The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) invites individuals from every discipline and profession interested in advancing scholarship, teaching, and a general understanding of applied ethics to submit proposals based on their work to our 35th Annual APPE International Conference on March 5-8, 2026, in St. Louis. There will be an online-only portion of the conference program on April 10, 2026, to accommodate our members, presenters, and guests who are located across the globe, or who are unable to attend the in-person conference in St. Louis.
APPE is a multidisciplinary, international organization advancing scholarship, education, and practice in practical and professional ethics. We facilitate and support scholarly and professional collaborations among teachers, scientists, business practitioners, engineers, government officials, researchers, the media, and all professionals concerned with the practical application and communications of ethics and values.
This year, the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) invites proposals for its annual conference that explore the question, What Do We Owe Each Other? In today’s complex world, what are our ethical responsibilities to each other? How do these responsibilities shift in times of crisis and catastrophe, or across our professional or personal lives? How do we stand up for what’s right—when it matters most, and when it seems to matter least?
All submissions will be completed in Ex Ordo, a conference management software platform, and will be peer reviewed.
Extended Deadline: Submissions are due Monday, October 6, 2025.
Ready to Submit or Start a Proposal?
You can save your progress throughout the process. This button will take you to Ex Ordo, a third party application management plaftorm. You will need to create a login if you have not submitted via Ex Ordo before. This is a different login than your APPE username/password.
Proposals need not be limited to this year’s special focus, however. Submissions in a variety of interest areas, such as these, are welcome:
- Agricultural and/or Environmental Ethics
- Behavioral Ethics
- Bioethics, Health, and Medical Ethics
- Business Ethics
- Education Ethics
- Engineering Ethics
- Law and Government Ethics
- Military Ethics
- Media and Journalism Ethics
- Moral Theory
- Research Integrity
- Science, Technology, and/or Artificial Intelligence Ethics
- Social and Societal Ethics
APPE is especially interested in proposals associated with current events and emerging topics, such as, but not limited to:
- Cancel culture
- Climate change
- Dis- and misinformation
- Ethics in the economy
- Ethics of repair, reparations
- Free speech in the academy
- LGBTQI+/queer ethics
- Military human rights initiatives
- Monuments and public honorifics
- Obligations to future generations
- Parental rights (e.g., in education, medicine)
- Political and election ethics
- Privacy and social media
- Public health and competing economic interests
- Systemic bias and social justice
- Unhoused/housing insecurity
Please keep in mind that our attendees come from a range of backgrounds and perspectives, so your presentation should be designed to engage our diverse community.
We invite proposals in the following categories:
- Individual Presentations
- Panel Discussions
- Case Studies
- Pedagogical Demonstrations
- Poster Presentations (in-person only)
- Author Meets Critics
- Authors Reception (in-person only)
- Workshops/Professional Development
- Pre-recorded Flash Presentations
- Paper Competitions and Awards (see below for more information)
Submission Notes
Generally, no more than one individual presentation per person will be accepted. Participation in co-authored presentations and panels is limited only by programming space.
Presenters can choose which version of the conference (in-person or virtual) they would like to be considered for (or both). Spots for the virtual component will be limited.
Please read the complete Submission Guidelines & Instructions before submitting.
Paper Competitions and Awards
Best Formal Paper by an Early Career Scholar ($500)
Best Formal Paper by a Graduate Student ($500)
Best Formal Paper by an Undergraduate Student ($250)
Clifford G. Christians Ethics Research Award ($250)
National Ethics Project Research Award ($500)
When you’re ready, you’ll submit your proposal via Ex Ordo, which can be saved and finished at any time.
Interested in Submitting for the APPE RISE Pre-Conference Symposium?
The 2026 APPE RISEsm Pre-Conference Symposium will be held on March 5 in conjunction with the 35th Annual APPE International Conference. This year's Call for Proposals has not been issued yet. Stay tuned!