Call for Sessions and Papers for the 2026 AEA Annual Meeting

Members wishing to give papers or organize complete sessions for the AEA program at the 2026 ASSA Meeting in Philadelphia are invited to submit proposals electronically to AEA President-elect Katharine Abraham beginning March 1. While papers covering a wide array of topics in economics will be included on the program, Professor Abraham especially encourages proposals on research that can inform social and economic policy decision making, including research focused on the development of better measures of social and economic conditions.

The deadline for submissions is April 1 for individual papers and April 15 for complete sessions. The submission portal will open tomorrow at https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/submissions.

Lightning Round Sessions at the 2026 AEA Annual Meeting

The 2025 lightning round sessions held at the ASSA Meeting in San Francisco were well received by the attendees, and this additional opportunity to be on the AEA program will be available again for the 2026 annual meeting. Lightning round sessions, where participants will have approximately seven minutes to present their paper and three minutes for questions, will be held throughout the conference in regular session time slots. The AEA especially encourages graduate students and early career economists to submit individual papers through the standard portal at https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/submissions, and to check the box agreeing to also be considered for a lightning round presentation.

AEA Poster Sessions for 2026 AEA Annual Meeting

Posters are an integral part of the AEA program. The Association is planning another poster session for 2026 in which accepted posters will remain on display throughout the conference. There will be dedicated time periods for the authors to have the opportunity to present their work. Posters will be selected from individual papers submitted through the portal for which the presenter has agreed to be considered for a poster. The AEA will arrange for the printing of the posters.

You can view the AEA Poster Session Videos featuring AEA interviews with select 2025 poster presenters who discuss their research and the broader implications of their work. Visit https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/videos/2025.

Use EconHarmony to Find Others to Submit a Complete Session

EconHarmony helps prospective individual paper submitters for the AEA Annual Meeting find others with similar interests who might join them to form a complete session submission and provides an opportunity to volunteer as a session chair. Twenty-nine percent of submitted complete sessions and 17% of submitted individual papers appeared in sessions on the 2025 AEA Annual Meeting program. Visit https://www.aeaweb.org/econharmony for more details.