Acoustics 2026 – Call for papers

Institute of Acoustics Annual Conference, Exhibition and Dinner
ACOUSTICS 2026
Monday 14 September – Tuesday 15 September

The conference will be held over two days, with sessions organised by the Specialist Groups, and including the Rayleigh Medal 2026 Keynote Lecture by Prof John Stuart Bolton. An exhibition will form an integral part of the conference, providing easy networking access to all attendees. You are encouraged to submit an abstract maximum 250 words on any of the following or related topics, please indicate which group session it is intended for and whether you prefer oral or poster presentation.

Buildings Acoustics – Sound insulation, design, measurement, sound transmission in buildings; but with greater consideration on papers covering Noise and health in buildings, Innovative sustainable building design, Internal soundscaping, DfMA or Modular Sound Insulation, Building movement noise and vibration.

• Environmental Sound – Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated guidance, assessing environmental noise impacts externally and internally, airport noise management, AI in environmental noise assessment and research.
• Measurement and Instrumentation – Measuring STIPA. Reverberation time and its application, Using sound cameras in practice, Applications and limitations, Findings from the one-day meeting on ground borne vibration, measurement and instrumentationn.
• Musical Acoustics – Instruments, Performers, and Performance Spaces. Topics related to hearing, instruments, machine learning, simulation, architecture and performance science.
• Noise and Vibration Engineering – Engineering noise and vibration control, assessment of workplace noise and vibration, low noise design, noise source mechanisms, measurement methods for source identification, and noise and vibration prediction methods.
• Physical Acoustics – Theoretical acoustics. Guided waves in fluids and solids. Ultrasonic imaging. Smart acoustic materials, metamaterials and phononic crystals. Nonlinear acoustics and vibration phenomena. New physical principles for acoustic sensing. Transducer physics and acousto-optics. Modelling and simulation for acoustics and vibration. Thermoacoustics and acoustoelastic effects. Structural vibration and vibroacoustic transmission. Underwater acoustics including cavitation and bubble dynamics. Biomedical acoustics.
• Regulation, Governance and Guidance – Noise regulation (EHOs, planners, Environment Agency, HSE and other regulators), noise enforcement (case studies, enforcement notices, nuisance and prosecutions), noise control best practice, and any developments in national level guidance and regulation.
• Sound, Noise and Health – Human health (non-auditory) effects associated with noise exposure, non-acoustic factors and soundscapes. Health assessments in EIA/HIAs. Design of and results from socio-acoustic surveys, experimental and epidemiological studies.
  Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to protect and improve health and health related quality of life (HRQoL). Translating evidence into regulation and guidance.
• Speech and Hearing – Speech, (Human or Animal) Hearing or Bio-Acoustics, Aural Diversity.
• Early Careers Group – Novel implementation of sound, Noise at Work, Environmental Acoustics, Building Acoustics, British / International Standards, Industrial Noise control.
• Renewable Energy Advisory Group – Air Source Heat Pumps – and the use of the new guidance. BESS and Solar – implementation of new guidance Wind Turbines – the new ETSU-R-97, and implementation of a new IOAGPG. Other emerging renewable energy issues.

Please include title, author(s) and affiliations(s) and submit your abstract by email to sheema.ali@ioa.org.uk by Tuesday 05 May 2026. Authors will be notified of acceptance in May 2026.

Full papers will be required by Monday 17 August 2026. All oral and poster presenters will be invited to submit a paper for the proceedings.

IOA Acoustics 2026 Call for Papers