The editorial team of Migration Politics is seeking innovative and original paper proposals for the in-person residency taking place at the University for Continuing Education Krems, Austria, from 28 September to 2 October 2026.
We invite submissions from scholars at all career stages conducting inspiring empirical or conceptual research on topics related to “Migration Politics and Violence”. Migration politics and violence are increasingly intertwined in contemporary societies, manifesting through structural, political and community-level forms of coercion and exclusion. We invite contributions that analyze how these forms of violence are produced, experienced, and contested within migration politics, and that examine their political causes and consequences across different contexts. Submissions should offer theoretical or empirically grounded insights into the ways violence shapes migration governance, migrant lives, and broader political dynamics. In case of empirical papers, data collection must be completed prior to submitting a paper proposal to the Migration Politics Residency Programme.
Submissions should demonstrate theoretical and methodological rigor and transparency; for example, this may include the provision of replication data and/or appendices with detailed validation and robustness checks. We particularly welcome submissions that move beyond a predominantly European focus and examine the interconnections between migration politics and violence across diverse geographical and political contexts.
Successful applicants will participate in an intensive, one-week residency programme in Krems, Austria. The programme will include two presentations by each participant, as well as in-depth feedback sessions with the editorial team, fellow authors-in-residence, and invited migration scholars. The primary aim of the residency is to further develop the draft into a full manuscript ready for submission shortly thereafter, fostering dialogical and collaborative research practices in line with the philosophy of Migration Politics.
Following the residency, participants are expected to submit their manuscripts for peer review to Migration Politics, a journal offering rigorous peer review and full open-access publication without article processing charges (platinum open access). Please note that acceptance into the residency does not automatically mean that the paper will be accepted for publication.
The residency will take place at the University of Continuing Education Krems, Austria, from 28 September to 2 October 2026. This year’s residency will be organized by Heidrun Bohnet with administrative support by Adriana Harm, as well as other members of the Senior Editorial Fellowship and the Department of Migration and Globalisation at the University of Continuing Education Krems team.
In order to ensure equitable participation, we have a limited number of scholarships available to provide financial support for those scholars without or with limited financial means to take part in the residency. We kindly ask participants with access to institutional or project-based funding to contribute fully or at least partially to the residency costs (low-cost flight or train ticket and/or accommodation for one week).
Scholars are welcome to submit co‑authored work; however, the residency programme can provide financial support—if no other funding is available—for only one person per accepted proposal. Please note that only authors who have submitted a full draft of the paper (around 8,000–9,000 words excluding references) one month (31 August 2026) before the start of the residency will be able to attend the residency.
The proposal deadline is 6 April 2026.
Please submit your proposal, with a length of 1,000–1,500 words, through this form.
The proposal should contain:
- Short intro with the main research question(s) of the paper.
- The expected key contribution of the paper to ongoing scholarly debates, explaining which debates it connects to and citing relevant work.
- A detailed description of the methodological approach if applicable.
- The empirical material if applicable. (Data collection already needs to be completed.)
- Preliminary findings.
- References (these do not count towards the word limit).
Proposals will be evaluated based on their originality and innovation, the strength of their theoretical and conceptual framework, and their methodological approach and empirical material. In addition, overall clarity, coherence and suitability to the Migration Politics journal, as well to this year’s topical focus “Migration Politics and Violence” will be decisive.
If your paper has a completely different focus, or if the dates of the in-person residency are not convenient for you, please consider submitting to a later call or to another submission track of the Migration Politics journal. Please note that a paper can only be submitted to one track.
For questions directly linked to the in-person residency, please read our FAQ. If any of your questions remain unanswered, please send an e-mail to migrationpolitics@donau-uni.ac.at with the subject line: “In-Person Residency 2026”.
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