Call for Proposals is now OPEN!
Deadline: July 25, 2025
We are pleased to invite submissions for proposals for the 2026 WOW Research Conference Cruise. We seek innovative and insightful proposals from individuals and organizations eager to contribute to educational research that champions the well-being and advancement of Black women and girls. WOW welcomes both empirical and theoretical solution-oriented proposals.
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All proposal submissions must be based on original work (not previously published or presented at another conference). All proposals must be submitted as pdf documents online through the WOW website portal. See the proposal guidelines and submission portal below.
Proposal Guidelines
All proposals are anonymously reviewed. Please remove identifying references from your proposal (for example, your name and/or publications that refer to you as the author/editor). Proposals will be rejected if identifying information is included. Please upload all proposals using our online submission portal by July 25, 2025.
Upload a PDF document and note the word limits below. WOW will notify only the lead presenter of the acceptance or rejection of proposals so lead presenters should keep a copy of the proposal and should share the acceptance/rejection notice with co-presenters. If you are submitting a proposal with multiple presenters, please make sure to include the name, affiliation, email address, and telephone number of each participant when prompted by the online submission portal. Your proposal must address and will be reviewed on the following components, using subheadings for each:
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Objectives, problems, significance of work, or central questions
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Contexts or Theoretical Framework(s)
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Approaches, methods, strategies, or techniques for analysis
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Results, findings, and/or substantiated conclusions
Word limits are as follows:
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Titles should be no more than 15 words.
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Abstracts should be 150 words or less.
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Proposals for individual papers should not exceed 1,000 words (excluding references).
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Proposals for all other sessions should not exceed 1,500 words (excluding references).
Proposal Session Types
Presenters may submit proposals for individual papers, panel, roundtable, poster, or lightening session presentations. At the time of submission, presenters will be asked to rank up to 3 possible presentation modes. Presenters will also be invited to volunteer to be a discussant or chair for a session during the conference.
Individual Paper Session:
An individual paper submission is a single paper with one or more co-authors. A paper session consists of a group of research/concept papers with a similar focus. Paper sessions are also the most popular gatherings and will be selected based on the relevance to the conference theme and solution-oriented focus. Maximum of four (4) papers per session for the duration of 60 minutes.
Panel Session:
A panel is a collection of papers around a specific area of inquiry or theme, and each participant presents her/his/their own paper. Panel sessions should leave time for discussion. Maximum of five (5) papers per session for the duration of 90 minutes. Chair and discussant (could be the same person) is to be identified by the session organizer.
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Roundtable/Working Paper Session:
A roundtable presentation is a single paper with one or more authors that is considered “work in progress.” A “Roundtable” engages the presenter and audience members in a group discussion about the presenter’s research or practice. Working papers are grouped together that have similar questions, themes, topics, or methodologies. These sessions share solution-oriented ideas that can move projects forward and develop professional networks with scholars working in similar areas. Maximum of four (4) papers per session for the duration of 60 minutes.
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Lightning Session:
A lightning session is very short-form talk, which are unlike traditional conference presentations, panels, or lectures. The main goal is to spark new conversations and collaborations with fast-paced presentations. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the work of many scholars with similar interests in a relatively short period of time. Maximum of six (6) papers per session for the duration of 45 minutes. Each presenter is given 5 minutes.
Contact
Questions about this call for proposals may be directed to the Proposal Review Committee at