The Executive Officers of the International Phonetic Association and the Alphabet, Charts and Fonts (ACF) Committee are currently preparing for the next IPA Convention, scheduled for 2029, marking 40 years since the landmark Kiel Convention of 1989.

IPA Conventions are central scientific meetings of the Association. They bring together the international phonetics community to discuss fundamental theoretical, empirical, and applied developments, and—most notably—to shape the future of the International Phonetic Alphabet itself, as exemplified by the influential outcomes of the 1989 Kiel Convention: Report on the 1989 Kiel Convention | Journal of the International Phonetic Association | Cambridge Core

We invite institutions and IPA members interested in hosting the 2029 Convention to submit a proposal. Particular attention should be given to the financial framework, especially participant costs, as the Association is committed to keeping registration fees as accessible as possible. Attendance is expected to be in the region of 100 participants.

To assist you, we have prepared a proposal template, including a summary table outlining the key components that need to be addressed. The template can be downloaded here. Proposals should be submitted by 30 May 2026 and sent to: secretary@internationalphoneticassociation.org

[This page was last updated on 12 December 2025]

The IPA invites applications for a new student mobility programme. Awards will be funded for up to 1500€ each; the number of awards will depend on the budget.

The programme will support physical mobility of IPA student members to visit research laboratories with expertise in their area of study. It subsidizes travel or accommodation costs for a minimum two-week mobility to the host institution. It is primarily addressed to student members from countries where funding resources are limited. The primary goal is to provide the opportunity to students to visit a research laboratory abroad in order to conduct a specific, well-defined project (which may be a pilot project). The program will benefit students by allowing them to meet other researchers and build academic networks, acquiring knowledge and skills on the use of new experimental techniques and data analysis methods, presenting their own work to a broader audience, exchanging knowledge and ideas on common research areas. It will also promote future collaborations across different laboratories and countries.

The deadline for applications is February 15th, 2026.
The mobility should be completed by December 15, 2026.

Eligibility
Current graduate student members of the Association are eligible to apply for the student mobility program. Priority will be given to students from countries where funding resources are limited.

The candidates should submit:
• A two-page CV
• A one-page summary of their research project
• A one-page motivation letter including justification for the visit, the expected learning outcomes and how the mobility will add value to their research
• A preliminary breakdown of the costs, including information on whether other funding applications were submitted and amount applied for

These four documents should be submitted as a single pdf file.
• A letter of support (pdf) by the supervisor setting out the objectives of the mobility and how it will benefit the candidate
• A letter of acceptance (pdf) by the host institution with the proposed dates of the visit (minimum 2 weeks).

Applications for IPA membership can be lodged via our website here. A full list of member benefits can be found on the same page. To apply for an Award, eligible members of the IPA should log in to the website with their membership details, fill in the application form and upload all documents to the application form here.

Upon completion of the visit, students are asked to submit:

• A short report describing the visit, the research carried out, and benefits of the programme, to be
  posted on the IPA website. The report may (but need not) include photos or a short video appropriate for posting on the IPA social media platform.
• A letter from the host (pdf) confirming that the mobility has taken place

The IPA is pleased to announce the second edition of the IPA PhD Thesis award.
The IPA PhD Thesis award distinguishes the best PhD Thesis in the broad area of Phonetics, Speech Sciences, and Laboratory Phonology. This prize will be awarded to a PhD student with substantial academic potential, who has produced an outstanding PhD thesis that contributes to advancing the scientific study of the field.

Eligibility and Requirements:

• The candidate must have obtained their PhD in 2024;
• The candidate must be an IPA member;
• The PhD thesis must be written in or translated into English;
• The PhD thesis must be original work.

The applications will be assessed by the IPA PhD Thesis Award Committee: Taehong Cho, Lisa Davidson, Sónia Frota (Co-chair), Martine Grice (Co-Chair), Thais Christofaro Silva, Maria Josep Sole.

The applications will be assessed by the IPA PhD Thesis Award Committee.

Required Application Documents:

• An executive summary of the PhD thesis in English of 2000 words (maximum);
• A letter from the PhD supervisor recommending the candidate for consideration for this award;
• A motivation letter from the candidate outlining what makes the thesis worthy of recognition (maximum 1 page);
• The candidate’s CV, including a list of publications related to the thesis (this can include papers submitted and papers in press);
• An electronic copy of the PhD thesis;
• A scanned copy of the PhD diploma or certificate.

How to apply:

• Fill in the webform at https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/content/phd-thesis-awar... (this requires logging in as an IPA member)
  

Selection Criteria:

• Originality and impact of the research;
• Quality of CV and publications;
• Strength of the motivation letter;
• Anticipated academic potential.

The Prizes:

• Certificate;
• Free IPA membership for 3 years;
• One conference travel award of up to 300 EUR;
• Offer to publish one paper free of charge in JIPA after peer review (in case the candidate is not affiliated to an institution covered by the CUP’s transformative agreements).

Application deadline: 15 September, 2025.
The winner will be announced on the IPA website and social media by the end of December, 2025.

We thank all applicants in advance for their submissions and wish you an insightful academic summer and fall period,

The IPA PhD Thesis award Committee

The following student members have received IPA Student Mobility funding for 2025 :

• Cristina Crison Chávez (Universitat Roviraa i Virgili)
• Ming Liu (The University of Hong Kong)
• Teerawee Sukanchanon (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand)

Congratulations to the awardees!

Committee on Conference Sponsorships and Student Awards: Patrice Beddor, Ioana Chitoran (chair), John Esling, Jonathan Harrington, Katerina Nicolaidis, Masaki Taniguchi

Four student members have received IPA Student Awards for their participation at TAI 2025, the 3rd International Conference on Tone and Intonation, 16-18 May, 2025, in Herrsching, Germany. They are:

• Maria Lialiou (University of Cologne, Germany)
• Teerawee Sukanchanon (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand)
• Zhou Wangqian (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
• Fengyue Zhao (Cornell University, USA)

Congratulations to the awardees!

Committee on Conference Sponsorships and Student Awards: Patrice Beddor, Ioana Chitoran (chair), John Esling, Jonathan Harrington, Katerina Nicolaidis, Masaki Taniguchi