Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQs are constantly being updated.
Registration
Is there any financial support available to attend the conference?
Unfortunately, we cannot offer any financial support for your travel or accomodation costs.
Considering the incredible number of requests for financial support we received, we decided to re-purpose parts of the budget envisioned for conference giveaways to support PhD students from B-C country categories (see ISA website).
Applicants for this financial support must:
- Be enrolled as a PhD candidate at the time of the conference.
- Be a presenting author of an accepted paper.
- Be affiliated with an institution located in a B or C economic category country.
- Have paid the conference early bird registration fee (proof of payment required).
- Provide a letter from the supervisor attesting that they do not receive institutional or project-based funding to cover conference participation.
To apply, send the requested documents to info@rc21-vienna2026.org by July 30th, 2026.
If the number of applications exceeds available reimbursements, the allocation will be made through a random lottery among eligible applicants.
Selected applicants will be reimbursed after the conference upon confirmation of attendance and presentation.
Failure to attend or present will result in non-reimbursement.
When does the registration period end?
The early bird registration ends on the 10th of April, 2026.
Important: Authors whose abstracts have been accepted must register by 12 March 2026. If they do not, an author from the waiting list will be given the opportunity to present their paper instead.
The late bird registration will be open from 11 April, 2026 until 17 July, 2026.
You can see further details on the conference timeline here
My abstract has been accepted. By when do I need to register?
If your abstract has been accepted, at least one author must register within the early bird deadline, until the 12th of March, to confirm your participation at the conference.
Please note that if you do not register within this deadline, your paper will be removed from the programme and someone from the waiting list will be given the opportunity to present their paper.
If you are a session chair, at least one of the chairs for your session must register by the early bird deadline.
What do the different fees for members and non-members mean?
Members of RC21, the Research Committee 21 on Urban and Regional Development of the International Sociological Association (ISA), enjoy significantly reduced conference fees.
If you register for the Conference as an RC21 member, but you are not, your registration is not valid.
Can I still attend the conference if my abstract has not been accepted?
Yes, we appreciate your interest in the RC21 Conference, and we encourage you to attend.
My abstract is on the waiting list. What does that mean?
Being on the waiting list means that if authors of accepted papers fail to register by the March 12th deadline, your paper might be accepted for presentation, and you will be contacted by the conference organisers with further information by March 17th.
Do session chairs need to register and pay the participation fees?
Yes, all participants to the conference, in whatever capacity, need to register and pay the corresponding fee.
When is the deadline for session chairs to register?
If you are a session chair, at least one of the chairs for your session must register by the early bird deadline (10 April 2026).
In general, all session chairs must register before the conference starts.
I need an invitation letter for my visa application. How can I obtain one?
First, you must register by paying the registration fee before we can send you a visa letter.
Please register here.
Once you have successfully registered please send an email to visa@rc21-vienna2026.org, providing the following information:
- your full name
- passport number
- name and address of your institution
- nationality
What payment methods are offered in the registration process?
You can pay by credit card (Amex, Mastercard, VISA) or via bank transfer.
How can I receive a certificate of participation?
If you need a certificate of participation, please select the respective dropdown in the registration form.
Then, you will receive your certificate of participation after the conference upon confirmation of attendance.
I would like to cancel my attendance to the conference. What do I have to do?
If you have registered for the conference and cannot attend please write an email to the Event Management Team of the University of Vienna (congress@univie.ac.at) to process your cancellation and partial refund (see the cancellation policy here).
Please CC the Local Organising Committee (info@rc21-vienna2026.org) in your email, so that we can adapt the conference programme accordingly.
Final submissions
What are final submissions? What are they used for?
Final submissions should be written papers (6,000-10,000 words) that describe your resarch, the theoretical background and the methodology in more detail. They can be work-in-progress and do not have to be published journal articles.
Final submissions aim to improve discussions within the session, help session chairs prepare their sessions, and enable authors to share their work.
Discussing paper drafts at the conference may also speed up the publication process for authors.
Are final submissions required?
We strongly recommend authors to prepare and submit a written paper for their abstract. Your final submission can be a work-in-progress paper.
Chairs of larger sessions may handle this guideline flexibly and agree with the authors in their session. A compromise solution could also be an extended PowerPoint presentation (in PDF format).
How can I make a final submission?
Final submissions should be submitted via the conference tool Ex Ordo until June 30, 2026.
The final submissions workflow in Ex Ordo enables authors to edit existing content or upload new content such as a final paper.
You can find a detailed description of the final submissions process on the Ex Ordo Knowledge Base here.
We will provide you with further guidelines and instructions on the Ex Ordo platform as soon as final submissions are open.
Will final submissions be published?
Final submissions will not be published in an official publication of conference proceedings.
Final submissions will be accessible only to registered participants.
Travel and Stay
How can I request a visa letter?
First, you must register by paying the registration fee before we can send you a visa letter.
Please register here.
Once you have successfully registered please send an email to visa@rc21-vienna2026.org, providing the following information:
- your full name
- passport number
- name and address of your institution
- nationality
Is there any travel support available?
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer any financial assistance for your travel or accommodation expenses.
You can find a list of recommended hotels close to the conference venue here.
Where does the RC21 Conference take place?
The conference will take place in the main building of the University of Vienna (Universitätsring 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria).
Further questions? Find out who to contact!
Please contact the Event Management of the University of Vienna (congress@univie.ac.at) if you…
- …would like to make a change to your billing address on the conference registration invoice.
- …would like to cancel your registration and request a partial refund of the registration fee.
- …would like the registration confirmation to be resent.
If you have questions about…
- your RC21 Membership status,
- the payment of the RC21 Member fee,
- or any other questions about the RC21 membership,
please contact the RC21 Secretary (secretary@rc21.org).
If you require a visa letter or invitation letter please contact visa@rc21-vienna2026.org.
If you have any other questions about…
- the general organisation of the RC21 Conference in Vienna,
- the conference programme,
- or your abstract/session/round table/pitch your work submission,
please contact the local organising committee (info@rc21-vienna2026.org).