CivicLAB Conference 2025

About the call for papers

The conference focuses on understanding the changing nature of communities, sustaining and enhancing life through inclusive connected practices, research, teaching and learning.

As communities change to adapt to both local and national issues, people are increasingly looking to universities as civic institutions, to help them learn about and navigate these problems. But for real impact to be created, this needs to be conducted in a people and place-centred way. As a Civic University, we are committed to supporting Derby and Derbyshire, our place, our people and its rich and diverse community, by enacting and enabling imaginative communities to flourish and support creative cultural ecosystems and strategies to grow.

CivicLAB are proud to be leading the way on this, with our range of events, workshops and projects showcasing how research and learning can enhance the lives of those around us, with civic engagement being the vehicle that delivers tangible impact. Since our inception in 2020, CivicLAB has grown exponentially, enabling us to work with over 30 collaborators in Derbyshire and beyond to create impact on a national scale.

We have also been able to lead innovative research projects, bringing over £2.4 million to the region through funding bids. We are passionate that our work does not end with the closing of a project and have been working to influence policy through the incredible research we have been a part of. This conference will be an opportunity for people to learn more about this approach and to dive into meaningful conversation on all things civic.

Partnership working is at the heart of what we do, and for our 2025 CivicLAB conference, we are delighted to be partnering with Socitm, the Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation, who will also be sharing some of their work. 

About CivicLAB

Submission streams

The conference programme committee welcomes papers from a wide variety of theoretical and practical perspectives, and submissions are organised in the streams below.

• Stream 1: Connected communities through place-based research
• Stream 2: Connected communities through place-based practice
• Stream 3: Connected communities of through place-based teaching and learning  

Before you begin 

The corresponding author must collect and enter the following information:  

• Contact data – correct spelling of first and last name, affiliation and contact email address  
• Number of presenters  
• Paper title – full paper title for the presentation  
• Paper abstract 250-word abstract

Submit your proposal  

Submit your abstract (maximum 250 words) by 17 March 2025. Presentations are to be in person.  

Initial Screening

Your submission will be checked by staff to ensure it conforms to accepted academic norms, and to screen out incomplete submissions.

Review

Your submission will undergo double-blind peer and a final review by the Programme Committee.

Result Notification

A result notification will usually be sent to you by 2 April 2025 and a Letter of Acceptance will be available. If your abstract is accepted, you will be invited to register for the conference.

Registration

Conference registration is open via the conference website. All individuals who wish to present at the conference, are required to submit conference registration.

Conference Proceedings

If you wish your paper to be published in the Conference Proceedings, once you have registered please ensure that you upload your full paper through the online system by April 24 2025.

Submit your proposal

Contact us

If you would like to contact us with an enquiry, please email civiclab@derby.ac.uk. We aim to respond to you within 48 hours.