Proposal Descriptions and Guidelines

Individual and panel presentation proposal decisions were emailed Mar 4.

Poster submissions accepted on a rolling basis through end of May. 

Open a downloadable copy of the 2023 proposal submission guidelines or view them below.

Email questions to events@aessonline.org.

Workshops

Professional Development Workshops differ from symposia and panels in having a formal educational or professional development component that involves clear goals and learning outcomes as well as appropriate teaching methods. Content may include presentations, discussions, exercises, formal training, assigned pre-conference readings, or other methods of promoting heuristic goals. In 2022, workshops will be 1-3 hours and available to any conference registrant.

Posters

Poster presentations are designed for the presentation of research or pedagogical or program innovations in a less formal and more interactive way than a formal panel. Effective posters focus on the main points of the research (the question, key findings, basic methodology); the main value of the session is the dialog between presenter and session attendees. There will be opportunities for attendees to interact with presenters during designated time periods.

Panel

presentation panel proposal must have a partial (at least 2) or full set (3-4) of participants. ALL participants must submit a proposal referencing the panel title. We particularly encourage sessions that include multiple disciplines, professions, and perspectives.  Presentation panels are designed for presentation of research or other scholarly AESS-related endeavors. When filled, they consist of 3-4 presenters. Panels will organize if they wish to create any pre-conference viewing material to share with attendees (optional).

Mealtime Roundtable

A mealtime roundtable proposal should be an abstract containing a description of the discussion topic, including: a brief background to the discussion topic, the central idea for discussion,and its relevance to the AESS community.

Individual

An individual paper proposal is appropriate for those wishing to share the results of research or pedagogical or program innovations. Presentations will be grouped into themed panels by the Program Chair and assigned a session moderator. See also Areas of Emphasis.

Discussion Symposia

Discussion symposia are designed for focused discussion on important questions of interest to the AESS membership.  Playing off the original ancient Greek symposia, the emphasis is on in-depth intellectual exchange. Opening remarks are appropriate but it is not expected that participants will deliver a formal presentation. Discussion symposia are 1.5 hours in length, and will take place on Mon-Weds in parallel with presentation panels and other sessions. Discussion symposia consist of up to 4 participants and must be fully organized in advance. In only rare cases will the Program Committee add a member to a symposium.

Areas of Emphasis for 2023

In addition to general submissions for the 2023 event, AESS is seeking presentations that specifically relate to several areas of emphasis. When submitting a proposal, select the area of emphasis, if applicable.

Submissions for this theme could include individual presentations and sessions related to critical and/or radical ways of framing our shared natural resources and public spaces, as well as the mechanisms by which they are depleted, sustained, and regenerated.  Whether experiential and participatory, or theoretical and philosophical, we welcome frameworks that contextualize the commons through the lens of resistance and treat decoloniality as more than metaphor. Connections to the global south and indigenous knowledge systems are encouraged.

Environmental convergence, which focuses on addressing complex problems in society through interdisciplinary approaches rooted in the arts, sciences, technology, engineering , math, agriculture and humanities. Notable submissions will integrate knowledge, methods and expertise intentionally from two or more fields and develop effective ways of communicating across disciplines.

Submissions for this inter- and multidisciplinary theme can include works from across academia and the environmentally-engaged community on the barriers to achieving justice, the means by which we can overcome those barriers, the characteristics of justice in the commons, and examples of this achievement. From research and story related to environmental justice to youth-led climate activism, to improving accessibility in the sustainability sciences, this theme is about a shared discourse of political, cultural and ecological change. 

“In the Classroom” focuses on  how we best serve the rapidly changing needs of students, supporting their well-being, promoting inclusion, and cultivating a sense of belonging in ESS and Env Humanities. Submission topics include inclusive pedagogy strategies; pedagogical research; case-based teaching; evidence-based approaches; experiential learning practices; utilization of transparent course design; innovative assessment strategies; curriculum for undergraduate, graduate, or certificate programs; community-engaged learning; adapting to student needs post-pandemic; opportunities in environmental education; and models for teaching Senior Capstones.

Submissions for this theme can include multidisciplinary theoretical and empirical works on ecological complexity. We welcome scholars of complex systems thought, human-coupled systems, resilience thinking, and non-linear dynamics to help to showcase a more holistic understanding of ecological risk, invasive consequences and solutionary thinking. Environmental history scholars highlighting ecological patterns, process and possibility over time are also encouraged to submit to this theme.

Submissions for this theme can propose innovative and more inclusive governance modes of the Commons and highlight emergent challenges deriving from these societal and institutional changes. Notions of power and agency, regulatory capture-proof policies, as well as the potential for intergenerational and intragenerational understanding are key emphases of this theme. Case and field studies as illustrations are welcome.

Specialization within ESS has led to the fragmentation of knowledge, creating loosely connected disciplines in which discoveries in one area stay hidden in others. Interdisciplinary research driven by ideas that have the potential to radically change our understanding of an important existing concept or lead to the creation of a new paradigm or field through emergent science should be submitted for this theme. Submissions will be characterized by their challenge to current conventional understandings and their pathway to emergent frontiers across ESS.

Submissions for this theme could include individual presentations, organized sessions, and/or workshops dedicated to the continued learning and development of AESS members and attendees as environmental educators, researchers, and practitioners. Notable submissions will provide support for early career professionals and/or an emphasis on the continued diversification of, and equity & inclusion within, professional fields related to environmental thought and action.

The Food-Energy-Water nexus is central to some of the most prevalent and pressing sustainability challenges facing humanity and holds promise for some of the most profound and positive opportunities for socio-cultural and ecological changemaking. Submissions in this theme can explore the complex interconnections between these three components through a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses.

Conference Proposal Guidelines

General note for all submissions

Abstracts should describe the research or innovation concisely and be written for a broad, multidisciplinary audience. Please keep technical language to a minimum

Individual Presentations

Abstracts should be 300 words (2000 characters) or less and include a:

  • Brief overview of the topic background
  • Specification of content type (e.g. empirical research results, theoretical contribution, project description, pedagogical experiment, presentation of artistic work, personal or institutional experience, etc.)
  • Statement of content, including presentation purpose
    • Provide sufficient information that we can judge the quality of your proposal and its relevance to the conference audience
    • For example, research results might include focal question, method, results and conclusion; pedagogical experiment might include description of experiment, outcomes and lessons learned; presentation of artistic work might include creation of the work, presentation to the public and potential impact; etc.

Deadline for submission: January 18, 2023

Posters

Abstracts should be 300 words (2000 characters) or less and include a:

  • Brief overview of the topic background
  • Specification of content type (e.g. empirical research results, theoretical contribution, project description, pedagogical experiment, presentation of artistic work, personal or institutional experience, etc.)
  • Statement of content, including presentation purpose
    • Provide sufficient information that we can judge the quality of your proposal and its relevance to the conference audience
    • For example, research results might include focal question, method, results and conclusion; pedagogical experiment might include description of experiment, outcomes and lessons learned; presentation of artistic work might include creation of the work, presentation to the public and potential impact; etc.

Deadline for submission: Rolling through May

Full Panel Sessions

A proposal for a full panel session should be a summary abstract which gives a brief description and justification of the session in 300 words or less (2000 characters)  in the text box. This might include applicability to the conference theme, contribution to your field, connection to the mission and goals of AESS and the broader environmental studies and sciences community, and/or scholarly and professional merit.

In the “additional abstracts” text box, please include an abstract (with presentation title and author) of no more than 300 words (2000 characters) for each confirmed presentation; please see instructions for individual presentation abstracts above for more details.

 

Deadline for submission: January 18, 2023

Discussion Symposia

A proposal for a discussion symposium should be an abstract  which gives a brief description, including how the session will be structured, and justification of the session, in 300 words or less (2000 characters). This might include applicability to the conference theme, contribution to your field, connection to the mission and goals of AESS and the broader environmental studies and sciences community, and/or scholarly and professional merit.

The abstract for a discussion symposium need not include individual abstracts or biographies for each discussant but should include names, affiliations and email for each discussant. List these as co-presenters.

Deadline for submission: January 18, 2023

Workshops

Proposals should contain sufficient detail to justify the length of time participants will commit to this session. We expect leaders of accepted workshops to actively promote their sessions in advance of the registration deadline. The proposal should cover (in 700 words or fewer) the items below.

  1. Workshop title
  2. Length (75-120 minutes)
  3. Proposed theme and justification
  4. An outline of goals and learning outcomes, and, if appropriate, plans for communication of results
  5. An outline of the progression of topics and types of learning activities or teaching methods
  6. A list of confirmed leaders and a sentence or two about their qualifications and proposed role  (you may also list these names under the co-presenter option)
  7. Description of target audience for workshop and methods leaders will use for recruitment of participants, beyond the AESS listserv

NOTE 1 : Workshops will be offered Monday through Wednesday of the conference and require attendees to select their intent to attend during online registration. Workshop facilitators will receive a roster for their session and can request one from events@aessonline.org at anytime. We ask all workshop leaders to register by the conference’s early registration deadline or the workshop may be canceled.

 

Deadline for submission: January 18, 2023

The following workshop topics were suggestions gleaned from a survey to the AESS community at-large. We encourage potential submitters to review for proposal ideas for 2022. Click each category for suggested details.

Administration

Ideas include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • student scholarships/funding
  • program management
  • effective social media strategies
  • engaging alumni/donors
  • anti-coporatization
  • program design
  • sustainability programs
  • faculty to admin transition

Advancement

Ideas include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • T&P standards, strategies, and planning
  • challenges of interdisciplinarity for T&P
  • academic freedom
  • non-academic careers
  • post-tenure engagement (especially admin)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Ideas include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • decolonizing / diversifying syllabi
  • AESS membership
  • anti-racism work
  • hiring
  • bias training
  • classes, searches, retention, promotion
  • teaching to 1st gen

Partnership

Ideas include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • community engagement
  • town / gown
  • citizen science
  • networking
  • cross-campus collaborations

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Ideas include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • innovation/high impact
    • project-based learning
    • active learning models
    • field based classes
    • online/hybrid formats
  • STEM
  • methods
  • psycho-social resilience
  • teaching hope
  • difficult discussion
  • neurodiversity/anxiety
  • research-teaching nexus
  • syllabus writing
  • ESS learning outcomes
  • campus sustainability
  • campus activism

Professional Development

Ideas include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • leading edge information
  • job market skills
  • citizenship beyond profession

Publishing

Ideas include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • publishing with students (undergrad)
  • book publication
  • co-authorship guidance

Research

Ideas include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • interdisciplinary research teams

Mealtime Roundtables

A mealtime roundtable proposal should be an abstract containing a description of the discussion topic, including: a brief background to the discussion topic, the central idea for discussion, and its relevance to the AESS community, in 300 words or less (2000 characters).

Deadline for submission: January 18, 2023