DOCTORAL WORKSHOP

We would like to welcome PhD students to participate in the IPSERA Doctoral Workshop organized on Sunday April 19, 2026 in Helsinki. The objective of the workshop is to help PhD students to develop and improve their research and to build an international network of fellow PhD students and world-renowned faculty. The IPSERA Doctoral Workshop is targeted at purchasing and supply management PhD students.

Participating students will have the opportunity to present their research proposal or overview, which will be discussed by their colleagues and senior faculty. The doctoral workshop is not intended for the presentation of individual papers, those should be targeted as a regular submission to the main conference. During the workshop, the participants will also benefit from talks related to methods, career development, and the publication process.

The Doctoral Workshop coordinator is Dr. Robert Suurmond.

If you have specific visa application or need anticipation for traveling plans, contact Robert Suurmond directly for an express submission process. Otherwise follow the instructions and steps below.

Application to the Doctoral Workshop

STEP 1 - Statement of interest
PhD students interested in presenting their research should submit a statement of interest by October 31, 2025 via https://forms.gle/H128JiqzgHaATmVP6. This statement should contain your name, affiliation, PhD supervisor(s), stage in the doctoral process, title, and brief description of your research.

STEP 2 - Research proposal (for accepted Statement of interest)
A full research proposal (max. 20 pages) that is part of the PhD dissertation must be submitted by December 1, 2025 by email to Dr. Robert Suurmond to DW@ipsera.com. The full research proposal will be reviewed, and the number of accepted proposals for the presentations will be limited. Review criteria include topical fit to IPSERA, clarity, review of relevant literature, thoughtful discussion of research methods, and stage of the research. The doctoral workshop is not intended for the presentation of individual papers, those should be targeted as a regular submission to the main conference.

The notification of the acceptance will be emailed by December 22, 2025.
An updated research proposal (if accepted) can be submitted by March 13, 2026.

Deadlines

October 31, 2025	Submission of statement of interest
December 1, 2025	Submission deadline for full research proposals
December 22, 2025	Notification of acceptance
March 13, 2026	Submission deadline for final updated research proposal

Costs and bursaries

Please create your profile as PhD student on the IPSERA website: https://ipsera.com/join-us and send your PhD proof of status to membership@ipsera.com to activate your membership. You can do this already to prevent delays later.

The Doctoral Workshop participation is included in the IPSERA Conference fee. The PhD students presenting at the workshop are expected to join the main conference in the subsequent days.

All PhD students accepted to the Doctoral Workshop (giving a presentation in the Doctoral Workshop) are eligible for the reduced conference fee of 200 €. You will receive a special code from the Doctoral Workshop organizer to register for the conference at the reduced fee. If you have sufficient funding to cover a regular conference fee, we can give your reduced-fee ticket to someone who needs it more.

Bursaries (financial support)

PhD students have the possibility to receive bursaries that provide financial support for the conference and workshop attendance. After your statement of interest is accepted (in step 1), you can apply by filling the bursary application form by December 22, 2025. All applications will be treated confidentially. Decisions for all applicants will be made by January 30, 2026.

More information about the IPSERA 2026 bursaries and the requirements for application can be found from Support for early-career scholars page.

IPSERA 2026 Sponsors: