Call for Papers 2025

The National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) is proud to introduce our inaugural Winter Online Conference.

It will take place online on Wednesday 29th January 2025.

NEON would like to invite the submission of research papers and examples of best practice for the NEON Winter Online Conference 2025.

The theme of NEON Winter Conference 2025 is ‘Higher Education – Creating a Sustainable, Equitable System for Growth’. Drawing together key figures from the worlds of higher education policy and practice, this year’s conference will focus upon how we can create a sustainable, equitable system of higher education that will deliver both the skills and growth needed in the United Kingdom. In addition to colleagues in the higher education sector, also in attendance is our impressive line-up of keynote speakers, including:

Professor John McKendrick, Commissioner for Fair Access to Higher Education, Scotland

Professor Antony Moss, Pro Vice Chancellor, London South Bank University

Professor Julie Sheldon, Dean of the Doctoral Academy, Liverpool John Moores University

James Kewin, Deputy Chief Executive, Sixth Form Colleges Association

More speakers to be announced here.

As OfS’s new approach to regulating equality of opportunity places a significant emphasis on evidence-based approach, asking universities and colleges to strengthen their evaluation activity and then share their research results publicly, presenting at the event will enable you to share your research with a broad range of delegates, create opportunities for discussion and collaboration and network with other researchers and practitioners working in the field. We are seeking research papers/best practice examples that focus on the conference theme and investigate the following:

Will a tertiary system lead to greater equality in access to and success in higher education?

How will higher education need to adapt to changes in the curriculum in schools and colleges?

Vocational progression: Will the introduction of T-levels lead to undergraduate students who are more prepared for higher education study?

How can government move towards a more progressive model of funding for higher education?

How can higher education close the gaps that currently exist in both student success and graduate outcomes?

General papers related to all aspects of access and participation policy and practice.

We will seek to combine papers into interesting and stimulating sessions, the outcomes of which will be captured by NEON and used to inform our agenda going forward into 2025.

Presenting at the NEON Winter Conference will have a tangible outcome for presenters i.e.:

Informing the agenda and work of NEON
Inclusion in the NEON website
Sharing your institution’s/organisation’s work with a broad range of delegates
Having the opportunity to have your work published via the NEON website.

Paper presentations should be between 15-20 minutes in length with an additional 10 minutes allocated for further questions.

Abstracts should be no more than 500 words
You can submit an abstract here.

Please note: all presenters of the NEON Winter Conference are required to register for the event.