Advice for Optimizing APA Main Program/SPE-APA Affiliated Program Proposals

Suggestion 1: I recommend that SPE members consider working with other SPE members to propose at least one session on your current research topic for a future APA session. You are welcome to reach out to each other by posting an email on this SPE Google Group (available only to members) to let people know you are looking for other researchers on a particular topic. Here is a link to the information to submit an APA paper or invited session proposal: https://www.apaonline.org/page/papersubmission. You can submit your own paper to the main program, as well as propose an invited session (both is fine). Please make sure to read all the info provided and meet the deadlines given. Note that no one can guarantee that your paper or proposed session will be selected, but you never know and the probability is at least possible compared to not submitting anything. Plus, if your paper or proposal does not get accepted, consider suggestion number two (below).

Suggestion 2: Submit a proposal to the SPE for an SPE-APA affiliated group session (read below for details). Note that the due dates for an SPE event proposal should be after people have already received their decisions from the APA for any main program proposals. This was intentional. So, if anything changes on the APA end about announcing their decisions, an email will be sent out notifying SPE members that event proposal due dates have changed to after those announcements have been made. (Note: APA due dates often change, so it’s always a good idea to check back on the website or contact the APA division reps if you need a definite answer about due dates). 

The Society for Philosophy of Emotion (SPE) organizes book symposium sessions and other kinds of sessions, which typically take place during one of the annual American Philosophical Association meetings. Anyone (regardless of whether you are an SPE member) can propose a book symposium or other kind of session to be organized by the SPE, but all session participants must be members of the SPE at the time of the session. For information regarding upcoming sessions, please visit the APA AFFILIATED GROUP SESSIONS page. 

Membership and Registration Requirements for the SPE and APA: 

1. Please note that only active SPE members are able to propose SPE-APA Affiliated Group sessions, and all session participants must be SPE members at the time of the session. 

2. Those who are interested in presenting at and attending an APA conference will also be required to register for the relevant APA conference, which includes paying the registration fee. These fees make it possible for the SPE and the APA to continue their work of supporting the research and scholarship of its members, such as those who are interested in submitting an SPE-APA Affiliated Group Session Proposal. 

3. The SPE membership fee does not cover any of the APA registration fees.

4. One does not need to be an APA member in order to register for the conference, although it may be more cost effective for some people since APA members receive discounts, and may qualify for fee waivers or grants to attend a conference. Presenting at an affiliated group session, however, would not be sufficient to qualify for some grants. 

Before submitting a session proposal, please make sure you have the following information available. It will be necessary in order to complete the submission form:

1. An abstract of your proposal (approximately 150 words max.): Your proposal may be for a colloquium (single paper presentation with one or more commentators), a paper symposium (multiple paper presentations), a panel discussion (a focused discussion by multiple scholars), or a book symposium session that is anywhere from 1-3 hours long. You may also propose a single paper to be presented as a part of a session with other presenters, and you will be contacted about whether or not we would be able to accommodate your proposal. Please note that in order to participate in a book symposium session, participants must also agree to participate in a book symposium for the proposed book, which will be double-anonymously peer-reviewed and possibly published in the Journal of Philosophy of Emotion. Please review the information provided on the JPE Submissions page regarding book symposiums and on the SPE Events page for previous a book symposium session. Cecilea will also contact you with more detailed information once you submit this form.

2. For a book symposium session, please provide the publisher's email address/contact info to request book copies and a list of 3 possible commentators (may range from senior professionals to graduate students). A CFP will also be circulated for commentators. The commentaries and responses for these book symposium sessions can also be submitted for double-anonymously peer-reviewed and possible publication in the Journal of Philosophy of Emotion. Book symposium, including author's précis, comments, and replies, of approximately 3,000 words in length (maximum), excluding notes and references, that present a discussion of an interesting or unique perspective, argument, or solution on a particular problem or question in the area of philosophy of emotion. 

3. ​Full names (as it is to appear on the APA program), affiliations (if any) of all the participants in your proposal, and their CV's. Please also ensure that all your participants are committed to attending the relevant APA meeting prior to submitting your proposal. For a book symposium session, please simply provide names of potential participants and the director will refer to those recommendations when organizing the session. 

4. Session Information:

   • A symposium session, panel discussion, or author-meets-critics session?

   • Number of sessions requested (out of 2-3)?

   • Session topic/title?

   • Full names of all session participants and affilliations (as it should appear on the APA program)?

   • Contact email address for all participants (to be used by the SPE and APA if proposal is adopted)?

   • Length of session(s) (1-3 hours)?

   • Date preference?

   • Time preference?

   • Estimated attendance?

   • Audio/visual equipment needs? (Please note that such requests can only be accommodated by the SPE, through the APA, for disability access reasons or if the SPE has the funds available to pay for the use of these equipment. In all other cases, presenters are welcome to bring their own equipment, and to ensure that they have handouts available just in case.)

   • Will papers be provided in advance online?

5. Please note that time, date, and session length are not guaranteed until the APA finalizes its program. You can keep up-to-date with program information through this webpage:

Please also make sure to submit your proposals by the following due date in order to ensure that your proposal will be considered. Later proposals may also be welcome, but will be subject to session availability. Furthermore, please note the deadlines posted by the APA to help you better understand the contraints that session organizers must work with.

1. Eastern APA - proposals due by June 1st.

2. Central APA - proposals due by August 20th.

3. Pacific APA - proposals due by October 7th.

(Due dates are for the year prior to the relevant conference. For example, if the relevant conference year is 2023, then the due date for a proposal for that year would be in 2022.) 

For more information about APA conferences, grants, etc., please see the following, and associated, webpage and contact the APA with further questions: APA Meetings.

To submit a session proposal, please make sure you have carefully read and understood the above information, and complete the following SPE-APA Affiliated Group Session Proposal Form (linked below).