Scientific meeting proposals
Be part of the Royal Society scientific programme
Scientific meeting proposals can be submitted all year round and are considered by the Royal Society’s Hooke Committee twice a year. Submit your proposal by 9 April 2025 for consideration in June 2025.
More information about how to propose a scientific meeting can be found in the frequently asked questions and guidance notes.
For any further questions about leading a scientific meeting, please contact the Scientific Programmes team.
What is the Royal Society’s scientific programme?
The Royal Society hosts a programme of scientific meetings each year. Each meeting is organised by a small team of scientists with a shared research interest. These scientists are leaders in their fields. The focus on discussion throughout each meeting allows all attendees to contribute to the conversation and share their ideas and research with peers in the scientific community.
The Royal Society’s scientific programme offers a unique opportunity for scientists to present a two-day conference exploring a specific area of scientific research.
Those proposing a scientific meeting can choose between three types of meeting. A Discussion meeting is held at the Royal Society in London. This type of meeting is ideal for interdisciplinary topics that address the big questions in science. A fast-track Discussion meeting will be scheduled within six months of acceptance.
A Theo Murphy meeting takes place at a smaller, residential location in the UK and is designed for a smaller group of scientists to participate in detailed discussions around a theme. Please be aware that Chicheley Hall is no longer used as a venue.
A third and final type of meeting is a Science+ meeting. Science+ meetings have been established to expand the Society’s scientific programme beyond pure science, to those disciplines which build on or function alongside science, such as policy or public health. Science+ meetings are held at the Royal Society in London.
Proposals are invited from any UK-based or UK-national researcher, with or without co-proposers. If successful, these proposers will be the scientific organisers of the meeting.
Proposals from early career researchers and underrepresented groups are encouraged.
Why lead a Royal Society scientific meeting?
- Proposers select the scientific theme of the meeting and develop the content of the meeting
- Scientists who lead a scientific meeting can influence the agenda and lead the conversation in their field of science
- Royal Society scientific meetings attract researchers from across the world, at all career stages. Leading a scientific meeting is an opportunity to assemble all those scientists working at the forefront of a particular research specialty
- Scientific meetings receive full administrative and logistical support from the Royal Society. This includes the provision of the venue, catering, meeting materials and on-site assistance
- The Royal Society makes contributions towards travel and accommodation expenses for organisers, speakers and chairs
- Organisers of a scientific meeting work in collaboration with the Royal Society to promote the scientific meeting to the scientific community
Guest-edit a Royal Society journal
Scientific meeting organisers may be asked to guest-edit a theme issue of a Royal Society journal (Philosophical Transactions A, Philosophical Transactions B or Interface Focus), dedicated to the topic explored during the scientific meeting. Organisers of Discussion meetings are required to guest-edit an issue. For other types of scientific meeting, a theme issue is published at the journal editor's discretion.
Guest-editing an issue allows organisers to create a legacy for their meeting and reach a wider audience with their research. This opportunity also allows organisers to build their network, gain editorial experience, and attain academic prestige by having their name associated with a landmark resource. As a Guest Editor, meeting organisers will receive full support from dedicated Royal Society staff, have full creative control over their theme issue, and have flexibility with regards to article types and publishing options. Every theme issue will also receive bespoke promotion provided by the Editorial Office.