Application Guidance

Everything you need to prepare and submit your LSSC27 application.

Key dates for Presentations, Posters and Creatives

Before you apply

LSSC welcomes applications from students and recent graduates across disciplines and institutions. You don't need to study sustainability to apply.

You will be asked for:

• Personal details.
• London University details
• Information about your current study, including level of study, institution and programme name.
• Whether your application is an individual or group submissions.
• Information about your research or project, including the title and a description of your work, outlining how it relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• A short biography about yourself.

Application review and marking process

Following the deadline, all submissions will be anonymised and scored by a selection committee made up of our Partner University representatives.  The people reviewing your submission may not be specialists in your field so please ensure you use accessible, jargon-free language.

The context of each application, including the level of study of the applicant, will be taken into consideration during the marking process. The marking criteria exist to act as a guide to ensure consistency across markers.

Each submission will receive an average score out of five against these criteria:

• Ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of sustainability and relevance to the SDGs.
• Ability to demonstrates meaningful learning and reflection by outlining key lessons learned through the development or implementation of the project, research or initiative.
• Ability to communicate the project, research, or initiative clearly and accessibly, using language that can be understood by a broad audience without specialist knowledge.
• Ability to demonstrate creativity, innovation, or critical thinking in the approach taken to address sustainability challenges and create positive change.

Successful applicants will be contacted in late December with further advice and guidance sent out as necessary. Please note that we will not respond to emails about the status of applications until the marking process is finished.

What makes a strong application?

A strong application should help a non-specialist, mixed-discipline audience quickly understand what your work is about, why it matters and how it contributes to sustainability. When preparing your application, consider the following:

• Choose an engaging title, make it clear, creative and appealing to an audience beyond your own subject area.
• Clearly explain your project, outline its aims, originality and relevance to sustainability, and where possible, describe any findings, outcomes or positive impacts it could have in contributing to a more sustainable society. Consider which UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relate to your work.
• Make your application accessible, avoid unnecessary jargon and explain technical terms or specialist concepts where needed. Remember that your application will be considered by people from a range of academic disciplines.
• Work in progress is welcome. Your research, project or assignment does not need to be complete. Applications are welcome for both completed and ongoing work, provided you have clear aims and can explain what you are exploring. Findings and conclusions can be included where available, but are not essential.
• Session availability is limited, so please provide as much relevant detail as possible in your application and submit early.
• Collaborative projects can be submitted as a group. During the application process, we will ask for the project lead's details. If your submission is successful, we will then collect the details of all group members.

What happens after I apply?

1. Application submitted
   Submit your application before the deadline.
2. Applications reviewed
   Applications are assessed against the conference criteria.
3. Outcome
   You will be notified of the outcome in December 2026.
4. Prepare
   Successful applicants receive guidance and attend a preparation/training session on 20 January 2027.
5. Conference day
   Present, showcase or contribute at LSSC27 on 24 February 2027.

FAQs

Who can apply to present?

Students from any University that has a London Campus, level of study, from undergraduate to postgraduate, or subject background are welcome to apply.  Or one year after graduation.

Who can apply to volunteer?

The LSSC is delivered collaboratively with the eleven partner institutions of London Universities and therefore accepts applications from students studying at any of the following:

1. City St George’s, University of London
2. De Montfort University
3. Imperial College London
4. King’s College London
5. Kingston University London
6. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
7. University of Greenwich
8. University of Roehampton
9. University of the Arts London (UAL)
10. University of West London
11. University of Westminster

How do I get in touch to find out more?

If you have any queries about the application process or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate in the conference, please contact hello@lsscnetwork.com

Guidance Material

• Application guidance for presenter, poster and creative
• Oral Presenter Checklist
• Poster Checklist