how to write a proposal for a conference presentation

How to Write a Winning Conference Proposal (+Examples)

Discover the art of writing irresistible conference proposals with our guide. Get practical tips and inspiring examples usable as templates to succeed.

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Short answer

What is a conference proposal?

A conference proposal is a detailed pitch for a presentation, workshop, or panel at a conference. It outlines your topic, approach, and how it benefits attendees, aiming to convince organizers of your session's value and relevance to their audience.

Even the best ideas can get rejected without a solid proposal

You've got an idea. Not just any idea, but one that sparks interest, drives innovation, and perfectly aligns with your chosen conference's theme. You're ready to share it with the world, confident it will make an impact.

But, in a sea of professionals, all armed with compelling insights, the harsh reality is that not every great idea can make it onto the stage.

Why? Because when slots are limited and competition is fierce, it's not just about what you say; it's about how you say it.

Don’t worry, though - I’ve got you covered. With a blend of expert insights, straightforward tips, and relatable examples instantly usable as templates, I’m here to guide you through creating a proposal that shines brighter than the rest.

Let’s get started!

What are the main types of conference proposals?

Understanding the different types of conference proposals is crucial for tailoring your submission to fit the unique format and audience engagement you're aiming for.

Whether you're a seasoned academic or a professional stepping into the conference scene, knowing these distinctions can significantly enhance your chances of acceptance.

4 main types of conference proposals:

CONFERENCE PAPER PROPOSALS

CONFERENCE POSTER PROPOSALS

ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS

PANEL/SESSION PROPOSALS

Conference paper proposals

Scholarly paper: This type involves a deep dive into theoretical or conceptual analysis. You're expected to present an idea, backed by thorough research and a review of existing literature, arguing for a new perspective or approach.

Empirical paper: Focused on research findings, empirical papers require you to present preliminary results and analyses. These are grounded in your methodology, whether qualitative, quantitative, or a mix, offering concrete insights into your study.

Conference poster proposals

Ideal for early-stage research or when seeking more interactive feedback, poster proposals allow you to visually present your work. Attendees can engage directly with you, offering a more personalized discussion about your research findings and methodology.

Round table discussions

These are perfect for fostering in-depth conversations on a specific topic. By sitting at a round table, participants are there specifically to engage with your work, providing a unique opportunity for detailed feedback and networking.

Panel/Session proposals

When you're looking to create a broader dialogue around a cohesive theme, panel or session proposals are the way to go. These involve coordinating multiple speakers to present on related topics, enriching the conference program with diverse perspectives and expertise.

What is a typical conference proposal outline?

The right conference proposal outline is not just a list; it's a carefully crafted narrative that guides your readers through your thought process, convincing them of the value and relevance of your work.

Here's how to structure your proposal to make a lasting impression, ensuring every element works together to showcase your idea in the best light possible.

11 essential elements of a conference proposal:

Title: Your first opportunity to grab attention. Make it informative and compelling, reflecting the essence of your presentation.

Abstract: A concise summary that highlights your proposal's main idea, objectives, and significance, offering a snapshot of what to expect.

Introduction: Introduce your topic, its relevance, and its significance to the conference audience, setting the context for your proposal.

Objectives and goals: Clearly articulate what you aim to achieve, aligning your objectives with the overarching themes of the conference.

Theoretical framework: For scholarly proposals, outline the theories or concepts that underpin your argument or research, providing a solid foundation.

Methodology: Detail the methods used in your research, essential for empirical studies, including how data was collected and analyzed.

Preliminary findings or arguments: Present the core results of your research or the principal arguments of your analysis, offering insights into the value of your work.

Significance and contribution: Demonstrate how your proposal advances the field, fills a knowledge gap, or presents a new perspective.

Conclusion: Sum up the key points of your proposal, reinforcing its relevance and potential impact on the conference and its audience.

References: List key references to acknowledge prior work and contextualize your proposal within the broader discourse.

Biographical note: Provide a brief bio to highlight your expertise and qualifications, establishing your credibility on the topic.

What is the best conference proposal format?

In the past, conference proposals often looked a lot like academic papers: lots of text, packed into PDFs or Word documents. While this method was thorough, it sometimes made it tough for readers to quickly grasp the heart of your ideas. I

But here's the thing – the way we share and digest information has changed, and so have the expectations around conference proposals.

The truth is, walls of text don't engage us like they used to. In our fast-paced, digital world, engagement is key. People want to interact with the content they're consuming, not just passively read it.

So, how do you make your conference proposal stand out? By bringing it to life with interactivity.

Think about adding clickable links that dive deeper into your research, embedding short videos that summarize your findings, or including interactive charts that let readers explore your data firsthand.

These interactive elements can transform your proposal from a static document into an engaging journey, making your ideas shine brighter and encouraging a deeper exploration of your work.

Here’s an overview of the most popular formats:

Conference proposal examples that get you accepted

The best conference proposals out there, the ones that effortlessly make their way onto conference agendas, all share a few key traits.

First off, they lay out their ideas in a way that's easy to grasp, avoiding jargon and fluff. They're also incredibly engaging, drawing readers in with compelling narratives, interactive elements, or fascinating findings.

Plus, they demonstrate the significance of their work, showing how it pushes the envelope in their field.

The examples we’re about to explore have all mastered this art. I’m about to share what makes each of them particularly successful, so you can easily apply the same principles to your deck.

Conference workshop proposal

This conference workshop proposal has been designed to offer a comprehensive overview of an upcoming workshop aimed at enhancing data-driven decision-making skills.

It stands out for its strategic structure, engaging content, and interactive elements, making it a compelling read for organizers, potential participants, or sponsors.

What makes this conference proposal great:

Clear agenda slide: The proposal features a well-organized agenda slide that outlines the workshop's flow, including sessions on interactive design principles, tool proficiency, storytelling for impact, and ethics in data representation.

Clear outline of costs: The deck includes a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with different parts of the workshop, such as hands-on workshops, expert-led demonstrations, and panel discussions.

Option to embed external links or videos: The proposal leverages the capability to embed external links or videos, enriching the presentation with additional resources and multimedia content.

Conference pitch deck

This presentation is a great example of how to effectively communicate the essence and value of a conference.

By balancing text and visuals, providing options for customization, and clearly outlining budgetary considerations, it stands out as a compelling tool for engaging potential sponsors and attendees.

What makes this deck stand out:

Use of grayed-out content: The deck employs grayed-out content strategically, focusing the reader's attention on key points and making the presentation easier to follow.

Option to edit details post-send: Offering the flexibility to edit details after sending the deck ensures that the information remains up-to-date and can be tailored to the recipient's interests or feedback, enhancing the personalization of the pitch.

Clear budget outline: A transparent and detailed budget outline is provided, giving potential sponsors and partners a clear understanding of the financial aspects of the conference.

Conference presentation design proposal

This proposal is a prime example of how to effectively pitch a conference presentation design service. It's tailored for companies looking to enhance their conference presentations with dynamic and engaging design solutions.

The agency promises to tackle common challenges like design complexity, audience engagement, and message clarity, using innovative design strategies to propel clients' messages forward.

Interactive data visualization components: The proposal highlights the use of interactive data visualizations, ensuring that complex information is presented in an engaging and understandable way.

Expandable text sections: It incorporates expandable text sections, allowing readers to dive deeper into specific areas of interest without overwhelming them with information upfront.

Clear next steps outline: The proposal concludes with a well-defined outline of next steps, from consultation to implementation kickoff.

Conference funding proposal

This conference funding proposal is a masterclass in how to effectively seek sponsorship and support for a high-profile event.

It’s designed not just to inform but to engage potential sponsors, offering them a clear vision of the event's impact and the benefits of partnership.

Video on the cover slide: The inclusion of a video right on the cover slide immediately captures attention, providing a dynamic introduction to the proposal and setting the tone for what's to come.

Content segmented in tabs: The proposal smartly segments its sponsorship packages (Silver, Gold, Platinum) into tabs, making it easy for potential sponsors to navigate through options and find the one that best fits their budget and marketing goals.

Narrator slide: A dedicated slide narrates the success of past events. This builds credibility, but also lets readers explore the tangible benefits previous sponsors have enjoyed at their own pace.

Summit sponsorship proposal

This proposal stands out by effectively communicating the value proposition to potential sponsors, showcasing how their brand can benefit from being associated with the summit.

Testimonials slide: Including a slide dedicated to testimonials from previous sponsors or partners, complete with customizable logos, adds a layer of trust and credibility.

Option to embed external links: The ability to embed external links within the proposal offers sponsors direct access to more detailed information, such as past event highlights, detailed sponsorship package benefits, or even media coverage.

Multiple image and video placeholders: Incorporating various placeholders for images and enables the presentation of compelling content that can showcase past events, highlight attendee testimonials, or even offer a virtual tour of the venue.

Conference sponsorship proposal

This conference sponsorship proposal stands out for its strategic approach to presenting information, its innovative features designed to enhance sponsor engagement, and its visually appealing presentation.

It serves as an effective tool for securing sponsorships and reflects your company’s professionalism and commitment to creating mutually beneficial partnerships.

Option to extract branding from any website: This innovative feature allows you to easily integrate your branding into the event's promotional materials, ensuring a seamless and consistent brand presence throughout the conference.

Perfect balance of text and visuals: The proposal strikes an ideal balance between informative text and engaging visuals, making it easy for potential sponsors to quickly grasp the event's essence and the sponsorship opportunities available.

Clean layout: The clean and organized layout of the proposal ensures that information is presented clearly and concisely, making it easy for readers to navigate through the different sections and understand the key points.

Conference sponsorship deck

By combining scroll-based design, actionable features, and smart security measures, this conference sponsorship deck conveys the value of the event and facilitates a smooth transition from interest to action.

Scroll-based design: As viewers scroll through the deck, they're taken on a guided journey through the conference's highlights, sponsorship packages, and key benefits. This keeps potential sponsors engaged and interested in learning more.

Embedded calendar: Including a calendar as a call-to-action is a smart move. It enables potential sponsors to immediately book a meeting or express interest, reducing the friction in the follow-up process and increasing the chances of securing sponsorship.

Smart control measures: The ability to lock the deck with a password adds an extra layer of security and exclusivity. It ensures that only intended recipients can access the information, protecting sensitive details about the event and sponsorship opportunities.

Proposal for organizing a conference event

This proposal, while more aligned with event organization, showcases a dynamic and engaging approach to presenting a conference concept.

It's a vivid example of how modern proposals can captivate and communicate effectively, blending detailed planning with interactive elements to draw the reader in.

Average reading time on the cover: Immediately, readers know how much time they'll need to invest, setting expectations and respecting their time from the outset.

Dynamic variables for personalization: The use of placeholders like {{first_name}} suggests a tailored experience, making each reader feel directly addressed and valued.

Running numbers for key metrics: Presenting key metrics such as the number of events organized and happy customers offers concrete evidence of success, building trust and credibility.

Conference event proposal

This proposal is an example of how to effectively communicate the essence, value, and logistical details of a significant corporate event.

By incorporating a clear event program timeline, showcasing their portfolio, and enabling social media engagement, it effectively positions the summit as a must-attend event for industry leaders looking to drive business success through innovation and collaboration.

Timeline slide: The proposal includes a timeline slide that provides an overview of the event's program. It outlines the sequence of sessions and workshops, ensuring attendees understand the flow of the event and the value it offers.

Option to add a portfolio: This option lets you showcase previous successful events and build trust with potential attendees and sponsors by providing tangible evidence of your expertise.

Social media icons: The proposal cleverly integrates social media icons with external links, enabling readers to easily connect with you on various platforms.

How do you write a conference proposal?

Writing a conference proposal is more than just pitching an idea; it's about crafting a message that resonates with both the organizers and the attendees.

It requires you to distill complex concepts into a compelling narrative, focusing on maximizing impact and alignment with conference goals.

Here's how to write your conference proposal to capture attention and secure your spot on the stage.

1) Understand the selection criteria

Start by getting familiar with the conference's goals and themes. Tailoring your proposal to reflect these specifics shows that you've done your homework and are committed to contributing value.

Whether it's highlighting how your topic supports the conference's overarching theme or addressing a gap in the current discourse, alignment with the conference's goals is crucial.

2) Identify current trends or unique angles

Understanding what's currently trending in your field can significantly enhance the relevance of your proposal. Dive into recent journals, conference programs, and discussions with peers to grasp the hot topics.

However, the key is not just to follow the trends but to offer a fresh perspective or a unique angle on a well-trodden subject.

This approach ensures your proposal adds new value to the ongoing conversation, making it more appealing to conference organizers.

3) Craft a compelling abstract

Your abstract is the essence of your presentation, distilled into a few powerful sentences. It should clearly articulate the problem you're addressing, your unique approach or solution, and the impact or takeaway for the audience.

A well-crafted abstract makes your proposal stand out by providing a clear and engaging summary of what attendees can expect.

4) Clearly define your intended audience

Identifying your target audience within the proposal shows that you've considered who will find your session most valuable.

Detailing this helps organizers see how your presentation fits into the broader conference agenda and appeals to attendees.

5) Choose the best format for your message

Conferences offer various formats for presentations, from workshops and poster sessions to panels and individual talks. Selecting the right format for your content can enhance its impact.

Consider your strengths and the nature of your message when choosing how to present it. Interactive workshops are great for practical takeaways, while panel discussions can offer diverse perspectives on a complex issue.

6) Use data to support your proposal

Where applicable, include data or research findings that support the need for your session or its relevance.

This could be survey results indicating interest in your topic, statistics highlighting a problem your session addresses, or data from your own research.

Including evidence makes your proposal more persuasive and underscores the value of your contribution.

7) Define clear outcomes

Be explicit about what you want your audience to learn or achieve by attending your session. Whether it's new knowledge, skills, or perspectives, your proposal should outline the specific outcomes you aim for.

Design your presentation to deliver these outcomes, ensuring your audience leaves with valuable insights they can apply in their own contexts.

8) Incorporate active learning opportunities

Modern audiences expect more than just to listen; they want to participate. Design your session to include opportunities for active learning, such as discussions, hands-on activities, or interactive Q&A segments.

Highlighting these elements in your proposal can make your session more attractive to both organizers and attendees.

9) Submit multiple proposals

If the conference allows, submitting more than one proposal can significantly increase your chances of being selected. Each proposal is a unique opportunity to showcase a different aspect of your expertise or interest.

However, ensure each idea is well-thought-out and relevant to the conference themes. This strategy not only shows your enthusiasm but also your versatility as a speaker.

10) Incorporate evidence of past success

Your proposal should clearly communicate why you are the right person to present on the topic. Include brief mentions of your education, experience, or unique insights that qualify you as an expert.

If you've spoken at other conferences or have relevant accomplishments, briefly mention these in your proposal.

If you're early in your career, consider co-presenting with a more experienced colleague to combine fresh perspectives with proven expertise.

11) End with a smart call to action

Incorporating a smart call to action, such as an embedded calendar link for a meeting or a QR code for additional resources, can set your proposal apart.

It shows you're proactive and ready to engage further, making it easier for the committee to envision working with you.

Example of an effective call to action:

Interactive conference proposal templates

Starting from scratch on a conference proposal can be quite challenging. You need to strike the perfect balance between being informative and engaging, without overwhelming your audience with too much text.

Interactive conference proposal templates serve as a structured guide, helping you navigate through the essential components of your proposal.

They ensure that you cover all the necessary points in a concise manner, making the writing process smoother and more efficient.

Just grab one.

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Top 10 Conference Proposal Templates With Samples and Examples [Free PDF Attached]

Mohammed Sameer

Thousands of technology-related events are held daily, from casual get-togethers to multi-day conferences with large budgets. Many of them zero in on their speakers through the often-anonymous Call for Proposals process.

Many well-established platforms are available that make it easier to browse potential speaking opportunities, but materials advising on writing conference proposals or preparing an excellent presentation depicting your expertise remain scarce.

This blog will take you through the Top 10 Conference Proposal Templates to address this major pain point that is a burden on your mind. These templates are built after hours of hard work and have a fair amount of creative thought as input. One look and you will be convinced of their use for your conference proposals. 

Top 10 Conference Proposal Templates We Bet On

To make the process of writing an inclusive conference proposal simple and easy, here are steps that you must follow (with templates):

Always Follow Outlined Call for Speakers Rule

It may appear obvious, but you'd be surprised to learn that at least 30% of the conference proposals violate predefined rules for talk abstracts and submissions. We believe some more experienced speakers ignore the guidelines and copy-paste proposals. Still, the only result is that the proposal ends up in the "rejected" pile.

There are strict requirements and more lenient guidelines, but no matter how skilled you are in public speaking, read the instructions carefully before submitting and ensure the proposal adheres to these.

Your hand-picked Conference Proposal Template:

Download this template

Steer Clear of Sloppy Formatting

We check for spelling and grammar errors when writing copy, especially when launching product campaigns or applying for jobs. Conferences are no exception. Typos, errors, and general laziness are easily detected and reflect poorly on submissions.

Take the time to proofread the abstracts.

Here’s a Conference Proposal Template with pristine formatting:

Ask Friends to Proofread

Whether you're confident in the quality of the talk abstract or not, it's often beneficial to ask a few colleagues to proofread not only for errors but also for confusing or vague statements (your spellcheck won't catch that one, my friend). Nothing beats a fresh pair of eyes, especially after butchering a proposal all night (we've all been there).

Here’s your editable template:

Many language exams have minimum and maximum writing section limits. Imagine going through hundreds of pages, if every participant decides to ignore the word limit. Skill and knowledge do not necessitate lengthy text.

Most JSConfs receive 500 proposals on average; assuming a strict 1-minute reading time per submission, that's still an entire workday of reading. Each potential candidate deserves a thorough read and understanding of their pitch before rating, which is difficult given the volume and length of applications.

A good rule of thumb is two to three paragraphs that express your idea clearly.

Get this template

Use Inclusive Language and Avoid Shaming

While it is entirely up to the curators, we firmly believe that inclusion and how we choose to express ourselves in both written and spoken language are essential factors to consider. Unfortunately, ableism and shaming are relatively common in talk submissions. To clarify, we'd like to quote Andy Hollandbeck's post "Disabling Ableist Language:"

Any word or phrase that devalues people with physical or mental disabilities is considered ableist language. Its appearance is frequently the result of our innate sense of what it means to be normal rather than any intentional desire to offend.

We silently imply — and readers infer — that mental and physical disorders are avoidable personal failings rather than medical conditions beyond a person's control when we use words like crazy, lame, insane, schizo, dumb, psycho, and spazzed, without thinking.

"How to Stay Sane as a Developer," "crazy hack," and "a dumb framework" are just a few examples. As organizers, we always want to provide everyone with a safe, welcoming environment. Even as these mistakes are often made unconsciously, educating yourself and avoiding exclusionary, hurtful phrases is simple. Shaming competitors, tools, or individuals will also get you nowhere.

Grab this template

Stay Away From Product Pitches

Most events expressly state that product pitches and other forms of upselling are strictly prohibited. However, it's important to distinguish between a pure marketing talk (essentially trying to sell your company to the attendees) and an interesting case study that includes the product you helped build.

The latter involves lessons learned that can be universally applied to solving problems the audience encounters daily. A product pitch does not provide solutions, but rather highlights the advertised product. Consider it a 30 to 60-minute advertisement. Don't try to sell anything (at least directly).

Show, Don’t Tell

"Show, don't tell" is a well-known writing technique that can be used in fiction and nonfiction. Why is this important, you may wonder? A few successful proposals flawlessly implement it.

Tell a story instead of simply stating opinions or facts (e.g., "React is the most popular JavaScript library") or revealing all of your cards at once. Create a visual scene, especially from the perspective of an attendee. Is there a common thread? What will I discover? Focus on the main points and leave out some details that the organizers want to know.

Use Your Creativity; Be Original

Presentations about frameworks or libraries are common at technology conferences. With a few exceptions, while some curators see this as a benefit, we find it almost detrimental. It won't offer much value to the attendees unless you've created the library you're talking about and can offer first-hand insights that aren't available across any online documentation and blog posts.

Submit More than One Proposal

Never bet the farm on a single idea, no matter how confident you are—brainstorm and prepare several talks. No proposal is too experimental or too advanced to be considered. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that your chances improve as the number of proposals submitted increases.

However, be wary of remixing the same topic; each one should have unique talking points, angles, or possible learnings for the audience to consider as a possible winner.

Don’t Sell Snow to Eskimos

Before we conclude, we'd like to point out a widespread mistake we see in conference proposals and presentations: A speaker selling something the audience already likes.

For example, you would not go to the JVM Language Summit and give a presentation about how great the JVM is and how everyone should use it. Instead, you'd go to the JVM language summit and demonstrate to the audience how great the JVM is by telling them about your project , which was only possible because you chose to base it on the JVM.

Final Thought

Reviewers want to put on the best conference possible. They want to see your presentation on stage, but you must provide the evidence they require to feel confident in recommending you. Show the reviewers that you considered the audience, and you'll make their decision much easier.

FAQs on Conference Proposal Templates

What makes a good conference proposal.

A successful conference proposal, like an abstract, will clearly and succinctly introduce, summarise, and draw conclusions about your topic and findings. Though each conference is unique, all conference proposals include objectives and conclusions. Make sure to follow the submission guidelines for the conference, which will be listed on the conference website. A committee at each conference evaluates the relevance and merit of each proposal. Here are some essential factors to consider when creating your own:

What is the proposal format?

Format to a proposal is what music is to ears. A well-constructed proposal format includes the purpose, goals, specific objective, method, and anticipated project impact. Goals must be stated in measurable terms, specific, and consistent with the statement of need and the proposed project's purpose.

What are the five things every proposal must include?

Although you can be flexible with what you want to include in your proposal. The key is to be precise and impactful. 

Here are five things that every successful proposal always has:

•   Abstract/Summary. The proposal's most crucial component is the abstract.
•   Statement of Need. What is the problem you're addressing, and why is it important?
•   Project Activity, Methodology, and Results
•   Evaluation
•   Dissemination
•   Budget and Survival Funding

How to present a proposal?

Business proposal presentations culminate in a lengthy sales process between you and your clients. You risk losing the client's buy-in, if you don't structure it in the correct manner or take the time to craft one with care. As a result, getting it right is critical. Here’s how you can present a proposal in an effective way:

• Make the most of your meeting time from the start.
• Prepare a detailed agenda.
• Discuss the customer's problems and challenges.
• Interrupt and ask questions.
• Lead with stories, not numbers.
• You should not read from your PowerPoint slides.
• Present your solution while also selling them on your vision.
• At the end of the meeting, establish a clear follow-up timeline.

Download the free Conference Proposal Templates PDF .

Related posts:

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• How to Write a Compelling Business Loan Proposal: A Step-by-Step Guide [Templates Included]
• How to Design the Perfect Service Launch Presentation [Custom Launch Deck Included]
• Quarterly Business Review Presentation: All the Essential Slides You Need in Your Deck

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Dave Cheney

The acme of foolishness, how to write a successful conference proposal, why public speaking is good for your career, presentations and proposals are different things.

Your talk and the proposal to give that talk are different because they target different audiences. The former is what you are going to present on stage, the latter is a pitch to the reviewers to let you give that presentation.

Writing a good conference proposal is a different skill than writing the presentation itself . This article is aimed at writing a good proposal with a focus on the reviewer of your proposal as the audience.

Focus on the audience

Speaking of audiences, good public speakers start planning a presentation by identifying the audience they want to address. Presenting at a conference is like teaching a class, you have to present the material at the level of the people in the room.

It’s not just a question of beginner, advanced, or expert, you also have to consider the kinds of people at the conference. If it’s a vendor conference, there are probably going to be lots of managers, (pre) sales people, and business decision makers in the audience. While they might also be competent engineers, they’re at that conference wearing their business leader hat. They want to hear a different story; reliability, ease of maintenance, or evidence of widespread adoption, than an audience of software engineers who are more likely interested in things such as performance, orthogonality, and extensiblity.

Who are the reviewers?

Who are the reviewers and what do they want.

For smaller conferences it’ll be the organiser, or organisers, of the conference you’re applying too. For larger conferences it will likely be a group of reviewers who the organisers have invited to review proposals, this is the model that GopherCon follows. For really large conferences, such as OSCON, they will have a group of reviewers per track who funnel their recommendations up to a programme chair or set of program coordinators.

Regardless of their size, conference reviewers are charged with recommending to the organisers a set of talks they think are interesting and appropriate for the audience of the conference.

Most review panels are confidential, so you shouldn’t know anything about the individual reviewers, although you can probably guess that they will be experienced in the subject of your conference.

Most proposal are reviewed anonymously, at least in the initial rounds. This means the reviewers must judge your proposal, and your ability to present it, using only the fields provided on the submission form.

it’s important to remember that at least in part, all conferences are commercial enterprises. Venue owners have bills to pay just like the rest of us, and at a minimum speakers need to be compensated for their travel and lodging, otherwise the programme will be filled with people who are paid by their employer to speak.

To put it bluntly, reviewers are looking for talks that people will pay to see. This might sound capitalistic, but it turns out that this is what the audience want as well. At GopherCon we cover the travel and accommodation expenses of all our speakers. We think this is important because we want to hear what the speaker thinks, not their marketing department.

All of these are factors that reviewers will be considering when reading your proposal.

What to put in a proposal

Almost every conference call for proposals will ask for the following; title, abstract, and description. They may ask for other things like a biography, questions about AV requirements for your talk, and so on, but with respect to successful acceptance, these three items are key.

A title is mandatory on almost every talk submission system I’ve seen. It’s your one line elevator pitch to entice the audience to come to your talk.

Keeping the title a little vague, or quixotic is popular, but I tend to stay away from 11 things that will make your proposal sound like a buzzfeed article. I’m not saying never do that, but if you do, you’d better pack a heck of a proposal behind your braggadocios

Conference organisers usually ask you to provide a talk abstract as they often don’t feel it is appropriate to summarise your proposal for you. This abstract will be printed in the program or placed on the website so potential visitors to the event know what they’ll be seeing.

There are usually restrictions on the size of the abstract. One sentence that describes the topic that you’ll be talking about, and one sentence that describes what the audience will take away from listening to your talk or participating in your workshop, is all you need.

Together with the title, these are the two pieces of information the eventual conference audience will use to decide if they want to come to your session or not.

Talk description

This is where you sell your talk idea, and the place, as a reviewer, I have seen so many good proposals with interesting ideas fail to make the cut because they simply didn’t include enough detail .

This is where my advice differs from other’s you’ll read on the web. Many pieces of advice encourage you to write less in your description, sometimes out of recognition that the organisers are busy and you don’t wish to burden them. I wanted to take some time to explain why I push every speaker to write more detail.

You are looking to do three things when writing a description of your talk:

• Make it clear to the reviewers that you know what you are talking about.
• That you have a plan to communicate what you know to the audience and you’ve thought about how to do this within the time limit of the speaking slot.
• Answer all the selection criteria for the conference.

The first point is self explanatory, but you still need to make sure that you communicate this clearly to your reviewers. For example, if you’re talking about how to manage a large open source project, then make sure you mention that in the proposal, “as the maintainer of a large open source project”. If you plan to talk about a subject in the third person, then you should cite your sources, “for my PhD thesis I studied the day to day interactions of the top 10 projects on GitHub”. You don’t have to be an expert, but if your goal is to communicate something new to the audience, you should demonstrate that you know more about the topic than they do.

The second point relates to how likely you are to effectively communicate your ideas. The reviewers want to feel comfortable that you have a plan. It is all too common to see a proposal for an hour long session with only a sentence or two for the description. The less you write in a conference proposal, the more the reviewers are left to take it on faith that you’ll do a good job.

The opposite is also true. Occasionally I see a proposal for a talk that includes every possible aspect of a subject. Reviewers are generally wary that the speaker cannot cover all their material in the time available–few conferences can afford C++Con’s multi-part multi-hour format. A presenter that doesn’t manage their time, rambles without conclusion, or covers a lot of material in common knowledge is going to waste the audience’s time. That’s not just unfair to the audience, but unfair on the speakers that follow who must deal with a disgruntled audience.

One thing that I recommend to anyone considering submitting a proposal is to include an outline of your talk in the proposal. This can be literally the headings of your slides, or your ideas in bullet points. As a reviewer this makes it crystal clear that you’ve not only thought about your idea, but how to present it.

The last point, address all the selection criteria, I cannot emphasise enough. Review committees strive to be fair and often rate all proposal by a common standard. It crucial to address the selection criteria clearly as these are the ground rules by which every proposal are judged.

This point is probably the trickiest as not all conferences publish their selection criteria. Sometimes conferences ask for talks along a particular theme and these can be substituted for criteria in a pinch. If there are no criteria available–don’t guess, ask the organisers. If they don’t have any to share, which can happen with smaller conferences, then think about the audience and the wider ecosystem of the conference’s focus and ask yourself “if I were thinking about coming to this conference, what would I like to hear about?”

If you take away one thing from this section it is this– proposals with less detail loose out to proposals that provide more –as they do not provide the reviewer with sufficient evidence to be confident in their recommendations.

Don’t sell snow to Eskimos

Before closing I want to highlight a very common mistake I see in both conference proposals, and conference presentations, which is a speaker selling their audience on a thing the audience already likes.

To give an example, you wouldn’t go to the JVM Language Summit and give a presentation about how great the JVM is and they should use it. Instead, you’d go to the JVM language summit and show  the audience the JVM is great by telling them about your project which was only possible because you chose to base it on the JVM.

Don’t take my word for it

Finally, if you’ve read this far, I encourage you to read what others have written on the topic, especially where their advice differs.

Karolina Szczur recently wrote a great article on writing conference proposals and includes many references to similar articles for further reading.

Reviewers are looking to put together the best conference they can. They want to see your talk on stage, but you have to give them the evidence they need to feel confident in recommending you. Show the reviewers you’ve thought about the audience, and you’ll make their decision a lot simpler.

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How to Write a Conference Proposal That Stands Out in 2024

Writing a conference proposal can feel overwhelming. First, you have to pack your big ideas, research, or discoveries into a few words; then these words have to appeal to the attention of conference organizers over a host of other applicants.

So, there's no pressure there, then… In this article, we'll look at formulating the perfect conference proposal. Above all, we'll focus on making an impact. Writing a proposal isn't just about listing what you know. It's also about explaining how your work will make a difference, break new ground, or introduce new ideas to conference attendees.

We've put together all the essential steps and even included a conference proposal template to remove the confusion from this process, help you find your unique angle, and make your proposal jump out of the pile.

Key takeaways

• Crafting a conference proposal requires understanding the event's theme and tailoring your content to align with it.
• A compelling title and strong abstract are crucial to grab attention and express the core of your work.
• Clearly outlining objectives and presentation content helps to convey the value of your presentation.
• Detailing your methodology and highlighting the significance of your work demonstrates your expertise and the impact of your research.
• Concluding with expected outcomes and offering additional materials can enhance the overall presentation and invite further discussion.

What is a conference proposal?

A conference proposal is a formal outline for conference planners that provides a detailed preview of a presentation or workshop you'd like to give at their event. The aim is to secure a place by demonstrating the value of your presentation to the conference attendees.

It's a compact, enticing preview of the innovative ideas or groundbreaking research you want to present. Your goal is to connect your work and message to the big picture and show that it's new, meaningful, and impactful.

The challenge is to present all of this in just a few hundred words. Writing a good conference proposal demonstrates your subject matter expertise in a way that is engaging and understandable to a broader audience.

Steps to write your conference proposal: Key elements to include

The best conference proposals have an element of story-telling, exciting the conference organizers and proposal reviewers about the content of your presentation and the value it will provide to its guests. With some guidance and our expert tips, you have all the key elements for a successful proposal.

1. Understand the conference theme

To write a successful conference proposal, it's essential to understand the event's purpose and theme clearly. Research both the conference and its attendees. It's ‘Writing101: Know Your Audience’! This will help you tailor your proposal to perfectly align with the event's goals, making it more likely to be accepted by both the organizers and the audience. Understand what is being discussed and where your contribution enriches the conversation.

2. Choose a compelling title

Your title should be eye-catching, memorable, and hint at what will come. This step is crucial because your title is the first thing that introduces your work to the conference organizers and participants.

The title should work like a headline for your talk or research report. It needs to be clear enough for people to understand your presentation and interesting enough for them to want to know more.

Your title should hint at your point of view or particular approach to the conference topic. You don't have to give everything away in the title, but it should give a little taste of what participants can expect from your presentation.

3. Write a strong abstract

This is where you express the core of your work in a few gripping paragraphs. Start by clearly formulating the problem or question your research tackles. You must also explain why this problem is important, interesting, or new. Your first few sentences are crucial for hooking the interest here.

Then, describe them how you solved the problem. Show off your expertise, but steer clear of complicated industry jargon. Describe your methods or approach in simple terms that anyone can understand. You should also highlight the key insights or solutions you found and emphasize why they're essential.

Conclude your abstract by talking about the larger implications of your work. Here, you can connect your discoveries to the larger field and show how your research makes a difference.

4. Outline your objectives

This part shows the exciting things you'll share in your presentation. When you formulate your goals, you tell your audience: "This is what you'll learn or see." At the beginning, think about what you want the audience to take away from your presentation. This could be a new idea, a different perspective on a problem, or even a new skill. Think carefully about these goals because they'll determine what you talk about and how you design your presentation.

Being clear and concise about your objectives means choosing what you think is most important and what you want people to know about. It's about choosing the parts of your work that will bring the most value. You don't have to cover every single point of your topic. Instead, focus on the parts that will most benefit your audience.

5. Detail your presentation outline and content

First, you tell people about the main ideas and questions you'll talk about. It is your chance to get them interested in the exciting questions you'll answer or the information you share.

Next, you get to the heart of your talk. This is the middle part, where you back up the main points with evidence, examples, or stories from your work. Make sure each point connects to the next, creating a narrative that makes your audience see things in a different light.

Think about how you can make your presentation interactive. Are you planning a Q&A session, panel discussion, live polls, or hands-on activities? This will turn the audience into active participants and your presentation into a conversation rather than a monologue.

6. Describe your methodology

Here, you can look behind the scenes and show how you created your project. Talk about the steps, tools, and strategies you used to turn your ideas into reality.

Start by explaining how you approached your main question or challenge. This may mean telling how you planned your research, what information you gathered, or what theories guided you. Aim to make everything clear enough for someone not in your field to understand, too.

Then, you go into the details of your methods. If you conducted experiments, talk about how you set them up and what you tested. If your work is more about theory, share how you interacted with existing ideas or developed new ideas.

It's also important to explain why you chose a particular approach. Why was this method the best choice for your question? How does it make your results more reliable? This shows the diligent work behind all of your choices.

7. Highlight the significance

Start by talking about the significant impact of your work. Ask yourself what your research tells us about your field, a particular problem, or the world in general. While it's important to state facts, you should also try to present your research as a crucial piece of a larger puzzle. Whether challenging old ideas or introducing a new solution, ensure people understand its value.

8. Conclude with expected outcomes

While discussing outcomes, circle back to the goals you mentioned initially. Now that you have presented your plan circle back to the goals from the start and link these to the expected results. Show that your presentation is more than just a list of exciting ideas — it's another vital step on this path.

Be bold when stating the expected changes and the impact of your solid and relevant work.

Talk about how these results will advance the discussion in your field. By outlining what you expect after your presentation, you invite others to take your ideas further and contribute their own.

9. Offer additional materials

Consider what else you can add to your presentation to make it unique. For example, you can provide toolkits or research papers for people who want to know more about the subject. But, choose carefully and make sure it genuinely enhances your presentation.

Next, explain how you'll distribute these materials. Will you distribute printed materials or direct people to a website or online space where they can find everything? The main goal is to make it easy for your audience to use these resources. By adding additional materials to your proposal, you show conference organizers you bring a rich, comprehensive experience to the table.

Example of a conference proposal template

In addition to using these elements, a conference proposal template can also be a great help.

Qwilr's Conference Proposal Template is designed to walk you through the whole process, making it easier to share your ideas in a clear, engaging, and confident way.

Here is what our template includes:

• Title of the Proposal: This is your headline, the first impression determining whether people want to dive deeper. Make it enjoyable and clear so people get excited about what you will talk about.
• Presenter Information: Here's where you introduce yourself. Tell people the story of who you are, where you come from, and your background.
• Abstract: The abstract is your quick pitch. In a few short sentences, sum up the main points of your talk, including what question you're answering, how you went about it, and what people will take away from it. You need to be clear, while simultaneously sparking interest..
• Objectives: Clearly state what you hope to accomplish with your talk. It could be to share new information, spark a discussion, or showcase your latest findings.
• Content Outline: This is where you lay out the plan for your allotted period. List the main points you'll cover, previewing the journey you're taking your audience on. This shows you've got plenty to share and that it will be interesting and relevant.
• Methodology: Talk about how you did your work. Whether it was through peer review and research, analysis, or case studies , this part shows the hard work and thought you put into your project.
• Significance: Here, explain why your work matters. How does it add to the greater story of your field? This part makes your proposal go from informative to really impactful.
• Conclusion: Finish by reviewing the main points again and what you hope will come out of your presentation. Leave your audience with a final thought that's both reflective and forward-thinking.
• Additional Materials: Offer extra resources that go with your presentation. These extras enrich your audience's experience and extend your talk's impact, whether it's more detailed papers, data, or tools.

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Final Thoughts

To write a successful conference proposal, you must be clear, make your work appealing, and emphasize its importance.

Between these essential tips and the Qwilr Conference Proposal Template, you have all you need for a proposal that gets you conference bookings and ensures bums on seats when you get there! Want to try it for yourself? Snag a 14 day free trial and get started immediately.

About the author

Brendan Connaughton | Head of Growth Marketing

Brendan heads up growth marketing and demand generation at Qwilr, overseeing performance marketing, SEO, and lifecycle initiatives. Brendan has been instrumental in developing go-to-market functions for a number of high-growth startups and challenger brands.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best format for a conference proposal.

The ideal format for a conference proposal submission is clear, well-organized, and attention-grabbing. It should clearly show your goals, how you intend to achieve them, why your work matters, and what you hope to gain from it.

Can I submit the same proposal to multiple conferences?

While you can submit similar proposals to different conferences, this is usually not recommended. You should tailor each proposal to the specific topic and audience of the conference you are applying to.

Should I include references in my conference proposal?

Including a few key references can strengthen your proposal by situating your work within the broader academic conversation. However, be selective and focus on works that directly support the significance and methodology of your work.

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Writing for Publication: Conference Proposals & Presentations

Presenting at conferences is an efficient and exciting forum in which you can share your research and findings.  However, presenting your work to others at a conference requires determining what type of presentation would best suit your material as well as choosing an appropriate conference. Once you have made those decisions, you will be ready to write your conference proposal.

Types of Presentations

The types of professional conferences vary, from large international gatherings to small, regional meetings. The content can also be very research driven or be focused more specifically on the needs of practitioners. Hence, different conferences tend to have different formats, but the following are some of the most common:

Poster sessions are most frequently found in the sciences, but they are often offered as an option at conferences in other disciplines as well. A poster session is a visual representation of your work. In this format, you can highlight areas of your research and display them both textually and visually. At most conferences, poster sessions take place in a large room. Typically, researchers stand next to their display and answer informal questions about their research. See the American Public Health Association's Poster Session Guidelines for an example of the requirements for posters, keeping in mind that each professional organization and conference will have its own guidelines.

Panel discussions or presentations are formal conversations organized around a specific subject. At most conferences, several speakers take turns speaking for a predetermined amount of time about their research and findings on a given subject. Panel discussions are almost always followed by a question and answer session from the audience. At most conferences, choosing to present at a panel discussion is often more competitive than being selected for a poster session.

A paper with respondent session involves a presenter orally sharing his or her data and conclusions for an allotted period of time. Following that presentation, another researcher, often one with differing views on the same subject, gives a brief response to the paper. The initial presenter then responds to the respondent's response.

In a conference presentation, sometimes presenters just give a report of their research, especially if it has some implications to practice.

Writing the Proposal

Like an abstract, a successful conference proposal will clearly and succinctly introduce, summarize, and make conclusions about your topic and findings. Though every conference is, of course, different, objectives and conclusions are found in all conference proposals. However, be sure to follow a conference's submission guidelines, which will be listed on the conference website. Every conference has a committee that evaluates the relevance and merit of each proposal. The following are some important factors to take into consideration when crafting yours:

Length: Many conference proposals are no more than 400 words. Thus, brevity and clarity are extremely important.

Relevance: Choosing an appropriate conference is the first step toward acceptance of your work. The conference committee will want to know how your work relates to the topic of the conference and to your field as a whole. Be sure that your proposal discusses the uniqueness of your findings, along with their significance. Do not just summarize your research, but rather, place your research in a larger context. What are the implications of your findings? How might another researcher use your data?

Quotations : Avoid including in too many quotations in your conference proposal. If you do choose to include quotations, it is generally recommended that you state the author's name, though you do not need to include a full citation (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2012).

Focus: Most experts recommend that a conference proposal have a thesis statement early on in the proposal. Do not keep the reader guessing about your conclusions. Rather, begin with your concise and arguable thesis and then discuss your main points. Remember, there is no need to prove your thesis in this shortened format, only to articulate your thesis and the central arguments you will use to back up your claims should you be invited to present your work.

Tone: Make sure to keep your audience in mind and to structure your proposal accordingly. Avoid overly specialized jargon that would only be familiar to participants in a subfield. Make sure your prose is clear, logical, and straightforward. Though your proposal should maintain an academic tone, your enthusiasm for your project should shine through, though not at the cost of formality.

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Abstracts for Conference Presentation Proposals

What is an abstract?    

An abstract is a 100- to 30 0-word paragraph that provides readers with a quick overview of your essay or research and its organization. It should express your goal (or central idea), gaps in research, and your key findings; it should also suggest any implications or applications of the research you discuss in the paper. 

According to Carole Slade, an abstract is “a concise summary of the entire paper.” 

• The function of an abstract is to describe, not to evaluate or defend, the paper. 
• The abstract should begin with a brief but precise statement of the problem or issue, followed by a description of the research method and design, the major findings, and the implications. 
• The abstract should contain the most important key words referring to method and content: these key words facilitate access to the abstract by computer search and enable a reader to decide whether to read the entire article.   

Note : Your abstract should read like an overview of your paper,  not  a proposal for what you intended to study or accomplish. Check with the criteria for the conference and, if possible, look at abstracts from previous years.

A conference will state a set of guidelines for anything beyond the basics. This will include format, their minimum and maximum word count, word choice, and even specific details to include in the content.

Note : The following are specifications for an abstract in APA style, used in the social sciences, such as psychology or anthropology. If you are in another discipline, check with your professor and the conference abstract’s submission guidelines about the format for the abstract. 

When an IMRaD paper or other presentable research is submitted to a conference, an abstract for the presentation will be submitted with it for the program. These abstracts are often the shortened version of the paper abstract; for example, an IMRaD abstract with max word count of 500 words will need to be shortened to fit a smaller max count, usually between 250-350 depending on the conference. Some conferences may also ask for a 100-word summary to supplement the abstract, as well. 

Use the paper as your basis for the abstract. You will need space for the Introduction and the Methods, the Results, and the implications of the research. The abstract should also be tailored to the conference audience; a conference open to non-researchers may have fewer audience members who understand the terminology of the field than a conference only for members of that academic field. 

Sample conference abstract:  

Try to avoid these common problems in conference abstracts:  

1.  The abstract leaves out results if the study is unfinished prior to submission: 

X  The results are inconclusive at this time.  (What are the expected results for your study?)  

✔ Babies are expected to stare longer at the monitor when they hear sounds they are familiar with than when the sounds are unfamiliar. 

2.  The abstract includes too many statistical items: 

X  5 milliliters of water was heated to 210 degrees Celsius, and then poured into 20 grams of sand to see if water temperature affected its volume when mixed with a solid.

✔ Water was heated and then poured over sand to see if water temperature affected its volume when mixed with a solid. 

3.  The abstract is written in future tense (outside of anticipated results): 

X  This study will observe the migration pattern of birds between North and South America.  (Has the paper not been started yet?)  

✔   The study observed the migration patterns of birds between North and South America.

4.  The abstract is vague about participants, if relevant:

X  The participants were asked to select between two items presented to them at the same time as they heard a high-pitched, ongoing tone.

✔ The participants (n = 104) were asked to select between two items presented to them at the same time as they heard a high-pitched, ongoing tone.

✔   104 participants were asked to select between two items presented to them at the same time as they heard a high-pitched, ongoing tone.

https://westernpsych.org/writing-a-conference-abstract/  

Cooper, B., Payne, G., Hu, X., Dixon, Q., & Kuo, L. (2020). The impact of linguistic diversity education on L1 English speakers’ ideologies, attitudes, and perceptions of international teaching assistants. In O. Kang, S. Staples, K. Yaw, & K. Hirschi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching conference, ISSN 2380-9566, Northern Arizona University, September 2019 (pp. 49–66). Ames, IA: Iowa State University.

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Tips for writing a great conference proposal

By Yang Wu, Open Resources Librarian, Clemson University

Writing a presentation proposal for an OER or Open Education conference can be a challenging task. Defined topics, specific session types, and short word limits can force writers to be both concise and creative. As someone who has successfully submitted multiple presentation proposals and served on the programming committee of a major regional OER conference, I would like to offer a few tips on effective proposal writing drawn from my experiences: 

Proposals are more than simply a synopsis of your presentation topic. 

A common pitfall is to spend too much of the permitted word limit describing the novelty and importance of the proposed topic. Remember that reviewers are also interested in the content of your proposed session and what the audience can learn from attending it. Make sure your proposal clearly outlines how you will address the topic, what evidence or data you will use to support your conclusions, and what knolwedge you expect your audience to gain from your event. 

Look carefully at the selection criteria before you start writing

Conference reviewers follow a selection criteria when evaluating your proposal. These criteria can typically be found in the call for proposals, and they outline what contents in your proposal are being evaluated. Depending on the conference, the criteria may give preference to proposed sessions that include reflection and evaluation on the presenter’s work, contribute to scholarly research, or contain discussion on certain topics, such as diversity. Ensuring that your proposal aligns with the criteria outlined by the conference is a great way to make sure it fits with what reviewers will be looking for.   

Keep your proposal focused and well organized

As you work to address the selection criteria and conference topics, be careful not to let the proposal go in too many different directions. This can confuse reviewers and lead them to think that you don’t have a well thought out presentation. While it is important to make your proposal align with the selection criteria, make sure that it is focused on your subject and coherent to read. To do this, develop several key points about your proposed session that are interrelated and connect well to your overall presentation subject. Make sure that these points are presented in a logical sequence.

Clearly define your intended audience

For example, are they people with beginner, intermediate or advanced knowledge of OER and Open Education? What type of institution or organization does your audience work at? (Ex. K-12, community colleges, research institutions) What are their roles or specializations (Ex. faculty, instruction designers, administrators). Clear definition of the audience will further demonstrate that you have a well thought out presentation. 

Avoid mentioning your name, institution or organization in the proposals. 

Some conferences will ask you to redact this information to shield your identity and prevent conflict of interest in reviews. Even for conferences that don’t, it’s best to avoid this since, in most cases, it does not add anything to your proposal and could introduce unnecessary biases. For example, I might say my presentation is about an OER initiative at a mid-sized public institution in the mid-Atlantic, rather than stating Clemson University.

Consider audience engagement

Be specific about what strategies and tools you will use to foster audience participation and keep them engaged throughout the event. Reviewers want to make sure that events are thought provoking, stimulate participant reflection on a subject and can sustain their interest to the end. While some session types may not allow for live engagement, having a strong plan is particularly important for longer events, such as a panel, presentation or discussion.  

Clear and polished writing is a major factor in proposal selection and also demonstrates to reviewers that you are a serious presenter. Make sure that your writing is easy to read and remove grammatical and spelling errors. Since OER conferences are designed for a wide audience, consider your wording and avoid discipline or profession specific jargon. Such jargon may confuse reviewers and make them feel that your topic is too narrow to benefit most conference attendees. You might also benefit from having someone else proofread your proposal, who can question the logic and organization of your writing and spot grammatical and other issues you have missed.   

In summary, reviewers accept or decline proposals using a specific criteria. They want the conference to have the best quality presentations based on this criteria, and to make sure that the people they select are experts on OER and Open Education who have knowledge that conference participants want. Adherence to the tips that I outlined will greatly improve your proposals and demonstrate your authority on your subject. 

There is still time left to submit your proposal to present at the 2021 Open Education Conference ! Read the call for proposals and submit your session by June 21st.

Making the Case for attending the open education Conference

2021 call for proposals is open.

How to Write a Winning, 3-Part Conference Proposal

Most conferences receive more proposals than they can include, so how can you ensure that your’s ends up in the program ? In general reviewers are looking for papers that integrate well with the conference theme and offer a focused and original response towards current (relevant, important) issues. Your abstract is key here. It is must be clear, concise and persuasive. It helps if you think of it as a three-part document with an introduction, argument and conclusion:

Introduction

• Choose a descriptive title that indicates your specific question, rather than a general topic. Ensure that readers can understand what your talk is about at a glance.
• Fit your proposal to the conference theme (and comply with submission requirements!). Try to include buzzwords from the Call For Papers and list of suggested topics.
• Introduce your topic by linking it to current debates. Outline and problematize those ideas, identifying any gaps, or unresolved issues within the literature. You don’t necessarily have to cite specific authors (or include footnotes) although it often helps if you do identify at least one, or two relevant theorists within the text.

This is where you need to promote your own thesis.

• First, explain how your paper addresses the issues that you have just identified.
• Explain why your question is significant, why your research is original and your observations important.
• In a twenty-minute presentation it is likely that you will only have time to make 3 – 4 solid points leading towards a conclusion and discussion. It helps if you can outline what those points are and how you arrive at your conclusion.
• Detail your thesis and methodology. For example you might argue that ‘by considering this specific material in this particular way I show these three things”. Ensure that your reasons for making these links are clear, so that readers are persuaded that your overall approach is persuasive, or at least of interest.
• Concisely summarize the evidence you have gathered and what conclusions can be drawn from it.
• End by emphasizing the important contribution, or impact of this research.

Finally, before you submit proofread your work. Use simple language and avoid jargon. Ensure that cited author names are spelt correctly and the year of publication is accurate. Check whether your audience is specialist, or interdisciplinary. If generalist, provide definitions and background details as required. Ask colleagues, or people outside of your field to read it. If they can’t understand your abstract then rewrite it.

If you are still rejected you can always email the selection committee and ask if they can give you any feedback to help your proposal for future submissions.

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Writing a Conference Proposal

Abstract tips, examples of developing a conference proposal, proposal accepted.

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Like an abstract, a successful conference proposal will clearly and succinctly introduce, summarize, and make conclusions about your topic and findings. Though every conference is, of course, different, objectives and conclusions are found in all conference proposals. However, be sure to follow a conference's submission guidelines, which will be listed on the conference website. Every conference has a committee that evaluates the relevance and merit of each proposal. The following are some important factors to take into consideration when crafting yours:

Length: Many conference proposals are no more than 150 words. Thus, brevity and clarity are extremely important.

Relevance: Choosing an appropriate conference is the first step toward acceptance of your work. The conference committee will want to know how your work relates to the topic of the conference and to your field as a whole. Be sure that your proposal discusses the uniqueness of your findings, along with their significance. Do not just summarize your research, but rather, place your research in a larger context. What are the implications of your findings? How might another researcher use your data?

Quotations : Avoid including in too many quotations in your conference proposal. If you do choose to include quotations, it is generally recommended that you state the author's name, though you do not need to include a full citation (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2012).

Focus: Most experts recommend that a conference proposal have a thesis statement early on in the proposal. Do not keep the reader guessing about your conclusions. Rather, begin with your concise and arguable thesis and then discuss your main points. Remember, there is no need to prove your thesis in this shortened format, only to articulate your thesis and the central arguments you will use to back up your claims should you be invited to present your work.

Tone: Make sure to keep your audience in mind and to structure your proposal accordingly. Avoid overly specialized jargon that would only be familiar to participants in a subfield. Make sure your prose is clear, logical, and straightforward. Though your proposal should maintain an academic tone, your enthusiasm for your project should shine through, though not at the cost of formality.

ABSTRACT TIPS : When you write the abstract, you can simply start by “In this presentation, I will…” Then, just state what topic you are researching, why you are researching it, and what topics you are going to cover. Make sure you incorporate in the abstract a couple of sentences about how this research is relevant to changemaking and/or human rights. You can reference which human rights article ( https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ ) is relevant to your study. Take five minutes to look at the attributes of changemakers at the MDC website: https://www.mdc.edu/changemaking/ . The abstract should be between 100-150 words.

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The PhD Experience

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Abstract writing – how to write a conference proposal

By Sam Grinsell |

There is a genre of academic writing upon which much depends, but which does not get discussed as thoroughly as the conference paper, the journal article, the PhD thesis or the monograph. The conference abstract, a proposal of a few hundred words that is used to decide who will present at an event, may be among the first pieces of work that you send beyond your supervisory team. It has a tightly defined purpose: to convince the conference organisers that you will make an interesting contribution that people will want to hear. In this sense, it is like an advert for your work. Strangely, this is often for a piece of work that you have not yet finished, perhaps barely even started, as conference calls for papers are sent out months in advance of when the event will be held. So you are advertising something you have not yet done.

an abstract is like an advert for your work

Writing abstracts is a complex business, and in this post I will highlight some of the things to be aware of in constructing yours.

Understand the brief

Your conference abstract will be written in response to call for papers, an invitation put out by conference organisers that asks for interested scholars to send in suggestions for papers. Sometimes there are multiple layers to this: big conference have calls for panel suggestions, and once these have been processed the organisers of panels will issue a call for papers connected to their theme. In this post I assume it is the conference organisers who are reading your abstract, but the same principles apply if it is being sent to panel organisers.

The call for papers will identify a set of scholarly themes for the event. For some conferences, these are intended to be broad in order to attract a variety of submissions, while other events are far more specifically focused. You should think carefully about which elements of your research speak  most closely to the aims of the conference, and what it is you are looking to get out of the event. Do you want some feedback on an early version of a particular chapter? A response to the big ideas of your thesis? Think about how your aims relate to the conference.

Before you start writing, make careful note of the format that has been requested. The call for papers should specify the length of the abstract, and may occasionally have other requirements. Be sure to understand exactly what is being asked for. Write to the maximum number of words allowed: if no more than 500 words are permitted, a 200 word abstract will seem too short and light on detail. Never exceed the maximum; if the length is stated as ‘in the region of x words’, stay within 10% of x . Also note the final format of the papers: you can say much more in a twenty minute presentation than in a five-minute ‘lightning’ talk!

Select from your work

An abstract should be a meeting point between your research priorities and those of the conference organisers. If their agenda is broad, your aim will be to convince them that your project sounds particularly interesting; if they have tightly defined aims, you should focus on making clear how your research contributes to the questions they want to raise. Most abstracts will need to do both of these.

do not be too tentative

If you are at an early stage in your PhD, you may wish to present the overall agenda of your project. This can be a very useful feedback-gathering exercise, and many conferences will include specific panels for students at this stage. If this is the kind of abstract that you are writing, try to be as specific as possible: set out your research questions, mention particular case studies/archives/methods, perhaps mention some of the literature your work will contribute to. Do not be too tentative here: if you find yourself writing ‘this study hopes to’, replace with ‘this study will’. Your actual paper can be more nuanced, but the abstract is your advert and is not the place for academic modesty.

As you PhD develops, individual chapters should become your focus, and you can test these out as conference papers. This kind of abstract will include more concrete details of the cases you will be discussing, but you should not lose track of the bigger questions. You should show that there is a gap in existing knowledge that you are set to fill . Mention some of the literature, and in describing your own project say ‘what has not yet been addressed/answered/fully considered is…’ You want your reader to have the sense that your work is not only interesting but urgent, that it must be heard at this particular event.

In general, the work you promise in an abstract is not something you have already done, but something which you will complete before the date of the conference. You should, therefore, try not to tie yourself down too much to particular findings: your sources may show something different in the end! You should be able to discuss evidence and research questions without restricting the final paper too much.

Assuming you are successful, use the abstract as part of planning your research. It is natural for your project to evolve, and people will not be surprised if your final paper differs in small ways from what you proposed, but you do want to at least be able to discuss all the issues raised in the abstract. Large conferences will share the abstracts with attendees so that they can choose which sessions to attend, and some will publish them online in promoting the conference. So read your abstract back from time-to-time to see if you are on track.

Final thoughts

Promoting your work in just a few sentences is a strange art, and there is no better school than practice. Try writing one even if you don’t feel ready, and have a go at analysing some recent calls for papers to understand what the organisers were after.

What I have set out here is how I approach writing abstracts, but if others have tips or ideas we’d love to here from you in the comments below or @pubsandpubs on twitter! Our other posts on conferences include choosing your first conference , presenting at and attending your first conference, asking great questions , and organising your own conference .

Sam Grinsell is in the third year of his PhD in Architectural History at the University of Edinburgh. He has had abstracts accepted at – and rejected from – national and international conferences, and was on the organising committee for the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain’s Architectural History Workshop in 2018 and 2019. He is Deputy Chair of Pubs and Publications.

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A Handy Guide for Building a Great Session Proposal

Being selected to speak at a conference is a huge accomplishment and takes thought, effort, and creativity. Before you can be selected, you have to submit a session proposal, which can be daunting if you’ve never done it before or you’re not quite sure what the conference is looking for. 

With the Global Scrum Gathering 2023 Amsterdam call for papers opening, our Program Advisory Team came up with a list of tips and tricks to help you write a session proposal that ticks all the boxes the reviewers will be looking for.

Find Your Theme for Global Scrum Gathering Amsterdam 2023

Your proposal should be inspiring and engaging and give a clear picture of what your session will look like for attendees. One of the first things you’ll need to do is look at the themes of the event and start dreaming of topics that fit within the descriptions and goals for the themes.

For the Gathering in Amsterdam, we’ll explore agile in relation to four overarching themes. Your proposed session should fall within one of the following themes:

Changemakers

No matter your role, you have the potential to create meaningful change in your organization. Whether you’re part of a leadership team or starting out in the agile world, you’re a changemaker. Topics in this category may include: business agility, agile leadership, agile mindset, and more.

Agile Journeys

An agile journey can be unpredictable and take you to the most exciting places. Whether you just completed your CSM or you’re a long-time practitioner, we're here for it. Topics in this category may include: career-advancement, scrum fundamentals, coaching skills, agile practices and techniques, and more.

Real-World Agility for Real-World Problems

Our world is continuing to change, and individuals, communities, and organizations are navigating uncertainty. Agile is being used in unexpected ways to address societal and planetary changes. Tell us what agile really looks like. Topics in this category may include case studies of agility used to: overcome trauma, combat climate crises, navigate economic uncertainty, respond to global health issues, and more.

State of Agile

Agile is being used in innovative ways in new industries. Sessions in this category expand the definition of where agile can be applied. Topics in this category may include: agile being used in education, healthcare, marketing, human resources, and other non-software development spaces, and more.

Developing Your Session Proposal

Before you can start writing a proposal, you need to have a topic - something you’re passionate about, have a unique perspective on or a story to tell. Using the themes or tracks of the conference you’re hoping to speak at as a jumping off point, really take time to think about your topic.

Set a timebox for brainstorming

Charles Dickens said 'Never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.' The odd thing about procrastination is that everyone knows it does not get you where you want to go in life, but we still do it. Timebox yourself for a short time period (5, 10, or 25 minutes) and capture as many of your thoughts on paper as possible. It will be messy. However, after this, the hardest part is done. Then you can refine, organize and build on those thoughts that have been running around in your mind. (This is where a template is really useful - see below).

Passion over expertise

We all love listening to someone speak about something they are excited about. And it comes most naturally for us to speak about something we are excited about. Think about those times you told your friends about an amazing holiday, or a great movie, or a new job. The words flow, and the confidence is there, naturally. Submit something you are truly passionate about. You don't have to be an expert. 

Identify the ONE thought you want to land 

If people forget everything else, but remember one thing, what would you like that thing to be? What is the one glimmering nugget of truth that is the inspiration for your session that you want to impart on your session attendees? This will be your north star as you write your proposal.

Tell it to a friend/colleague 

Speaking to someone about a topic you want to submit, can trigger additional thoughts you might have, or bring a memory/story to mind. Use your friend or colleague as a sounding board for your ideas, see what resonates with them or if they have any suggestions to help shape your topic more.

You have a story to tell

You are the best person to tell your own story. Your experience up until this point has shaped you into the changemaker you are today. What do you care about? What have you done in the past? What do you want to learn about more? What do others in the community want to learn about more? Use your story to inspire others along their agile journey.

Tips for Writing Your Submission

When the Review Team is going through submissions, they have a rubric and checklist that they’re evaluating each session proposal against. As you’re writing your submission, be sure to reference the submission guidelines as well as this list to make sure your submission has everything it needs.

The main criteria the Scrum Alliance Review Team considers when evaluating session proposals are: 

• Topic: The topic is interesting and/or creative
• Learning: The session has clear learning outcomes that will provide attendees with new knowledge and/or skills.
• Format: The delivery format of the session is clear. The session encourages engagement and learning that satisfies the authors’ learning outcomes. 

An engaging and accurate session title 

Your session title is one of the first things a reviewer will see on your application (and future session attendees) so you want to make sure it catches peoples’ attention and gives them an accurate idea of what they can expect to learn in your session.

Define your session time block 

As you’re planning your session, think about the format that will be the most impactful for your topic and intended learning outcomes. Indicate the appropriate time format for your session: a 20-minute lightning talk, 60-minute session (lecture or workshop), 60-minute session (panel presentation) or a 90-minute session (a workshop or highly interactive session).  

Draw them in with your session summary 

Your session summary is used to describe your session in the public agenda, so it should succinctly describe your session, draw interest, and communicate to attendees what to expect. Reviewers are usually reading A LOT of submissions. How can you immediately spark interest and make yours stand out in the first few seconds? Maybe you can add questions in the summary? Maybe you can share a shocking story/experience? 

Define your target audience 

Your talk does not have to (and cannot) be for everyone. Identify clearly who your audience will be, and let it trickle through in your activities and learnings. Really think about who the audience for your session is before you start building out the proposal. Is it geared towards people who are new to the world of scrum and agile or is the content designed for an experienced practitioner? Put yourself in the shoes of an attendee, and consider the primary level of audience and comprehension required to attend the session.

What can your session attendees expect to learn

What will attendees walk away with, that they won’t find at another talk? What makes your talk special? List out  3-4 concrete learning outcomes in your proposal. Tip: use the verbs from Bloom's Taxonomy to guide you: "Attendees can create/ evaluate/ analyze/ apply/ understand/ remember”. When writing your proposal, be sure to describe key learning outcomes and/or attendee takeaways and what attendees will learn, experience, or gain after participating. The more specific the better, so include specific skills, knowledge, and/or practices that participants will be able to take back and apply to their work or life.

How will your session be delivered

Make sure your submission includes a logical outline for your talk submission. A favorite outline is the 4C’s from Sharon Bowmen (see below). How does it CONNECT to them, their life and their goals? What CONCEPTS will you teach? How can you make it CONCRETE and useful for them? In CONCLUSION, what did they learn? Always add timing (rough estimates) to your planned outline, to show reviewers you have thought it through. This is easily done by including an outline for your session that includes a list of key activities that will take place. Be specific and describe the instructional materials and/or methods you will use to deliver your session.

Speaking at the Global Scrum Gathering 2023 Amsterdam

Each and everyone of us is on our own agile journey and we all have a story to tell. We want to hear your story this fall in Amsterdam as one of our speakers for the Global Scrum Gathering 2023 Amsterdam from 9-11 October 2023.

Submit your session proposal by 14 May 2023 to be considered as one of our speakers in Amsterdam. We can't wait to read your submission.

Submit Your Paper

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How to Write a Conference Abstract

What is a conference abstract, why submit a conference abstract.

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A conference abstract is a short proposal you write when you want to have a chance to share your research at a conference. For medical conferences, presenters usually either give a podium presentation (just talking in front of an audience about their research) or they present a poster. 

Here are some of the benefits of submitting a conference abstract:

• It's a good addition to your CV and resume
• It may be published in the conference proceedings
• It could be a basis for future publication
• Garners recognition from colleagues online and through social media
• Helps you make connections through networking at the conference
• Helps you meet potential employers at the conference
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From Submission to Applause: Conference Proposals That Get Accepted

Elizabeth Wilcox, Sr. Consultant for Advising and Abigail Garcia, Associate Director, Academics, Pre-College Trio Programs

Great (and successful) conference proposals take both time and effort. The following seven step process is designed to help you knock it out of the park on a first try. Conferences are learning platforms as well as opportunities for collaboration and networking. You are likely to learn as much as you teach if you approach the proposal process with thought and care.

Step 1: What’s trending?

Conferences are wonderful places to access new ideas, scholarship, and research. As you begin to think about presenting at a conference, start by getting a sense of what’s trending regionally and nationally. You can do this by picking up a journal or other professional publication, looking at a recent conference program, or talking with others who have published or presented recently. While you want to contribute to what’s trending you also want to offer a fresh perspective and insights. Try to add to, not simply duplicate what has been presented in the past. Some topics are very well worn (advisor burnout, for example). Be sure you are picking a “fresh” but relevant topic and are adding something special and unique to the conversation. This will help your proposal stand out. What are others finding interesting, useful and currently relevant? What ideas, research or major thinkers do you see as being particularly important to advising or student affairs currently?

Step 2: Previous Presentations?

It can be very helpful to view previous conference proposals, abstracts, learning activities and visual presentations. Start by simply attending a regional conference and closely observe how good presentations are constructed (paying special attention to what feels especially interesting and creative). If you are brave enough, ask others if they would be willing to share their proposals with you.

Step 3: Conference Theme – Related Topics?

Conferences are often organized by theme. Keep your eye on recent conference themes regionally and nationally. This will help you begin to attach your work to the national “big picture”.

Step 4: Subject Matter Expertise?

We all have special knowledge, abilities and talents as well as unique professional skills. Where do you have subject matter expertise (through education or experience)? If you are a young professional, could you co-present with someone more advanced than you? Part of the excitement of a conference is the ability to connect with others who have similar interests and expertise in a related area. You might start by aligning your subject matter expertise with established interest groups. Your proposal readers (and your audience) will want to know how you are uniquely qualified to speak on the subject you are discussing. Use the proposal process to help define your special perspectives and insights.

Step 5: Best Format?

Most conferences offer a wide variety of presentation formats. Pre-conference workshops (longer sessions designed around problem-based and interactive learning that result in actionable takeaways), poster sessions (opportunities for brief conversation based discussion of projects and programs (with visual aids) that can be introduced quickly and informally), individual sessions (usually about an hour in length with a single or team of presenters - though more than three presenters gets tricky), and group, panel or roundtable discussions (these are facilitated discussions around core ideas, not necessarily formal "presentations"). If you have never presented before, consider joining forces with someone who has, or start with a poster session to get your feet wet. If you are a great facilitator but not a confident presenter, consider putting a panel discussion together. Each of these formats are wonderful opportunities to learn and connect with others and each is more or less demanding depending on your experience and comfort level.

Step 6: Outcomes?

One of the most critical components of putting your proposal together is determining what you want your audience to gain from your presentation (in terms of what they will “do”, “know” or “value”). Be as specific as you can about what you want your presentation to “produce” and how you will go about making this happen (review our learning-centered competencies statement to connect these outcomes with advising core competencies). Conference participants want knowledge and skills they can take back to their home campuses and apply immediately. Again, be specific about what you want participants to gain and design your learning activities to produce these results. Teaching a new method? Give your participants a chance to practice it during the session itself. Talking about a new program you developed? Be sure to identify the components of the program that can be transferred to other institutions.

Step 7: Proposal Outline?

Now that you have a good sense of what’s trending, have aligned your interests with a conference theme and interest groups, and determined where you have valuable subject matter expertise - you will be ready to select a topic and develop a proposal outline. Your session format and desired outcomes will help you begin to organize your thoughts and design your session.

Hint: You should be thinking year-round about what’s trending, how it impacts your work, and how you might add to related research, scholarship and practice. Also, note proposal submission opening and closing dates on your calendar for future conferences as far into the future as possible. Give yourself adequate time to develop a proposal so that you are not rushed at the last minute.

Proposal Development: Essential Components

The Title – Accurately descriptive, an invitation to participate.

Great conference presentations often have great titles. Your session title is your way of making an immediate connection with conference participants. You want your title to accurately describe your session and capture the attention of the reader – it should excite your reader and make them want to attend your session.

Here are a few examples of great titles:

All I Really Need to Know About Advising Theory I Learned from Star Wars (Ryan Scheckel, Texas Tech University)

Pants on Fire: How to Advise Students Who Lie to Themselves and Others (Katie McFadden, Brandis University)

50 Shades of Grey: Ethics in Advising (Corrie Fox and Karen Case, Indiana University, Purdue Unviersity)

The Proposal Abstract (130 words) – Will appear in the conference program

The abstract is a short description of your workshop content and format. It will appear in the conference program and will help draw participants to your session. It should accurately and succinctly describe your session. If you are not sure how to begin,

(1)    start with a problem statement,

(2)    if applicable, mention and incorporate foundational literature and research that addresses the problem,

(3)    identify learning activities and manner of audience involvement (i.e., reflective questions, demonstration, open-discussion, case study, role-play, etc.),

(4)    describe the relevant competencies or skills that will be developed, and

(5)    conclude with how the session content is transferrable (to other institutions or advising settings).

The Proposal (longer) – Reviewed by the selection committee but not publicly available.

The proposal is a longer description of your session and is used by the selection committee (but will not be available to session participants). It should include,

(1)    detailed references to source material (including foundational research and scholarship). It should define terms and describe the relevance to applicable student populations.

(2)    It should provide an overview of content (including relevance and contribution to the field),

(3)    describe your session structure, format and learning activities

(4)    as well as your detailed desired learning outcomes (tying these to activities).

Hint: Audiences like good content and opportunities for “active learning”. Be sure you incorporate opportunities for participant reflection, interaction, and discussion. Want to learn more? Check out this wonderful book on experiential workshop design…. Workshops: Designing and Facilitating Experiential Learning

Selection Criteria

In general, clarity, relevance, timeliness, creativity and the applicability of material to a wide variety of advising settings is needed to make a successful proposal. It is also increasingly important that your material is research and evidence based . Proposals based on successful cross unit collaboration (academic advising + career center + pre-health advising) or cross institution collaboration (UC, CSU and CC efforts) are also very strong. Test check your proposal to make sure it addresses all of these points.

Acceptance or Rejection?

If your proposal is not accepted - try, try again. Many of us (including both authors of this article) have had proposals rejected. See (at the sidebar) additional resources that might help you develop a stronger proposal. Please spend some with the "Improve This Proposal" handout. Following a rewrite, this proposal was accepted on a second try.

Avoiding Plagiarism – Note relevant citation format – APA, MLA... and use the following website for guidance on properly citing references Purdue Online Writing Lab  (When you present your slides and handouts must also be properly cited).

Keep in mind that your successful conference proposal and the presentation that results are also opportunities for eventual publication. You will not only be advancing your career through this endeavor you may also be contributing to important scholarship and research.

Recommended citation for this article

Wilcox, E., & Garcia, A. (2017, March 16).  From Submission to Applause: Conference Proposals That Get Accepted. Advising Matters, University of California, Berkeley retrieved from advisingmatters.berkeley.edu

Seven Steps to Identifying a Conference Proposal Topic

A Successful Conference Abstract Dissected

Improve this proposal, professional development planning.

6 Tips for Submitting a Successful Presentation Proposal

Ideas to help you craft a submission they cannot wait to accept

The call for proposals has come out for your favorite educational conference and now is the time to submit your own presentation proposal. Even if you’ve never submitted before, or have been rejected too many times, don’t despair; you have something valuable to share! Follow these key tips to help you craft a submission they cannot wait to approve.

1. Choose the right conference

This may seem like a strange place to start, but your ideas and experience need to match conference’s goals and level. If you are just getting started, submit a presentation to a district-level conference first and then move to a state-level conference. This way you can share these experiences as the proof of expertise needed for larger regional, national, or even international conferences.

2. Choose the right format

A lecture-style presentation is not the only way to share your experience and expertise at a conference. Many conferences are looking for presenters who are willing and able to lead round-table discussions, poster sessions, and hands-on workshops. With many students and teachers quarantined, during the COVID19 pandemic, presenters who can move beyond a lecture-style webinar are in high demand.

If you are new to presenting or sharing a classroom project, consider a poster session. In this format, presenters share their ideas from a table, bulletin board, and computer with participants who stop by based on your description and/or display. Attendees head to poster sessions when they want to get a lot of different ideas quickly and don’t want to commit to sitting through an hour-long presentation of unknown value.

Because you are dealing with multiple one-on-one or small group audiences, posters take the anxiety out of presenting to a large audience. While you always share a concise overview of your work, you end up sharing different ideas, strategies, and parts of your story depending on the questions and needs of each audience member. As participants ask questions, your presentation becomes more of a natural conversation and storytelling opportunity.

Hands-on workshops are another option for sharing your expertise, especially expertise with integrating a digital tool. Workshops are generally an additional cost and a way many conferences generate income. If you can attract people to and deliver a great workshop that participants have paid for, many conferences will see you as their partner and actually ask you to submit in future years. Most conferences provide a small stipend for giving a workshop, helping you pay for the additional cost of attending or coming early.

3. Read the guidelines

This one seems easy, but be sure to read the guidelines for submissions. Then, follow the rules and complete all requirements. Most proposal reviewers are full-time educators like yourself and appreciate a well-written and well-crafted submission that makes sense and answers all questions. If reviewers have an overwhelming amount of proposals, you don’t want to have yours thrown out because of a simple omission.

4. Explore last year’s program

If you want to know what types of sessions are accepted at any conference, explore their conference program from last year. What titles or topics were mentioned over and over? Even if these are not exactly your focus, you will get an idea of what conference leadership likes to include.

Go back to a previous year’s conference book or online schedule and look through the sessions you chose to attend. What attracted you to each session? Did the title catch your eye? How did you search? Which keywords did you look for?

5. Find connections to standards and research

While not all conferences require you to submit related research and standards, it is still a good idea to share standards and research that outline, clarify, and support the skills that students, teachers, media specialists, or administrators will gain from your presentation or as they implement projects and strategies you are sharing.

Conferences will likely ask for connections to specific standards like Common Core , NextGenScience , or ISTE Standards for Students . Explore state and national standards to help you find wording that specifically demonstrates how the instructional strategies, visioning, and classroom ideas you are sharing help students demonstrate mastery of educational learning goals.

If your district is focusing on strategies outlined in Classroom Instruction That Works , include not only a reference to the research by Marzano et al. (2004) or Dean et al. (2012), but also to the specific strategies you are referencing such as Nonlinguistic Representations or Summarizing and Note Taking. If your site is focused on 21st-century skills, be sure to include the Learning and Innovation skills (4 C’s) as well as the 3 R’s.

If a book, blog post, or online article inspired you and supported your work with students, share it. This not only provides participants with additional supports they can use to make their implementation of your ideas a success, it gives reviewers a clearer picture of where you are headed with your presentation.

6. Promote yourself

Many teachers don’t like to talk about themselves or their work, but reading and comparing presentation descriptions is rarely enough information for reviewers to make an informed decision. Support their efforts to read your proposal by sharing your achievements and expertise in both your presenter biography as well as your online presence.

Craft a strong biography that not only tells who you are but shows what you have done. Build your credibility by sharing experiences, accomplishments, and recommendations in your bio. List the presentations you have given before. Share quotes from participants in past sessions you have led. If you have additional credentials and degrees, mention it. Include awards you have won and additional certificates you have earned.

A strong online presence is also helpful. If reviewers have to choose between proposals, they will likely search for you online to find more information about your philosophy, past experience, and style.

A personal blog or web site is a great way to showcase your expertise and thinking and collect the work you have done, like a digital Curriculum Vitae. New digital tools make building and maintaining these easier that ever. If you do not have a blog, write a guest post for someone else’s blog or even an online magazine. If you have a social media account, be sure the posts in it reflect your interests, ideas, and expertise.

It’s time to write a proposal for a session you want to attend!

With the work done above, all that is left is to write a creative and engaging title and description that accurately describes the content of your session. The writing itself will not only affect the outcome of your proposal submission; it will also help get the right people to come to your session after it is accepted. A title that connects to the conference theme is great, and one that hits at the heart of why the theme applies to student learning is even better.

So, what are you waiting for? Go for it! Our world needs your voice.

by Melinda Kolk

Melinda Kolk ( @melindak ) is the Editor of Creative Educator and the author of Teaching with Clay Animation . She has been helping educators implement project-based learning and creative technologies like clay animation into classroom teaching and learning for the past 15 years.

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4 Tips for Preparing a Winning Conference Proposal

Almost as soon as we pass  TESOL 2022 , it is already time to prepare for TESOL 2023! Perhaps you are thinking about putting in a proposal but you are a bit unsure about how to best organize it, or you may think you don’t have enough content to contribute. You might have tried in the past to submit a proposal for a conference and were not accepted, or you have never given it a try.

In any case, preparing a conference proposal is a great professional development activity as it causes you to stop, look at your body of work, delve deeper into those specialized areas of practice you enjoy sharing, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Whether for TESOL International Association ( deadline is June 1 !), a local or regional TESOL affiliate, or other education conference you are interested in, the same general rules apply when preparing a conference proposal that is more likely to be accepted.

Tip #1: Make sure you understand what you will need to prepare.

Open the proposal submission form and create a separate document with all the sections you will need to complete. You don’t want to be working inside the application portal itself for drafting and writing! You can just copy and paste in your text later when you are ready to go. This also helps you get feedback and collaborate before it’s time to submit. For TESOL 2023, there is a  downloadable word document  already prepared for you with the sections and instructions! As Joe McVeigh notes in his 2012 TESOL blog on this topic, spend time reviewing the different requirements of the sections to complete, especially what readers are looking to see in the Abstract versus the Session Description. In terms of audience for these sections, it is helpful to think of:

• other conference-goers when writing the abstract. (What will draw someone to your session?)
• proposal readers when writing the session description. (How can you make the flow of the session ultra clear to a tired reader of proposals?)

It is helpful in both cases to reduce jargon, eliminate acronyms, and imagine you are explaining the session to someone in your family outside of the profession. The reader should be readily able to access:

• the what (content of your session)
• the why (rationale for this session’s importance) and
• the how (the way the session will be delivered—be mindful of virtual vs. in-person criteria).

Tip #2: Decide what you want to focus on in your presentation.

Are you sharing a topic that will have broad appeal but also give attendees something new or concrete to walk away with? If the topic is way too specific to your institution, other conference attendees may not be drawn to this session—and that is something your proposal readers will have a good sense of. Examine past conference programs to get a better sense of how the abstracts are written, the themes of interest, and what seems to be valued in terms of content by the conference organizers.

This is a great time to highlight something you have been working on for some time, or even an area you want to learn more about. You do not have to feel you are the ultimate “expert” on a subject to present on it! On the contrary, presenting can be a great way to draw attendees who have expertise on your topic to your session and learn from them as well. As long as you can structure a rich conversation, have your distinctive way of pulling together materials and resources, can share your perspective and insights, and leave the audience with further avenues to explore, you are qualified to offer a session!

TESOL offers a few types of presentation foci: practice/pedagogy oriented, research oriented, conceptually oriented, and policy oriented. These areas can be a great starting point for planning your session. Which appeals to you the most?

• For the  practice/pedagogy focus , you will want to have experience in the particular method or approach so you can share concrete examples.
• For the  research focus , this can be formal research or classroom-based action research that you have conducted.
• For the  conceptually oriented session , you can bring in theories, ideas, and possibilities that you have already reflected on and want to engage others in discussion around.
• For a  policy-oriented session , you would make connections between a larger or local policy that has impacted your work.

Go back to look at the conference program for the type of presentation you are planning to see how the abstracts conform with the attendee expectations for that particular type of session. It should be clear to your proposal readers that you have selected the appropriate style of presentation for your topic.

Tip #3: Follow the rhetorical structure of successful proposals.

No matter the type of session you wish to propose, there are some general rhetorical moves that appear consistent across proposals that are helpful to study and imitate. In Sherry Blok’s 2016 TESOL blog post, she speaks with Carolyn Payant about her study deconstructing the genre of the successful proposal. In  Payant and Hardy ’s (2016) analysis, they point to 10 elements that were present in accepted proposals:

• Territory : You open by establishing the situational context of the activity.
• Reporting previous research : You make reference to previous work, situating the current activity.
• Gap : In relation to theoretical or empirical territory, you show there is a lack of knowledge in the field; serves to motivate the study.
• Goal : You state the aim and/or objective of the activity.
• Means 1 : You specify the methodology, procedures, plans of action, and tasks of the project.
• Means 2 : You specify the presentation’s procedure as to what is to be accomplished in a specified amount of time.
• Outcomes : You present findings or achievements resulting from the study.
• Benefits : You explain and connect outcomes (intended/projected) to real world applications.
• Importance : You claim the urgent need for the proposed activity.
• Competence : You state your credibility.

Keep in mind your word limits and hit all the points—you do not want to spend, for example, too much time giving lots of background information when your readers will have that awareness already. Share your passion and excitement through strong word choices throughout.

Tip #4: Enlist support for the proposal writing process.

Just like any public-facing writing—whether that is writing for a newsletter, a memo for colleagues, or a blog like this—having someone knowledgeable to edit your work is essential when drafting a conference proposal. As proposal readers have hundreds of submissions to read through and evaluate, they will naturally need to skim and scan yours. Make sure that what you are crafting aligns with provided rubrics and checklists so that your reader will have an easy time seeing that you are meeting the demands of their conference proposal submission process. Who would you normally turn to when checking your language, formatting, and overall style for other professional writing tasks? Most people wind up doing their proposals at the last minute and leave neither time to solicit feedback nor opportunity to incorporate it. This time, try any of the following to see how it improves your proposal’s quality:

• Ask a current or former professor for one of their accepted proposals or to review yours. (Believe me, we are rarely asked for input on conference proposals and would be delighted to support you!)
• Consult a program supervisor, coach, or director for feedback. (This is a great way to get them involved and supportive of your professional development!)
• Collaborate with a colleague or student. (Writing a proposal can be a comentoring experience and a way to share the workload!)

Whatever you do, don’t give up! The same proposal can usually be tweaked to be reused for a different conference venue, and you will soon find yourself accepted to multiple conferences! Especially in this age of virtual conferencing, there are more opportunities than ever before to share your work and build knowledge in our global English language teaching community!

In the comments, share any tips you have for winning conference proposals!!

29 Apr 2022

• Professional Development

About the author

Laura Baecher

Dr. Laura Baecher is professor of TESOL at Hunter College, City University of New York. Her research interests and publications relate to teacher education, including educational technology in teacher learning, observation and coaching for English language teaching, and professional development in TESOL. Her recent books are Using Video to Support Teacher Reflection and Development in ELT and Reflecting on Problems of Practice in TESOL . She has served as chair of TESOL International Association’s Teacher Education Interest Section, an English language specialist for the U.S. Department of State, and president of the New York State TESOL affiliate.

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#129: How to Write a Conference Proposal

by Bethanie Hansen | Sep 28, 2022 | Career , Higher Education , Leadership , Podcast , Professional Development

This content first appeared at APUEdge.com.

Podcast with Dr. Bethanie L. Hansen ,  Associate Dean (Interim),  School  o f Arts, Humanities and Education 

Part of learning and stretching is sharing your knowledge with others. In this episode, APU’s Dr. Bethanie Hansen discusses the benefits of presenting at a professional conference. Learn tips on selecting an engaging topic, writing a conference proposal as well as what mistakes to avoid.

Listen to the Episode:

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Read the Transcript:

Bethanie Hansen: This podcast is for educators, academics and parents, who know that online teaching can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding, engaging, and fun! Welcome to the Online Teaching Lounge . I’m your host, Dr. Bethanie Hansen. And I’ll be your guide for online teaching tips, topics and strategies. Walk with me into the Online Teaching Lounge.

Welcome to the Online Teaching Lounge today, I’m Bethanie Hansen. And I want to talk with you about how to write a conference proposal. As an online educator, you may be thinking, you need some professional development, and it’s a great idea to go to a conference. There are so many kinds of conferences you could attend . If there’s one locally in your area, it’s especially good to set aside the time and go attend that conference: Low cost, local area, fast access.

But something across the country or across the state, that’s a different story altogether. Now we’re talking about spending money to attend that conference. And it’s a lot easier to justify spending that money if you’re also going to be presenting at that conference. Or, if your institution is considering sponsoring you, chances are the only way they’re going to do that is if you are presenting at the conference. So how do you write a conference proposal?

Well, before we talk about that, I just want to dive into how we can tap into your genius about what you might present at a conference. First, I’ll tell you a little story about myself.

I used to go to professional development conferences as a band director in California. I would go to the State Music Educator National Conference conventions that were for the state of California. These would rotate between Sacramento and San Diego or Los Angeles, every other year. As I went to these, and I noticed others presenting on topics of interest to me, one day, I realized I had that same knowledge. A woman stood up there and shared some exercises that she used with her band and she taught us all how to use them and talked around them.

And I thought to myself, I could be the person presenting this workshop, I know that same stuff. And suddenly it dawned on me, not everybody knows what I know. And, just like me, not everybody knows what you know , either. And so, in my next step, I wrote up a proposal about what was most important to me as a band director. And, as a band director, and still, as an educator today, the very most important thing to me was recruiting and retention.

Recruiting is a whole process of giving awareness to other people, helping them to notice you notice your band program and get interested in joining it in the future. And then there’s those actions about having them join your band this year . And, all of the steps that have to do with that like getting a band instrument, convincing your parents that you should be in the band, figuring out how you’re going to get started. And all of those things that are part of joining the band, the very first year you’re thinking about it.

There’s also the recruiting at different ages. So, if your school district’s band program starts in sixth grade, maybe in seventh grade, someone has moved in from somewhere else, and they didn’t have that chance, and they still want to join band. So, there’s several different processes to recruiting. There’s even high-school level recruiting, where you might be recruiting people to twirl a flag in your marching band, or play cymbals in your percussion section, or even be a beginner on a band instrument. So, there’s a lot of levels to this and I had experience and passion for all of that.

So, I wrote that proposal. And I drafted it up for that State California conference.

And the other half is retention. Once you recruit kids into your program, or students into any class, you have to help them want to stay there. There’s this whole idea that band directors used to have all over the place where they just assumed kids would stay because band is worth doing all by itself, right? Well, that’s not the case. In fact, when kids join your band, you have to work just as hard to keep them there, as you do to get them there in the first place.

There is so much that competes for your students’ time when you’re a band director. You have to really work with them on balancing all those activities they might be in, what if they’re in sports and band at the same time or different clubs, like debate or going on field trips for academic decathlon? There’s just so much. So that topic of recruiting and retention, it’s kind of two different things that goes nicely together. And that’s what I decided I wanted to present on at a conference. So, I wrote up my proposal and I submitted it. And it was accepted. And it was my very first time presenting at a professional conference.

So, I prepared, I made my PowerPoint slides, created a packet of handouts. And I went to this conference. And this session was in a huge theater. And it was full, totally full of about 200 people. I was amazed at how many people came to that conference session that I presented. I ran out of handouts, I had to give them email copies later. But it was a huge success for me, the very first time out.

Other conferences I have presented at have had varying degrees of interest and attention. I have sometimes presented a session to five people, sometimes 35. So, even when you’re accepted to present at a conference, you can never really know exactly what you’re going to get in terms of who shows up, and what you need to deliver it with success. But what you can assume is that someone will want to hear it, even if it’s just one or two people. So, writing that proposal, I suggest thinking about number one, what you know about.

Determine Your Area of Interest to Present On

What is your area of expertise in your academic discipline? What subject matter do you really want to share something about? It could be a teaching strategy, or like my example of recruiting for band directors, it could be a problem-solving strategy. It could be some kind of community-building, like how you could use labs in your virtual science class. It could be some kind of a networking idea, how you’re going to collaborate with other teachers. And maybe you’re going to present a model of how to do that. There are so many ideas of things you are good at, that you could potentially share at a conference.

If you’re not really sure what would be appropriate for a conference, I suggest looking up the website for a conference you might consider attending and looking at last year’s topics. Many of the websites out there for conferences have a list of the topics and the titles of the presentations for the last several years. These can give you a good idea of what might be interesting to conference attendees, or what might suit the audience, generally.

One example for the online teaching space is the Online Learning Consortium . They have two conferences a year one is in the spring, and it’s called OLC Innovate . And when is in the fall, it’s called OLC Accelerate. And as of right now, at the time of this recording, they have a virtual and a live option. So, even if you could not travel to attend that conference, you could still present, even if it’s virtually.

Tips to Writing a Successful Proposal

So, as you think about the topic, there are some tips to help you get this written well and have a greater chance that your proposal will be accepted. The first one is of course to have a suitable topic, the best way to have a suitable topic for a conference, once you’ve decided on your area of interest, whether it’s a subject matter or a strategy, the best way is to think about the tracks and the topics that conference is requesting.

In the case of the OLC Accelerate conference, there are certain tracks and they are all aimed at different audiences. I’ll just give you an example of what these tracks might be, so you have an idea of the type of variety that conferences can have.

The track descriptions for OCLC Accelerate are:

• access, equity, and open education
• blended learning strategy and practice
• engaged in effective teaching and learning
• instructional design
• leadership and institutional strategy
• research, evaluation and learning analytics
• student support and success
• technology and future trends

And often there will be some big ideas that have lots of sessions connected to them. And if you can propose something to a less-popular area, where what I mean to say is where there are likely to be fewer proposals, but there is still interest in the audience that even increases your chances of getting accepted more.

So, one example would be that a lot of people at that particular conference, propose things in the category of engaged and effective teaching and learning. After all, most things we’re going to think about in online education are about the teaching and learning, right? Now, if you have something specific about the way you set up the classroom, or a method of the instructional design itself, it makes a lot more sense to tailor it to that instructional design topic, where there are fewer proposals. So, yours will be stand out and it gives you a greater likelihood of being accepted.

Now, in terms of your audience, you want to think about the types of audiences that typically attend those conferences. So, in this situation, where I mentioned one in particular, which is OLC Accelerate, the audiences range from K-12, educators, higher ed educators, to the tech people who designed the classroom itself, you might have instructional designers, tech support, all kinds of people who are really good at focusing on the way the classroom is set up.

There’s a whole audience that is interested in alternative or accessibility strategies. So, if you have a really good handle on universal design for learning, or accommodation strategies for diverse learners, then you could tailor your proposal to that angle. If you are in leadership, or you think your idea is great for an institutional-level strategy, or the leadership team over an organization, then you might tailor your presentation to that. And, if you really want to stretch, you could have a topic that you tailor one way for the leadership group, and a totally different way for the instructional design group and that would give you two different proposals.

Determine the Type of Presentation to Create

Now, as you’re fleshing out your topic, you also want to think about what kind of presentation it’s going to be. And those kinds of presentations vary, there are the virtual poster sessions where you create some slides, they play automatically, and a person watches it like a mini-web presentation. There’s also the education session, which is like your typical lecture style presentation. There are short workshops that are hands on where you expect people to bring a device and play along with you. There are gamified sessions. And there are larger workshops, which would be 90 minutes to 2 hours in length. So, if your topic takes more than just that 45-minute window, maybe it has a Part A and Part B or something that builds on that initial stuff, then you’re going to propose it as a larger workshop.

Proposal Writing Tips

As you write up your proposal, some interesting things that stand out are to have a creative title that conveys exactly what it’s about; to have an abstract that tells participants what they would walk away with if they attended this session. And then in the deeper part of your proposal, where you really flesh out what it’s about, what you will do, and how you will engage the audience that comes to be part of this presentation, two helpful tips seem to work all the time.

One is to use references. Support your approach with some scholarly research and some sources that do support your idea. This adds credibility to what you’re submitting.

And second, detail exactly what participants will leave with at the end of the session. Is it an idea? Is it curiosity? Is it a handout? Is it a template? Whatever it is, your participants will be able to leave with, make it very clear, explain it. And, if appropriate during the proposal process, even include a copy.

Most proposals are intended to be entirely anonymous, and you would need to leave your name off of them. You should not mention your school or your institution. And you want to look over these to make sure they are grammatically correct and well written. I know that seems to go without saying, but I’ve been a reviewer for conference proposals myself for many years now. And, every once in a while, I’ll see one where the person just forgot to use spellcheck and forgot to use the right punctuation, like maybe they dictated it and didn’t check it afterwards. So, be sure to check those things because at the very least, you want it to look and sound professional when you submit it.

And then submit it before the deadline, turn everything in that you need to do and then you wait and you’ll hear back at whatever time they tell you you’ll hear back. I always put that date on my calendar so I can check and find out whether something has been accepted. And the more you practice it this, the more likely you are to get presentations accepted to present at conferences.

Then your next steps would be to plan the presentation around your audience so they definitely get out of it what do you say they’re going to get out of it. One of the biggest mistakes is to prepare a proposal, get accepted, show up, and then present on something different than what you said you were going to present. I’ve sat through presentations like that myself, and perhaps you have also, where we’re sitting there thinking we’re going to learn something, and we never get that out of that session. And it seems to be a huge disappointment. Like, why did we sit through that if we were not going to get what we came for? So, addressing the topics that you say you’re going to address is a really important part of this when you come full circle and actually give the presentation.

The bottom line of all of this is that you have a lot of expertise, you know a lot, and you have areas that you can share with other people who are just learning. It’s time to get up and present those things and share them with your professional community. I want to encourage you to do that. And if you’re listening to this around the time of the recording where this podcast is produced, there are proposals right now being accepted for the OLC Innovate conference coming up in the Spring of 2023 . And I would encourage you to submit a proposal to that, and stretch, figure out what you can share with the online community.

And if you’re listening to this later, after the initial publication, you can just check the OLC’s website to see when the next conference is coming and when the next set of proposals will be accepted. I want to encourage you to grow and stretch and share because that’s what helps us to stay motivated and keep learning ourselves. I wish you all the best in writing up your proposal and submitting it this coming month or even this coming week.

This is Dr. Bethanie Hansen, your host for the Online Teaching Lounge podcast. To share comments and requests for future episodes, please visit bethaniehansen.com/request . Best wishes this coming week in your online teaching journey.

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Conference Proposal

We all want to turn our big idea into a proposal example and submit it to a conference, right? It is the first step in making your idea to happen in reality. But, it is not that easy and simple. Especially when you are required to write a conference proposal for your idea.

Conference Proposal Example

• Google Docs

Size: A4, US

Conference Proposal Template

Writing a conference proposal is like writing a research proposal it’s very daunting but you will find it very important and essential when you are eager enough to make your idea to happen. Luckily, this article provides you guidelines, steps, and tips for writing a conference proposal to get you started.

Request for Proposal for Professional Conference

Size: 795 KB

Conference Paper

Size: 15 KB

Sample Academic Proposal

Size: 205 KB

Conference Sponsorship Proposal Format

Size: 363 KB

Conference Attendance Sample

Size: 308 KB

How to Write a More Effective Conference Proposal

Writing a conference proposal or even a request for proposal is not an easy task, especially when you are new to it. You may describe writing a proposal to be daunting and overwheliming. That’s actually true, however, there are steps in writing a more effective conference proposal so that you would crash out that unwanted feeling.

• Review your proposal and check for errors and typos.
• Write less jargon, those terminologies that only you can understand.
• Master the details and give the audience a good feel when you talk.
• Deliver yourself clearly.
• Lastly, submit your proposal ahead of time.

But if you don’t really feel to write this proposal, we got free proposals here available for download.

How to Write a Proposal for a Conference Presentation

For writing a proposal for a conference presentation, here is what you can do:

• Just like a project proposal , start from the introduction, followed by the main body, and then the conclusion.
• Get the attention of the audience with a compelling intro or from a question, quotation, or anecdote
• Tell the audience what your presentation is all about. The main discussion and the main ideas and points to cover.
• Arrange the topics in chronological order.
• Use transition statement.
• Support your main ideas.
• Summarize all your presentation.
• Finish it with a strong ending and don’t introduce new ideas.

Format for International Conference

Quality Education Conference

Size: 309 KB

Format for Leadership

Guidelines for Writing a Conference Proposal

No matter what proposal it is, it really needs guidelines and tips so that you can write a more effective proposal.

• The very first thing you need to do is to explain why your proposal is important . This is to know what could be and how would it contribute the organization or institution.
• Have a clear point and articulate it precisely . The smart goal of your proposal is to be understood by the reader.
• Proofread your proposal . This is to prevent from typos, grammatical errors, and unnecessary jargon.
• Get opinions from editors and/or critics . You need a second opinion from them to improve the idea of your proposal and the clarity of expression.
• Never cite information in your proposal from unreliable sources. So you would not talk about wrong information.
• Lastly, take these guidelines very seriously . It may not be similar to a business proposal , it should still look professional

Proposal Maker

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate a proposal for a new school recycling program

Compose a proposal for a school field trip to a science museum.

How can you use AI to draft a conference proposal?

• by Kayla Lee
• May 03, 2024

Crafting an effective proposal can be a time-consuming process, but Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, can speed up the process by helping you brainstorm ideas, generate text, and rephrase your wording.  

To strengthen your proposal, we will guide you through the building blocks of an effective AI prompt.  

That said, keep in mind some of AI’s key limitations , including biased response, factual inaccuracy, and lack of understanding context. You should verify any generated facts or claims, and critically review the generated text.  

Building an AI prompt   

The building blocks are presented in order of most to least important.  

Task  

Start your command with an action verb such as “write,” “summarize,” or “generate” to articulate your end goal.  

Example: Write a 300-word summary from the following description about my topic: [insert description]. Make sure to emphasize learning objectives. In addition, use the summary to generate a concise title that includes the phrase “security, compliance, and privacy.”

Context  

Provide background information for your project, such as its description, purpose, notable impacts, intended audience, and environment it will take place in. The more specific you are with your input, the better the output will be.  

Example: You are submitting a proposal to present at a major technology conference for fellow technologists. Your topic focuses on strategies that will mobilize teams to stay on top of new security threats and protect individual privacy.  

Exemplar  

Give your AI an example of what kind of output you are looking for, such as the writing styles, structures, and tones. This building block is optional, but having an example will improve the quality of your output and reduce the risk of misinterpreting your prompt.   

Example: The summary should mimic the professional style of this example: [insert example].  

Persona  

Assign your AI a role — a public figure, an identity, point of view, or profession — to generate outputs based on the area of expertise related to that role.   

Example: You hold a leadership position in information technology at a university, overseeing initiatives related to enterprise and high-performance computing.  

Format  

Tell your AI how you want the end result to look like.  

Example: The summary should start with a background about my topic, move into a description of the learning objectives, and end with a statement about how my topic will benefit campus cyber security efforts.  

Tone  

Describe to your AI how you want information to be conveyed.  

Example: Use clear and concise language , while writing in a confident yet friendly tone.  

Putting it all together

Now that we have covered the building blocks of an AI prompt, let’s put the entire sample prompt together into a cohesive set of instructions:  

Persona: You hold a leadership position in information technology at a university, overseeing initiatives related to enterprise and high-performance computing.  

Context: You are submitting a proposal to present at a major technology conference for fellow technologists. Your topic focuses on strategies that will mobilize teams to stay on top of new security threats and protect individual privacy.  

Task: Write a 300-word summary from the following description about my topic: [insert description]. Make sure to emphasize my learning objectives. In addition, use the summary to generate a concise title that includes the phrase “security, compliance, and privacy.”  

Format: The summary should start with a background about my topic's purpose, move into three main takeaways from my topic, and end with a statement about how my topic will benefit campus cyber security efforts.  

Exemplar: The summary should mimic the professional style of this example: [insert example].  

Tone: Use clear and concise language while writing in a confident yet friendly tone.  

Once your AI has generated an initial draft, we recommend you review the generated text and make edits. You may also input your revised draft into your AI for feedback on word choice, sentence structures, and more.  

Happy drafting!  

NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists

NASP 2025 Call For Presentation Proposals Call For Presentation Proposals

In this section.

• You Should Present at the NASP Convention
• Submitting a Successful Proposal

The Space Request system is now open:

Event Space Requests

Space requests will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, so please be sure to submit your request online as early as possible. Download the instructions (PDF) for complete details.

There's still time!

All submissions were due by Wednesday, June 12, 2019 11:59pm EST, however, we are extending the deadline until Monday, June 17, 2019 12:00pm EST .

The NASP 2025 Annual Convention will take place February 18-21, 2025 in Seattle, WA.  The NASP convention offers an excellent opportunity for applicable NASP affiliates to host certain activities in conjunction with the convention. Toward the end, the convention committee is offering the opportunity to reserve time and space on the convention schedule.

The convention is an outstanding venue in which to showcase your research and practice. We are especially seeking presentations that will appeal to seasoned practitioners and assist them in delivering the highest quality, evidence-based practices in schools.

Session Formats

Presentations should be in one of the following formats:

• 1 hour, 50 minute presentations
• Maximum of four total contributors and four total presenters
• 50 minute presentations
• 90 minute presentations
• Maximum of two total presenters and two total contributors
• 80 minute presentations
• Maximum of ten total contributors and ten total presenters
• half-day (3 contact hours)

Submissions

Submissions include a summary ( maximum of 800 words ) identifying the purpose, content, and expected outcomes for participants; and description ( maximum of 30 words ) stating the objectives of the presentation to be published in the convention program upon acceptance. See the online instructions for important information on these two proposal elements.

Proposals with summaries or abstracts exceeding the word limit will be disqualified.  Be sure not to include any identifying information about authors in your summary (i.e. title page, name in running head, track changes on, or author in file name. Proposals that identify the author(s) will be disqualified.

The Paul H. Henkin Memorial Scholarship Award Recognizing Excellence in Applied Research or Program Design

The Paul H. Henkin Memorial Scholarship Award recognizes excellence in applied research or program design by a school psychologist who has recently entered the field. Individuals eligible for consideration are PRIMARY presenters whose proposals are accepted for presentation, who are NASP members, and who have been newly credentialed within the last three years , prior to the proposal submission deadline ( Wednesday, June 12, 2024 ).

Credentials may include Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) or credentialing by a state agency as a school psychologist. The recipient of the Paul H. Henkin Memorial Scholarship Award will receive reimbursement for convention registration fees, lodging as needed to fulfill the obligations of the award (presentation and awards ceremony), and transportation to the NASP convention for which her/his proposal has been accepted. Reimbursement cannot exceed $2,000.

Individuals interested in being considered for the Paul H. Henkin Memorial Scholarship Award should complete the information pertaining to the scholarship on the online cover sheet and submit their proposal electronically. Upon notification of acceptance, individuals then submit (via e-mail) 1 copy of documentation to verify credentialing .

Important Dates

Presentation proposal submission system opens.

Submission System Opens

Presentation Proposal Submission System Closes

Submission System Closes

Space Request System Opens

Space Request System Closes

Notification of Proposals Acceptances

Notification sent to Presenters

Presentation Cancellation

All Presenters must register or cancel their presentation by this date

Presentation Proposals System Opens

Presentation proposal system closes, space request submission system opens, space request submission system closes, presentation cancellation deadline, important information.

Proposal Submission Instructions

Workshop Submission Instructions

Space Request Instructions

General Proposal Questions NASP Meetings & Conventions  phone: 301-347-1667  toll free: 866-331-NASP (6277)  [email protected] Questions about Workshop Proposals ? Please direct inquiries to Renée Tobin at [email protected].

Sponsorship Information Find sponsorship opportunities at the NASP 2019 Annual Convention .

Exhibitors Get more information about being an exhibitor at the NASP 2019 Annual Convention .

Convention Advertising Convention Advertising Rates 2018–2019 .

General Proposal Questions NASP Meetings & Conventions  phone: 301-347-1667  toll free: 866-331-NASP (6277)  [email protected]

Convention Workshop Proposals Contact   Mark Swerdlik

Technical Difficulties? [email protected]

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2024 Kentucky Derby results, winner: Mystik Dan takes 150th Run for the Roses by a nose in epic photo finish

Trainer kenny mcpeek and jockey brian hernandez jr. also won the kentucky oaks on friday at churchill downs.

Mystik Dan has won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish. Mystik Dan just barely beat out Sierra Leone and Forever Young by a nose in a photo finish as all three reached the finish line.

This is now the 26th time that the Kentucky Derby has been decided by the length of a neck or less, and Mystik Dan reached the winner's circle in one of the most thrilling finishes in recent memory at Churchill Downs. 

Mystik Dan took the lead down the backstretch and it looked like no horse would be able to catch him, but that's when both Sierra Leone and Forever Young made their move. As Mystik Dan began to slow a bit nearing the finish line, the two horses -- seemingly pinned to one another -- made the hard sprint to the finish line and nearly stole the victory away.

Trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. also won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday at Churchill Downs, making them just the second tandem to accomplish the feat.

In the immediate aftermath of the race, McPeek gave all the credit to Hernandez. McPeek said Hernandez has flown under the radar for a while, but those days are gone now.

"Brian just did an amazing job," McPeek told NBC in a on-track interview. "Just a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant jockey and ride. I mean, the draw helped us from the beginning. We talked about that. ... Brian is amazing. Probably one of the most underrated riders in racing, but not anymore."

Because of the razor-thin margin of victory, everyone had to wait several minutes for an official winner to be declared. Hernandez described that anticipation as "the longest few minutes I've ever felt in my life." Hernandez also said winning the Kentucky Derby fulfills a childhood dream for him.

"This is a lifetime achievement," Hernandez said. "This goes to our whole family. We've worked all our lives for this. It's hard to describe what kind of feeling this is. I told myself I was never going to step into the Derby winner's circle until I could do it on the back of a horse. To be able to live that dream from when I was a six-year-old kid riding my bike around my grandparents' farm telling them I was going to win the Kentucky Derby one day. Here we are."

Race favorite Fierceness started out strong, running with the leaders early. But down the stretch, he faded quickly to back and finished a disappointing 15th. 

Check out the full results below.  CBS Sports was with you the entire way on Saturday bringing you all the results and highlights from the Kentucky Derby. Thanks for stopping by.

2024 Kentucky Derby payouts

3 - Mystik Dan  WIN:  $39.22  PLACE:  $16.32  SHOW:  $10.00 2 - Sierra Leone  PLACE:  $6.54  SHOW:  $4.64 11 - Forever Young  SHOW:  $5.58

$2.00 Exacta (3-2) $258.56 $1.00 Trifecta (3-2-11) $1,113.84 $1.00 Superfecta (3-2-11-4) $8,254.00

Complete results

1. Mystik Dan 2. Sierra Leone 3. Forever Young 4. Catching Freedom 5. TO Password 6. Resilience 7. Stronghold 8. Honor Marie 9. Endlessly 10. Dornoch 11. Track Phantom 12. West Saratoga 13. Domestic Product 14. Epic Ride 15. Fierceness 16. Society Man 17. Just Steel 18. Grand Mo the First 19. Catalytic 20. Just a Touch

The horses are making their way to the starting gate now. After all the pageantry, big hats, betting and mint juleps, there's nothing left to do but race and crown a new Kentucky Derby winner.

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