Summary

We welcome you to the sixth international Public Awareness and Engagement with Research Infrastructures conference. The event will be hosted by European XFEL in the Hamburg region, Germany. The theme of the conference is Navigating Science Communication in a Shifting Landscape.

Description

Registration and abstract submission will start in autumn 2025. The conference will take place 18-20 March 2026.

The venue is on the campus of European XFEL, which is the world's largest X-ray laser. The 3.4 km long facility generates extremely intense X-ray flashes used by researchers from all over the world to map atomic details of viruses, film chemical reactions, and study processes like those in the interior of planets.

Call for abstracts

The PAERI'26 programme committee calls for abstracts for talks, lightning talks and workshops on the conference topics.

Abstracts on all topics are invited to address the specific science communication challenges relevant to research infrastructures.

Contribution types

Talk

We invite abstracts for talks that relate to the PAERI26 conference topics. Each talk will be 15 minutes long, followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion.

Lightning talk

We welcome abstracts for lightning talks on any communication topic of interest. These dynamic sessions allow just 3 minutes for the talk plus 2 minutes for questions. Each lightning talk should have a single speaker.

Workshop

We encourage abstracts for interactive workshops that explore the conference topics in depth. Workshops can be one or two hours in length and may have one or more facilitators.

Workshop abstracts should include:

• A clear description of the content and its connection to the
  conference themes.
• An outline of interactive elements, explaining how
  participants will actively engage and learn.
• Minimum and maximum number of participants.
• Preferred duration (1 hour or 2 hours).
• Any equipment needed (e.g. flipcharts, tables, chairs, pinboards,
  moderation kit).

Conference topics PAERI26

Equity and Inclusion in Public Engagement

Who gets to speak, be heard, and belong in science? We’re calling for proposals that address the systemic inequalities baked into science communication, from local exclusion to global North–South divides. This includes everything from the underrepresentation of women in science to the sidelining of entire communities. Bring us thoughtful ideas that don’t just invite participation but rethink the rules of inclusion, power, and presence in public engagement. We welcome ideas that go beyond participation to creatively reimagine inclusion, representation, and belonging in public engagement.

Science Communication in the Age of Misinformation and Polarisation

Facts are no longer enough. In a world where misinformation spreads faster than evidence and public trust is wearing thin, science communicators face a tough question: who are we really talking to, and who are we avoiding? We’re looking for proposals that engage with this friction directly: reaching polarised publics, building dialogue across divides, and exploring what it means to communicate science in a society that often pushes back.

Emerging Tools and Technologies: AI, Platforms, and Beyond

The tools are changing, fast. AI is writing content, platforms are shaping discourse, and immersive tech is rewriting the rules of engagement. But with every innovation comes a host of new questions: Who controls the message? What’s lost in automation? And how do we stay creative, ethical, and human in the process? We’re looking for experimental, reflective, or unexpected takes on the tech transforming science communication.

From Metrics to Meaning: Rethinking Impact

Evaluation is a buzzword, but what does “impact” actually mean when the world is on fire? This theme is for those ready to question the dominance of numbers and explore deeper, more meaningful forms of measuring value. Bring us ideas for new ways to capture what matters, from stories to shifts in thinking, and help broaden how we define success in science engagement.

Policy, Advocacy and the Role of Research Communication

Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and neither does science communication. In the face of global instability, ecological crisis, and political tension, staying “neutral” is itself a choice. What role should research communicators play in shaping policy, influencing public opinion, or standing up for truth? We’re interested in submissions that explore the politics of communication, and open up new ways of thinking about what research engagement can and should do.

Pushing Boundaries: Creative and Experimental Approaches to Public Engagement

This is a call for the playful, the unconventional, and the imaginative. From reworking traditional outreach to experimenting with new forms of public engagement, we want proposals that explore how science communication can break the mould. Think art, gaming, performance, speculative design, anything that opens up new possibilities and pushes the field in exciting directions.

Indico account requirement

In order to submit an abstract, you will need to log in to Indico. This simplifies later steps, e.g. changes. At the login page choose the signin method Helmholtz-ID. This service allows you to create an Indico account using your institutional account (or Google, ORCID or Github) as an identity provider.