Call for Presentation Proposals for U of MN Public Engagement Conference

Call for Conference Proposals
Deadline: December 1, 2025
2026 University of Minnesota Public Engagement Conference
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus

The University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement invites the University community to a systemwide public engagement conference showcasing the variety of ways that the University is partnering with communities, governments, non-profit organizations, and business and industry. 

“Public engagement” is defined as the involvement of University faculty, students, and staff in research, teaching, learning, and/or service activities focused on addressing societal issues through collaborative partnerships with external entities including, but not limited to local, regional, state, national, or international communities, non-profit community-based organizations, governmental agencies, business/industry, and educational institutions.

All University of Minnesota faculty, staff, students, community partners, and institutional leaders are invited to submit presentation proposals and attend the conference.

Submitting a Presentation Proposal

To prepare and submit your presentation proposal, complete the following steps via the conference’s online Proposal Submission Form.   

The form asks for the following information. It is recommended that you first gather all of the information and enter it in a WORD document and then transfer your responses to the online form.

1. Presenter Information

• Name, title, unit affiliation (e.g., department, office, etc.), and email address of all presenters

• Identification of lead presenter

2. Abstract

Complete a 50-word abstract that provides a description of the content of your session.

3. Proposal Narrative

Complete a short proposal narrative (no more than 300 words) that addresses:

1. What information will your presentation cover? 

2. What knowledge, skills, or understandings will participants gain from your presentation? 

3. Discuss your preferred presentation format(s) (see below) and why this format fits with your presentation content. 

4. Selection of Presentation Format

Conference sessions will be delivered through a variety of formats and modalities. Presenters are encouraged to select the format that best suits the focus and intention of their presentation. A variety of presentation formats is available. Please note that each format has a specified allocation of time in which the presentation must be conducted.  

All sessions are 75 minutes long, of which at least 15 minutes are devoted to an open discussion with session attendees.

Identify the presentation format(s) you prefer for your presentation. You are welcome to choose more than one format. However, choose only those presentation formats that accommodate your presentation. 

• Case Study is a 20-minute presentation from a singular program, unit, or partnership that shares good practices and experiences on a broadly applicable and replicable topic. For your session, the conference program planners will pair your 20-minute case study with two additional 20-minute case studies, based on the proposed topic or the theme on which the session is focused. The final 15 minutes of the session is reserved for discussion.

• Panel Discussion is a 75-minute session addressing multiple perspectives and/or diversity of approaches focused on important public engagement topics. Consideration should be given to including panelists who bring diverse perspectives that lead to broader conversations, debates, and brainstorming among audience members. Panel presentations should be limited to no more than 60 minutes, with at least 15 minutes allocated for broader audience discussion.

• Research Paper presentation is a 20-minute presentation of a paper that shares research data and/or study findings pertaining to publicly-engaged work. For your session, the conference program planners will pair your 20-minute research presentation with two additional 20-minutes research paper presentations, based on the topic of the research or the theme on which the session is focused. The final 15 minutes of the session is reserved for discussion.
  
  

• Workshop is a 75-minute session focused on skill building. All workshops include hands-on activities that focus on building individual attendees' skills, knowledge, and/or understanding. Workshops may include a truncated version or sample of a longer training that offers attendees a glimpse into possible training or professional development opportunities that they might pursue post-conference.
  
  

• Poster is best suited for reporting results of research studies, assessments, and evaluations as well as the presentation of translational, educational, service-learning, clinical, or other programs of engaged scholarship or evidence-based practice. Posters presented will be displayed continuously during an open viewing period. Also, to encourage networking and discussion of the displayed work, at least one presenter is expected to be present at the poster during a formal session.

Proposal Submission

Submit your proposal electronically through the Proposal Submission Form. 

Proposals are due by Friday, December 1, 2025 by 11:59 pm CST.

The identified lead presenter will receive a confirmation message after submitting the proposal.

The lead presenter will be notified by Friday, December 19, 2025 regarding the outcome of the proposal. 

All presenters of accepted proposals will be asked to confirm their participation in the conference by Friday, January 9, 2026.

Please note that due to a limited number of presentation rooms and time slots, we will not be able to accept all proposals that are submitted.

The conference fee is $50 for all attendees, due upon conference registration. University of Minnesota students receive a reduced conference fee of $35 with a University of Minnesota ID. Community partners are free.

Selection Criteria

The Proposal Review team will apply the following criteria in selecting proposals:

• Presentation of content that is deemed informative, useful, provocative, and/or cutting edge in furthering attendees’ understanding of the role of publicly-engaged research, teaching, learning, and outreach;
  
  

• Clarity of purpose in proposed presentation; and,
  
  

• Fit for overall schedule and program (e.g., offerings of different kinds of presentation types across the different themes).

Preference will be given to proposals that offer session attendees lessons learned, clear take aways, and/or next steps.

For additional information or questions, contact Amber Cameron, director for public engagement initiatives, at acameron@umn.edu.

Additional information about the conference is also available on the conference webpage.