The 2026 Conference on Policy Process Research (COPPR), held January 21 to 23 at the University of Bern, continued its rise as the global gathering place for policy process research. A pre‑conference for early‑career scholars was held on January 20. The conference drew 300 in‑person attendees and 75 remote participants from 52 countries. Together they created an unusually open and collaborative space where emerging ideas could be tested, refined, and launched into future scholarship.

For the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs (SPA), COPPR 2026 was a vivid display of community, mentorship, and scholarly leadership. SPA students, alumni, and faculty made their presence felt throughout the program and contributed to many of the conference’s most active discussions.

By the Numbers

• Attendance: 300 in person and 75 online
• Global reach: participants from 52 countries
• Format: no keynote and no single theme, with a bottom‑up program built from submitted papers and workshops

SPA Scholars in Bern

SPA’s delegation included current doctoral students, master’s students, alumni, and faculty. Many presented on multiple papers or participated in several workshops.

Students included Emma Scheetz, Anna Crawford, Katie Imhoff, Nico Punkar, Betsy Smith, Allegra Fullerton, Hope Yohn and master’s student Rebecca Chrisman.

Alumni included Nathan Jeschke, David Carter, Kristin Olofsson, Alex Osei-Kojo, and Kayla Gabehart.

Faculty included Chris Weible, Tanya Heikkila, Deserai Anderson, Paul Teske, Sheila Huss, and Courtney Leapley.

Every SPA student who attended presented at the conference. Emma, who presented six papers at her first COPPR, returned this year with five papers and served as lead author on two of them.

“Our students arrive at COPPR ready to contribute,” said Chris Weible, SPA Interim Dean, Distinguished Professor, Co-Director of the Center for Policy and Democracy, and COPPR founder. “They have been involved in research from the beginning of their programs, they have presented before, and they have built relationships with international scholars who regularly come to Denver. Their confidence reflects the strength of our approach to training.”

Tanya Heikkila, Professor, Program Director of SPA’s Master of Public Policy, Co-Director of the Center for Policy and Democracy, and COPPR founder, highlighted the strong performance of SPA students. She pointed to Hope Yohn’s virtual presentation of a paper she co-authored with Anna Crawford and Emma Scheetz on target populations of public policies, which generated rigorous questions and excellent discussion.

During a housing-focused session, Emma Scheetz, SPA PhD student, fielded challenging questions about research she led from a participant joining from Hong Kong. While the feedback did not change her analysis, it helped her better understand how their findings might translate to other international contexts.

“The notes from the discussant from Hong Kong were helpful and offered a new perspective to the piece which was very U.S. focused,” said Scheetz. “He raised thoughtful questions, including why we were focused on the state-level context and why we excluded public housing in our analysis. This pushed out some of our assumptions that we made in the paper and have led us to be more thoughtful about what the state-level context had to offer our understanding of why housing policies get passed.”

A Deliberately Small Community Where Ideas Can Grow

COPPR continues to distinguish itself through a structure that is intentionally small, bottom‑up, and egalitarian. The program does not include a keynote and does not rely on a single theme. Instead, it encourages scholars to bring early ideas, workshop in‑progress projects, and engage in constructive dialogue.

“COPPR creates a space where researchers can get honest, helpful feedback at any stage of a project,” said Fullerton, senior researcher at the Center for Policy and Democracy and one of the organizers of COPPR. “Students and early‑career scholars do not have to wait until their work is perfectly polished. They are encouraged to jump in, share ideas, and be part of the conversation.”

“Science is a communal process,” said Heikkila. “You need spaces where ideas can be shared, critiqued, and stretched in fun and collaborative ways. COPPR creates that environment, and it is fundamental to advancing policy process research.”

A Global Lens and a Shared Language

With attendees from 52 countries, COPPR 2026 highlighted how scholars can share a common language in policy process research while approaching problems differently across regions. SPA students made important connections with researchers from Europe, Asia, and North America, including several from UC Davis and other U.S. institutions that also traveled to Bern.

“Feedback from the international community offers a different kind of insight,” said Heikkila. “It changes how you think about your research questions and the methods you use. That cross‑country perspective is one of the most valuable parts of COPPR.”

In a post-event survey, one participant emphasized the academic value of COPPR’s specialized focus, noting that it was “a great opportunity to network with colleagues in my field from around the world and talk about the deep details of cutting‑edge policy process scholarship.” They added that this level of substantive engagement is rare in broader political science or public administration conferences, where space for such focused conversations is more limited.

The international identity of COPPR reflects years of relationship‑building by Weible and Heikkila, who have consistently engaged with global research communities and hosted many international visitors in Denver.

“SPA has become recognized internationally as one of the best places to study public policy,” said Weible. “Our PhD students are the best advertisement for our programs. When they present at COPPR, they show the field what SPA and CU Denver make possible.”

Journals and Book Publishers in the Room

Editors from major journals and representatives from book publishers participated actively throughout the conference. They hosted named panels, met with authors, and provided guidance on norms and expectations in publishing.

These interactions helped demystify editorial processes for graduate students and early‑career researchers. Journals used the conference to scan for emerging topics and possible authors who could contribute to upcoming issues. Book publishers offered early guidance on how to move from an idea to a proposal.

Weible observed that many researchers do not have the chance to speak with editors in person. COPPR makes these conversations possible and removes the sense of mystery that often surrounds the publishing process.

Community Moments that Stood Out

• The pre‑conference workshop ran for four to six hours and attracted both junior and senior scholars. It covered coalition modeling, the Narrative Policy Framework, and book development. Participants appreciated the extended time for dialogue and mentoring.
• A group dinner of approximately 200 people created memorable community building and connection.
• Faculty and discussants consistently modeled constructive and supportive critique, especially for student presenters.

Anonymous feedback from student participants underscored the strong sense of community and intellectual energy that defined COPPR. One student highlighted the “very interesting panels” and described the conference as “a nice and open atmosphere” that was especially supportive for early‑career scholars seeking to build their networks.

Another participant emphasized that “the spirit of this conference is something I have not experienced at any other conference.” They praised COPPR for creating a space that fosters community, constructive dialogue, and future collaboration. The student also appreciated the pacing and format of the program, noting that the balance of panel time and breaks allowed conversations to continue naturally and that the workshop paper format was particularly valuable.

A third student reflected on the impact of attending COPPR as part of their doctoral journey. “I loved the opportunity to learn from others and gain inspiration for the rest of my PhD,” they wrote. They emphasized how well the conference facilitated meeting scholars from diverse institutions and shared that COPPR made their first international conference experience “a great time.”

Another student highlighted how COPPR supports the professional development of emerging scholars, noting that the conference “provides a supportive environment for students to feel comfortable attending.” They added that this type of space is especially valuable for PhD students “who are looking to advance their professional skills and see themselves within the context of academia.”

SPA’s Continued Leadership

SPA’s role as co‑founder, organizer, and contributor was felt throughout the conference. Weible emphasized that SPA has developed an international reputation as one of the strongest places to study public policy. He also stated that SPA’s doctoral students are the best advertisement for the university because their participation demonstrates the strength of SPA’s training model.

SPA faculty involve students in research early in their programs, co‑author papers, and provide funding for travel and presentation opportunities. These experiences create scholars who are comfortable participating in international communities.

“People will look back over time and see that COPPR helped set major conversations in motion,” said Weible. “From Denver to Syracuse to Bern, each conference builds momentum and brings new people into the field.”

Looking Ahead

The community built at COPPR continues year‑round through online seminars, subcommunity meetings, and smaller Workshops on Policy Process Research (WOPPR). Future WOPPR events include a workshop with the Nordic Policy Group in Sweden and at Michigan Tech in February 2027.

The location for COPPR 2028 is expected to be announced soon.