Call for Proposals

The UK-Ireland Digital Humanities Association is pleased to announce the call for proposals for the 2024 Annual Event, to be held at University College Cork from 4 – 5 June 2024. The theme for this year’s event is Inclusivity Across Sectors, highlighting one of the Association’s Core Values and a key focus of the Association’s work this year.

Key Information:

• Abstract submission deadline: 8 March 2024
• Notification of acceptance: 22 March 2024
• Conference dates: 4-5 June 2024
• Location: University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

One of the dreams of information and communication technologies is that of equitable and open access to information, to services, and to opportunities. We know, however, that this dream is not always reflected in reality – especially in the digital humanities, where the expertise, skills and knowledge of a broad range of sectors, disciplines and organisations inform everything we do. It is necessary to constantly challenge our own claims and understanding of inclusivity. This inevitably involves exploring the situated and intersectional inequities of technological systems, and the cultures and societies that build them.

We encourage submissions that address questions of inclusivity broadly understood, and particularly ones that address interdisciplinary or cross-sector perspectives on inclusion. This can include proposals that examine inclusive approaches to digital humanities research and practice broadly conceptualised. We also welcome proposals that take an intersectional approach to examining barriers to inclusion within different national, organisational, and disciplinary contexts. 

We invite all those using digital methods and strategies in the arts, humanities, cultural heritage sector, and creative & cultural industries to submit a proposal. We particularly welcome proposals from students and early-career researchers and professionals.

The event will also provide an opportunity for researchers, professionals, practitioners and students from Ireland and the United Kingdom to deepen existing relationships and create new pathways for collaboration. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the Community Interest Groups, as well as feedback on proposals for the Association’s governance and membership strategies.

The Association plans to award a number of bursaries to support in-person attendance at the Annual Event. The bursaries are to make the event more accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to attend, with preference given to those who will be presenting at the event. Affordable, on-campus housing at University College Cork will also be available to attendees. Further details to be announced via the Association website.

The programme will be announced and registration for both in-person and online attendees will open later in the spring. 

The Association welcomes proposals in English and Irish, with presentations to be made in either language. An Irish version of the CFP is also available here. We plan to offer a portion of the conference in Irish, with live English subtitles.

The Association recognises the importance of multilingualism in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. With the event being hosted in Ireland this year, and taking advantage of the expertise available at University College Cork, we are focusing on ensuring we can dedicate appropriate resources to effectively support participation in both Irish and English during the event. Our hope is that in future years we can offer opportunities for participation in other languages. We warmly welcome any suggestions or feedback on how the process goes this year and how to better incorporate multilingualism into the Association’s events. 

For the Annual Event, we welcome four types of proposals: talks, panel or roundtable sessions, posters or demos, and provocations or pitches. We also welcome proposals for sessions that don’t fit neatly into a traditional format. Please indicate which category of presentation you are submitting in your proposal. Proposals should adhere to the word count indicated and be submitted in PDF format via EasyChair. References and/or bibliography are excluded from the word counts. 

• Talks (200 – 300 words)
  • Talks are traditional presentations, often with slides or similar, lasting 20 minutes. Submissions will be grouped with others on similar subjects or themes to form a complete session.
• Panel or roundtable session (300 – 500 words, plus 150 words per presentation)
  • We welcome either panels with 3-4 presentations or roundtable discussions where a small group of panellists discuss a specific theme. Both panels and roundtables should last 75 minutes. 
  • The proposal should have 300-500 words explaining the session topic, as well as 150 words describing each presentation. If proposing a roundtable, please instead include a brief biography for each participant. 
• Poster/Demo (200 – 300 words)
  • We welcome proposals for posters or demos. These can take the form of traditional printed posters, digital-only posters, digital tool showcases, or software demonstrations. Please indicate the form your presentation will take in your submission.
  • If you propose a tool showcase or software demonstration, please include details of the technical equipment required. There will be some desktop computers (both Apple and PC, with internet connection) available for use in the venue, but participants will be expected to provide any other equipment for their proposed demonstration.
  • If you propose a demonstration that involves virtual reality (VR) headsets or similar technology that would require floor space to use, please include details of the amount of space required. There is limited space in the venue and reviewers may take space needs into account when making final decisions.
• Provocations & Pitches (200 – 300 words)
  • ‘Pitches’ are an opportunity to share a project idea you are working on. Are you looking for feedback before submitting an application? Interested in finding project partners? 
  • ‘Provocations’ are an opportunity to jump-start a conversation or test out a new idea. 
  • Proposals should indicate whether it is a pitch or provocation. Each person will have 5 minutes to present. There will be time for questions & discussion at the end of the session.
• Other session (no longer than 750 words)
  • Do you have an idea for a session that doesn’t fit in one of the other formats? We’re interested in hearing about it!
  • Proposals should describe the session format, content, and any technical or logistical needs. Sessions should be no more than 90 minutes. If you have questions about what might be feasible, please get in touch at uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk.

Proposals will be reviewed by members of the programme committee. The peer review process will be double-blind, so we ask that no names appear on the submitted PDFs. The one exception is proposals for roundtable sessions, which should include the names of proposed participants.

The conference will primarily be an in-person event. However, we recognise the importance of remote participation to support inclusive access and so we plan to livestream the main elements of the programme for attendees to view online. We will do our best to ensure that both in-person and virtual participants will have a rewarding and valuable experience. We may not be able to livestream breakout sessions, working meetings, or other portions of the event. If you have specific questions about accessibility and inclusion, please contact the Programme Committee at uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk.

If your proposal is accepted for inclusion in the conference, but you are not able to travel to Cork, we are happy to discuss arrangements for making a virtual presentation on a case-by-case basis. There will be a place in the submission portal to indicate whether you can attend in-person. If you have any questions, please contact the Programme Committee at uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk.

Submit a proposal: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ukie2024

Deadline: 8 March 2024 at 11:59 PM GMT

Notification of acceptance: By 22 March 2024

If you have any questions, please email uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk.