BASS26 Conference Call
CREST invites submissions to its Fifth International Behavioural and Social Sciences in Security Conference (BASS26), Cardiff, Wales, UK, 22-24 June 2026. We welcome papers that speak to the broad themes of Geopolitical Insecurities and Instabilities, Identify, Investigate, and Intervene; Community Resilience, and Science that Shapes Security. Submit your applications now!
CREST is delighted to invite submissions to its Fifth International Behavioural and Social Sciences in Security Conference (BASS26), which will take place at Cardiff University, UK, 22-24 June 2026. The Conference will focus on topics related to the broad themes of Geopolitical Insecurities & Instabilities; Identify, Investigate, & Intervene, and Community Resilience. An additional Science that Shapes Security non-theme option is available for papers that consider areas of importance to national security, but which fall outside of our broad themes.
We encourage submissions from all disciplines, especially underrepresented but cognate fields, including computational science, data analytics, linguistics, and law.
Geopolitical Insecurities & Instabilities
This theme considers the geopolitical dimensions of security threats. This includes how a changing geopolitical picture can shape state and non-state actors’ beliefs and behaviours and the processes that generate and inform responses to security threats. It also considers how these dynamics are informed by socio-cultural, historical, and geographical factors.
Example questions include (but are not limited to):
How does regional instability and global polarisation influence transnational security threats?
What informs the process and outcome of state responses to violence and dissent?
Has information manipulation become more sophisticated and resilient to countermeasures? What methods are likely effective in deterring or disrupting these efforts?
How can advances in AI and other technologies be used to identify or mitigate global security threats?
Which factors drive the development, recruitment, and mobilisation of transnational extremist movements?
Identify, Investigate, & Intervene
This theme considers how we can effectively detect, understand and respond to security risks at an individual level. This includes the examination of actors’ beliefs, motivations, and behaviours, and how practitioners can better assess these to prevent, counter or deter ongoing activity.
Example questions include (but are not limited to):
What do we know about non-ideological/non-political forms of violence (e.g., Nihilistic Violent Extremism; Violent Fascinated Individuals)?
When do online behaviours lead to offline action?
How can behavioural insights and analytical tools be integrated into intelligence and risk assessment processes?
What techniques improve the accuracy and reliability of elicited information?
Community Resilience
This theme considers the role of key actors, such as service providers, community leaders and the public, in protecting against online and offline harms, and how this can be achieved effectively and in collaboration. It considers the mechanisms through which these effects occur, such as social cohesion, trust and interoperability, and whether the absence or break-down of these mechanisms can have the counter-effect of amplifying threat.
Example questions include (but are not limited to):
How do grassroots extremist networks emerge within neighbourhoods, and how can they be disrupted?
What helps to prevent, counter, deter or disrupt terrorism and mobilisation to violence?
How do team dynamics and information flow influence inter- and intra- organisational response to evolving security threats?
What role can communities play in protective security?
Science that Shapes Security
We welcome papers that inform security thinking and responses, but which do not sit neatly within the other themes. Papers may highlight methodological innovation, theoretical development, and interdisciplinary insight. Contributions may draw on new research methodologies or emerging technologies that open new directions for understanding security challenges.
Submissions
We welcome theoretical, empirical and critical papers. These may be presented as a Conference Paper, Poster, or Lightning Talk.
- Conference Paper: Suited to mature research nearing journal submission or publication. Papers are delivered through a 20-minute presentation.
- Poster: Suited to mature or emerging research. Posters are delivered through a dedicated session where presenters answer questions on their research. All posters will be entered into a poster competition.
- Lightning Talk: Suited to emerging research at the early design stage or start of data collection. These are delivered through a 5-minute presentation.
A 200-word abstract of the paper to be presented should be submitted here, by 2nd February 2026.
Event details
BASS26 registration will open 2nd March. Early Bird conference rates will close on Monday 30th March 2026.
Rates 2026
Rates will be published in January 2026.
Key dates
Call for papers opens: 18th December 2025
Deadline for submissions: 2nd February 2026
Registration opens: 2nd March 2026
Early-bird rates close: 30th March 2026
Registration closes for presenters: 4th May 2026