The Australasian AID Conference (AAC), held annually in partnership with The Asia Foundation, has become an integral part of the Australian and regional aid calendar.
We are pleased to announce the 2026 AAC will be held from Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 December at the Australian National University in Canberra.
The aim of the conference is to bring together researchers from across Australia, the Pacific, Asia, and beyond who are working on aid and international development policy (the AID in the conference title) to share insights, promote collaboration, and help develop the research community.
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The call for papers is now open!
Successful applicants will be informed by late September. Enquiries after that date should be directed to devpolicy@anu.edu.au.
The conference is multidisciplinary in nature, and examines topics related to aid and international development (the AID in the conference acronym). We welcome abstracts and panel proposals from academics, practitioners and students on the following topics:
Submissions are welcomed from academics, practitioners and students. The AAC is a research conference. Abstracts arguing for particular policy positions are welcome, but must be based on solid research. Abstracts outlining proposed research will not be accepted.
Panel proposals that have an exclusively PNG/Pacific focus are encouraged to submit them for other events such as the Pacific Update or PNG Update.
The main emphasis of AAC2026 is on in-person presentations. However, there will also be limited opportunities for online presentations and blended (in-person and online) sessions.
3MAP: the 3-minute aid pitch
At AAC2026, in the style of the 3-minute thesis competition, selected 3MAP speakers will have three minutes to present their proposal, followed by audience questions and a vote to find our winner.
Watch the livestreamed recording of AAC2024 3MAP
If you would like to submit a 3MAP, 3-minute aid pitch, email a short paragraph (200 words max) with your idea to improve Australian aid or development policy to devpolicy@anu.edu.au (with “3MAP pitch” in the subject line).
We will then select a handful of the most promising ideas to be presented and debated at AAC2026. Presenters receive a free two-day conference registration (dinner not included).
Call closes 21 August 2026 at 11.59pm.
Funding for AAC presenters
The following opportunities to support presenters to attend AAC2026 are available:
Postgraduate students (all nationalities) based in Australia
We will cover domestic travel and accommodation costs for a limited number of PhD and post-graduate students who are accepted to present. Should your abstract and funding request be successful, we will arrange your accommodation (for two nights from 2–4 December in Canberra) and the most economic means of domestic transport to the conference. You will still be required to register to attend the conference at your own cost, and we recommend that you apply for funding from your university for this where possible.
Developing country presenters based overseas
We will waive registration fees for a limited number of presenters who are citizens of and will be travelling from a developing country to present at the conference. For these purposes, ‘developing country’ is defined using this list. We are NOT able to provide any support toward the cost of international travel or accommodation, and recommend that presenters based overseas seek support for this from their home institution. The conference dinner will not be included in the waiver.
Please note that you must request this funding via the form when submitting your abstract/panel proposal for consideration. Late requests will not be considered.
Due to limited resources, receipt of travel support and registration fee waivers cannot be guaranteed for all postgraduate students and developing country presenters who apply for it. In the case of us receiving more requests for this support than can be met from our budget, selection will be made by convenors based on the strength of the abstract.
If you have any questions, or if you do not receive an automated email confirming receipt of your abstract/panel proposal within one week of submission, please contact devpolicy@anu.edu.au with “2026 Australian AID Conference” in the subject line.
Shadow Assistant Minister for International Development Senator Dave Sharma will present the AAC2026 opening address.
We are honoured to welcome Dr Sri Mulyani Indrawati to the conference to deliver the Mitchell Oration, an annual event where the most pressing development issues are addressed by the best minds and most influential practitioners of our time.
Nicholas Enrich will join us virtually to discuss his new book on USAID.
Shadow Assistant Minister for International Development and the Indo-Pacific
Dave Sharma served as an Australian diplomat, including as Australia’s Ambassador to Israel from 2013-2017.
He served as the Federal Member for Wentworth between 2019 and 2022, before entering the Senate in 2023.
Senator Sharma is also Shadow Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.
Dr Sri Mulyani Indrawati was one of Indonesia’s longest serving and first female minister of finance. She served under three Indonesian presidents between 2005 and 2025, leading the country through major crises such as the global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.
Sri Mulyani also served as the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Bank from 2010 to 2016.
She holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Illinois, as well as an honorary doctorate from the ANU, and is a longstanding collaborator of the ANU’s Indonesia Project.
Nicholas Enrich is a former civil servant who worked at USAID under four administrations.
He served as the Bureau of Global Health’s director of policy, programs, and planning until January 2025, when he was designated as USAID’s acting assistant administrator for global health.
On March 2, 2025, he was placed on administrative leave for exposing the dismantling of USAID.
In 2026, Enrich published his book, Into the Wood Chipper.
