21st Annual NAAEE Research Symposium
Building Bridges
Call for Presentations
November 5–6, 2024 ● Pittsburgh, PA
Proposals Due by April 26, 2024
The North American Association for Environmental Education seeks compelling proposals for our 21st Annual Research Symposium that speak to the overall conference theme, Building Bridges. We invite researchers, policymakers, and practitioners at all stages of their careers to share their research. We welcome new and established researchers from North America and beyond and especially encourage graduate student submissions.
We strongly encourage proposals about ongoing research and studies in their initial stages, or discussion topics related to EE research (e.g., emerging theories, methodologies). We welcome submissions about completed research and evaluation projects in selected formats for the Research Symposium or for the general NAAEE conference to help link research and practice.
We welcome submissions that promote dialogue as we confront myriad challenges ranging from climate change to environmental, economic, and racial injustices. Presenters are invited to address topics that may include methods and theory (e.g., decolonizing methodologies, theories of empowerment, post-humanism, new materialism, ecoaesthetics, ecopsychology, storytelling, practice-embedded research) and pedagogy and programming (e.g., climate change education, community-based learning, culturally relevant pedagogy, civic action, common world pedagogy, public pedagogy, and teaching activism).
Session Formats
Please read the following format descriptions and select the most appropriate session format for your proposal. Note that NAAEE may accept your proposal but shift it to an alternative format.
Research Panel
(60 minutes) In research panels, three or four presenters focus on a question or challenge related to methods and theory and/or pedagogy and practice and explore it from various perspectives. These sessions include short presentations by each panelist, reserving at least 15 minutes for discussion with attendees. Submit proposals as complete 60-minute panels with multiple speakers representing different viewpoints or organizations, or as 15-minute individual presentations, which the Research Symposium program committee will combine into 60-minute panels on related topics. A/V equipment is provided.
Research Poster
Posters offer an opportunity for sharing and discussing completed studies on a range of topics, methodologies, approaches, and challenges in EE research. They are two-dimensional printed presentations most often created using Adobe InDesign or Illustrator, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva, and similar applications. Posters may be up to 36 x 48 inches in size and displayed on portable bulletin boards for attendees to review at leisure throughout the symposium. Presenters will have a chance to pitch their posters and stand beside them to answer questions during a scheduled poster session. No A/V equipment or electricity is provided, but presenters may use their own laptops or tablets during the poster session.
Research Roundtable
(60 minutes) Roundtable discussions center on reviews, questions, and challenges related to EE research. Selected sessions are combined into multi-presenter discussions on similar topics. Presenters are each given 10 minutes to share their perspectives, followed by spirited group discussion. Several roundtables are held simultaneously in a large room. No A/V is provided. You may use your own laptop or tablet if desired; however, this format does not lend itself to formal PowerPoint presentations. Note: Roundtable proposals are submitted by individual presenters and combined by the Research Symposium program committee.
Research Workshops
(120 minutes) Research workshops are skill-building sessions intended to help develop critical competencies related to EE research. These sessions should have multiple presenters/facilitators and be as interactive as possible. Workshops jointly proposed by teams of graduate students and researchers from more than one institution are encouraged.
Audio-Visual Equipment
Rooms for all panels and workshops are equipped with a PC laptop (with Office Suite loaded), LCD projector, and screen. We do not provide audio-visual equipment for roundtable discussions and posters, but presenters in these sessions may use their own battery-powered laptops or tablets. NAAEE strongly recommends bringing PowerPoint and other audio-visual materials on portable drives and using the equipment provided. Internet access is available in all meeting rooms.
Review Criteria
A peer review team will evaluate and rate all session proposals. The Research Symposium co-chairs will select proposals based on reviewer scores, balancing a range of topics and with particular attention to sessions that advance equity, justice, and inclusion in EE. Accordingly, presenters will be asked to choose from a range of keywords when submitting proposals to assist in finalizing the program.
Reviewers will apply the criteria below when evaluating proposals. Please address each bullet in your proposal(s), providing enough detail for reviewers to fully understand your plans.
Proposals will be assessed and selected by how well they:
- Explain how the proposed discussion topic fits within one of the Research Symposium focus areas—either methods and theory or pedagogy and programming
- Identify theoretical frameworks and cite literature informing the approach to the topic
- Provide sufficient detail to understand the content of the proposed session
- Explain how the session will inform and advance the practice of EE and/or the EE research field
- Explain why the session is appropriate for the selected format (e.g., completed projects should be proposed only as posters)
- If a workshop, explain how participants will benefit from their involvement, including learning goals and opportunities for active engagement
How to Submit a Proposal
Proposals must be submitted online by 11:59 PM PDT on Friday, April 26, 2024. You may find it helpful to download this draft proposal form and use it to draft your proposal before entering the information online.
Each individual or team of individuals is limited to three proposals to maximize the number and diversity of presenters and perspectives on the conference program.
Important: Please use the same email address for submitting your proposal and registering for the conference.
- Proposals must be submitted online through All Academic, our proposal management system.
- Click here to enter All Academic or find the link on the conference or research symposium home page or from the menu on NAAEE’s conference website.
- If you’ve been part of a proposal in the past, you likely already have an All Academic account. Log in with your email as your username and your password from 2023. (Older passwords will no longer work.)
- If you need to reset your password, click on the appropriate link in All Academic. You will receive an email message from Do_Not_Reply@AllAcademic.com with further instructions.
- If you do not have an All Academic account, you'll need to create one by clicking on the new user link. Use your email address as your username. You will immediately receive an email message from Do_Not_Reply@AllAcademic.com with further instructions.
- Check your filters if you do not receive the message. You will continue to receive messages from this email address; make sure it is in your safe senders list.
- On your home page in All Academic, click "Submit a Proposal." Select “Conference” or "Research Symposium" and complete the online submission form.
- Click the “Accept and Continue” button on each page until you reach the final confirmation page.
- When your proposal is successfully submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from Do_Not_Reply@AllAcademic.com. This email address is often caught by sensitive filters. If you haven't received it, check your junk folder and make sure the “@allacademic.com” domain is in your safe sender list so you receive future mailings.
- You can edit any information in your proposal until the April 26 submission deadline by logging in to your All Academic account and selecting the proposal from the list on your All Academic home page.
Important Notes About Registration
All presenters and co-presenters are required to register and pay published fees for the conference.
NAAEE depends on registration fees to cover conference expenses and cannot provide waivers or discounts to presenters.
NAAEE has not yet finalized fees, but we expect research symposium registration for current NAAEE members to be about $300 for a professional and $200 for a student or retiree. Nonmember rates will be about 30% higher, and we hope to provide lower-cost options for those with limited funding. There is a separate registration fee for the NAAEE Annual Conference.
All presenters must confirm their participation by registering for the conference by the September 13, 2024 early bird deadline.
If your proposal is accepted, you will have an additional opportunity to finalize session information after receiving your acceptance notice.
Questions
As a first step, please check the Frequently Asked Questions for assistance with submitting your proposals. If you need additional help, please contact us at conference@naaee.org.