NNRME 2026 - Conference

Abstract submission opens: 1 September 2025  

Abstract submission deadline: 10 November 2025  

Admission notice: 25 November 2025  

Registration opens: 25 November 2025  

Registration closes: 6 February 2026 

The conference fees are:

• Main conference: 5700 NOK 
• PhD preconference: 1100 NOK 

All meals during the conference are included in this price. 

The registration link will be published when the registration opens (25 November)

The main conference will be held at Grand Hotel Terminus in Bergen City Center, which is right next to the railway station and bus station. Travelers from the airport can reach the hotel with the light rail directly from the airport (stop Nonneseter/railway station).  

The PhD pre-conference will be held at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences at campus Kronstad, which is a short ride away from the hotel with the Bergen light rail (stop Kronstad).  

See information about hotel booking below.

The PhD pre-conference welcomes PhD students at all stages of their projects. The pre-conference provides a space for networking and collaboration between PhD students oriented towards music education research in the Nordic countries. Together with fellow students and experienced researchers within the NNRME the aim is to collectively inspire, explore, support and challenge emerging research projects.  

The pre-conference runs lunch to lunch on 23-24 March 2026 and includes presentational and conversational sessions, workshops and social events. Students are encouraged to contribute in various and optional ways during the program, and for some events preparation is required. The chairs of the PhD pre- conference are professors Tiri Bergesen Schei and Kari Holdhus from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).  

We kindly ask you to submit an abstract of maximum 400 words within 1 November 2025. Please specify in the abstract at what stage your project is in. You are welcome either to give an outline of your PhD project or to focus on a specific topic or question that you would like to explore during our time together. After abstract submission you will be invited to a selection of further preparations, including presentation (max 15 minutes) or written paper (max 2000 words). 

The following formats are available for the NNRME conference:

A. Paper presentation with respondent. Time frame: 30 minutes with 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for prepared comments. Submission: Abstract of maximum 400 words. After acceptance: An extended abstract or draft paper of maximum 2000 words (including references) must be sent to the appointed respondent at least three weeks before the conference.

B. Paper presentation with discussion with the audience: Time frame: 30 minutes with 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussion with the audience.  Submission: Abstract of maximum 400 words. 

C. "Quick and dirty”: We also welcome formats such as snapshots, pecha kucha, and research idea elevator pitches, where the focus is on short presentations followed by discussion. Timeframe: 15 minutes (5-7 minutes presentation + 8-10 minutes discussion). Submission: Abstract of maximum 250 words. 

D. Panel debate with audience discussion: The central idea of this format is to get researchers talking to each other and with the audience to illuminate a topic from different perspectives. Time frame: 60 minutes, with at least 20 minutes reserved for audience interaction. Submission: A corresponding author should be responsible for the joint submission. The joint submission may consist of either one comprehensive abstract describing the entire contribution, or 3-5 individual abstracts referring to the different parts of the format. However, the joint submission should be no less than 400 words and no more than 2000 words (including references and description of the chosen format). 

E. Presentation of larger research projects: The central idea of this format is to present and discuss larger research projects with the audience.  Time frame: 60 minutes, with at least 20 minutes reserved for audience interaction. Submission: A corresponding author should be responsible for the joint submission. The joint submission may consist of either one comprehensive abstract describing the entire contribution, or several individual abstracts referring to the different parts of the format. However, the joint submission should be no less than 400 words and no more than 2000 words (including references and description of the chosen format/presentation).

We strongly encourage participants to choose format A for paper presentation (with respondent), in order to facilitate and further develop critical academic conversations and discussions within the network.  

We ask PhD-students to note that the formats below are available for PhD projects at an advanced (format A, C, D or E) or completed (format B, C, D and E) stage. PhD projects at an early stage are referred to the PhD pre-conference (for more information about the pre-conference, see below).  

Please be aware that the hosts may have to limit the number of presentations in formats D and E for scheduling reasons.

Paper proposals are to be submitted via our platform ConfTool: https://www.conftool.org/nnrme2026/  

Submissions are open from September 1 to November 10, 2025. Please note that you cannot use any previous Conf Tool accounts, you must create a new account for this 2026 conference submission.  

All proposals must be research-based and relevant to the Nordic music education research context. Reviews are performed by NNRME network members. 

For admitted papers that have requested a respondent during submission, respondents are appointed. Chairs are appointed for all presentation formats.  

We have reserved 40 rooms at Hotel Terminus and 60 rooms at Hotel Zander K (the building right next-door to Terminus, they are twin hotels and have the same owner). Breakfast is served at the hotel, but all other conference meals are served at Hotel Terminus.  

We have assumed that most PhD students attending the pre-conference will arrive on 23 March, and that participants of the main conference will arrive on 24 March. However, a limited number of rooms have been reserved for 22 and 23 March to accommodate those who may need to arrive earlier due to travel arrangements. 

Conference participants must manage their own booking directly with the hotel:  

• Hotel Terminus: resepsjon@grandterminus.no , please provide booking reference 4178471 

• Hotel Zander k: resepsjon@zanderk.no , please provide booking reference 341617  

Conference room rate is 1100 NOK (single room per night). Should participants wish to share a room, the room rate is 1300 NOK (double room per night). Please note that rooms and prices are guaranteed until 15 January 2026.