Call For Papers
Overview
The Australian Naval Institute (ANI) invites submissions for the 2026 Goldrick Seminar, to be held in Canberra in November 2026. The Seminar brings together defence professionals, academics, policy makers, and practitioners from across Australia and the Indo-Pacific region to examine the foremost challenges in maritime security and naval strategy.
The 2026 Seminar theme – Maritime Power and National Resilience – reflects a period of acute strategic uncertainty coupled with a population that has not had the lived experience of global upheaval as previous generations had. The re-emergence of great power competition, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the 2025–26 Iran conflict and associated disruption to Gulf shipping, Houthi missile and drone campaigns against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and sustained pressure on freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific have together exposed the fragility of the systems and supply chains on which Australia’s national life depends. The Goldrick Seminar will examine how Australia and its allies and partners can strengthen maritime resilience across the spectrum from competition to crisis to armed conflict.
Sub-Themes
Papers are invited across four sub-themes. Proposals need not be confined to these framings but should connect clearly to the overarching theme.
Sub-Theme
1 |
Protecting the Maritime Supply Chain Australia’s economy, fuel reserves, and defence logistics depend on safe and open global sea lanes. Papers are invited that examine the vulnerabilities exposed by the Houthi campaign in the Red Sea, the effect of the Iran conflict on Gulf shipping, and shadow fleet operations, and that consider the policy, legal, and operational responses available to Australia and its partners. |
Sub-Theme
2 |
Critical Maritime Infrastructure and Undersea Domain Security The sabotage of undersea cables and pipelines in European and Indo-Pacific waters has elevated the security of critical maritime infrastructure as a strategic priority. Papers are invited that examine Australia’s exposure, the adequacy of existing frameworks for detection and attribution, and the roles of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Border Force, and industry partners in denial and response. |
Sub-Theme
3 |
Naval Capability and Force Posture for a Contested Maritime Environment Contemporary conflicts have tested assumptions about the survivability of surface vessels, the utility of uncrewed systems, and the pace at which navies can absorb and sustain attrition. Papers are invited that examine implications for RAN force structure and posture, the AUKUS pathway and the broader Defence program, and Australia’s capacity to sustain allied coalition operations in a contested Indo-Pacific. |
Sub-Theme
4 |
Strategic Partnerships and the Governance of Maritime Resilience No single nation can assure maritime resilience alone. Papers are invited that examine the architecture of Australia’s maritime security partnerships – including ANZUS, AUKUS, the Quad, and bilateral arrangements with the United States, Japan, India, ASEAN nations, the Pacific Island nations – and the roles of industry, state and territory governments, and civil society in building whole-of-nation maritime resilience. |
Submission Guidelines
- Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted via the following link: https://form.jotform.com/261797860569881
- Please submit brief author biography with your abstract.
- Submissions are welcome from serving and former military officers, public servants, academics, industry professionals and the general public.
- Selected presenters will be invited to submit a full paper (4,000–6,000 words) for potential publication in the Australian Naval Review or ANI policy paper series.
- Presentations will be 15–20 minutes, followed by questions, and may be grouped into panel discussions.
Abstract submission deadline: 15 August 2026
Notification of acceptance: 5 September 2026
Full papers due (selected presenters): 12 October 2026
Inquiries should be directed to:
Sue Hart, ANI Business Manager
02 6290 1505
