Call for abstracts

The Swedish National Graduate School on Ageing and Health (SWEAH) is pleased to invite you to the fourth scientific conference on ageing and health, which is organized in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet. The conference will take place in Stockholm on November 10-11, 2026, and the venue is Best Western Plus Park City Hotel, Solna.

SWEAH’s mission is to foster efficient and creative collaboration among Swedish higher education institutions and relevant national and international partners conducting research on ageing and health, while contributing to high-quality doctoral education for PhD students in the field. One way SWEAH promotes academic exchange and capacity building is by organising scientific conferences.

This year, the conference theme is Exchange of Insights: Connecting Research on Ageing and Health with Societal Needs. The conference will be a two-day event:

• Day 1 (in English) is aimed at early-stage researchers engaged in ageing and health research at SWEAH’s 13 partner universities. Participation is not limited to those affiliated with or formally engaged in SWEAH. 
• Day 2 (in English or Swedish depending on the session) will be open to researchers and stakeholders, such as politicians, municipality representatives, senior citizens’ associations and others interested in research on ageing and health.

By bringing together researchers and non-academic stakeholders, the conference seeks to foster meaningful exchange, networking and future collaborations, as well as promote a deeper understanding of key issues related to ageing and health, identify research problems, and support the application of research findings in real life contexts.

Conference Theme

Exchange of Insights: Connecting Research on Ageing and Health with Societal Needs

This year’s theme emphasizes the role of researchers as socially engaged actors who, on the one hand, draw on real-world insights to shape their research and, on the other, facilitate knowledge sharing and its translation into societal value. It is grounded in the understanding that the relationship between science and society is constructive and reciprocal, shaped through ongoing dialogue, shared learning, and collaboration among researchers, policymakers, industry, and civil society.

Topics and Areas of Interest

The conference welcomes contributions from across the broad field of ageing and health. Given SWEAH’s interdisciplinary profile, submissions may draw on a wide range of theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, and empirical contexts. We aim for presentations that reflect the diversity of research conducted within SWEAH’s partner universities. Additionally, invited non-academic stakeholders will present on societal perspectives on day 2.

Contributions may address, but are not limited to, themes such as:

• Biological, medical, and clinical dimensions of ageing and health,
• Social, behavioural, psychological, and environmental aspects of ageing,
• Health and social care systems, services, and practices,
• Inequalities, diversity, and inclusion in later life,
• Demographic, epidemiological, or population‑level perspectives on ageing,
• Digitalisation, technology, and innovation for ageing populations,
• Care, support, and everyday life in various settings,
• Policy, governance, and ethical questions related to ageing and health,
• Methodological and theoretical developments relevant to ageing research,
• Interdisciplinary and cross‑sector collaborations addressing societal needs.

Research at all stages relevant to ageing and health is welcome, including exploratory, work‑in‑progress, and early‑stage PhD projects.

Why Participate?

This conference offers an interdisciplinary arena for research in the field of ageing and health. Participation provides an opportunity to strengthen the SWEAH network and, for early-stage researchers, to present and discuss ongoing research. Participants will also gain insights into the latest developments and trends in ageing and health from leading experts and researchers in Sweden and abroad as well as stakeholder perspectives.

Submission of Abstracts

We invite SWEAH PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, alumni, supervisors, and other researchers from SWEAH’s partner universities to submit abstracts. 

During the abstract submission process, you are encouraged to indicate your preferred presentation format. The formats and time limits are outlined below. Please note that the final presentation format may be adjusted depending on the number of abstracts accepted.

For abstract guidelines, see SWEAH website | Guidelines for abstract submission.

Abstracts should be submitted via the following digital form https://survey.mailing.lu.se/Survey/64454, no later than 8 May 2026.

Notification of Acceptance

All submissions, regardless of format, will undergo a peer-review process by a review committee. Submissions may receive feedback in accordance with the reviewers’ guidelines. If there are more abstracts than the conference can accommodate, priority will be given to presentations by SWEAH PhD students.

The review committee will also recommend a presentation format to the conference committee. Authors will be notified of the outcome of their submission by e-mail, no later than June 19. Authors will be given the opportunity to revise their abstracts based on reviewers’ feedback, if any, and resubmit them for inclusion in the digital abstract book, which will be published on SWEAH’s website.

Important Dates

• Deadline for abstract submission: May 8, 2026.
• Notification of acceptance of abstracts: June 19, 2026.
• Registration for the conference opens: June 19, 2026.
• Deadline to submit revised abstracts: August 26, 2026.
• Publication of preliminary conference program: September 18, 2026.
• Registration for the conference closes: October 2, 2026.

Registration Fee & Other Costs

The conference is free of charge for all registered participants and includes lunch and coffee breaks. For participants attending both days, a conference dinner will also be hosted on 10 November.

For SWEAH-affiliated PhD students, one night of accommodation (10–11 November) will be arranged and covered at Best Western Plus Park City Hotel, Solna, which is also the conference venue. For those with a travel time exceeding three hours from their home university to the venue, an additional night (9–10 November) will also be arranged and covered by SWEAH. All other participants are kindly asked to arrange and cover their own accommodation. Please note that SWEAH does not arrange or reimburse travel.