Constitutional Works-in-Progress Workshop 2026 at UCD, Dublin [Papers from Any Jurisdiction; Participation, Meals and Accommodation Covered]

The UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies describes itself as Ireland's centre for constitutional research, education and debate. Based at the UCD Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, it supports independent and inter-disciplinary research into current issues in constitutional law and politics, runs a visiting fellowship programme, and hosts a number of events each year. The Centre is home to the European Research Council project Foundations of Institutional Authority, led by Prof. Eoin Carolan, and in June 2026 it co-hosted ICON-S 2026, the conference of the International Society of Public Law, on the UCD Belfield campus.

The Constitutional Works-in-Progress Workshop is the Centre's annual gathering for scholars developing constitutional scholarship. The 2026 edition will take place on 5 and 6 October 2026 at the UCD Sutherland School of Law.

The workshop is built around intensive reflection on the papers selected, rather than conventional conference-style presentation. Alongside the close discussion of each paper, it is designed to create space for more general dialogue between scholars working across constitutional law, constitutional politics and constitutional theory.

The call is open to papers in the areas of:

• Constitutional law
• Constitutional politics
• Constitutional theory

Papers from any jurisdiction are welcome, and comparative papers are also welcome. There is no restriction to Irish or European constitutional systems, so scholars working on Indian constitutional law and comparative constitutionalism can submit on the same footing as anyone else.

The Centre defines a work in progress as scholarship that has reached a stage at which it is substantial enough to merit serious discussion and critique, but that has not yet appeared in print.

A paper that has already been accepted for publication is still eligible, provided it can still be revised after the workshop. Finished and published work is outside the scope of the call.

• Submissions are limited to one paper per author.
• Papers should be no more than 12,000 words in length.
• If the paper runs longer than 12,000 words, the author must identify which portion of the paper they would like to be considered for discussion at the workshop.
• The submission email must carry the subject heading "Constitutional works-in-progress workshop submission".

Interested authors should email their paper directly to Prof. Eoin Carolan at eoin.carolan@ucd.ie, using the required subject heading, no later than 28 August 2026. There is no separate registration form and no submission or registration fee.

Authors who wish to be considered for a travel bursary must say so in the same email at the time of submission.

The workshop is sponsored by the UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies, which will cover the cost of participation, group meals, and accommodation for up to two nights for participants.

Accepted applicants are required to bear their own travel costs. The Centre notes that there may be a limited number of bursaries available to cover a portion of travel costs; authors seeking one must flag it in their submission email.

Submissions close on 28 August 2026. Authors will be informed of selection by 4 September 2026 at the latest, leaving roughly a month before the workshop opens on 5 October 2026. Given the short window between notification and the workshop, authors travelling from outside Ireland should factor visa and travel lead times into their planning before submitting.