CFP: Princeton University Graduate Conference in Political Theory

We are delighted to announce that Princeton University’s 18th Annual Graduate Conference in Political Theory will be held on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18, 2026. We welcome submissions related to any topic in the history of political thought and contemporary political theory, including projects that are methodologically innovative or center voices traditionally marginalized in the discipline.

Our conference offers graduate students a unique opportunity to present and receive feedback on works in progress. Each session focuses exclusively on one paper; after receiving feedback from a discussant, each author will engage in a question and answer period with Princeton faculty, students, and guests.

We are thrilled that Professor Shatema Threadcraft, Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies, Philosophy, and Political Science at Vanderbilt University, will deliver the conference’s keynote address on Friday, April 17.

Submissions are due December 12, 2025. We will notify applicants of the outcome in February.

To apply, please fill out the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/pbB9RAq8rZieAc77A 

At this link, please submit both an abstract (250 words maximum) and a paper (10,000 words maximum, excluding footnotes and bibliography). All documents must be submitted as PDFs formatted for blind review.

With the generous support of the University Center for Human Values and the Princeton University Department of Politics, we are pleased to provide hotel accommodations and travel stipends to conference speakers. Further details will be provided to accepted participants.

Please see our conference website for more information, including answers to anticipated questions.