Conference Call for Proposals Guidelines
Submit Your Proposal and Share Your Expertise
Before You Begin
We welcome your interest in speaking at a future NCCHC conference. Our conferences cover a wide range of topics, including current research, best practices, and innovative solutions to the challenges facing professionals who work in correctional health care. Submitting a proposal represents an opportunity to contribute to quality patient care, share your expertise, and network with like-minded professionals. We invite you to be a part of our dynamic educational programs.
New presentation types are available! Please read all information below.
Open Call for Proposals
No proposals are currently open. Please check back September 1, 2025.
Proposal Types
Proposals can be submitted for educational sessions, research presentations, lightning talks, roundtables, and posters.
Educational Session
Educational sessions provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the latest knowledge, best practices, and standards of care. These sessions may include philosophical, case study, or systems-level issues. The format of educational sessions can range from lectures to hands-on workshops and panel discussions, with a focus on interactive and participatory learning experiences. See a sample proposal.
Research Presentation
Research presentations are opportunities for presenters share their latest research findings or study results with peers in their field. The goal is to provide a forum for sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas, and fostering collaboration. The material should be comprehensive and based on scientific research, quality improvement activities, surveys, and/or epidemiological investigations. The format can vary, but typically includes rationale, methods, data, results, and conclusions. Presenters should lead a discussion of findings and how they may apply to work and practice settings in correctional health care. See a sample proposal.
NEW! Lightning Talk
NCCHC is excited to bring lightning talks to our upcoming conferences. These are short, high-energy presentations that are up to 20 minutes in length. They are an opportunity for speakers to quickly share their ideas, insights, and experiences. The format is fast-paced and engaging, allowing attendees to get a quick glimpse into a variety of topics in a short amount of time and to learn about new and innovative ideas. See a sample proposal.
Roundtable
Roundtable discussions encourage participation by all attendees. Presenters are “hosts” and only provide brief handouts (usually a one-page print-out of key points and possibly some questions) because the emphasis is on the discussion itself, rather than a formal presentation. The goal is to get everyone involved and participating in the discussion. See a sample proposal.
Poster
Poster presentations are visual representations of research or work that can effectively convey information and facilitate discussions. Posters may be based on research, case studies, systematic reviews, and quality improvement projects. The work should be original and not previously presented elsewhere. At the Correctional Mental Health Care Conference, presenters are asked to be available to discuss their posters during the conference breaks; at the National and Spring Conferences, presenters are expected to attend a reception Sunday evening during the conference where they are available to discuss their poster with attendees. See a sample proposal.
Preparing to Submit a Proposal
The designated lead presenter will serve as the sole point of contact. The lead presenter is responsible for submitting the proposal, informing copresenters of the selection decision, distributing materials to copresenters, planning the presentation agenda and ensuring that the content is not biased. All items below are required to complete your submission. Maximum three presenters per session.
Proposals must be submitted online. We suggest that you prepare the information in advance to save time online and to ensure that you have a backup copy. Please copy the information into a plain text editor, such as MS Notepad, to eliminate formatting before you copy it to the submission form.
Session Information
You will need the following details:
- Title: Clear and concise description of the subject and focus of the presentation (maximum 100 characters).
- Summary: Succinctly describe the presentation for the website and program (maximum 75 words). Use complete sentences (not bullets) and avoid writing in first-person narrative. This summary will be used in the conference program and website.
- Outline or Abstract: Summarize the purpose, methods, findings and conclusions of your presentation, and explain what attendees may expect to gain from it (approximately 300 words).
- Learning Objectives: Provide three learning objectives for the presentation and a brief explanation on how each objective will be met.* (Tips for Writing Learning Objectives)
- Skill level: Indicate if the presentation is basic, intermediate, or advanced.*
- References: Provide three sources/references you will include in the presentation.*
- Requested Length: 60, 75, 90, or 120 minutes. The Education Committee will make the final determination.*
- Primary and secondary topics of your presentation.(See the conference-specific list)*
- Whether you are willing to change the format of your presentation, if requested.
- Whether your presentation is being supported by a vendor and, if so, details on vendor support.*
Skill level for your presentation:*
- Basic: focus on awareness and factual recall; appropriate for those with limited experience of the subject area seeking introductory understanding of the content areas.
- Intermediate: focus on understanding and comprehension; appropriate for those with some experience seeking to build on, apply, or enhance existing knowledge using content and practical applications to master concepts.
- Advanced: focus on application and implementation of highly technical or detailed topics; appropriate for those with substantial prerequisite knowledge seeking the most up-to-date information to heighten expertise.
*Not required for posters
The following resources may be helpful in preparing your submission:
Presenter Information
You will need details about all session presenters (maximum of three), including the following:
- Name, employer, degrees/credentials, phone number, and email address
- 1-page CV or resume
- Disclosure form: All presenters are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests, as explained on the disclosure form.
Qualifications to present the material are needed for the lead presenter. The designated lead presenter will serve as the sole point of contact. The lead presenter is responsible for submitting the proposal, informing co-presenters of the selection decision, distributing materials to co-presenters, and ensuring that the content is not biased.
Selection Criteria
The NCCHC education committee will review all submissions. Decisions are based on the following criteria:
Relevance: The proposal should be aligned with the conference educational objectives and the mission and goals of the NCCHC.
Significance: The proposal should demonstrate the clinical significance of the topic and how it can improve quality of correctional health care.
Evidence-Based: The proposal should be founded on research and evidence and include critical analysis of the existing literature, where appropriate.
Innovation: The proposal should present new, innovative ideas and approaches within the field of correctional health care, so long as they articulate evidence-based foundations.
Practicality: The proposal should present practical, actionable insights and recommendations for professionals in the field of correctional health care.
Timeliness: The proposal should address a current, pressing issue or challenge in the field of correctional health care.
Author Expertise: The authors should have relevant expertise and experience in the topic they are presenting, as demonstrated through their professional background and/or credentials.
Engagement: The proposal should engage the audience and promote interactive discussion and dialogue.
Quality of Presentation: The proposal should include a well-structured, clear, and concise presentation plan with sufficient depth to require the time allotment.
Product/Service Promotion: The presentation must not show preference for one product or service over another unless there is a clear scientific or objective basis to do so, or unless the presentation allows for a fair discussion of alternatives.
Approved Proposals
The lead presenter will be notified of the selection decision. Submission of a proposal implies a commitment to attend the conference should your proposal be accepted. Speakers receive a discount on the conference registration fee.
Presenter Support
Presentation and speaker information will appear in the preliminary and final programs, and abstracts will appear in the proceedings. Each room will be equipped with a podium, microphone, screen, head table and LCD projector. Additional audiovisual equipment may be rented at the speaker’s expense. AV rental forms will be sent with letters of acceptance.
Questions? Contact us at 773-880-1460 or [email protected].