2022 AHEAD CFP Submission Resources

• You will need to create an account within Oxford Abstracts. The contact information collected there will only be used to contact you regarding your proposal.
• Some people prefer to prepare their proposal in a Word document so that they can draft and edit more easily, and then can cut and paste the information into the form fields.
• If you would like to make any changes to your submission, simply log back into your account, select the proposal you want to change, and select "Amend."

1. Focus the bio information you include on your experience relative to the topic of your presentation. Reviewers are interested in your qualifications to present on the specific topic, not your general resume.  
2. You are asked to identify just ONE topical area to assist the program committee in balancing the conference content. Reviewers will understand your more specific focus through the abstract and description.
3. Draft an abstract that is clear, concise, and description of your presentation. The abstract will be available during conference registration and used by conference attendees to select their concurrent sessions. Abstracts may be edited for length, clarity, or grammar.
4. Submit a program description that is clear, well-organized, and grammatically correct. It’s useful to include information on why your topic is important to disability resources in higher education. You are encouraged to review the selection criteria and ensure that you address each area of consideration.
5. Keep your name and your institution’s name out of your abstract and program description. The review process is anonymous. If names have to be edited out of your proposal, it will compromise the overall flow of the proposal.
6. Describe the learning goals for your presentation AND information how you plan to achieve them. Review the video (New Window) for guidance on drafting quality learning goals. 
7. Cite resources that support your presentation. AHEAD is interested in promoting evidence-based content.
8. Include information on how you will address AHEAD’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. In the past, proposals have been rejected because this AHEAD goal was not addressed in the proposal.

NOTE: To ensure the AHEAD Conference includes diverse and representative perspectives, the conference committee will accept no more than two proposals from any individual presenter through the CRP process. Some content experts may be specifically invited to speak on topics crucial to the membership. Thus, some presenters may be highly represented in the final conference program.

• Creating Accessible Documents
• PowerPoint Accessibility

• CFP Online Form
• Proposal Recommendations
• Selection Criteria
• Presenter Expectations
• How to Volunteer to be a Proposal Reviewer

All proposals will be reviewed by volunteer AHEAD members. Reviewers will evaluate proposals on the following criteria. All proposals will be reviewed anonymously.

1. Relevance: The proposal offers essential, high impact information, addresses current issues, and/or builds on concepts that are important to AHEAD members. The ideas conveyed through the proposal are important to enhancing equity in higher education.
2. Innovation: The proposal offers creative, cutting-edge, innovative, or provocative ideas and/or a novel approach to a common issue. After attending this session, participants would have new inspiration, motivation, and/or tools to take back to their institutions.
3. Values: The concepts presented in the proposal are consistent with AHEAD's values of diversity, equity, social justice, individual respect, and inclusion.
4. Diversity: The proposed session enhances the diversity of perspectives offered at the conference by including content featuring or focused on underrepresented groups or institution types (e.g. traditionally marginalized people—LGBTQ, people of color, indigenous people—and/or institutions such as community colleges, HBCUs, or small private colleges) or issues of intersectionality.
5. Engagement: The proposal provides evidence of an opportunity for participants to learn actively and/or engage with the material through participatory activities, discussion, and/or a question/answer period. 
• This is informed by the HOW part of your answer to the question on learning goals. Be sure to include a PLAN for how to support your learning goals effectively, involving participants ACTIVELY and BEYOND a simple Q&A opportunity.
• Review the instructional video (New Window) for guidance.
6. Presentation: The proposal is clear, concise, well-organized, and grammatically sound. The authors demonstrate attention and care in the development of this proposal.

All proposals will be reviewed by volunteer AHEAD members. Reviewers will evaluate proposals on the following criteria. All proposals will be reviewed anonymously.

1. Relevance: The proposal offers essential, high impact information, addresses current issues, and/or builds on concepts that are important to AHEAD members. The ideas conveyed through the proposal are important to enhancing equity in higher education.
2. Innovation: The proposal offers creative, cutting-edge, innovative, or provocative ideas and/or a novel approach to a common issue. After attending this session, participants would have new inspiration, motivation, and/or tools to take back to their institutions.
3. Values: The concepts presented in the proposal are consistent with AHEAD's values of diversity, equity, social justice, individual respect, and inclusion.
4. Diversity: The proposed session enhances the diversity of perspectives offered at the conference by including content featuring or focused on underrepresented groups or institution types (e.g. traditionally marginalized people—LGBTQ, people of color, indigenous people—and/or institutions such as community colleges, HBCUs, or small private colleges) or issues of intersectionality.
5. Engagement: The proposal provides evidence of an opportunity for participants to learn actively and/or engage with the material through participatory activities, discussion, and/or a question/answer period. 
• This is informed by the HOW part of your answer to the question on learning goals. Be sure to include a PLAN for how to support your learning goals effectively, involving participants ACTIVELY and BEYOND a simple Q&A opportunity.
• Review the instructional video (New Window) for guidance.
6. Presentation: The proposal is clear, concise, well-organized, and grammatically sound. The authors demonstrate attention and care in the development of this proposal.