Fall Research Conference

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#2025APPAM Submissions

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Forging Collaborations for Transformative and

Resilient Policy Solutions

November 13 - 15, 2025  | Hyatt Regency | Grand Hyatt |  Seattle, WA

Our 47th annual meeting, the 2025 APPAM Fall Research Conference, will be a multi-disciplinary research conference attracting the highest quality research on a wide variety of important current and emerging policy and management issues. The conference is comprised of special events, panels, cross-cutting and single track roundtables, workshops, and poster presentations and is designed to encourage substantive interaction among participants.

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Using All Academic Important Dates Submission Types Single Paper Listings Data Use Note Innovation Day Helpful Tips Submissions FAQ

 

Back to the Main Conference Page

*New in 2025!* All Academic Abstract Management System

New this year, APPAM is using All Academic as our conference submission platform. All conference participants (presenting authors, co-authors, panel chairs, discussants, moderators, speakers and session organizers) will access the All Academic system using an APPAM MemberClicks login. Before you begin your submission, please make sure that everyone that is part of your submission has an APPAM MemberClicks account. You will not be able to add them to your paper or session if they don’t have an existing account. Memberclicks account information:

  • Please check to see if you have a MemberClicks account here.
  • You can request your username or reset your password if you do not remember them.
  • Please check any emails that you have had professionally/academically in the past few years, as well as any personal emails.
  • If you think you may have an account under an email address you no longer have access to, please contact membership@appam.org for to update your email/username. Please do not create a new/duplicate account. If you have never attended an APPAM event or do not have an APPAM profile, you can create one here.
  • APPAM membership is optional and is not required to submit or attend the conference. If you wish to proceed as a complimentary non-member profile, please select “No, thank you” from the dropdown menu on the form.
  • The APPAM MemberClicks form requires confidential personal information. Please do not create a profile on behalf of someone else.
  • New MemberClicks accounts are synced with All Academic every hour. As such, we encourage submitters who create new accounts to do so well in advance of the submission deadline. 

Submission Guides

Please use the submission guides and video tutorial below for information on submitting using the All Academic system:

Important Dates to Remember

Submissions open February 12
Submissions close April 23 at 11:59 PM PT
Innovation Day applications close June 6
Travel Grants submissions close July 16
Accept/Reject Notices & Program Live July 23
Travel Grants Notices July 23
APPAM Communities submissions open May 1
APPAM Communities submissions close June 26

 

 

 


 

Submission Types

Submissions will be accepted from 15 policy areas in the following types:

  • Panel - Panels include a session organizer, chair, one to two discussants, and three to four papers. Panels with four papers are encouraged to have two discussants.
  • Poster - Poster submissions are single paper proposals that are presented in a poster format. Presenters will be asked to discuss their work and answer questions during one of two poster sessions.
  • Roundtable - Roundtables feature speakers who will discuss a topic from varying perspectives and draw the audience into a discussion on the topic. Roundtable proposals should include up to four speakers plus a moderator. The moderator cannot also be a speaker in the same session.
  • Single Papers - Single papers are proposals that will later be combined with other single papers to be presented as cohesive panel sessions around a single topic. Read more about single papers below.
  • Student Research - Submitted research must have been conducted by a student. Student research submissions will be combined to form a cohesive panel with four student research papers, a chair, and up to two discussants. Submitters must be students at the time of the conference.
  • Workshops - Workshop proposals should be interdisciplinary, hands-on and interactive or focused on a special interest or skill training topic. Workshop proposals must include one moderator/facilitator and two to four speakers, and be 90 minutes long.

Single Paper Listings

As you are creating your submissions, we encourage you to check the Single Paper Listings for papers that might work well with your proposal in order to submit a complete panel. While we still encourage individual paper submissions, complete panels - three or four papers along a common theme with a chair and discussant - have a much better chance of being accepted for the conference. Click the button below and scroll down to the Submitter Menu to browse single papers.

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A Note on Data Use

Does your submission include public or formerly public data that has been recently embargoed or taken offline due to funding cuts or changes in policy? Please consider referencing the data in your submission anyway, while reviewing your data use agreements and including an explanation for conference reviewers with as much information as you can provide. While we understand that you may not be able to furnish the full data or results, you may explain the questions, hypotheses, methods, and/or outcomes that are incorporated into your own research. Our reviewers will use their best judgement to make a determination based on that information.

Innovation Day

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With sponsorship from Arnold Ventures, APPAM is thrilled to present Innovation Day: An external convening bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss pressing research and policy questions to facilitate partnerships and lay the foundation for high-impact, causal research in the higher education and/or career education policy areas. Innovation Day will take place on November 12, 2025 (one day before the Annual Fall Research Conference) in Seattle, WA.

Applications to participate in Innovation Day are now open through June 6! Find more information, including eligibility and how to apply, here.

Helpful Tips and How to Get Accepted

Here are a few helpful tips and resources for getting accepted to the conference: 

  • Submissions that demonstrate diversity in terms of organizational affiliations, professional roles, race/ethnicity, content, author/participant backgrounds and/or ideology & methodology - through questionnaire answers - will be prioritized in the review process.  

  • Individuals may only serve as a presenting author on two panels throughout the conference, though they may serve in other roles unlimited times.

  • Individuals may not serve as a chair or discussant for a panel on which they are also presenting a paper.

  • The final phase of the acceptance process will specifically entail vetting submissions for the aforementioned types of diversity and multidisciplinary perspectives

  • Fully formed panels have a higher acceptance rate. Single paper listings will be listed and updated weekly starting in late February.

  • Features of an APPAM Conference Submission Abstract

    • Short summary of your research paper that is between 100 and 500 words long

    • Title of 15 words or less

    • Make sure to highlight why your research is important. Keeping your abstract clear and concise will really help it stand out.

    • If you are submitting a panel, make sure that there are no more than 2 people from the same institution.

  • The Contents of an Abstract

    • ​The abstract should be structured as follows:

      • Introduction/Background: Give a quick overview of the topic and why it’s important

      • Purpose/Research Question: What question are you trying to answer? /What problem are you trying to address?

      • Methods: Explain how you did your research noting the data collection and analysis that was involved

      • Results/Findings: Share your results, even if they were unexpected. If you only have preliminary results you can share that as well.

      • Conclusion/Implications: Explain the importance and potential impact of the findings or the next steps if your findings were unexpected.

  • ​Panel, Poster, & Paper Submissions Review Criteria

    • All panel, poster, and paper submissions will be scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being unacceptable and ten being outstanding based on the following criteria:

      • Policy relevance of the issue addressed

      • Clarity of the “issue statement” (i.e., well-specified question and interesting evidence)

      • Merit of methodology employed

      • Results/Plan for collecting the results

      • Conclusions

      • Overall quality

  • Roundtable Submissions Review Criteria
    • ​All roundtable submissions will be scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being unacceptable and ten being outstanding based on the following criteria:
      • Overall quality
      • Diversity of speakers and perspectives
      • Potential for attendee engagement and excitement
      • Clarity of the “issue statement”
      • ​Policy relevance of the issue addressed

Questions?

Questions about the conference should continue to be directed to conferencesupport@appam.org.

 

Conference Submission FAQs Questions

Questions & Answers

Q: What information do I need to submit a panel?

A:

In order to submit you will need the names, email addresses and affiliations of presenting authors. You will also be asked to submit the following:

  1. Panel Title
  2. Overall Panel Abstract (no more than 500 words)
  3. Paper Titles (3-4)
  4. Paper Abstracts (no more than 500 words each)
  5. Presenting Author Contact Information
  6. One chair and one or two discussants
  7. One session organizer

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Q: What does a strong panel look like?

A:

A strong panel contains three or four papers, a chair and at least one, but no more than two, discussant(s). A panel with four papers is encouraged to have two discussants but again, only one is required. The panel abstract ties the papers together and clearly indicates how the panel relates to the conference theme and the selected policy area. Strong panels include a diverse range of participants, crossing lines of gender, race, affiliation and research methods and perspective.

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Q: Why are a chair and discussant required?

A:

One of the most challenging aspects of putting together the fall conference is identifying knowledgeable attendees who are willing and able to serve as chairs and/or discussants. By requiring you to identify a chair and discussant at the time of submission you are assisting committee members and staff in creating complete and focused panels early on. When including a chair and discussant on your panel, make sure the people identified know you have listed them. We contact all listed chairs and discussants when we sent out acceptance notices and it is very difficult to explain to listed participants that they were listed as a chair or discussant by the submitter when they were unaware and are unwilling to participate. When selecting chairs and discussants, please make sure they know they will be required to pay a registration fee to participate in the conference.

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Q: What information do I need to submit a roundtable?

A:

Roundtable submissions are discussion-based sessions that require the following:

  • Roundtable Title
  • Abstract of the Session (no more than 500 words)
  • 2-4 Speakers with contact information
  • One Moderator with contact information (who is not a speaker in the session)
  • One organizer with contact information

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Q: When will acceptances/rejections be sent out?

A:

All acceptance and rejection notices will be sent out in late-July.

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Q: In the past, I have submitted a panel and it’s been pulled apart, why does that happen?

A:

Sometimes, upon careful review, the Program Committee decides that a panel would be stronger if certain papers or participants were removed or replaced. This happens for reasons of diversity, to increase panel cohesiveness or to vary perspectives on a certain topic. When this happens they put together an altered panel using other papers available to them in order to create the strongest possible program for attendees. When altering a panel, program committee members may also change the panel title, replace the chair and/ or discussant(s) and reclassify the panel as belonging to a different policy area.

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Q: What if my submission fits into two policy areas?

A:

You will be asked to select a primary policy area, based on the policy areas identified for the Fall Research Conference. However, you will be asked during the submission process if you would like to identify a second area that your submission may fit into as well. Conference attendees will be able to search for your session using both policy areas in the online program. 

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Q: I’m having difficulty submitting my proposal, who should I contact?

A:

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact please contact conferencesupport@appam.org.

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Q: Do I have to start and finish my submission in one session?

A:

No. You can start your submission now and finish it at a later date. Upon beginning your submission, you will receive an email with an access link that is unique to your proposal. Keep this email and you will be able to use the information provided to login and complete your submission at a later time. Your submission must be completed by the submission deadline. If any part is incomplete after the deadline, your submission will be deleted and not considered for inclusion in the conference.

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Q: What are the chair and discussant roles?

A:

Chairs introduce the session topic & speakers, explain the format of the panel, help keep speakers on time, and ensure there’s at least 20 minutes of audience Q&A at the end.


Discussants read assigned panel papers and prepare thoughtful questions and feedback for their designated ~20 minutes. Discussants should encourage ample audience participation, ensuring there’s at least 20 minutes for audience Q&A at the end.

 

More information on chair & discussants can be found in our Participant Guidelines that will be posted in late July. Call for Volunteers can be found here.

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Q: What is the Single Paper Listing and where can I find it?

A:

Fully submitted panel submissions have an average acceptance rate of 66% compared to 47% for single paper submissions. Check out the Single Paper Listing under the Submitter Menu in the All Academic submissions system to find other similar papers and re-submit your work as a panel. This listing includes the policy area, abstracts, and contact information for each single paper submitted for inclusion in the Fall Research Conference.  

The Single Paper Listing will be opened in mid-February, and will be updated weekly through the submission deadline.

If you submitted a single paper that you now want to use as part of a panel, you need to withdraw the paper and resubmit it as part of the panel. Papers cannot be submitted twice.

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Q: Do all individuals in my submission need to register and attend the Fall Research Conference?

A:

All active conference participants must register, pay the full conference registration fee, and attend your scheduled session.

  • Active session roles include:
    • Panels – Chairs, discussants, presenting authors
    • Roundtables & Workshops – Moderators and speakers
    • Posters & Papers – Presenting authors
  • Inactive session roles do not need to register or attend the conference. These roles include:
    • Panels – Submitters, organizers & co-authors
    • Roundtables & Workshops – Submitters & organizers
    • Posters & Papers – Submitters & co-authors

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Q: I’m submitting a paper. Do I need to have my full paper ready at the time of submission? Will my paper be public?

A:

Full papers do not need to be shared until one-month before the conference. Most authors choose to upload their papers into the Online Program so they’re available for download. If you do not want your paper to be made public, you will be required to share it directly with your discussant so they can prepared feedback.

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Q: Will there be virtual or hybrid opportunities?

A:

The 2025 APPAM Fall Research Conference is scheduled to be fully in-person at this time.

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Q: What is the Workshop submission type?

A:

APPAM is seeking workshop proposals that will take place during regular conference programming over a 90-minute timeslot. Workshops should be interdisciplinary, hands-on and interactive or focused on a special interest or skill training topic. Workshop proposals must include one moderator/facilitator and up to four speakers.

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Q: What is the user portal submission?

A:

The APPAM Conference Submission Portal will be your access point for all your submissions and sessions you are part of. Please make sure that you use the same email address for all associated a role, such as presenting author, session chair, or moderator.  With this portal, you can view and modify all your abstract submissions and associated roles in one place.

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Q: Can I submit the same paper twice?

A:

No, a paper can only be submitted once. All paper submissions are automatically considered for all submission types. Any duplicate submissions will be removed.

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Q: Will there be any more Call for Proposals this year?

A:

Yes, APPAM Communities proposals, one-hour informal gatherings based on a shared interest topic, will open early May through late June. Notices will be sent in late July. APPAM will also seek Late-Breaking Roundtables, timely policy-related research topics that have arisen since submissions closed in April, from late August through late September. Notices will be sent in mid-October.

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Q: I am trying to submit a poster, single paper, panel paper or student research paper but I am not able to add a co-author. How can I add one?

A:

New in 2025, co-authors can only be added after the paper is accepted to the conference.

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