CFP: Call for Papers: Rutgers Young Epistemologist Prize 2026

The Rutgers Epistemology Conference invites submissions to the Young Epistemologist Prize. The author of the prize-winning essay will present it at the Rutgers Epistemology Conference 2026, held May 1-2, 2026 at Rutgers, and it will be published in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. The winner of the prize will receive an award of $1,000 and all travel and accommodation expenses connected with attending the conference will be covered.   To be eligible for the Young Epistemologist Prize (YEP) 2026, a person must have a Ph.D. obtained by the time of the submission of the paper but not earlier than six years prior to the date of the conference. For the Rutgers Epistemology Conference 2026, the Ph.D. must have been awarded between May 1, 2020 and November 10, 2025.

Submission Requirements

1. The essay may be in any area of epistemology.
2. The essay must be limited to 6,000 words (including the footnotes but not the bibliography), must be prepared for blind-refereeing, and it must include a word count as well as the date of the author’s Ph.D. directly after the title of the paper.
3. By submitting the essay, the author agrees

• (a) to present the paper at the Rutgers Epistemology Conference
• (b) to have it posted on the conference webpage
• (c) to have it published in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research
• (d) not to submit it to another publication venue prior to February 25, 2026.
• (e) If a paper is co-authored, all authors need to satisfy the submission requirements and the prize will be split between the co-authors.

 The winner of the prize will be announced by February 25, 2026.

Submission Instructions 

To submit to the, please send your paper in anonymized PDF format by 11:59pm EST on November 10th, 2025, to [email protected]. 

• The subject line of the email must be “YEP Submission: [title of paper]” 
• The submission must be limited to 6,000 words (including the footnotes but not the bibliography), must be prepared for blind-refereeing, and it must include a word count as well as the date of the author’s Ph.D. directly after the title of the paper.
• Please include your name and institutional affiliation in the body of the email. No cover letter is required. 

We will email you to confirm receipt of submission. Any questions about the YEP should be sent to [email protected].