Registration

Registration process and fees

We anticipate that almost all attendees at IAPS 2026 will be presenting or otherwise involved in co-creation of the scientific programme. Therefore, if you wish to attend, you need to make a submission.

To manage attendance in line with our capacity of approx. 400 attendees, we will open the registration process after decisions have been communicated about the submitted abstracts. We anticipate this being in late February or early March 2026; a link to the registration portal will appear here at that time. Presenters of accepted abstracts will be emailed and requested to register and pay for attendance by approximately the end of March 2026. Otherwise, their abstract will not be included in the programme. Further information on key dates can be found here.

Table of fees

Registration fees (unless otherwise indicated) include entry to the conference and all day-catering during the event, the Welcome Reception, and the Conference Dinner. If you are participating in the Early Career Researchers Workshop, the registration fee also covers this.

Registration will be charged in pounds sterling (£). Approximate equivalents in euros (€) are presented below, based on the exchange rate as of October 2025. The exchange rate may differ at the time of registration and payment.

* Students; retired persons; or those located in low- or middle-income countries according to OECD (see here for a list). Evidence of student or retired status will be requested during the registration process.

† IAPS, EDRA, and/or MERA members are eligible for a discount of €90 (for full fees) or €45 (for reduced fees). Evidence of membership will be requested during the registration process. For non-members, the higher fee covers enrolment as members of IAPS as part of registering for IAPS 2026. This sum is collected by the host institution (University of Surrey) as part of the registration fee and then transferred to IAPS after the conference.

A link to our registration platform will be added here when registration opens, along with information about cancellation/refund policies.

What to expect as an attendee

IAPS conferences are major international venues for disseminating research on people-environment studies, and for building connections within this vibrant, interdisciplinary community. In developing IAPS 2026, we draw on our Guiding Principles of environmental sustainability, knowledge co-production, and equity, diversity & inclusion, along with wider social and economic sustainability.

We aim to be transparent about the decisions we make as part of the conference organisation process, which inevitably involve some trade-offs and/or compromises. For example, our infrastructure means that we can accommodate around 400 attendees. To ensure that we can deliver a high-quality experience for attendees within our resources, IAPS 2026 will be an in-person event.

During the planning of IAPS 2026 we have heard that many people value having time at conferences for breaks, networking, and discussion, alongside the presentation of scientific content. This is something that we will try, as much as possible, to take into consideration when developing the programme.

Visas

As of October 2025, our understanding is that most visitors travelling to the UK to attend the conference (including EU/EEA/Swiss nationals) will need either an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) or a visa. Specific requirements depend on your nationality. We recommend using the gov.uk website to determine whether/which travel permit is required.

We recognise that, for some participants, attending conferences requires additional administrative labour. We appreciate your efforts to attend IAPS 2026 and are happy to provide an invitation letter to support your visa application. Information on how to request one will be made available here in March 2026.

Important links for current guidance as of October 2025:
• Electronic Travel Authorisation application
• Standard visitor visa application
• Guidance for EU EEA and Swiss citizens

Getting to Surrey

There are many ways to travel to Guildford, and the University of Surrey presents a number of transport options here. Once you arrive, you can move around our Manor Park and Stag Hill campuses affordably and sustainably from 16p per minute with our Beryl e-bikes, or via the Stagecoach route 1 bus.

Where possible, we encourage you to consider lower-carbon modes of travel to Guildford. To support this, we have collated information below about routes that minimise the need to fly, drawing on suggestions from the British Ecological Society. There are also travel hierarchies  that can help with exploring options for lower carbon travel options. However, we recognise that some attendees, especially those from outside of Europe, may need to fly to the UK so we have also included some information about public transport options to Guildford from local airports. We also acknowledge that public transport and lower carbon travel options are not always the most appropriate choices for everyone. More information on (inter)national train travel can be found at Rome2Rio and The Man in Seat 61.

If train travel is possible for you, we highly recommend this mode of transport. Guildford is on the main train line between London Waterloo and Portsmouth, served by South Western Railway. Half-hourly train services run from Waterloo to Guildford, with journey times of around 30 minutes. Direct trains run also run to Guildford from Woking and Reading stations regularly throughout the day. A cheaper alternative to trains may be a coach. National Express coach number 030 (London – Fareham) stops at Guildford – Park Barn. The stop is situated on Egerton Road, about a 10-minute walk between our two campuses (Manor Park and Stag Hill).

If travelling from mainland Europe, we suggest that you consider taking the train or ferry. If you can travel by train to Paris or Amsterdam, you will then be able to take the Eurostar into London St Pancras International. From there, you can take the London Underground (Northern Line) to Waterloo, and from there onwards by train to Guildford. There are ferry crossings to the South East and East of England from ports in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and from there onward train connections to Guildford.

If you do need to fly, the region is served by five London airports. Heathrow and Gatwick are the closest to Guildford. From London Heathrow, you can take a RailAir coach direct to Guildford. From London Gatwick, you can take the train towards Reading which stops at Guildford. Luton, Stansted, and London City Airports are also possibilities, although these are further away and require travelling through London to get to Guildford. You could also consider smaller airports (e.g., Bristol, Southampton) with train connections to Guildford. You can find more information about air transport options into Guildford here.

If you are driving, please note there are four pay and display car parks at University of Surrey. You can find more details including the address and tariffs here, and information on parking here. Guildford also offers a ‘park and ride’ bus service.

Accommodation

We are pleased to offer affordable accommodation on our Manor Park campus, which is about a 25-minute walk (or 5 minutes by e-bike) from the conference buildings on Stag Hill campus, or a short bus ride away. All rooms cost £54, have en-suite bathrooms and include breakfast. Further information and a booking link will be available via our website from Spring 2026.

Accommodation is also available for a limited number of rooms at the The Holiday Inn, which is a 20-minute walk to Stag Hill campus, at a discounted rate of £139 per night (bed and breakfast). Please email specialevents@higuildford.co.uk or call +44(0)1483 784450 when making your booking and reference this is a University of Surrey booking.

There are also several hotels in Guildford, both in or near the town centre including the Harbour Hotel Guildford, Mandolay, Premier Inn and Travelodge plus other hotels and accommodation options in the surrounding Surrey area.

Accessibility and Facilities

We aim to make your experience at IAPS 2026 as supportive and accessible as possible by proactively considering a range of needs and working to support these at the event. However, we would also appreciate your co-operation in meeting specific requirements and ask that you inform us if you require additional support. You will be able to do this via the registration form when registration opens.

Here are some resources that you may find useful. We will continue to add to this list as our conference planning develops.

• Accessibility information for University of Surrey and Guildford Cathedral
• University of Surrey campus map
• How to connect to University of Surrey WiFi
• Food & drink at our Stag Hill campus

Early Career Researchers

What is the ECR Workshop?

The workshop will be held on Monday 29 June 2026, before the Opening Ceremony. It is designed for early career researchers (ECRs) who are doing their PhD and for those finishing up their MSc dissertation on topics relating to people-environment studies. The aim is to provide each student with the opportunity to present an overview of their work (either completed or planned studies). This is followed by the opportunity for an in-depth discussion and comments from mentors with knowledge in areas of the student’s work (topic or methods), and to answer questions from fellow peers. Each student will be provided with up to 40 minutes of focused time on their work, with up to 20 minutes for presentation.

Students are expected to attend and engage in the full schedule of the ECR Workshop. It is designed to be a supportive environment to help students clarify, communicate, learn, and engage with others about their work, and about their peers’ work. It provides an opportunity to mix with peers and mentors before the rest of the conference begins.

How to apply for the ECR Workshop

Workshop applicants will need to submit a 250-word abstract and, if accepted, a short paper on their work, which will be read in advance of the workshop by the mentor. The opening and closing dates for ECR Workshop abstract submission will be the same as those for the main conference. Successful applicants to the workshop will then be asked to complete their short paper with a deadline in May 2026. Submissions are encouraged from the Global South and those at any stage of their PhD or in the final stage of their MSc. Priority will be given to PhD students if the workshop is oversubscribed. 

The workshop is included as part of your conference registration fee and has no additional cost (besides your own accommodation and subsistence needs). Students will be eligible for a reduced conference registration fee, which will be indicated under Attendance and Registration. Applicants to the ECR Workshop are also welcome to submit a poster presentation to the main conference.

If you have any questions about the ECR Workshop, please email iaps2026ECR@surrey.ac.uk.

ECR Workshop Abstract Guidelines

Submissions are to be made via the individual abstract submission portal, and should include a title of no more than 15 words and an abstract of up to 250 words.

The abstract style and content may vary depending on the stage the student is at; however the following should be included:
1. Background for the study (literature context)
2. Research aim and objectives/questions
3. Method for any conducted or planned studies
4. Implications of results or relevance of study beyond the immediate research (e.g. for other disciplines, practice, policy)
5. Importance or originality of the contribution

Overall, the relevance to people-environment studies should be clear, although does not need to be directly stated.

Evaluation process

Abstracts will be selected using the same criteria as the main submissions but with a recognition of the early career stage of these researchers and, for some, the early days of their research project. Evaluation criteria are: scientific quality; potential contribution to the academic literature; potential practical impact; and fit with this year’s conference theme.

Abstracts will be judged by the ECR Workshop Organising Committee and some members of the Scientific Committee. Final decisions may be made with a consideration for striving to maintain a balanced programme in terms of disciplines, topics/themes, and career stages of presenters.

Paper Guidelines

These will be provided to successful applicants and are likely to involve a maximum of 4 pages (2,000 words).

ECR workshop awards

IAPS ECR Workshops are run by the IAPS conference organisers, with awards provided by the IAPS organisation. The mentors will take into consideration the submitted paper, the presentation, and the discussion when considering who should receive an award.

The winner of the ECR Best Paper Award receives a five-year IAPS membership, a certificate, and €250. The winner(s) of the ECR Best Research Proposals receive a two-year IAPS membership, a certificate, and €100. Up to three awards may be given, and this varies per IAPS conference depending on numbers and themes. 

ECR travel grant

 IAPS offers travel grants to support participation in the ECR Workshop (and, by extension, the Conference) among ECRs most in need of financial assistance. Up to five awards of €800 each will be available to help cover travel and/or accommodation costs for ECRs attending IAPS 2026 Conference at the University of Surrey. Further details regarding eligibility criteria, the application process, and award allocation will be announced in due course.