Gametic Politics:
Eggs, Sperm, and Gender/Sex in the 21st Century
A Workshop for Early-Career Researchers organized by Rene Almeling (Yale) and Sarah Richardson (Harvard), to be held April 2026 at Yale University in New Haven, CT
Inspired by rapidly emerging developments in the science and politics of fertility and by the rise of gametocentric definitions of sex, as well as a decades-long tradition of gender scholarship about gametes in relation to sex, race, sexuality, and health, we invite contributions to a workshop for early-career researchers in the social sciences and humanities who are developing the next generation of scholarship about eggs and sperm. Our aim is to provide mentorship for further development of works-in-progress, either in the form of dissertation chapters or publishable articles.
We invite proposals from early-career researchers – e.g. graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, assistant professors – in the social sciences and humanities as well as interdisciplinary scholars in the health and life sciences who are studying any aspect of eggs and sperm. We are especially interested in creative and innovative theoretical and/or methodological approaches, and we intend for the topic of “gametic politics” to be understood broadly. Potential topics might include (but are definitely not limited to):
Timeline. Applications were due December 1 and are no longer being accepted.
Decisions will be made by January 10, 2026. We plan to invite 10-15 applicants to a fully-funded two-day workshop to be held in April 2026 at Yale University in New Haven, CT. Manuscripts may be co-authored, but all authors must be early-career researchers. A full draft of the manuscript (7,000-9,000 words) will be due March 15 and will be circulated to all workshop participants. Each participant will be expected to read all drafts, and we will spend the in-person workshop discussing drafts and providing feedback for further development.
Workshop organizers will provide mentorship toward the development of manuscripts for submission for publication. In addition, some workshopped manuscripts may be considered for publication in a special issue of an academic journal, in which case final drafts will be due July 1, 2026.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected] and [email protected] with the subject line: Gametic Politics Inquiry.
We invite proposals from early-career researchers – e.g. graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, assistant professors – in the social sciences and humanities as well as interdisciplinary scholars in the health and life sciences who are studying any aspect of eggs and sperm. We are especially interested in creative and innovative theoretical and/or methodological approaches, and we intend for the topic of “gametic politics” to be understood broadly. Potential topics might include (but are definitely not limited to):
- analyses of how gametes have figured into historical and contemporary definitions of sex;
- the politicization of gametes across multiple domains, such as medicine, education, sports, and law;
- the intersection of gametic politics with myriad forms of inequality, such as those associated with gender, race, class, and sexuality;
- how various scientific approaches to gametes are mobilized in political discourse;
- individual experiences of and beliefs about gametes, including in relation to one’s gender identity;
- the emergence of gametic metaphors and their implications for science and society.
Timeline. Applications were due December 1 and are no longer being accepted.
Decisions will be made by January 10, 2026. We plan to invite 10-15 applicants to a fully-funded two-day workshop to be held in April 2026 at Yale University in New Haven, CT. Manuscripts may be co-authored, but all authors must be early-career researchers. A full draft of the manuscript (7,000-9,000 words) will be due March 15 and will be circulated to all workshop participants. Each participant will be expected to read all drafts, and we will spend the in-person workshop discussing drafts and providing feedback for further development.
Workshop organizers will provide mentorship toward the development of manuscripts for submission for publication. In addition, some workshopped manuscripts may be considered for publication in a special issue of an academic journal, in which case final drafts will be due July 1, 2026.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected] and [email protected] with the subject line: Gametic Politics Inquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
"Am I an early-career researcher?"
We are interested in mentoring scholars who are in the early stages of their career. So for the purposes of this workshop, we are defining "early career" as including PhD students, postdoctoral scholars, and assistant professors in the first few years on the tenure track. If you are more than 4 or 5 years out from the PhD or within 2 to 3 years of submitting a tenure file, we would consider you too advanced for the purposes of this mentoring workshop.
"How can I confirm you received my application?"
The google form will offer you the option of receiving an email confirmation. We will also send out an email to all applicants on December 2nd confirming receipt of application materials. If you do not receive an email from us by end-of-day on December 2nd, please email [email protected] by December 3rd to alert us that you applied to the workshop but did not receive a confirmation.
"My adviser will be a co-author on my manuscript. Can I still apply?"
We understand that it is the norm in some departments and fields for an adviser to be listed as a co-author on a graduate student's papers, but that will make the manuscript ineligible for this workshop. Any current and future co-authors must be early-career researchers.
"Do I need to include references in my word count?"
No. You can exclude references when doing a word count for the draft manuscript.
We are grateful for funding for this workshop from The Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University.
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Rene Almeling
Professor of Sociology, Public Health, History of Medicine, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Yale University |
Sarah S. Richardson
Aramont Professor of the History of Science and Professor of Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Director, GenderSci Lab Harvard University |