Call for Side Events at the 2027 GRC Annual Meeting
The co-hosts of the 2027 GRC Annual Meeting, the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG), together with the GRC Executive Secretariat are inviting GRC participant organisations to submit proposals to organise Side Events on 24 and 25 May 2027.
Application Deadline: 11 December 2026
Background and Application Requirements
Side Events provide space to broaden the conversation, giving GRC participating organisations the opportunity to convene global dialogue on issues of strategic relevance to the international research funding community and the wider research community around the GRC-27 and GRC-28 themes. Side Events are 90 min workshops or round-table discussions that are organised on the sidelines of the GRC Annual Meeting and are not part of the main programme.
Proposals should address one of the following two topics:
- Curiosity-Driven Research (CDR) (GRC '27 topic)
- AI and the Future of Research and Innovation Systems (GRC '28 topic)
Proposals may link these two topics to areas of strategic relevance to the international research funding community, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and themes that were identified as regional hot topics during the GRC Annual Meeting in 2026:
- Open Science and research equity
- Indigenous knowledge and inclusive knowledge systems
- Resilience of research systems
- Trust in science
A total of eight Side Event slots will be available on 24 and 25 May 2027.
Side Events are open to all GRC participating organisations and may, where appropriate, include additional guests. Only GRC participating organisations may submit proposals to organise Side Events. Non-GRC participants may contribute as co-organisers. Collaboration between GRC participating organisations particularly across different regions is strongly encouraged. Proposing organisations may engage external partners as speakers, panelists or participants where relevant. Each GRC participating organisation may submit a maximum of two proposals in total.
Proposals should demonstrate strategic relevance to the GRC community, potential to generate meaningful discussion and exchange, and an approach that encourages active participation. Organisers are encouraged to consider innovative meeting formats that support meaningful interaction.
Logistics
The proposing organisations are responsible for organising the Side Event, which includes:
- Preparing the agenda and a concept note
- Confirming speakers
- Providing banners, printed material and giveaways, if required
- Prepare a summary report
The Annual Meeting hosts are responsible for providing:
- Rooms
- Technical infrastructure
- Meeting links for virtual attendance
- Participation management (e.g. registration platform)
- Reception desk and name tags
Selection of Proposals
Proposals will be reviewed following the closing of the Call. Selection will take into account the strategic relevance and quality of proposals, diversity of participation and perspectives, potential contribution to the GRC-27 programme, feasibility, and the overall balance and complementarity of the programme.
The number of Side Events will be subject to the limited number of available programme slots. Every effort will be made to accommodate suitable and eligible submissions while ensuring a balanced and coherent overall programme.
The approved Side Events will be announced by the GRC Executive Secretariat in March 2027.
Download the Application Form.
For further information, please get in touch with the GRC Executive Secretariat Management team at grc@ukri.org.
To propose a Side Event to the 2027 Annual Meeting, please complete the application form and email it to grc@ukri.org by 11 December 2026 at the latest.