From Departure to Belonging: Advanced digital technologies between empowerment, control and exclusion in migration journeys 

Poster Competition – Call for Abstracts

The Institute for Research on Migration and Society (IRMS) at Concordia University invites submissions for the Poster Competition held as part of the Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides Annual Conference.

This poster competition aims to provide students and early-career researchers with an opportunity to present emerging research, receive feedback from an interdisciplinary audience, and engage with scholars, practitioners, and policymakers working on migration, technology, and social inclusion.

Submission

Applicants must submit an abstract describing their research.

Posters and requirements

Submitted posters must align with the Bridging Divides research agenda and the 2026 conference theme. Interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches are strongly encouraged.

List of possible research themes

We seek projects whose research examines how emerging technologies, including AI, are reshaping migration, work, and community life, and whose work aligns with one of our four interdisciplinary focus areas:

Citizenship and civic participation
The future of work
Healthcare
Responsible and ethical use of advanced technologies in migration

A particular attention will be paid to projects on:

Digital technologies and migration decision-making
Algorithmic governance, surveillance, and mobility control
Online immigration and asylum processes
Digital labour platforms and migrant work
Technology, integration, and belonging
Algorithmic bias, exclusion, and digital inequality

Responsibilities of accepted participants

Prepare a poster based on the accepted abstract
Be present during assigned poster sessions on May 20 and May 21, 2026
Engage with conference participants during the poster sessions
Detailed poster format and display instructions will be shared with selected candidates.

Abstract requirements

Maximum length: Abstracts must be no longer than 2 pages excluding reference
Clearly state the research question, methods, and relevance to the Bridging Divides theme
Include title, author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact information

Submit your abstract

Eligibility

The poster competition is open to:

Master’s, PhD students affiliated with the Bridging Divides initiative
Early career scholars affiliated with Bridging Divides initiative, including:
- Postdoctoral fellows
- Research associates
- Assistant professors
Concordia University graduate students (Master's and PhD)

Applicants must either be the primary investigators of the research presented (with supervisors, advisors, and collaborators acknowledged as co-authors where appropriate), or be graduate students actively contributing to a Bridging Divides research project.

Selected candidates must be available to present their posters in person, in Montreal, on May 20 and May 21, 2026.

Please note that all costs associated with attending the conference are the responsibility of the selected candidates, excluding the poster printing costs, which will be covered by event organizers.

Important Dates

Call launches: January 12, 2026

Online poster training session: March 11, 2026
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend, as this session will provide guidance on designing effective academic posters and communicating research to diverse audiences. You can find details here.

Abstract submission deadline: March 20, 2026

Results announced: April 15, 2026

Final poster-ready abstract due: May 18, 2026

Poster presentations: May 20–21, 2026

Awards

Awards will be granted to the top three presenters, as selected by a jury composed of members of the conference organizing committee.

Stipends:

1st Place: 1,000 CAD
2nd Place: 500 CAD
3rd Place: 250 CAD

Evaluation criteria will include:

Relevance to the Bridging Divides research themes
Clarity and quality of research presentation
Visual design and accessibility of the poster
Ability to communicate research to an interdisciplinary audience

Contact Information

For questions regarding the poster competition or submissions, please contact:

irms@concordia.ca

<div class="SCXW215759337 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><h2><strong>Poster Competition – Call for Abstracts</strong></h2><p>The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/research/irms.html">Institute for Research on Migration and Society (IRMS)</a> at Concordia University invites submissions for the Poster Competition held as part of the Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sites.events.concordia.ca/sites/concordia/en/bridging-divides-2026-conference/home">Bridging Divides Annual Conference</a>. </p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="1016744130" paraeid="{4cad3ef9-dac5-441c-a268-82cc3572bd87}{201}">This poster competition aims to provide students and early-career researchers with an opportunity to present emerging research, receive feedback from an interdisciplinary audience, and engage with scholars, practitioners, and policymakers working on migration, technology, and social inclusion. </p><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="1016744130" paraeid="{4cad3ef9-dac5-441c-a268-82cc3572bd87}{201}"> </p><h3>Submission</h3><p>Applicants must submit an abstract describing their research. </p><h4>Posters and requirements</h4><p>Submitted posters must align with the Bridging Divides research agenda and the 2026 conference theme. Interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches are strongly encouraged. </p><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><p><strong>List of possible research themes</strong></p><p>We seek projects whose research examines how emerging technologies, including AI, are reshaping migration, work, and community life, and whose work aligns with one of our four interdisciplinary focus areas: </p><ul><li>Citizenship and civic participation </li><li>The future of work </li><li>Healthcare </li><li>Responsible and ethical use of advanced technologies in migration </li></ul><p>A particular attention will be paid to projects on: </p><ul><li>Digital technologies and migration decision-making </li><li>Algorithmic governance, surveillance, and mobility control </li><li>Online immigration and asylum processes </li><li>Digital labour platforms and migrant work </li><li>Technology, integration, and belonging </li><li>Algorithmic bias, exclusion, and digital inequality </li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><div class="SCXW215759337 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><p><strong>Responsibilities of accepted participants</strong></p><ul><li>Prepare a poster based on the accepted abstract</li><li>Be present during assigned poster sessions on May 20 and May 21, 2026 </li><li>Engage with conference participants during the poster sessions </li><li>Detailed poster format and display instructions will be shared with selected candidates. </li></ul></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><h3><strong>Abstract requirements</strong></h3><ul><li>Maximum length: Abstracts must be no longer than 2 pages excluding reference </li><li>Clearly state the research question, methods, and relevance to the Bridging Divides theme </li><li>Include title, author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact information </li></ul><figure class="table" style="width:39.94%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="background-color:hsl( 0, 0%, 59% );"><colgroup><col style="width:100%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hfFpVS_SE06YUM5bGrzS6Kiobs4Pd09DnFS16_10O3ZUNTVZRDRMT0VBQ0kwVVNBRVBEUU5QREdINS4u"><span style="color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);">Submit your abstract</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><h3><strong>Eligibility</strong></h3><div class="c-wysiwyg wysiwyg section"><div class="rte "><p>The poster competition is open to: </p><ul><li>Master’s, PhD students affiliated with the <em>Bridging Divides </em>initiative </li><li>Early career scholars affiliated with <em>Bridging Divides </em>initiative, including:<ul><li>Postdoctoral fellows </li><li>Research associates </li><li>Assistant professors     </li></ul></li><li>Concordia University graduate students (Master's and PhD)</li></ul><p>Applicants must either be the primary investigators of the research presented (with supervisors, advisors, and collaborators acknowledged as co-authors where appropriate), <strong>or </strong>be graduate students actively contributing to a Bridging Divides research project.</p><p>Selected candidates must be available to present their posters in person, in Montreal, on May 20 and May 21, 2026.</p><p>Please note that all costs associated with attending the conference are the responsibility of the selected candidates, <strong>excluding the poster printing costs</strong>, which will be covered by event organizers.</p></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW215759337 BCX0"><h3><strong>Important Dates </strong></h3><ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW215759337 BCX0" role="list"><li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="6" data-list-defn-props="{" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1" role="listitem"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="836684011" paraeid="{80690360-beef-4254-bc5a-d8afde11dc53}{230}">Call launches: January 12, 2026 </p></li></ul></div><div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW215759337 BCX0"><ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW215759337 BCX0" role="list"><li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="6" data-list-defn-props="{" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1" role="listitem"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="896564134" paraeid="{80690360-beef-4254-bc5a-d8afde11dc53}{239}">Online poster training session: March 11, 2026 </p><ul><li>Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend, as this session will provide guidance on designing effective academic posters and communicating research to diverse audiences. <em>You can find details </em><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.torontomu.ca/bridging-divides/news-and-events/events/2026/03/design-conference-posters-workshop/" adhocenable="false" aria-label="here (external link opens in a new tab)"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></li></ul></li></ul></div><div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW215759337 BCX0"><ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW215759337 BCX0" role="list"><li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="6" data-list-defn-props="{" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1" role="listitem"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="1151580317" paraeid="{80690360-beef-4254-bc5a-d8afde11dc53}{247}">Abstract submission deadline: March 20, 2026 </p></li></ul></div><div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW215759337 BCX0"><ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW215759337 BCX0" role="list"><li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="6" data-list-defn-props="{" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1" role="listitem"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="312557877" paraeid="{80690360-beef-4254-bc5a-d8afde11dc53}{255}">Results announced: April 15, 2026 </p></li></ul></div><div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW215759337 BCX0"><ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW215759337 BCX0" role="list"><li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="6" data-list-defn-props="{" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1" role="listitem"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="113837307" paraeid="{e2287600-df2f-4b50-b1a0-eec29157926b}{8}">Final poster-ready abstract due: May 18, 2026 </p></li></ul></div><div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW215759337 BCX0"><ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW215759337 BCX0" role="list"><li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="6" data-list-defn-props="{" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1" role="listitem"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="162494007" paraeid="{e2287600-df2f-4b50-b1a0-eec29157926b}{16}">Poster presentations: May 20–21, 2026 </p></li></ul><figure class="table" style="width:75.07%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="background-color:hsl( 0, 0%, 59% );"><colgroup><col style="width:100%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.torontomu.ca/bridging-divides/news-and-events/events/2026/03/design-conference-posters-workshop/"><span style="color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);">Register for online poster training session</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><div class="SCXW215759337 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><h3><strong>Awards</strong></h3><p>Awards will be granted to the <strong>top three presenters</strong>, as selected by a jury composed of members of the conference organizing committee. </p><p>Stipends:</p><ul><li>1st Place: 1,000 CAD</li><li>2nd Place: 500 CAD</li><li>3rd Place: 250 CAD</li></ul><p>Evaluation criteria will include: </p><ul><li>Relevance to the Bridging Divides research themes </li><li>Clarity and quality of research presentation </li><li>Visual design and accessibility of the poster </li><li>Ability to communicate research to an interdisciplinary audience </li></ul></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><h3><strong>Contact Information </strong></h3><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="1239600947" paraeid="{e2287600-df2f-4b50-b1a0-eec29157926b}{153}">For questions regarding the poster competition or submissions, please contact: </p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW215759337 BCX0"><p class="Paragraph SCXW215759337 BCX0" paraid="388647842" paraeid="{e2287600-df2f-4b50-b1a0-eec29157926b}{159}"><a class="Hyperlink SCXW215759337 BCX0" href="mailto:irms@concordia.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">irms@concordia.ca</a> </p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div></div></div></div></div>