Also, beginning 9 March, our call for “Late-Breaking” research abstracts will open. Accepted abstracts will have the option of poster-only or flashtalk/poster-only. We aim to provide decisions on these submissions on a rolling basis, typically 7-10 days after submission.

Please feel free to share this announcement with your networks.

The International Society for Research on Emotion (ISRE) is pleased to invite proposals to host its conference in 2028. ISRE brings together emotion scholars from a wide range of disciplines and from different parts of the world. ISRE’s biannual conferences offer exciting opportunities for exchanges on cutting-edge topics in emotion research and provide excellent opportunities to connect with an international community of scholars.

Hosting an ISRE conference offers significant benefits to the organizing team and host institution. These include excellent international visibility, opportunities to build lasting collaborations across countries and disciplines, and opening new avenues for joint research projects. The conference also provides valuable experience for students and local academic communities, who benefit from direct engagement with leading researchers in emotion research. ISRE conferences are usually held in the summer (typically in early July), but alternative timeframes can be considered.

Interested members are invited to submit proposals to host the 2028 ISRE conference. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2026. The successful bid will be announced at the 2026 meeting in Brisbane, Australia.

The local organizing committee is responsible for managing financial procedures, arranging the venue, catering and entertainment, and coordinating with the other teams and chairs (e.g., sponsorship, award chairs). The scientific program will be put together by a program committee, who will work closely with the local organizing committee in planning the event. The ISRE board will support the local organizing committee throughout.

Proposals should include the proposed composition of the local organizing committee and should specify the chair(s). The host institution should be active in the field of emotion research and demonstrate sufficient experience, staffing, and infrastructure to organize and run the event. The inclusion of early career researcher(s) as well as attention to gender and cultural diversity within the organizing committee (and its support) will be viewed favorably. Past experience in hosting similar events will also be seen as a plus.

The organizing committee will be responsible for local arrangements including the conference venue, registration setup, and organizing social events. Please note that our conferences typically attract approximately 300 delegates over 3 days, and proposals should demonstrate the capacity to host a conference of this size (e.g., by providing details of suitable venues).

Proposal for hosting 2028 ISRE conference should include the following information (max 3 pages):

1. A general vision for the event (including location, potential dates or time period, duration, and organizational capacity, including potential venues with plenary and breakout rooms)
2. The members and chair(s) of the local organizing committee, including relevant experience organizing similar events, as well as details of available support staff (technical support, student helpers)
3. Accessibility from major international travel hubs
4. Accommodation options, including price estimates for the intended time period
5. Potential venues for social events
6. The hosts’ commitment to sustainability as well as diversity and inclusion and how it will be embedded throughout the planning and execution of the conference
7. A brief discussion of the strengths and potential challenges associated with the proposal

Evaluation criteria:

1. Geographical location (reachability)
2. Quality of facilities
3. Sustainability
4. Commitment to diversity and inclusion
5. Suitability and relevant experience of the organizing committee

Proposals must be submitted by May 1, 2026 by email to ISRE Secretary, Milica Nikolic, m.nikolic@uva.nl

The ISRE Executive Board will select the host institutions by vote.

Only proposals submitted by academic staff working at universities or academic institutions will be considered; Applications from convention bureaus or conference centers will not be considered, although it is possible to use a conference center as event venue. Academic institutions interested in organizing the conference are welcome to submit inquiries. For questions, please contact ISRE Secretary at m.nikolic@uva.nl.

We are looking forward to receiving your proposals and to shaping an exciting ISRE 2028 conference together!

On behalf of the ISRE Board,

Disa Sauter

Follow the link for full details on eligibility criteria, the award, and the nomination process: https://www.isre.org/page/isre-ecrs-award-2025

A key founding member of ISRE, Dr. Paul Ekman passed away on November 17, 2025 at the age of 91 years. Many of us consider Paul to be the “Father” of modern emotion scholarship whose early work set the stage for revival of interest in (and indeed, recognition of) emotion as a distinct ontological entity after an extended period in the mid-20th century during which emotion was considered an epiphenomenal offshoot of cognition. Subsequent to his landmark studies of emotion recognition in a number of cultures, most famously involving the Fore people in New Guinea, Paul extended his research to cover topics including the physiological concomitants of emotion, emotion display rules, and (more generally) deceptive behavior. Paul also made an enduring contribution to the rigorous, scientific study of emotion by developing (with his colleague Wallace Friesen) the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), an anatomically-based coding system for facial behavior that disentangled the objective description of facial muscle actions from inferences or assumptions regarding their emotion meaning. Many ISRE members have directly benefited from Paul’s work by adopting FACS for use in their own research and/or being inspired more generally by his research and thinking.

Although Paul conducted no developmental studies, his broad range of emotion-related interests included development in infancy. The authors of this short essay are developmental psychologists one of whom (Linda) was accepted by Paul as a postdoctoral scholar along with Harriet Oster during the time that FACS was being created. Harriet and I served among the initial “testers” of that system. Paul also supported Harriet in her creation of BabyFACS, a related facial coding system that incorporates developmental differences between the facial muscular systems of infants and adults. In addition, Paul engaged in many productive discussions about development with both authors of this essay. Like the authors, Paul attended the first ISRE conference, organized in 1985 by Joe Campos, another founding ISRE member. Both Campos and Ekman served on ISRE’s initial Board of Directors.

Paul developed close relationships with many scholars including Robert Levenson, another founding member of ISRE. Bob’s strong personal ties with Paul lasted for many years. From his own perspective, Bob has written a comprehensive obituary for Paul that will be appearing in a number of professional venues. We are pleased to be able to include a link to Bob’s essay herein (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42761-025-00346-5). Interested readers will find it to be a moving tribute to a person whose influence on the field of emotion can not be overestimated.

Let’s celebrate your hard work and contributions to advancing emotion research!

• Award: €1,000 and an invited presentation at ISRE2026
• Deadline: 31.03.2026

Follow the link for more information: https://isre.org/page/2026_Dissertation_Award