Update (May 13, 2025): Submissions for Sparks of Change articles are currently closed.
Sparks of Change is a space that features stories about how research culture is or should be evolving. Whether it is a personal realisation or an action that led others in a new direction, each piece centres around a moment that ignited change.
Image credit: Marzia Munafo (CC BY 4.0)
The articles should interweave the author’s experiences, anecdotes and reflections in an engaging and relatable manner that allows the readers to take away their own lessons, rather than offering specific advice.
The previous articles give a sense of what we’re looking for with future pieces, though future topics covered in Sparks of Change can be as varied as the experiences of those involved in research.
Sparks of Change is for anyone and everyone with research experience who has an interesting story to tell and the willingness to tell it. We are especially interested in featuring stories from individuals from communities that are underrepresented in science and medicine. One of our dedicated editors will work closely with each selected author to shape their final piece and allow the story to shine through. You do not need to have been published previously to be considered, and you do not have to wait for your idea to be perfect before getting in touch.
Interested in writing for Sparks of Change?
Submissions for Sparks of Change articles are currently closed.
Previous Calls for Pitches
- “Neurodiversity in academia”: Stories which centre on a specific moment that was defining for neurodivergent individuals navigating the academic world.
- "When things don’t go to plan": Stories about what went wrong – and what came next
- “When politics come into play”: How political events have changed the way you conduct research
- "Being open to change": Stories about your experiences of open science
- “Feeling like a scientist”: Stories about what it means to be and feel like a scientist
#
We welcome comments, questions and feedback. Please annotate publicly on the article or contact us at features [at] elifesciences [dot] org.
To keep up to date with the Magazine articles published in eLife, sign up for our fortnightly newsletter. You can also follow @eLife on X (formerly Twitter), and @elife.bsky.social on Bluesky.
