Proposal Guidance from NCFR Sections

This year, we have a single call for proposals instead of 12 separate ones. You can still select up to three of NCFR’s 10 sections, and/or the NCFR Students and New Professionals (SNP) group that most align with your topic—this is for planning purposes only.

Learn more about these member groups below and their guidance for your proposals for 2025:

Advancing Family Science Section
Families and Health Section
Family and Community Education Section
Family Policy Section
Family Therapy Section
Feminism and Family Science Section
International Section
Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families Section
Religion, Spirituality, and Family Section
Research and Theory Section
Students and New Professionals

Advancing Family Science (AFS)
Jaimee Hartenstein, Chair

The AFS Section aims to expand, strengthen, and enhance the Family Science discipline and profession. It is dedicated to addressing issues critical to the sustainability of Family Science programs, including effective program marketing and recruiting, innovative teaching methods, curriculum development and evaluation, administrative best practices, ethical considerations, and the overall advancement of Family Science as a discipline.

For the 2025 conference, the AFS Section seeks proposals that engage with the theme, Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies. The AFS Section welcomes innovative submissions that highlight family and community dynamics within this theme, particularly those that focus on strategies to prepare students for evolving environments and advance the development of Family Science in times of change.

Suggested proposal topics include (but are not limited to):

• Outreach and Marketing Innovations: Approaches that elevate the visibility of Family Science, supporting NCFR’s outreach efforts.
• Student Recruitment and Retention: New tactics for attracting and keeping students in Family Science programs.
• Public Engagement in Family Science: Methods for communicating the value of Family Science to the public, especially in supporting family experiences of power, privilege, and difference.
• Pedagogical Advances: Strategies for leveraging innovative teaching approaches to improve student outcomes. How can pedagogy evolve to address the lived experiences of students and families, especially regarding the concepts in the theme?
• Inclusive and Transformative Practices: New paradigms for working with families in diverse communities and changing environments. How has faculty work evolved to meet the needs of families and address their experiences of power, privilege, and difference?
• Global and Community Engagement: Expanding the reach of Family Science through community initiatives and study abroad programs.

Please note: Proposals focusing on theory development, research methodology, or specific family issues are better suited to other NCFR sections.

The AFS Section welcomes a variety of presentation formats, including presentations and panels, workshops, posters, and resource exchange roundtables. See special instructions for resource exchange proposals in the call for proposals.

AFS Section members are eligible for several awards.

Contact: Jaimee Hartenstein, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Central Missouri; email: hartenstein@ucmo.edu

Families and Health (FH)
Daphne C. Hernandez, Chair

The FH Section promotes the health and well-being of all families and their members through interdisciplinary practice, research, education, and policies related to family health. FH members collectively work across disciplines to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. We view health holistically and on a continuum, encompassing a variety of wellness and disease states. We encourage innovative proposal submissions that deepen members’ understanding of strategies to promote health and well-being and lessen health disparities and concepts related to the conference theme.

This year’s conference theme, Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies, fits well with our section. We encourage proposals to consider

• ways that individuals, families, and communities’ power or privilege have helped or hindered the health of families, and
• how responses to the various mechanisms – discrimination, economic stressors, psychosocial stressors, and other individual, family, and community stressors - faced in recent years may differentially influence the families’ health depending on their power or privilege (or their lack of).

The 2025 theme lends well to proposals that emphasize adaptation to power or privilege in the face of extreme challenges when having/not having power or privilege.

Topics may include any of the following related to couple and family relationships. These topics can be specific to a developmental stage or take a life course perspective:

• adverse childhood experiences (ACES);
• adaptive athletics;
• anorexia, bulimia, disordered eating;
• chronic pain, pain management;
• community-based interventions to improve health and wellness;
• community services on health (e.g., education, services, and supports through schools, health care centers, community mental health centers, military, churches, parks, and recreation centers);
• community violence (including mass shootings, war, and political unrest);
• disabilities (e.g., learning, physical/mobility, brain injuries, impairments);
• family caregiving (ongoing care for the health needs of an older adult family member or friend);
• firearm violence;
• grief and loss;
• health behaviors (e.g., exercise, sleep);
• health promotion programs (e.g., community health workers, nursing);
• housing instability and homelessness;
• human trafficking (sexual economies, forced labor, isolation);
• immigrant and refugee health;
• intergenerational relationships and transfer;
• intimate partner violence (e.g., emotional, financial, psychological, physical, sexual, technological abuse);
• mental health;
• access to health resources/facilities, disparities in diagnosis and treatment;
• nutrition (feeding practices, diet behaviors, food insecurity);
• nutrition-related outcomes (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity);
• physical health;
• relational influences on health (e.g., siblings, partners, aging parents); and
• substance abuse.

Established scholars, new professionals, and students are encouraged to submit proposals. In addition, established scholars are encouraged to collaborate with students and/or new professionals on submissions.

Each year at the conference, FH acknowledges outstanding student and professional papers, and student posters, with honors that include plaques or certificates and monetary awards. Please look for those calls. We cannot wait to reward members for their hard work!

Contact: Daphne C. Hernandez, Department of Research, Cizik School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston; email: daphne.hernandez@uth.tmc.edu

Family and Community Education Section (FCE)
Jacquelyn Mallette, Chair-Elect

The FCE Section supports and unites members of NCFR who are involved with and interested in translating research into effective community education and enrichment for individuals, couples, and families. The 2025 conference theme, Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies, offers an opportunity to submit proposals that explore the complexities of social differences and historical disparities while promoting meaningful change. This year’s conference creates opportunities for researchers, theorists, and practitioners in the family field to critically analyze lived experiences and systemic inequities.

Proposals for this section may share innovative, evidence-informed resources and foster dialogue about methods, materials, programs, and processes to enrich the lives of individuals, couples, and families across the life course. The FCE Section is particularly interested in proposals that encourage collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to address the evolving dynamics of family life in ways that are inclusive, equity-focused, and forward-thinking. Proposals may include topics such as effective programmatic practices, strategies for meaningful community engagement, or innovative approaches tailored to meet the diverse needs of families. The FCE Section welcomes proposals that align with this year’s theme by elevating underrepresented voices, addressing systemic barriers, promoting social equity, and providing actionable solutions to support and empower families and communities.

Aligned with the conference’s goals, proposals may include, but are not limited to:

• new and innovative ways of delivering Family Life Education content and programming that highlight lived experiences and address systemic inequities;
• examination of critical gaps in community education programming and training, including unaddressed areas (e.g., the impact of systemic inequities on families, amplifying diverse practitioner voices addressing power and privilege);
• effective use of innovative online technologies to inform issues of family functioning, well-being, and social justice;
• equity-centered perspectives in providing community education programming to address the unique needs of families and individuals both regionally and globally;
• challenges and unforeseen consequences for learners in virtual community education environments, with strategies addressing systemic barriers;
• sustainability strategies for community programming that highlight evidence-based approaches to addressing specific family stressors;
• innovative Family Life Education practices for diverse populations that promote strength, recovery, and equity; and
• cutting-edge community education programs that engage multiple political and philosophical audiences in the context of power, privilege, and difference.

As has been done at previous conferences, the Advancing Family Science and Family and
Community Education Sections will feature Resource Exchange Roundtables. Highlighting the role of practice as integral to Family Science, we are looking for tangible resources from both applied settings and basic research to strengthen the work of applied researchers, extension specialists, faculty, Family Life Educators, practitioners, and others who contribute to the conference theme. See specific instructions for this format in the call for proposals.

We encourage proposals from established scholars, practitioners, new professionals, and students. Student proposals that are first authored by FCE section members are eligible for the FCE Proposal Award. The Margaret E. Arcus Award and the Ernest G. Osborne Award are available awards to professionals. See descriptions of awards at https://www.ncfr.org/awards/section-awards.   

Contact: Jacquelyn K. Mallette, Department of Human Development and Family Science, East Carolina University; email: mallettej16@ecu.edu

Family Policy (FP)
Sharon N. Obasi, Chair

The 2025 NCFR Annual Conference aspires to explore how power, privilege, and difference shape families and societies, emphasizing lived experiences within the dynamic contexts of policy, social change, and systemic inequities. This year’s theme, Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies, underscores the need to address how policies influence, perpetuate, or mitigate disparities across diverse family structures, cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomic conditions.

The primary mission of the FP Section is to inform and examine the influence of policy on all aspects of family life, including how policies shape functioning and well-being across the lifespan. Policies affect individuals, families, and communities influencing their survival, identity, self-worth, adaptation, and access to resources.

As researchers, educators, practitioners, and leaders, we are uniquely positioned to question systems of power and privilege and advocate for equitable policy solutions. This year’s conference invites us to critically engage with the systems in which families are embedded and address how family policies interweave privilege, marginalization, and lived experiences to drive social change.

This conference theme invites family policy researchers to articulate and examine policies that:

• Advance Equity: Analyze policies designed to address disparities in education, health, and economic opportunity across diverse family contexts.
• Decenter Privilege: Explore ways to dismantle systemic barriers and biases in policy development and implementation that reinforce inequities.
• Promote Inclusivity: Investigate policies that foster inclusion and cultural humility, ensuring the representation of marginalized voices in policy decision-making.
• Examine Lived Experiences: Focus on the voices of families navigating systemic inequities to better inform policy advocacy and programming.
• Build Community Resilience: Assess policies that strengthen social cohesion and community well-being while addressing the unique challenges of underserved and vulnerable populations.

The FP Section welcomes innovative and interdisciplinary submissions that explore power, privilege, and difference, focusing on implications for families and broader social systems. Submissions addressing policy implications or offering insights that inform family-related policies and practices are encouraged.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

• equitable access to healthcare, housing, and education for underserved families;
• strategies for dismantling systemic racism and other structural inequities in family-related policies;
• the impact of digital inclusion in addressing the digital divide for marginalized populations;
• intersectional experiences of navigating systemic barriers (e.g., immigrant families, LGBTQ+ families, families of color);
• public health approaches to address disparities in mental and physical health outcomes;
• family-centered economic policies that reduce inequities and promote work-life balance;
• addressing systemic biases within the child welfare and foster care systems;
• supporting families navigating multiple systems of oppression (e.g., poverty, disability, discrimination); and
• innovative collaborations across sectors (e.g., education, healthcare, and social services) to address disparities.

Submissions should highlight the policy implications of research and practice, focusing on strengthening, protecting, or supporting individuals, families, and communities. Proposals are encouraged to incorporate the experiences of those directly impacted by the policies under study.

Potential submissions may:

• combine insights from policy researchers, practitioners, and families with lived experiences;
• focus on novel ways to inform policy and programming that address privilege, marginalization, and difference; and
• explore strategies that emerge from equitable and inclusive policies.

Creativity and synergy are encouraged. FP Section officers are available for consultations to help shape proposals and ensure alignment with submission guidelines. Innovative, interdisciplinary approaches are particularly welcomed.

Awards: The FP Section recognizes exceptional student and professional work through its awards. Visit ncfr.org/awards/section-awards/family-policy for more information.

Contact: Sharon N. Obasi, Department of Counseling, School Psychology and Family Science, University of Nebraska at Kearney; email: obasis2@unk.edu

Family Therapy (FT)
Alyssa Witting Banford, Chair

The FT Section unites members who share common interests, goals, and purposes in marriage and family therapy. The section improves the practice of marriage and family therapy through the promotion of: a) open dialogue between clinicians and researchers relative to marital and family therapy theories, research, practice, and training; b) the integration of theory, research, and practice; and c) effective, efficient, and ethical practice methods.

The theme of the 2025 conference, Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies, invites us to consider ways families are influenced by power, privilege, and difference. For the family therapy section specifically, this theme calls us to deliberate about how clinicians understand and address the effects of power, privilege, and difference on mental and relational health, and how clinicians address these issues as they manifest in the therapy room.

We hope the 2025 conference theme will attract scholarship covering a broad range of cutting-edge relationally oriented clinical research examining the role of power, privilege, and difference in the practice of marriage and family therapy.

In particular, we are seeking proposals focused on (but not limited to):

• developing and testing clinical theories (e.g., theories which link family therapy practice to power, privilege, and difference);
• creating and evaluating therapeutic interventions (e.g., interventions that address and/or clarify the role of these concepts in mental and relational health);
• improving the training and supervision of marriage and family therapists (e.g., training and supervising clinicians who are aware of how these concepts influence marriage and family therapy interventions); and
• presenting innovative mechanisms to access data and conduct research.

Special consideration will be offered for proposals which include clinical data.

We also invite submissions on a wide variety of other topics important to the family therapy field.

Research and applied presentations can focus on systemic topics including but not limited to:

• intimacy;
• relationship formation and dissolution;
• parent-child relationships;
• diverse families and couple relationships;
• influences of larger social factors on individuals, couples, and families;
• intervention strategies; and
• therapeutic approaches and techniques.

Established researchers, therapists, and educators as well as students and new professionals are encouraged to submit proposals. Student and new professional poster and paper submissions that are first authored by FT Section members are eligible for awards within the section (please see descriptions on our section website at http://bit.ly/NCFR-FTawards.  Members attend the award solicitation discussion board posting in the fall. In addition to the general NCFR review criteria for proposals, the FT Section expects that proposals will include clear and practical implications for clinicians, educators, supervisors, and the profession of marriage and family therapy.

Contact: Alyssa Banford Witting, Marriage and Family Therapy Programs, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University; email: alyssa_banfordwitting@byu.edu

Feminism and Family Science (FFS)
Erin S. Lavender-Stott, Chair

The FFS Section works to integrate feminist scholarship and perspectives into theory, research, and applied work with families. As feminist family scholars we explore, question, and critique biases and assumptions within the Family Science discipline to foreground and change interlocking systems of privilege and oppression (e.g., challenging sexist, racist, classist, ableist, cissexist, and heterosexist beliefs).

Dr. Sadguna Anasuri, the 2025 conference Program Chair, has chosen the theme Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies. Dr. Anasuri would like us to consider systemic and structural oppressions and disparities, bring over-overlooked experiences within families and society to the forefront, and examine strategies to promote social equity.

In our section’s ongoing commitment to fighting systematic oppressions and inequities, we particularly encourage work that is grounded in intersectionality, critical frameworks, and praxis, including but not limited to critical race, critical femininities, queer, Black, Chicana, Indigenous, and anti-colonial feminisms. We encourage submissions that foreground how White heteropatriarchal systems shape our understandings of individual, familial, and community well-being, or lack thereof. Submissions that are critical, reflexive, and explicit in identifying ways to promote individual, family, and community well-being are also welcome.

We encourage transdisciplinary work, grounded in sociohistorical and cultural contexts, furthers NCFR’s goals of disseminating high-quality scholarship and theory and engaging with diverse communities and practitioners. We invite proposals advancing feminist theories and practices related to the conference theme. Established professionals, newer professionals, and undergraduate and graduate students are all encouraged to submit proposals.

While not limited to these areas, some suggested topics for proposals may include:

• shifting theoretical paradigms to engage with anti-racist, feminist, and queer theories;
• Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Queer, and Trans joy, liberation, agency, and collectivism;
• reproductive justice, trans rights, and ableism in the face of ongoing policy changes;
• challenging patriarchal, heteronormative, colonialist, U.S.-centric, and White supremacist ideologies in family scholarship and praxis;
• family and interpersonal violence survivors as agents of change, navigating inequitable and unjust systems as they strive for safety, justice, and healing;
• praxis through resistance and focusing on structural issues; and
• feminist and critical pedagogy in classrooms and Family Life Education.

Contact: Erin Lavender-Stott; South Dakota State University School of Education, Counseling, & Human Development; email: Erin.LavenderStott@sdstate.edu

International (IN)
Gizem Erdem, Chair

The IN Section strives to increase understanding of unique variations of family processes worldwide by promoting cross-national family research, education, policy, and practice. It strives to facilitate communication and collaboration among international family scholars by providing a venue to share information on current and proposed research projects. The Section further informs family scholars about recent international research, practice, and policies around global issues and their impact on the well-being of families and communities.

Through its global focus, the IN Section has a great opportunity to make significant contributions to the 2025 NCFR conference theme, Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies. The IN Section welcomes proposals that use sound theoretical and empirical approaches focused on families in an international context. It particularly welcomes proposals focusing on conditions and/or situations that impact international families and communities and how family researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can strengthen or enhance well-being and functioning while withstanding the vicissitudes of life.

Possible topics related to the conference theme include:  

• an investigation of how power, privilege, and systemic inequities shape family dynamics, mental health, and well-being in different sociocultural contexts
• Comparative studies on the adjustment of international families to macro-level stressors such as migration, violence, war and mass trauma, climate change, global financial crisis, youth mental health crisis of the post-pandemic era, and the rise of discriminatory practices and policies against marginalized populations (ethnic, religious, sexual minorities, refugees, etc.);
• Impact of discriminatory policies and practices on marginalized families, including ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities, refugees, and displaced populations.
• An examination of family and community strength as a response to power and privilege;
• Understanding unique coping skills and resources to promote functional relationships and individual thriving;
• creative approaches to promoting health and well-being among international families and communities despite adversity, marginalization, or social exclusion;
• exploration of ways in which family scholarship and practice can address issues of power and privilege, such as gender equality, poverty reduction, health and well-being, and strong communities and societies.

The IN Section seeks to attract submissions from colleagues from around the world and have a wide geographical representation at the conference and apply for the IN Section travel awards. Established scholars, early career professionals, and graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals.

Contact: Gizem Erdem, Ph.D., ILMFT, Department of Psychology, Koc University, Istanbul, Türkiye; email:gizemerdem@ku.edu.tr

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families (REDF)
Denzel L. Jones, Chair

The REDF Section examines the multifaceted challenges and issues that affect individuals, families, youth, and communities within sociopolitical, historical, economic, and cultural contexts. Our section explores social, cultural, biological, regional, and ancestral characteristics, traditions, learned behaviors, customs, and adaptive tendencies found at all levels of human ecology.

In alignment with the 2025 conference theme, Power, Privilege, and Differences: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies, we seek to foster rigorous discourse among scholars and practitioners. Our focus is through the lens of ethnicity, race, and other social addresses as we recognize the importance of these factors in shaping family dynamics and experiences. This discourse will inform practice and policy, ultimately advancing our understanding of these critical issues. We encourage proposals that provide a cultural perspective on any aspect of the conference theme while centering children, youth, families, and communities from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

We welcome proposals that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Power and Privilege: How do power dynamics and privilege impact racially and ethnically diverse families? What are the implications for access to resources and opportunities? How do these dynamics shape family interactions and outcomes?
• Systemic Racism and Oppression: How do systemic racism and other forms of oppression create the need for additional resilience among Families of Color? What are the long-term consequences of systemic racism on family structures and individual well-being? How can we dismantle these oppressive systems to promote equity?
• Resilience and Strengths: How do racially and ethnically diverse families utilize their inherent strengths and engage in resilience-promoting behaviors? What are the cultural practices and traditions that support resilience in these families? How can these strengths be leveraged in interventions and policymaking?
• Intersectionality: How do experiences of race, ethnicity, and other social position characteristics intersect to shape family dynamics and outcomes? What are the unique challenges faced by families at these intersections? How can intersectional approaches enhance our understanding and support of diverse families?
• Policy and Practice: What programs, policies, and practices currently exist or are needed to promote equity and justice among racially and ethnically diverse families and communities? How can policy interventions address the specific needs of these families? What are the best practices for implementing culturally responsive policies and programs?
• Historical and Contemporary Contexts: How have historical and contemporary contexts influenced the lived experiences of Families of Color? What are the historical legacies that continue to affect these families today? How can understanding these contexts inform current and future research, practice, and policy?

Scholars, practitioners, and new professionals of all ethnic, racial, and diverse backgrounds are encouraged to submit proposals. We encourage proposals that are innovative, theoretically grounded, and methodologically rigorous to be submitted. Submissions should aim to stimulate new knowledge and practices that can advance the field and contribute to the well-being of racially and ethnically diverse families.  Accepted proposals submitted by Students or New Professionals (SNP)—who are also REDF Section members—will be considered for the SNP Best Proposal Awards for the section. The submission must demonstrate completed research on a topic directly related to racially and ethnically diverse families. We look forward to your innovative and insightful contributions that will help us explore and address the complexities of power, privilege, and differences within racially and ethnically diverse families.

Contact: Denzel L. Jones; School of Counseling, Therapy, and Psychology; Antioch University New England; email: djones10@antioch.edu

Religion, Spirituality, and Family (RSF)
Andrew H. Rose, Chair

The RSF Section exemplifies the important need to study religion and its intersection with the family. It examines the impact of religion on family life and its relationship to other family-related disciplines and NCFR Sections.

The 2025 NCFR conference theme, Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies, intersects well with research on religion, spirituality, and family life. The theme is an important opportunity for the RSF Section to showcase the role of religion and spirituality as a buffer that builds resilience and may serve as a conduit for healing for marginalized families and communities. The theme also warrants understanding of how religion and spirituality may cause harm instead of help. More research needs to be conducted with families, particularly with healing and helping those who experience unique hardships connected to power, privilege, difference, poverty, minoritization, health disparities, etc. We invite section members to consider the impact and role of religion and spirituality and their unique role in supporting as well as thwarting the effects of power, privilege, and differences. We welcome proposals that highlight strengths and weaknesses regarding how religion and spirituality may impact individuals, families, and communities.

The following questions may help formulate proposals to be submitted to the RSF Section for the 2025 conference:

• How has religion/spirituality been utilized as a support and strength for minoritized families?
• How has religion/spirituality been used negatively in terms of power, privilege, and difference among families?
• How has religion/spirituality helped or hindered social injustices?
• How can religion/spirituality strengthen and support those who are minoritized or marginalized?
• How can religion/spirituality harm those who are minoritized or marginalized?
• What are ways in which religion/spirituality impacts the ways families interact in societies?
• How have religion/spirituality influenced the ways families handle systemic challenges?
• How can understanding religion/spirituality help us understand resilience in families?

These questions are not meant to be exhaustive but are intended to provide ideas on how a focus on religion and spirituality may add to this year’s conference theme. All proposals on these or other issues related to religion, spirituality, and family are welcomed.

Contact: Andrew H. Rose, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; email: andrew.rose@ttu.edu

Research and Theory (RT)
Isaac Washburn, Chair

The RT Section focuses on promoting work that effectively integrates research and theory about families and the context in which families live, work, interact, and develop. All theoretical perspectives and styles of research that emphasize both conceptual and empirical rigor are welcome.

Consistent with the purpose of RT, we invite proposals that:

• rigorously explore the links between theory and the research process or methodologies; and
• anchor research questions or hypotheses in a clearly articulated theoretical perspective.

We underscore a call for theoretically grounded proposals that present rigorous cutting-edge aspects of a content area, methodology, or analytic procedure. We invite you to submit a proposal and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

Possible topics of salience to our section might include:

• advances in measurement, assessment, and analysis that are anchored in theory, particularly those that leverage advances in analysis and technology (e.g., machine learning or digital indicators of health and well-being);
• results from qualitative or quantitative studies that highlight theoretically driven research questions about individual, family, or community experiences of resilience building; mixed-methods designs are of particular interest; and
• reports on the development of new theories that account for contemporary understanding of within group heterogeneity (e.g., variability in outcomes when accounting for social determinants of health and well-being).

Symposium proposals are strengthened by including scholars who are from diverse disciplines or who approach the topic with innovative methodological strategies and theoretical perspectives and should include a maximum of four papers organized around a common theme, with a named discussant. In addition, formats other than symposia are welcome. Presentations by senior scholars as well as rising new scholars are encouraged, as are proposals by scholars from outside of North America.

We look forward to putting together another great selection of RT Section sessions.

Contact: Isaac J. Washburn, Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center; email: Isaac-Washburn@ouhsc.edu

Students and New Professionals (SNP)
Dane Rivas-Koehl, Program Representative

SNP sessions promote professional skill development and provide relevant information to students (graduate and undergraduate) and new professionals (within five years of their final degree). The primary focus of SNP sessions is promoting professional development for students, teachers, researchers, and practitioners at the early stages of their careers.

The 2025 conference theme is Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies. Amid political and social turmoil in the U.S. and globally, the theme’s emphasis on how power and privilege function within families and communities is crucial. Submissions highlighting developing critical perspectives within research, teaching, and practice, or translating scholarly work for policymakers and activist groups would be ideally included in submissions to SNP sessions. Students, new professionals, and seasoned professionals are encouraged to submit proposals.

With the conference theme, goals, and the SNP mission in mind, we are particularly interested in proposals related to:

• scholar-activism and/or practitioner-activism;
• applying for grants/funding as students and new professionals;
• navigating school/academia as a member of historically excluded/underrepresented group(s);
• outreach and public scholarship: science communication, translational research, and broader impacts engagement;
• cultivating critical perspectives as a student or new professional;
• how to protect your mental health and navigate burnout while doing critical work;
• teaching and pedagogy for new professionals;
• distinct stressors faced by students and new professionals from various minority groups: race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, income, immigration, etc.;
• lived experiences of students and new professionals facing challenges in publishing;
• sustaining work-life integration (self-care, overcoming the imposter syndrome, etc.);
• tips and tricks for the job market (academic and non-academic); and
• tips, tricks, and benefits of post-doctoral positions.

Proposals are welcomed in all formats related to cultivating skills, knowledge, and critical perspectives relevant to students and new professionals. If you are a student or new professional with a proposal outside of those foci, it may be a better fit in one of the other sections.

The SNP Program Rep is happy to answer any questions or provide feedback regarding proposal ideas.

Contact: Dane Rivas-Koehl, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois; email: mdr8@illinois.edu