Schulich School of Business at York University, Toronto, ON
Monday, May 4 to Wednesday, May 6, 2026
The workshop welcomes unpublished working papers that focus on analysis and evaluation of energy policies, with an aim of promoting understanding and discussion of effective approaches to decarbonizing energy systems and advancing broader sustainability objectives. We especially welcome papers with a focus on Ontario, but we also encourage papers that focus on the application of energy policies in other jurisdictions. We are receptive to a wide range of perspectives and methods including but not limited to empirical research, theory development, energy systems modeling, law, policy, economics, sociology, planning, and experimental methods. Papers presented at our previous workshops have come from a variety of disciplines including political science, economics, management, law, geography, environmental studies, energy modelling and engineering.
Interested individuals are invited to submit a title and 500-word abstract before January 19, 2026. Abstracts should elaborate on the key contributions of the work, the stage of the work (i.e., work in progress), identify whether it is conceptual or empirical, and outline the research approach that is applied. Authors should identify their position and affiliation and who will present at the workshop if the paper is accepted.
For the second year, ONSEP will feature a Deeper Dialogue Session as an alternative format for showcasing participants’ work. This session begins with a brief, one-minute elevator pitch from each presenter, followed by a poster or digital presentation that facilitates one-on-one conversations with attendees. This format is designed to encourage more focused exchange and deeper engagement with the research.
In your submission, please indicate your preferred presentation format: (i) a traditional presentation consisting of a 15–20 minute talk with slides followed by a 10-minute Q&A; (ii) a Deeper Dialogue Session as described above; or (iii) either format, in which case please specify your order of preference.
Abstracts will be evaluated based on their quality and relevance in relation to sustainable energy policy. Applicants will be notified whether their paper is accepted for presentation at the workshop by mid February 2026. Successful applicants will then have until mid April 2026 (specific date to follow) to register for the workshop.
Failure to register by this time may mean that their acceptance will be withdrawn, and that their paper slot may be offered to another applicant.
While paper presenters are not obliged to produce a complete, written paper for the workshop, they are expected to make a presentation using slides and/or a handout.
The workshop will take place at Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Discounted registration fees will be available to full-time students.
Abstracts should be submitted by email to ONSEPContact@gmail.com using the subject line “ONSEP 2026 Abstract Presentation” or “ONSEP 2026 Deeper Dialogue Presentation,” or through the Google Form available at the following link:
https://forms.gle/RLr5GaoKZbzb14RK8
For any questions or further inquiries please e-mail us at ONSEPContact@gmail.com
We hope to see you in person in May 2026!
The ONSEP Executive:
Stephen Hill, Trent University
Warren Mabee and Rit Nanda, Queen’s University
Alexandra Mallett, Daniel Rosenbloom, and Balie Walker, Carleton University
Ian Rowlands, University of Waterloo
Mark Winfield, York University
Coordinator: Regina Guzmán
