Call for submissions
Research Symposium: Evidence and impact of beneficial ownership transparency
Date: 26 to 27 February 2026
Location: Hybrid and University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
Deadline: 23:59 GMT, 16 November 2025
Contact: research@openownership.org
About the Symposium
Open Ownership, the World Bank Group’s Beneficial Ownership Transparency Thematic Working Group (BOT TWG), and the Centre for the Study of Corruption at the University of Sussex invite submissions to the 2026 Research Symposium. The focus is on the evidence and impact of beneficial ownership transparency (BOT), especially its role in public financial management, revenue mobilisation, public spending, and combating corruption and financial crime.
The event spans one and a half days and aims to foster dialogue among researchers, advocates, and practitioners. It promotes novel empirical research on BOT policy design, implementation, usage, and impact measurement. The goal is to elevate BOT on academic agendas and explore its contribution to broader policy goals like taxation, procurement, and economic outcomes.
Themes of Interest
Submissions may be published, in progress, or planned. Topics should relate to one of the following:
- Policy Design and Implementation
- What policy drivers make BOT reforms effective?
- How do legal and institutional frameworks influence BOT outcomes?
- What roles do governments, civil society, and the private sector play?
- Impact Measurement and Data Use
- How is beneficial ownership information used inside and outside government?
- What tools assess BOT reform effectiveness and their impact?
- What measurable impacts does BOT have on procurement, taxation, anti-corruption, and illicit flows?
- BOT of Assets and Horizon Issues
- What mechanisms support increased BOT of assets nationally?
- What are the cross-border tracking challenges and opportunities?
- What are alternatives to declaration-based information collection?
Submission Guidelines
Email submissions to research@openownership.org with the subject line “Research Symposium Submission” by 16 November 2025. Include:
- Title and abstract (max. 300 words)
- Author(s) and institutional affiliation(s)
- Attendance plans (in-person preferred or remote)
- Status of the work (published, in progress, or planned) with a brief explanation (max. 100 words)
Selected applicants must submit a paper, dataset, or similar output by early February. Lack of progress may result in removal from the agenda.
Funding
A limited number of bursaries are available to support travel and accommodation for selected presenters. Priority may be given to early career researchers, underrepresented communities, or institutions with limited resources.
To apply, include a statement (max. 200 words) explaining your funding need, amount requested, and goals for attending. Relevance of the research is a key selection criterion.
Symposium Format
The hybrid event encourages in-person attendance. Presentation formats may include full talks (15–20 minutes) and lightning talks (5–7 minutes). Facilitated discussions will explore:
- Translating research into policy and advocacy
- Future research priorities
- Collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners
Outcomes
Selected submissions will shape the Symposium agenda and be featured in a published summary report, highlighting key evidence, insights, and future research questions.
Download PDF here – https://oo.hacdn.io/media/documents/oo-research-symposium-call-for-submissions-09-2025.pdf