Call for Papers: 67th Annual Conference of the Society for the History of Discoveries

Call for Papers

67th Annual Conference of

The Society for the History of Discoveries

Theme: Islands of Discovery

Location:  Center for Newfoundland Studies, St. Johns, Newfoundland
Conference Dates: July 29 – Aug 1, 2026,
Abstract Submission Deadline: March 15, 2026

Throughout history, islands have functioned as both isolated laboratories of evolution and central hubs of global maritime networks. From the earliest known navigations to the European expansions in the "Age of Discovery", and contemporary deep-sea charting, the act of "discovering" an island is a complex event involving story-telling, encounters, scientific inquiry, and mapmaking.

This interdisciplinary conference seeks to examine the multifaceted history and ongoing process of island exploration. We invite scholars from history, geography, cartography, maritime studies, and related fields to submit proposals that interrogate how islands and island encounters relate to global exploration, exchange, and discovery.

Suggested Topics for Submission

We welcome individual papers, 20 minutes in length, as well as pre-constituted panels (three 20-minute papers) on themes including, but not limited to:

Pre-Modern Navigations, Indigenous Practice, Cartography and the "Imaginary" Island, Scientific Expeditions, Imperialism and Sovereignty, Technological Frontiers, and other aspects of exploration, encounter, and discovery. 

Preference will be given to those papers that are particularly aligned with the conference theme, but all paper proposals of high quality, regardless of geographic orientation, will be considered.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals should be submitted through the submission link at the bottom of this page. 

Proposals must include

• the title of the presentation
• the author’s name, email address, and affiliation (or independent scholar)
• an abstract summarizing the paper’s scope and conclusions (maximum of 500 words)
• a statement about the originality of the contents of the paper:  How much is new, unpublished material, based on research in primary sources, etc.
• a statement indicating whether PowerPoint or other digital media will be used and whether internet access is necessary for the presentation
• a brief biographic sketch of the author(s)

Student Submissions

The Society welcomes submissions from graduate students and emerging scholars and papers on teaching the history of exploration.  SHD is pleased to be able to award travel funding of up to $500 each for two graduate students to participate in the annual meeting through the Dr. Mary Emily Miller Endowment.  Further information may be found at https://discoveryhistory.org/endowment.

• Those who wish to apply for this award should include a letter of request, including a preliminary travel budget, when submitting their proposal.  
• Applications should be submitted to the Program Chair, Dr. Mylynka Kilgore Cardona with the subject line SHD 2026 Miller Travel Award App.

Publication Opportunity

Selected papers from the conference may be invited for submission to a peer-reviewed issue of our journal Terrae Incognitae published by Taylor & Francis.

Contact Information

For inquiries regarding the conference or the submission process, please contact the Program Chair, Dr. Mylynka Kilgore Cardona at mylynka.cardona@etamu.edu. 

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL LINK