply. The application deadline is January 5, 2024.

Conference Registration Fee Waivers
A limited number of fee waivers are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and cover the MPSA conference registration fee only; no additional funds for travel or hotel are provided. Fee waiver recipients can apply their fee waiver to either in-person or online conference participation. Learn more about fee waivers and how to apply. The application deadline is January 12, 2024.

Developing Nations Complimentary Memberships and Conference Fee Waiver Eligibility
To encourage broad participation in the association, the Midwest Political Science Association is offering a limited number of complimentary two-year electronic memberships to developing nations political science scholars residing and working/attending a university in their home country; this country must qualify as a developing nation as defined by the World Bank for the 2015 fiscal year. This program will allow access to MPSA membership benefits including electronic access to the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), the association’s monthly electronic newsletter, and other member benefits for a period of twenty-four months. Upon being granted a developing nations membership, you will be eligible to apply for a conference fee waiver. Learn more about complimentary Developing Nations memberships and how to apply.

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. Please 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.

Conference Childcare Scholarship
MPSA offers Childcare Scholarships to help defray the hourly cost of childcare for parents or guardians that are current members of MPSA, registered and attending the annual conference in-person, staying at one of the Conference Hotels (Palmer House, Hilton Chicago or Hosteling International of Chicago). If you are a Chicago resident, you may request consideration, however you must meet all other guidelines considered, if awarded the scholarship. A limited number of scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. Childcare must be provided by a bonded and insured sitter service within Chicago, and not be the childcare costs a member is already paying on a day-to-day basis.  Learn more and apply today for a Conference Childcare Award.

Exhibit, Sponsor or Advertise at the 81st Annual MPSA Conference

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 not only in-person but also virtual 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.

About the MPSA Annual Conference

Sign up here to receive email communications about the 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 4,500 attendees from every state in the US and over 65 countries around the world representing 90+ 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 81st 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. Please note that Poster sessions and Receptions and Networking Events are available for in-person participation only. Each format is described in detail here. 

All conference events, including research panels, networking and mentoring receptions, will be held in-person at the historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel. Hotel rooms will be available at various price points at the Palmer House and at multiple nearby hotels. Nationally speaking, Chicago’s central location in the heart of the country allows for relatively easy access for attendees from both coasts. Featuring two international airports (ORD and MDW) and a major Amtrak station, Chicago is one of just FIVE cities on Earth with direct air service to all inhabited continents – traveling to Chicago couldn’t be easier!

Attendee 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 a 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. 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. The ability to switch from in-person to virtual and vice versa will be available in February 2024.

Highlights of the 2023 MPSA Annual Conference

Conference Policies

Code of Conduct at Events
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. 

In-Person Conference Participation and COVID-19 Policies
In-Person Participation. All conference events, including research panels, networking and mentoring receptions, will be held in-person at the historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago, IL. 

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. For more information on the MPSA’s in-person conference participation and COVID-19 policies and resources, please click here.

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 3 – Sunday, April 6, 2025
    • Thursday, April 23 – Sunday, April 26, 2026
    • Thursday, April 1 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
    • Thursday, March 30 – Sunday, April 2, 2028