KU Close Relationships Interest Group (CRIG)
CALL FOR PAPERS: IARR Mini-Conference 2009
New Directions in Research on Close Relationships
  November 5-7, 2009 in Lawrence, KS    

The interdisciplinary Close Relationships Interest Group (CRIG) at the University of Kansas is pleased to announce a call for papers for the 2009 mini-conference of the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR): “New Directions in Research on Close Relationships: Integrating Across Disciplines and Theoretical Approaches.” The goal of the conference is to integrate ideas and research from diverse disciplinary and theoretical approaches, especially cultural, neuroscience, and evolutionary perspectives on close relationships. The list of confirmed speakers includes (in alphabetical order): Art Aron, Karen Bales, Jim Coan, Lisa Diamond, Bruce Ellis, Alan P. Fiske, Olcay Īmamoğlu, Benjamin Karney, Deborah A. Kashy, Heejung Kim, Jon Maner, Jeffry A. Simpson, Steven R. Wilson, and Masaki Yuki. A sample of topics includes sociocultural influences on relationships, social networks, genetic and neural substrates of love, and implications of close-relationships research for health and well-being. The ambitious purpose of the meeting is not merely to present the latest work within these different areas, but also to promote a more integrated science of personal relationships.

We will consider proposals for symposia, papers, and posters.

Symposia
Individuals may submit proposals for panels of three or four talks on a related theme. The conference organizers will give preference to symposia that integrate the diverse theoretical perspectives motivating the conference. Please submit contact information for each presenter as well as separate abstracts (maximum of 150 words, formatted in APA style) for the overall symposium and each presentation using the following link: http://www.psych.ku.edu/gillath/
iarr2009symposium.html

Papers and Posters
Individuals may also submit papers and posters on any aspect of close relationships, with priority being given to emphases on neuroscience, evolutionary, and sociocultural approaches. Submissions should present new theoretical ideas, new systematic data, or new methods. They should be suitable for a multidisciplinary audience. Please submit abstracts (maximum of 150 words, formatted in APA style) electronically through the conference’s website: http://www2.ku.edu/~psych/cgi-bin/form.php

Review Process:
A panel of relationship researchers will review submissions using a double-blind process. Authors should omit their names and affiliations from the title area of the paper and conceal references to their own prior work by referring to it in the third person (e.g., authors should say "In an earlier study, Jones and Smith found ..." instead of "In an earlier study, we found ...").  We will return without review all submissions that are not appropriately anonymous.

Important Dates:
Deadline for papers, symposiums, and posters: March 30, 2009
Author notification: May 30, 2009

Funding opportunities:

A limited number of small grants (up to $500) will be awarded to international scholars living outside the U.S. who completed the application form and sent the requested materials. The organizing committee will evaluate each funding request ahead of the conference and provide the funding in a timely manner.

For further information, please contact ogillath[at]ku.edu.

We hope to see you this coming November in Lawrence, KS!

Sincerely,