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
Learn more about the conference. Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.
Register Now for the 81st Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Registration is now open for the 81st Annual MPSA Conference! Reduced registration rates are listed below and 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
MPSA Conference Registration Rates for 2024
| Early In-Hotel* or Virtual Registration |
Early Out-Hotel* |
Regular In-Hotel* or Virtual Registration |
Regular Out-Hotel* |
Onsite Registration | ||||
| Through January 17, 2024 |
Through January 17, 2024 |
January 18 – March 20, 2024 | January 18 – March 20, 2024 | In-Hotel* or Virtual Registration |
Out-Hotel* | |||
| Member Rates | ||||||||
| Professional Member, Income Level < $50,000 | $220 | $292 | $275 | $347 | $303 | $374 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $50,000-$74,999 | $253 | $325 | $308 | $380 | $336 | $407 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $75,000-$99,999 | $286 | $358 | $341 | $413 | $369 | $440 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $100,000-$149,999 | $319 | $391 | $374 | $446 | $402 | $473 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $150,000-$199,999 | $352 | $424 | $407 | $479 | $435 | $506 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level > $200,000 | $385 | $457 | $440 | $512 | $468 | $539 | ||
| Graduate Student Member | $116 | $160 | $171 | $215 | $198 | $242 | ||
| Undergraduate Student Member | $65 | $100 | $65 | $100 | $65 | $100 | ||
| Retired Member | $65 | $100 | $115 | $150 | $140 | $175 | ||
| Lifetime Member | $286 | $358 | $341 | $413 | $369 | $440 | ||
| Non-Member Rates** | ||||||||
| Non-Member Professional | $550 | $622 | $605 | $677 | $633 | $699 | ||
| Non-Member Graduate Student | $220 | $292 | $275 | $347 | $303 | $374 | ||
| Non-Member Undergraduate Student | $100 | $135 | $100 | $135 | $100 | $135 | ||
| Non-Member Retiree | $135 | $200 | $185 | $250 | $210 | $275 | ||
Please note: Registration fees do not include any meals. 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.
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.
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 Stacey Chapple at schapple@iie.org for more information on how you can qualify for complimentary MPSA membership and a conference fee waiver.
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.
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. Chicago is now open with no capacity restrictions, following state and local guidance. The City of Chicago has lifted its indoor mask mandate as well as its proof of vaccination requirement; however 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.
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