Call For Papers: The 29th Annual WIP Conference -Tipping Point: Creation in Chaos
Has the world gone a little… crazy?
Tariffs, AI, strongmen, land grabs, rampant ethnic warfare, climate-fuelled environmental disasters: has the world reached—or surpassed—a tipping point? A point of inflection where the status quo undergoes a radical shift, and things could either spontaneously combust – or burst forth into new life?
Gather your charges, summon your bold, creative and audacious wits and get ready to showcase your research, experiment with form, share your passion, your creative energy and scholarly analysis, and investigate this crucial moment, its past or possible futures.
CFP now closed: We have received more than 30 abstracts and EOIs. We will soon announce the acceptance and registration information for the conference.
FEES AND REGISTRATION: The fee for the conference is $85 for Early Bird Registration (closes on 6 October 2025) and $120 for Regular Registration. We encourage all presenters to register as soon as possible to secure the Early Bird. Please click here to register, it will take you to UQ’s secure payment system.
KEY DATES
Fri, 26 Sep: Acceptance announcement
Registration and payment opens
Mon, 6 Oct: Early bird fee of $85 closes , regular fee of $120 thereafter
Mon, 13 Oct: Deadline for registration to be included in the program
Fri, 24 Oct: Program release
Tue, 28 Oct: Closing for John McCullogh Prize submission (only for UQ School of Communication and Arts HDR students)
Mon, 3 Nov: Ticket sales close (for public attendees)
PLAN FOR THE CONFERENCE
The 2025 Work-in-Progress Conference will be held in the UQ's St Lucia campus, at the Global Change Institute Building (Building 20), in Rooms 273, 275, and the Atrium. The conference is planned for 13-14 November 2025.
REGISTRATION LINK: WIP 2025 Conference Registration
Dr John McCulloch Memorial Prize
$1000 prize for the most outstanding paper delivered by a UQ School of Communication and Arts HDR student
Established in 2011 and maintained by an annual gift from Mr Gary Portley in memory of Dr John McCulloch OAM (1938-2010). John was a senior parliamentary research officer at the State Parliamentary Library (1984-1995) with a special interest in the advancement of gender equity. John had a long connection to The University of Queensland: roles included activity as a student, as a tutor, and as an elected Sub-Dean of the Arts Faculty. This prize was formalized by Senate in 2015.
Eligibility
Students who:
- are undertaking a higher degree by research program in the School of Communication and Arts, UQ;
- have submitted their paper per the below guidelines by the closing time/date of Tuesday, 28 October 2025, by 5pm.
- have then had their abstract accepted by the 2025 WiP committee to present at the conference, and;
- have not previously been awarded the Prize.
Basis for award
Most outstanding applicant based on:
- A written and fully referenced paper of no more than 2,000 words (excluding bibliography).
- The paper must be presented at the conference for the student to be eligible for the Prize.
- Quality of scholarship and written expression and relevance to the annual conference theme.
Nature of prize
$1000
Submission guidelines
Entry is free. The closing time and date is 5pm, 28 October 2025 and your 2000-word paper per the above guidelines should be emailed to: scawip2025@gmail.com
Enquiries can be directed to the 2025 WiP Committee: scawip2025@gmail.com
We look forward to welcoming you at the WIP Conference in November!