Call for Proposals

Utrecht University School of Governance is excited to open the call for proposals for the 2023 Public Management Research Conference (PMRC), sponsored by the Public Management Research Association (PMRA). The conference will be held June 27 – 30, 2023, in Utrecht, the Netherlands. 

Individual Paper Proposals 
The program committee welcomes paper proposals (300 words or less) featuring high-quality empirical and theoretical research as well as research designs. Individuals may present no more than two papers at the conference, there are no co-author restrictions. 

Empirical paper proposals will be evaluated based on the significance and quality of the research question, design, methods, data, and implications. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches are all welcome. 

Theoretical paper proposals will be evaluated based on the extent to which the proposal provides insight into a compelling public management subject, identifies foundational assumptions and key concepts, and results in meaningful critiques of accepted theory, asserts guiding propositions or testable hypotheses, or develops helpful conceptual frameworks and research agendas. 

Research design proposals are also encouraged. One of the most crucial times for input about a research project is at the design stage. We invite detailed, theoretically-driven research design proposals. Research design proposals will be evaluated based on the significance and quality of the research question, design, and potential implications. 

Panel Proposals 
The program committee encourages the submission of complete panels consisting of four individual papers and a chair. Panel submissions should bring together complementary papers that tackle compelling research questions or subjects of study in public management. 

Panel proposals should include a panel title and description (100 words or less), as well as the titles of four individual paper proposals (each submitted separately as a paper). The panel submission should include information on the panel chair. Each of the papers in the panel will be evaluated separately on whether the submission meets the criteria for individual paper submissions. The panel organizer should submit the panel proposal, indicating the titles of the four associated paper proposals and the chair. To facilitate the review process, the paper author(s) should submit the paper proposal separately, indicating the associated panel. Individuals may submit no more than two paper proposals (inclusive of panel papers). 

Panels should incorporate diverse participants (e.g., gender, race, institution, rank, method, etc.). 

The program committee may alter panels to remove individual papers that do not meet review criteria or to add an individual paper submission that fits well with the panel, particularly if dropouts occur. The program committee plans to do so sparingly. 

Pre-Conference Workshops 
The conference will feature a limited number of pre-conference workshops to be held on June 27, 2023. These sessions are meant to be engaged learning opportunities. We encourage workshop proposals on any topic that has significant potential for advancing public management research and impact. Sessions/workshops will typically be planned as half day or full day. Proposals for pre-conference sessions and workshops must be submitted through the online system and include the following information: 1) Title, 2) Statement of objectives and importance to the field, 3) Length and format of the session, 4) Names and affiliations of session organizers and leaders, and 5) Ideal number of participants. The proposal should not exceed 300 words in length. 

Additional Information 
All paper proposals will be evaluated using a double-blind peer review process with a review team providing recommendations to the program committee.