Conference Proposals
What is a conference proposal?
If you are interested in presenting at a conference, you will likely be asked to submit a conference proposal for consideration. A conference proposal is the genre of submitting work to a conference and often includes elements such as a proposal, abstract, and rationale. However, depending on your discipline and the conference, there may be varying requirements. All requirements will be stated in the Call for Proposals/Papers (also commonly referred to as a CFP).
Presentation Types
At a conference, there are often many types of presentations. They can include panel presentations, roundtable discussions, workshops, panels, poster presentations, and more.
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Panel Presentation/10-20 minute presentation:
This type of presentation is usually 10-20 minutes, depending on the conference (the conference will inform you of your time frame). During the presentation, you have the opportunity to share your research and ideas. The conference will organize your presentation into a panel with other presenters who have topics similar to yours. At the end of all the presentations, the audience can ask all of the presenters questions. It is important to keep within your allotted time so that all presenters have equal time to speak, so ensure that your presentation can fit within that time frame.
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Panels:
Instead of submitting just one presentation, you and other presenters can submit to have your own panel, with each person presenting their research. The panel should be organized into related topics. Each presentation will be about 10-20 minutes (the conference likely will have a specific time frame for each presentation or a time frame for the entire panel and expect you to pace your own presentations). At the end of the panel presentation, there will be time for audience members to ask questions to the whole panel.
- Roundtable Discussions:
In this type of presentation, you and the other presenters will answer and discuss themed questions. You will introduce a specific topic and can prepare some questions or choose to field some questions from the audience. This type of presentation is great for starting or contributing to ongoing discussions about new or popular topics within your field.
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Workshops:
In this type of presentation, you will lead your audience in a workshop centered around your topic. The presentation may share some information or ideas in the beginning and follow with a related activity for attendees to work on with your guidance. The audience should be actively engaged in this type of presentation. Your presentation will be both informative and a place for audience members to practice or reflect on the information you shared during the workshop session. A successful workshop will provide the audience with writing prompts, how-to instruction, or another activity for your audience to participate in during the workshop.
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Poster Presentation:
In large conferences, poster presentations are more common. Instead of presenting to a live audience, the conference will hold a time where presenters stand in front of a poster presenting their research. Attendees will walk through, stop, and ask questions as they view your poster. As the presenter, you should have a quick “elevator speech” to share with attendees as they review your research and be ready to answer any questions. If you submit for a regular panel presentation and are not accepted, you may be offered a poster presentation slot instead.
For the most part, conference proposals follow similar structures and rules no matter the type of presentation. Decide what type of presentation fits your research best and tailor your proposal to that particular presentation type.
Purpose of a Conference Proposal
The conference proposal is like an application to speak at a specific conference. After you submit your conference proposal explaining your presentation, then the conference committee decides if they will incorporate your presentation into the conference schedule. Most conferences will require some type of proposal in order to be submitted. So, if you want to present at a conference, the proposal is a necessary step in that process.
There are many reasons to attend a conference and want to present your research. Many academics present preliminary research at a conference for feedback before they pursue publishing. Some choose to present to share ideas with other professionals in the field as a way to spread information. It is also a great way to start a conversation about timely topics in your field.
Many scholars also use conferences as a way to network with other people in your area of study. Conferences can also be a great place to improve your public speaking skills and learn more about important and timely topics in your field. Any reason to submit to a conference is a great one!
Structure of a Conference Proposal
The Conference Proposal likely will have multiple sections of text required. Typically, the very basic conference proposal will require an Abstract (to be printed in the directory) and the proposal itself. There will also be some type of application where you fill out basic information like presenter names and affiliations, presentation format, presentation style, etc. The conference may also ask for a rationale or an author’s bio.
Abstract
The conference will likely ask you for an abstract of your presentation. This will likely be printed in the conference booklet. The audience for the abstract is conference attendees. As you draft your abstract, keep this audience in mind rather than the conference committee. Your abstract should share key details about your presentation, including the main topic or question you are exploring, its contribution to the field, and anything else of note that may draw attendees to your presentation. If you are not asked to share your abstract with your conference proposal, you will likely be asked to submit one upon acceptance.
Proposal
The proposal portion will be your “behind the scenes” of the conference presentation. You should share relevant work in the field (you should include 1-3 citations here if possible), followed by your research and its relevance to the field. Explain what you hope to achieve during your presentation and share what attendees take away from your presentation. It is very crucial that you explain both the importance of your research and the importance of your presentation.
Presentation Title
Presentation titles can be difficult to pick. Aim for something that clearly identifies the main topic in your presentation. Some disciplines prefer more straightforward titles, and other disciplines may encourage puns or wordplay. For examples, review previous presentation titles from past years’ conferences. A previous conference section should be available for you to review for inspiration. Avoid being overly wordy, if possible.
Rationale
Depending on the presentation style you have selected, you may be asked to explain your rationale for choosing that particular presentation style. This will be a short paragraph explaining why you have chosen the presentation style and why the information you present would be best in that type of presentation style.
Author’s Bio
Occasionally, conferences will ask for an author’s bio. This should be a short (50-100 words) introduction to you as the author. Share what university or organization you are affiliated with, your area of expertise or interest, and any major achievements. If you are a graduate or undergraduate student, share this information and the area of work you are interested most in.
If there are multiple authors, keep each person's bios as brief as possible.
Important Considerations
Choosing a Topic
It may be difficult to know what type of research to present. If you want to present at a specific conference, there is likely a theme and sub-themes that will be outlined in the Call for Presentations (CFP). There may also be a list of questions or topics the conference is most interested in. This is a good place to start to consider what type of research to present. Alternatively, if you have a topic you are interested in or have already researched, find conferences with themes that align with it. Conferences sometimes accept presentations with topics different from the theme, but the best chance to be accepted is to follow the theme.
Group Presentations
Many times, presentations are shared by multiple presenters. This is more common in round table discussions, panel presentations, and workshops, but more than one person can also share single presentations. As a group, write your proposal and have one person (typically the lead presenter) submit the proposal. Other members should be identified on the application form. Even with multiple presenters, it is important to remain within the allotted time frame during your presentation.
Anonymity
When referring to yourself or to other presenters in the conference proposal, avoid using first person or names. Instead, use Presenter 1, Presenter 2, etc. This language makes it much easier for presenters to understand who you are referring to.
Include a Presentation Takeaway
Your presentation is an investment in time for both the conference and your audience. It is also an investment in space during the conference. Clearly labeling the major takeaways is important for the conference to determine how your presentation fits in the conference. Make the expectations clear.
Example: Attendees will hear survey results about how students value peer-review sessions during class time, and attendees will learn best practices for peer review.
Including Research
In your proposal, you should include 1-3 other research sources. The focus of your presentation should be your new research. However, like many types of academic writing, background research is important to present your research. What other research is your writing in conversation with? What research gaps are you filling? In your proposal, it is important to show that your research builds off previous research in your field.
Clarity and Conciseness
As an application to a conference, it is crucial that your writing is clear and concise. There is typically a very limited word count, so identifying key concepts clearly and concisely is crucial. Revise to reduce unnecessary words and make the writing easily understandable.
Grammar or Mechanical Errors
All aspects of your conference proposal should be free from any grammatical or mechanical errors. Those who are reading your proposal are reading many proposals in a short period of time. Grammar or mechanical errors can stand out, and you want to put your best foot forward in any application. Make sure to revise thoroughly before submitting.
