Dear Colleagues

We have been carefully exploring the different possibilities for delivering the European Conference for Social Work this year, including a hybrid conference with on-site and online components, or a completely online conference. In our considerations, we wanted to ensure that everyone could participate equally, that we could be confident in making arrangements with certainty, and that the financial considerations would ensure the longer-term sustainability of the Association. As a result, the Board and Local Organising Committee have agreed that the conference will be delivered completely online on 5^th – 7^th May 2021. We will be working closely with our partners, Dekon and look forward to sharing more details with you soon.

What does this mean for my registration?

If you have already registered for the conference, there is nothing else you need to do. In recognition of the different model of delivering the conference this year, there will be some cost savings, which we are able to pass on to our members. As a result, we are now able to include your membership fee for 2021 in the registration fees at no additional cost.

Your membership fee makes a vital contribution to the work of the Association, most importantly by funding the post of the Executive Administrator which keeps the whole organisation running smoothly. As a result, we hope you will agree that our proposal represents good value for money, continues to support the work of the Association and requires minimal additional administration.

What does this mean for my abstract?

If you have already had an abstract accepted and wish to present on the same topic, then you do not need to do anything.

If you would like to withdraw, or change your abstract, please email us at registration@ecswr2020.org so we can remove your existing abstract from the programme.

Are you going to re-open the Call for Abstracts?

Yes, we have re-opened the Call for Abstracts and encourage new submissions to the conference. These submissions may be on any topic that addresses the theme and subthemes of the conference in the usual way. In addition, we are opening a new subtheme on the topic of Covid, including the ways it has impacted on people’s lives, on the topics of our research and on the methods we have used in our investigations.

I had an abstract accepted for 2020. Can I submit a new abstract for 2021?

Each delegate can be the main presenter for one presentation in the conference. As a result, if you already have an abstract accepted and have a new abstract accepted, we will withdraw your existing abstract to support provide an equal opportunity for other presenters to present their work.

I was not successful with my abstract in 2020. Can I submit the same abstract for 2021?

No, we will not be accepting abstracts that have already been reviewed in 2020. However, you are invited to consider submitting a new abstract which we would welcome.

I did not register for the conference in 2020. Can I register in 2021?

The conference website has now re-opened where you can register for the conference. As usual, the registration fee will include membership for 2021, but to reflect the different format of the conference, a deduction will be applied by an amount proportionate to the relevant membership fee.

I do not wish to be a member in 2021

If you do not wish to be a member this year, then you can email our Executive Administrator, Claire Prater, as usual, at info@eswra.org who will be able to work with you on your specific arrangements.

The key dates for this process are:

15^th December 2020

Call for abstracts opens

15^th December 2020

Registration opens

1^st February 2021

Call for abstracts closes

1^st March 2021

Reviews of abstracts completed

5^th March 2021

Authors notified of review outcome

19^th March 2021

Registration of presenters closes

19^th March 2021

Early Bird Registration deadline

5^th April 2021

Programme finalised

5^th May 2021

Registration of participants closes

5^th – 7^th May

ECSWR 2021

It will be a different conference this year, but we are looking forward to welcoming you all and to exploring the possibilities that the online environment will provide.

Yours faithfully

Florin Lazar
Jon Symonds
Co-chairs of the Local Organising Committee
European Conference for Social Work Research 2021