The ISCR 2025 is an international conference for rigorous interdisciplinary investigation of contemplative practices in diverse contexts. This year’s theme is: The Arc of Life and Death.
The conference will feature pre-conference workshops, plenary sessions, contemplative practice periods, , individual presentations, concurrent panels, and poster sessions focused on a diverse range of topics and best practices within contemplative research, including:
- Basic, Clinical, and Social Sciences;
- Cultural, Religious, and Philosophical Studies on Contemplative Practices;
- Theory and Practice of Contemplative Education
Contributions from all areas of contemplative research are welcome. Topics of particular interest will be proposals that examine topics related to “The Arc of Life and Death”. We are also particularly interested in contributions featuring interdisciplinary cross-fertilization between the Sciences, Humanities, and Education.
Sessions and events will provide a range of opportunities, including engagement with some of the world’s leading contemplative researchers, discovery and discussion of latest findings, introduction to a range of contemplative practices, opportunities to discover best practices for interdisciplinary research as well as career development and networking.
Individuals can submit an abstract or proposal of no more than 300 words through our Submission System from March 10 through April 30 (extended until May 15), 2025, for the following formats (described in detail below):
- Preconference Workshops (90 minutes)
- Panel Presentation (3-5 people) (60 or 90 Minutes)
- Individual Presentation (20 Minutes)
Abstracts not selected for Individual Presentation can be considered for a Poster) - Poster Presentation (May be considered for a Research Spotlight [Mini-Presentation of 5 minutes])
- Interdisciplinary Hot Topic Roundtables (must include at least three disciplines)
Please be sure to include contact information for each presenter and moderator in the proposal. The deadline for submissions
The Planning Committee is committed to the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (see ISCR’s statement), including cultural, religious, and epistemological diversity. Special consideration will be given to interdisciplinary and disciplinary abstracts/proposals that promote the understanding and engagement of diverse and traditionally underrepresented groups (indigenous peoples, BIPOC/Global Majority, LGBTQ+, neuroatypical, under-represented countries, etc.).
We encourage individuals to Join the Society to enjoy a number of benefits, including reduced registration fees, webinars, and opportunities to engage with like-minded scholars, researchers, and educators and strengthen your academic network.
Key Dates
Submissions Open – March 10
Submissions Close – Extended to May 15
Pre-Conference Workshops
90 Minutes
Individuals or groups may submit abstracts for 90-minute workshops that include opportunities for didactic, experiential, and/or discoursive engagement with contemplative topics of scholarship. Interdisciplinary integration is strongly recommended, but not required. Authors may submit a proposal for one workshop (90 minutes) or a two-part workshop (180 minutes). Proposals for two-part workshops will be accepted based on time availability. If the topic is of interest to the conference reviewers, but time is not feasible for a two-part workshop, authors may be advised to modify their abstracts.
Individual Presentation
20 Minutes
Individuals may submit abstracts for 20-minute oral presentations, which may be grouped together thematically by our reviewers. Please note, due to space and time limitations, we will be accepting a limited number of individual presentations—we, therefore, encourage applicants to coordinate on a panel, or submit a poster presentation. You may indicate upon submission either a talk or poster if you could present in either format. Work in progress or study protocols are better submitted as posters.
Panel Presentation (3-5 people)
60 or 90 Minutes
Groups may submit abstracts for 60 or 90-minute presentations or discussions with 3-5 presenters, one of whom is responsible for presiding over the discussion as both moderator and timekeeper. Panels may include formal presentations, but sufficient time (¼ of the session? More?) for discussion and audience Q&A should also be included. We encourage all proposals but especially encourage interdisciplinary panels (e.g. Philosophy/Cognitive Science; Education/Neuroscience; Contemplative Practice/Clinical Science).
Poster Presentation
Individuals may submit abstracts for a poster presentation to be presented during concurrent 90-minute poster sessions. Posters may include new research results as well as theoretical, historical, textual, or other relevant scholarship, as well as work in progress or study protocols.
Interdisciplinary Hot Topic Roundtable Discussions
Interdisciplinary groups of scholars may submit abstracts for interdisciplinary roundtable discussions, which will be focused on a particular timely or challenging theme or topic. These are meant to be rich dialogues rather than formal presentations of research.
Submission portal information
ISCR submissions are now managed by Conference Manager 2.0, a management application that is also used by other organizations. Due to this shared system, you may already have an existing account. Please review the instructions below carefully so as not to create duplicate user accounts.
If you do not have a user account, please click the button below and create an account. On the landing page, select “create user profile” under the “New Users” heading. After you create your account, you will use your email, and new password to log into the system. These credentials will be required for submitting your work. Once you have created your account, and logged in, you will be taken to your account dashboard. One of the tiles on the dashboard will say Abstract Submission- click the link that says, “Submit Now”.
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