Transport professionals, researchers and academics are invited to submit abstracts for the Scottish Transport Applications and Research (STAR) Conference 2027, which will return next year under the theme Navigating Change: People, Technology and the Future of Transport.

CIHT are supporting the conference, which is returning for the first time since 2022 and will take place at Glasgow Caledonian University on Wednesday 12 May 2027.

The call is open to anyone with knowledge, research, practical experience or new thinking that can contribute to the future of transport in Scotland. Submissions are welcomed from across the profession, with early career professionals particularly encouraged to take part.

Abstracts can cover any aspect of transport innovation or research. Areas of particular interest include but this list is not exhaustive:

• Transport Poverty and Inclusion - How can transport policy and investment create a more inclusive Scotland by reducing transport poverty, supporting social participation, and improving outcomes for children, families and communities?
• From Algorithms to Accountability - How can AI and automated systems enhance transport planning, policy development, and public engagement while maintaining human judgement, accountability, and public trust, particularly in the face of misinformation and disinformation related to sustainable transport interventions? 
• Managing Social Change - What approaches are proving effective in overcoming social and political barriers to sharing transport infrastructure and services, and what role does leadership play in finding common ground?
• Transport Governance - What can successful transport governance case studies teach us about overcoming institutional barriers, improving accountability, and delivering better outcomes for communities, helping us to look forward in the context of the public sector reform agenda?
• Delivering Better Bus Services for Communities – How can bus services evolve to meet changing travel needs and support sustainable, inclusive and connected communities? What lessons can be learned from bus franchising, network redesign, fare initiatives, service integration, bus priority measures, fleet decarbonisation, accessibility improvements, and innovative approaches to funding, planning and service delivery?
• Healthy Streets and Place-Making - How can transport interventions, including high-quality public transport infrastructure, contribute to healthier, more vibrant places, and what evidence demonstrates the social, economic and environmental benefits of people-centred street design and integrated transport networks?
• Changing How We Travel - When looking at recent active travel, public transport and public realm schemes, and associated infrastructure, and other transport schemes aimed at reducing road traffic and/or emissions or increasing physical activity (e.g  low emissions zones, schemes which encourage faster uptake of EVs or improved  public areas), what approaches have been most successful in enabling lasting shifts and what can we learn from both successes and failures?
• Transport Decarbonisation and Climate Action – What actions, investments and innovations are most effective in reducing transport emissions while supporting economic growth, social inclusion and climate resilience? How can the sector accelerate progress towards net zero across passenger transport, freight and logistics? 
• Joined-Up Journeys: Integrating Transport for a Seamless Scotland - How can we better integrate transport modes, services, information, ticketing, and infrastructure to create seamless door-to-door journeys that encourage sustainable travel choices
• Resilient Planning for an Uncertain Future – What tools, data, and analysis approaches are needed to support effective decision making and business models for transport? How can performance metrics, data governance frameworks, and evolving planning and modelling techniques aid transport planners in testing, assessing, and responding to a range of future scenarios for policy and governance?
• Looking Back to Move Forward - What have been the most significant successes and challenges in Scotland’s transport sector since the last STAR Conference in 2022, and what lessons can they offer for the future?

The Programme Committee also welcomes thought pieces, emerging research and case studies, including work that draws connections between transport and related fields.

Share your ideas with the profession

STAR provides a multidisciplinary forum for critical thinking, debate and the exchange of evidence and ideas. It brings together professionals from local and central government, the private sector and academia to explore how transport policy and practice should evolve.

Selected contributors will be invited to develop and present their papers at the conference in May 2027.

Abstracts must be no more than 300 words and should explain:

• the proposed content of the paper
• the project, research or experience on which it is based
• the stage the work has reached
• the outcomes, results or lessons that will be available when the paper is presented.

Submissions will be assessed on their originality and innovation, relevance to Scotland’s transport agenda, the strength of their outcomes and lessons, and the robustness of the supporting analysis, research or project delivery. 

The Programme Committee consists of a variety of transport professionals drawn from all sectors with expertise in different areas ensuring that a wide range of themes can be covered. The final selection of papers and themes will be based on the abstracts received and will aim to offer an intellectually diverse, interesting and informative programme.

Submit an abstract

Your abstract (300 words maximum) should provide detailed information about the content of the paper, the nature and timing of the project on which it is based and the stage reached and/or outcomes likely to have emerged when the written paper is submitted and presented.

The Programme Committee will assess the abstracts against four equally weighted criteria:

• new ideas, innovation and novel practice;
• relevance to the transport agenda in Scotland;
• outputs, outcomes, results and lessons learned; and
• evidence that the paper is based on robust in-depth analysis, research and/or project delivery.

The papers which give the best balance of quality and interest in the programme will be those selected.

Authors must ensure that any necessary internal or external approvals are obtained before submitting their abstract.

How to submit an abstract

To submit an abstract, please complete this form. For further information, contact star@ciht.org.uk.

The deadline for submissions is Monday 30 November 2026.

About the conference

STAR aims to provide a forum for debate and an exchange of ideas, this will be the 18^th conference, and we invite you to join us to help shape and influence the future.

The conference is aimed at everyone engaged in any aspect of transport. Participation in STAR will therefore be of value to everyone interested in transport issues and participation will also provide the opportunity to collaborate on innovative ideas and enable networking between researchers, and a range of practitioners. 

Format

The conference will comprise plenary sessions and parallel themed sessions covering a diverse range of current transport topics and will conclude with a wine reception and prize-giving ceremony.

Venue

The Location of the Conference is Glasgow Caledonian University.

Pricing policy

In order to attract a strong and representative delegate base, the organisers will set the conference fee at a very competitive rate. There will be a significant discount on the conference fees for speakers presenting papers selected by the Programme Committee.

Sponsorship and exhibition

There are opportunities to sponsor across the event. For more information on sponsorship opportunities please contact star@ciht.org.uk 

More information about the STAR Conference 2027 will be available shortly on the CIHT website.