Registration Information

REGISTER NOW
80th Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 13 through Sunday, April 16, 2023
In-Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL

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

Learn more about the 80th Annual MPSA Conference. Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.

Register Now for the MPSA Annual Conference

Registration is now open for the 80th Annual MPSA Conference! Reduced registration rates listed below are available to MPSA members and to those who reserve a room at one of the official conference hotels.

Attendees have the flexibility to change their registration status from in-person to virtual (or vice versa) if their plans change. In order to minimize any changes to the program, all panels, roundtables, lightning talks and working groups will feature a hybrid format (for in-person or virtual participation) and will be broadcast in real time. Poster sessions are available for in-person participation only.

To ensure you receive the best conference registration rate:

1. Check to see if your membership is active through April 30, 2023 to get member pricing. Login to your account to check your membership status, and 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. If you are planning to participate virtually, you will automatically receive the lower in-hotel 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 before the cutoff date. 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 7, 2023 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.

A pdf registration form may be found here.

MPSA Conference Registration Rates for 2023

Please note: Conference registration is non-refundable with the exception of adjustments due to changes made to in-person or virtual participation. Membership purchases are non-refundable. MPSA does not invoice for membership or conference registration and does not accept purchase orders, wire transfers, or bank transfers as payment.

*In-Hotel/Out-Hotel – In-Hotel rates apply to registered guests of the Palmer House, Chicago Hilton, and Chicago residents. In Hotel rates also apply to virtual conference registrations. Out-hotel rates are slightly higher and apply for those staying outside of the official conference hotels.

** Non-member rates include one year of complimentary electronic MPSA membership.

Complimentary Registrations for Discussants and Professional Development Roundtable Participants (Section 74 Only), Not Otherwise on the Program

A complimentary registration will be available for those who are attending the hybrid conference (either in-person or online) and are only participating as a discussant or a professional development roundtable panelist (Section 74 only). If you are listed as a co-author you must decline your role and have your name removed from the paper so it does not appear on the program in order to qualify for a complimentary registration (please email conf@mpsanet.org for assistance). If you are added to a role on the program (other than to a discussant role or as a participant on a professional development roundtable in Section 74 of the conference), the complimentary registration may be revoked. If you are eligible to receive a complimentary registration, you will be emailed a link to register at no charge. Please see more information below on how to volunteer to be a discussant or a professional development roundtable participant.

Offer to Serve as a Discussant
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). To volunteer, sign in with your MPSA username and password in the proposal system. After logging in, click ‘Volunteer to be a Chair or Discussant for a Section’. You must be logged in with your MPSA username and password to volunteer. Learn more about conference participation roles here.

Volunteer to Serve on a Professional Development Roundtable
Network and share career advice with your colleagues on a Professional Development Roundtable at the 2023 MPSA Conference! Professional Development Roundtables are a valued tradition of the MPSA Annual Conference, providing an opportunity for scholars at all career stages to share professional experience, expertise, and other resources with colleagues. These roundtables are dedicated to specific topics in the areas of career advancement, publishing, teaching, public engagement, and graduate school. If you are interested in participating on a Professional Development Roundtable, please fill out this short form. The 2023 Professional Development Roundtables are listed here along with short descriptions of each roundtable.

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 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.

More information on how to make changes to your registration status will be available in 2023. 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

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 as well as its proof of vaccination requirement; however many individual businesses may still require proof of vaccination for entry and we highly encourage you to wear a mask and be fully vaccinated. For more information on the MPSA’s in-person conference participation and COVID-19 policies and resources, please click here.

MPSA Contact Tracing
We are thrilled to be back in-person in Chicago for #MPSA2023. The health, safety and wellbeing of our attendees is of utmost importance to us. Therefore, we are asking that if you have tested positive for COVID-19 while at the conference, or test positive for COVID-19 post-conference, to please email us at this dedicated email address: contacttracing@mpsanet.org. Your identity will remain anonymous. We will notify the other participants of any panel on which you participated, letting them know that a member of their session tested positive, so that they can take the proper measures to test and quarantine if needed. We want to be as transparent as possible with all participants and we appreciate your willingness to help protect the safety and wellbeing of your colleagues.

Future MPSA Conference Dates

• Thursday, April 4 – Sunday, April 7, 2024
• 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