We are pleased to announce that Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will be jointly hosting Vagantes from April 4–6, 2025!
Application to Host the 25th Annual Vagantes Conference in 2026
The Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies is now accepting applications for our 2026 host institution. Vagantes is an interdisciplinary graduate student conference showcasing graduate students’ research related to all topics focusing on the Middle Ages. Hosting the conference offers students a unique opportunity to showcase the Medieval Studies community at their institution while also gaining valuable professional development experience.
Applications for the 2026 Vagantes host institution are due September 16, 2024. All applications will be reviewed by the Vagantes Board of Directors. E-mail submissions are required.
To apply to host the 25th Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies, please fill out the form below and send it to the Vagantes Board of Directors (vagantesboard@gmail.com). A digital copy of this form is accessible here.
- Name of university (may be a joint application with more than one university).
- Name of departments, institutes, and student organizations to be involved.
- Statement of interest that addresses the following questions:
- Why would your school be a good place to host Vagantes?
- What resources does your school have available (student interest, funding possibilities, museums, libraries, special collections, etc.)?
- Why would your school be a good venue for an international conference (accessibility, accommodations, transportation options, etc.)?
- The costs associated with hosting Vagantes have varied over the years, but on average have required an investment of about $10,000-15,000. How does your institution plan to raise this sum? Please name the chief source of funding you plan to rely upon to pay for the conference.
- Names and institutional affiliations of five graduate students who, by signing, will undertake the serious commitment of time to organize the conference. Please indicate and provide the email address for one of the students who would become the official host representative and immediately take up a three-year position on the Vagantes Board of Directors. You may appoint two students to this post if desired.
- Name of a faculty advisor who has agreed to be involved with Vagantes.
- Certify that you agree to the conditions listed below.
Applicants must agree to the following conditions:
- The conference will be free and registration will be open to the general public.
- The conference will run from a Thursday-Saturday in or around March.
- The conference will include a keynote by a faculty member from your school on the opening day and a final keynote by a faculty member from the future host school.
- The conference will conclude with a final banquet.
- Your school will send a faculty member to serve as a keynote at the current host school. You will provide the current host school organizers with the speaker’s name and contact information no later than November 15.
- Three graduate students from your school must agree to serve as abstract submission readers in November in the year before the conference is hosted, during the year the conference is hosted, and in the following year. The abstract submission review committee is comprised of members from the past host institution, current host, and future host institution.
- The host institution representative from your school must agree to serve a three-year term on the Vagantes Board of Directors.
- Year 1: the position of Future Host Institution Representative on the Vagantes Board of Directors begins as soon as the new host institution is named (c. June). Conference preparations begin.
- Year 2: the position becomes Current Host Institution Representative in May and continues for one year. Conference preparations continue; hosting the event occurs in or around March.
- Year 3: in May the Current Host Institution Representative becomes the new Chair of the Vagantes Board of Directors and serves in that capacity until the following May. The Chair is primarily an advisory role. The Chair ensures a smooth transition to the new host institution and supervises the operations of the Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies and its governing body.
- The host school will feature the Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies seal logo on the conference program and other print and electronic marketing materials.
At least one and up to two Future Host Institution Representative(s) or his/her designee should plan to attend the 2025 conference hosted at Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
We encourage all potential applicants for the 2026 conference to take a look at previous host application proposals:
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Case Western Reserve University
Current Host:
Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill, 2025
Past Hosts:
Northwestern University, March 21-23, 2024
Harvard University, March 16-18, 2023
Case Western Reserve University, March 24–26, 2022
University of Wisconsin–Madison, March 18–20, 2021
University of Connecticut, March 19–21, 2020 [Canceled due to COVID-19]
University of Toronto, March 21–23, 2019
University of Minnesota, March 22–24, 2018
University of Notre Dame, March 9–11, 2017
Rice University, February 18–20, 2016
University of Florida, February 19–21, 2015
The University of Texas at Austin, March 20–22, 2014
The University of Wisconsin–Madison, March 21–23, 2013
Indiana University, March 29–31, 2012
The University of Pittsburgh, March 3–5, 2011
The University of New Mexico, March 11–13, 2010
Florida State University, March 5–7, 2009
The Ohio State University, February 28–March 2, 2008
Loyola University Chicago, March 1–3, 2007
The University of California, Berkeley, March 2–5, 2006
The University of Notre Dame, March 3–5, 2005
Cornell University, March 11–14, 2004
The University of Toronto, March 20–23, 2003
Harvard University, March 7–10, 2002