PhDays 2025 Call for Papers
March 5th, 6th & 7th, at the INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) facilities in València, this in-person conference is open to all PhD students who wish to participate
Conference themes for contributions
Submit your abstracts on these topics and related areas for the PhDays Call for Papers in a timely manner via our email.
Pushing the boundaries: Redefining the limits
New challenges for Innovation studies
Many direct or indirect consequences of innovation remain poorly understood, particularly its unintended negative social and environmental impacts. The insufficient attention to the uneven distribution of innovation’s costs and benefits hinders the creation of inclusive policies. Addressing these challenges requires integrating diverse approaches and disciplines, while explicitly accounting for dimensions often neglected or difficult to measure, such as work-life balance and well-being.
Applicants are invited to submit abstracts on the following topics: ‘The social and economic impacts of innovation’, ‘The need for and the contribution of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity to innovation studies’, and ‘Approaches to innovation studies driven by the need to deal with major societal challenges’.
Dynamic innovation ecosystems
Exploring and adopting new methodologies and data sources is essential for researchers and practitioners to map innovation pathways, identify emerging hotspots, and assess system resilience. Additionally, both failure and success stories provide valuable insights, and case studies that illustrate the circumstances and strategies driving transformative change are important for understanding innovation’s dynamics.
Applicants are invited to submit abstracts on the following topics: ‘The dark side of innovation: winners and losers’, ‘Innovation in peripheral regions: barriers, failures, lessons learned’, and ‘Novel evidence and methodologies generated by means of participatory approaches’.
New ways of generating innovation
Strategies for innovative governance
New public policies for innovation present valuable lessons and challenges as the need to balance environmental, social, and economic objectives grows. Key issues include incorporating transdisciplinary perspectives from governments, businesses, and communities, and developing collaborative governance models that protect vulnerable groups while ensuring inclusivity and sustainability in innovation practices.
Applicants are invited to submit abstracts on the following topics: ‘New approaches to innovation policy’, ‘Challenges and opportunities for the public sector in the face of multiple crises’, and ‘New governance models’.
Networks towards transformation
Diverse networks play a crucial role in driving sustainability transformations. Strong knowledge networks foster collaboration, enhance interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary dialogue, and support innovative initiatives. Connecting universities with civil society aligns academic research with community needs, promoting effective collaboration. Addressing power dynamics and challenging inequalities through these networks can encourage equitable, transformative engagement that fosters social and environmental justice.
Applicants are invited to submit abstracts on the following topics: ‘Knowledge networks as key actors’, ‘Connection between university and civil society/social demands’, and ‘Multi-actor networks as a catalyst for transformation’.
So, what do we mean by Re-focusing Innovation?
The conference will seek to promote dialogue around new governance models, innovation ecosystems, and networks that connect academia with civil society, businesses, and governments to address social, environmental, and economic challenges. We aim to engage in in-depth discussions about the role of public administration in facilitating sustainable innovation, supported by case studies that offer valuable lessons from both successful and unsuccessful innovations. Furthermore, we encourage the use of transdisciplinary approaches that enhance our understanding of innovation while fostering equity and collaborative knowledge co-creation.
Submission & Fees for the Call for Papers
Contribution submission
Potential participants are invited to submit a short bio (approximately 150 words), including your name, affiliation, and contact details (email and phone), along with an extended abstract (between 1500 and 1800 words) by no later than December 6th, 2024.
Abstracts must be submitted in English and should include the following: (i) the title of the contribution; (ii) main research objectives; (iii) research questions; (iv) methodology; and (v) key findings or expected results. Applicants will also need to specify which of the four conference themes best aligns with their contribution.
Accepted abstracts will be announced on January 8th, 2025.
After the event, the conference proceedings will be published online. To facilitate this, participants will need to adapt their extended abstracts to a specific template provided by the organizers.
Conference fee
The attendance fee for PhDays 2025 is 170 EUR, which includes access to all scientific sessions, coffee breaks, and lunches. Please note that the dinner on the final day is not included; those who wish to attend the dinner will have the additional cost added during registration.
Notification of abstract acceptance will be sent by January 8th, 2025. The deadline for online registration and fee payment for participants with accepted abstracts is January 24th, 2025.
Participants from EU-SPRI member organisations have fee waivers covering the costs for the inscription and accommodation.
Please note that, according to our cancellation policy, no refunds will be issued for payments.