2026 Lauren Berlant 3CT Graduate Student Conference Organizing Opportunity
3CT invites proposals from PhD students and candidates interested in organizing the next Lauren Berlant 3CT Graduate Student Conference, to be held in Fall 2026.
The conference is named in honor of longtime 3CT fellow Lauren Berlant. Conference themes need not engage directly with Berlant’s work; we ask that they reflect Berlant’s commitment, and that of 3CT, to fostering new forms of theorizing the contemporary world. This annual event builds on the success of our first five conferences, the most recent of which, Power and Personality in Contemporary Capitalism, was held in November 2025.
The opportunity to organize the conference is open to all PhD students and candidates who will be enrolled at the University of Chicago in the 2026–27 academic year. Interdisciplinary proposals involving collaboration across departments are especially encouraged.
New this year: Members of the selection committee will offer office hours in early February to discuss proposal ideas or drafts. Prospective organizers are highly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity for feedback. Sign-ups will open in early January; register your interest here to be notified.
3CT staff will work with organizers of the selected conference to coordinate and publicize the event, and the center will provide funding up to $10,000.
Proposals should include the following:
- Name, email, and department of each organizer
- Conference title
- Conference abstract, clearly articulating why the conference matters to a wide audience of scholars in the present moment (maximum 500 words)
- Names of potential speakers (keynote, roundtable, etc.), including one sentence each about what they might contribute to the conference
- Indicative budget, including details of possible co-sponsors
The deadline is Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 11:59pm.
Submit proposals as a single PDF here.
Please contact Anna Searle Jones, 3CT’s associate director, with any questions.
