Request for Proposals

Lightning Talks (maximum one presenter)

Lightning Talks are incisive twenty-minute presentations focusing on a key element related to the conference theme. 

Topics for the talks might include: 

• details about an effective, innovative teaching practice; 

• application of one theoretical concept or piece of research; 

• discussion of a key moment for leadership and advocacy in our field; and/or 

• description of a collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and/or groups that resulted in a generative moment. 

Successful Lightning Talk Proposals will be tightly focused and plan for 15 minutes for presentation, with 5 minutes set aside for questions and answers. Lightning Talk Proposals should include: 

• a brief (1-2 sentence) overview of the research problem or community issue sparking the featured activities; 

• a clear statement of purpose; 

• a brief theoretical foundation for the talk; and 

• a rationale for the significance of the talk. 

Poster Presentations (maximum of three presenters per submission) 

Poster presentations provide a forum for scholars to engage in active discussion with other conference participants about either a completed research project or a project in the developing stages. Individuals, institutions, and organizations may present posters that highlight current research or feature programs and community partnerships informed by research and/or yield research opportunities. 

There will be one poster presentation session during the conference.

Poster presenters will display research on a large bulletin board (provided at the conference; poster measurement specifications are listed below). Presenters will attend the poster session to discuss the project with conference attendees; they may wish to bring a written detailed summary of their work to hand out to attendees. 

Poster Presentation Proposals should contain as many of the following as are applicable, preferably in this order: 

• a clear statement of the purpose or goals of the project and the primary research question(s) addressed; 

• a brief summary of the theoretical or conceptual foundations for the work; 

• a concise description of the research design and methods used or proposed; 

• the project findings; 

• the theoretical and/or practical significance or implications of the research; and 

• 3- 4 keywords that best represent the research.

Research Paper Presentations (maximum of four presenters per submission) 

This format involves the formal presentation of a research paper that advances service-learning and/or community engagement research. Research papers present well-developed arguments on philosophical, theoretical, policy, and/or practical issues in the study of service-learning and community engagement and adhere to the tenets of scholarly research. Papers (two per session) will be grouped thematically. IARSLCE may identify a discussant for research paper sessions, or in the cases where that is not possible, paper authors will coordinate to self-introduce, keep presentations on time, and facilitate discussion. 

Program descriptions and/or program evaluation results will not be considered or accepted for research paper presentations. If your ideas fall in either of these directions, we encourage you to consider one of the Emerging Ideas session formats. 

Research Paper Proposals should contain the following as are applicable, preferably in this order: 

• a clear statement of the purpose or goals of the study and the primary research question(s) addressed; 

• theoretical or conceptual frameworks/perspectives; 

• methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry; 

• data sources or empirical evidence; 

• results, conclusions; 

• significance of the study findings; 

• 3 - 4 keywords that best represent the research; and 

• indicate whether and how ethical concerns were addressed and/or vulnerable populations were safeguarded.

Roundtables (maximum of two presenters per submission) 

Roundtable discussions provide an opportunity for conference attendees to discuss research in development with other conference attendees in an informal, conversational setting. A table host will take responsibility for facilitating the discussion, and holding open the space for sharing ideas, pushing boundaries of inquiry and/or practice, and potential for continued collaboration and community beyond the conference based on the interest of roundtable participants.

Given the informal structure of the roundtable presentation, no audio-visual equipment will be provided. 

Foci include the following: 

• Input/Feedback – for scholars presenting preliminary findings from research and/or graduate students seeking input or feedback on theses or dissertations;

• Collaborative Research – for exploring potential collaborative research projects across institutions; and 

• Topical Discussions – for discussions on important topics (e.g. diversity/equity, professionalization of the field, etc.) designed to generate research ideas and/or policy briefs/white paper essays, potentially co-authored by roundtable participants. 

Roundtable Presentation Proposals should contain the following as applicable, preferably in this order: 

• the format of the roundtable (catinput/feedback, collaborative research, or topical discussion); 

• a clear statement of the purpose or goals of the project and the primary research question(s) addressed; 

• the theoretical or conceptual foundation for the work; 

• the scholarly significance of the research or topic, including the particular contribution to the field in terms of SLCE theory, method, policy and/or practice; 

• plans for the allocation of time (re: presenting research and engaging attendees in discussion); 

• 3 - 4 keywords that best represent the research; and 

• indicate whether and how ethical concerns were addressed and/or vulnerable populations were safeguarded. 

In addition to the elements listed above, proposals for roundtables presenting research (Input/Feedback) should include a description of the research design, methods and findings, including participants, setting, data sources, analysis and implications. Roundtable proposals for Collaborative Research or Topical Discussions should also indicate the purpose of the discussion and any pertinent research related to the topic. 

In the roundtable session, roughly equal time should be allocated for the presenter to introduce the research or topic and for session attendees to contribute to the discussion. The type of roundtable (Feedback/Input, Collaborative Research, Topical Discussion) will be noted along with the titles in the conference program.