The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is delighted to invite proposals for papers for our upcoming Archaeological Research in Progress (ARP) conference. 

The Conference  

The ARP conference is a one-day hybrid event showcasing new research findings and best practice in archaeology covering all periods from across Scotland. It will be held at Augustine United Church – an accessible, well-equipped venue in central Edinburgh – on Saturday 3 May 2025. Since it began in 2005, the annual conference has been organised in alternate years, one year by Archaeology Scotland and the next year by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 

The audience for this conference will be a mix of students, academics, heritage professionals, and the general public. 

You can watch recordings of previous ARP conferences on our YouTube channel.

Submissions 

We encourage proposals from researchers at any stage of their career (e.g. undergraduate or postgraduate students, interns, early career researchers, established academics) and from any working environment (e.g. archives, commercial units, museums, universities, independent research). We are very keen to give a platform to those who are often under-represented in archaeological presentations. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and encourage all interested individuals to apply. 

Our standard format is a series of 20-minute talks, but we are open to adapting the conference to be guided by the submissions we receive, so please tell us how you would ideally like to present your research (e.g. as an individual paper lasting 5, 10, 20 mins or longer, as part of a panel discussion, as a poster, or another way we’ve not thought of). Our preference is for in-person speakers to allow wider networking, but we are happy to discuss requests for presentations online. 

We offer an honorarium (£80 per 20-minute talk) to help remove financial barriers that might inhibit participation to speakers to present their research. Travel expenses (standard class within the UK) may be reimbursed and accommodation paid for where necessary for a single presenter per paper included in the programme. 

We also want to know of any barriers you currently face to participation in such a conference, and any suggestions of how we might help mitigate them (e.g. quiet spaces). 

How To Apply 

Your proposal can be written or submitted as a video or audio file and should include:  

• an outline of your talk/topic (250 words/two minutes or less) 

• the format in which you would like to present your research (e.g. 20-minute talk) 

• a brief biographical note (e.g. affiliation and/or occupation) 

• a note of any barriers to participation 

It should be submitted by 10am on Wednesday 26 February 2025 to events@socantscot.org  

We aim to invite successful applicants to participate in the conference by mid-March. 

If you have any questions about applying, or would like to know more, please contact events@socantscot.org   

We look forward to hearing from you! 

Sponsorship 

We are seeking event sponsorship to help us deliver this high-quality hybrid conference that gives opportunities to as wide a range of organisations and individuals as possible to get involved.  

Sponsorship funding will be used to:  

• Promote the conference, speakers and event sponsors 

• Ensure that the event is as accessible and popular as possible by keeping ticket prices low 

• Remove any financial barriers which might inhibit participation by offering an honorarium to speakers 

ARP conference talks are professionally recorded, edited and uploaded to the Society’s YouTube channel and as the videos show sponsors’ logos then sponsors have promotion in perpetuity. For example, two of the Society’s most viewed online videos to date are from ARP Conference recorded talks in 2017 and 2019 which feature a range of sponsor logos and details, with over 70,000 views each and growing. Our viewers are from across the world, both to the hybrid event and to the YouTube channel, with a global reach across nearly 50 countries.  

If you would like to discuss this sponsorship opportunity in more detail, please read the Sponsorship Proposal and contact jeff@socantscot.org by Friday 14 February at the latest.   

About the Society 

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the oldest antiquarian society in Scotland. Founded in 1780, and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783, to provide an independent forum for the study, conservation and enjoyment of Scotland’s past.  

Today, we do this by publishing high-quality books and peer-reviewed papers, supporting independent research with awards and grants, running public lectures and conference programmes featuring leading experts, and by providing a home for two sector leading projects, ScARF and Dig It!.  

Fellows form the core of the Society and number over 2,600 with the majority based in Scotland and across the UK, along with a growing number from continental Europe and overseas.  

Benefits of Fellowship include exclusive access to all articles in the most recent Annual Proceedings of the Society, invitations to exclusive in-person tours and online Fellows’ meetings, borrowing privileges of print resources at the National Museums Scotland research library, and discounts on Society publications and some events, including ARP.   

The Society is a registered charity in Scotland (Charity Number SC010440) and more information about the Society and how to join can be found on our website. 

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