Research Across the Policy Lifecycle:
Formulation, Implementation, Evaluation and Back Again
November 12 - 14, 2020 | Marriott Wardman Park Hotel | Washington, DC
Submissions are now closed.
Submitting a proposal to present for a panel, poster, roundtable, single paper or super session at our Fall Research Conferences is an excellent way for professionals and students in public policy to engage with the greater global public policy community while advancing their careers.
Use the information on this page to review the formats for this year's research submissions, the policy area(s) under which your submission might fall, rules and general information for submission, and key dates and deadlines to remember.
Proposal Submission Information
The submission period for the 2020 Fall Research Conference is open starting February 3, 2020. All submissions were due by 11:59 PM PT on Friday, April 24, 2020. The submission period is now closed.
We are soliciting abstracts for single Paper (will be grouped with other 2-3 other papers to form panels), Posters, Roundtables (non-paper-based with 2-4 speakers plus a moderator), Panels (3-4 papers, 1-2 discussants, and a chair), and Super Sessions (roundtables on a higher-level topic with intent to interest a larger audience). Abstracts for individual papers and posters are required to be no longer than 500 words; if a panel of papers is proposed, we expect a summary of each paper plus an overarching description of the panel and its importance. Descriptions for roundtables and super sessions are also required to be no longer than 500 words, plus a listing of participants and a summary of their contributions. Here are a few helpful tips:
- Individuals may only serve as a presenting author on one panel throughout the conference, though they may serve in other roles multiple times.
- Individuals may not serve as a chair or discussant for a panel on which they are also presenting a paper.
- Submissions that demonstrate diversity in terms of organizational affiliations, professional roles, race/gender/ethnicity, and/or ideology & methodology - through questionnaire answers - will be prioritized in the review process.
- The final phase of the acceptance process will specifically entail vetting submissions for the aforementioned types of diversity.
- Diversity in terms of proposal content and author/participant backgrounds are both priorities for this conference.
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2020 Policy Areas
For our 42nd Fall Research Conference, we accepted submissions in fifteen policy areas. For a description of each policy area, please visit the policy areas webpage.
- Crime, Justice and Drugs
- Education
- Employment and Training Programs
- Family and Child Policy
- Health Policy
- Housing, Community Development, and Urban Policy
- Innovations in Science and Technology
- Methods and Tools of Analysis
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- National Security and Homeland Security
- National Resource Security, Energy, and Environmental Policy
- Politics, Media, and the Policy Process
- Population and Migration Issues
- Poverty and Income Policy
- Public and Nonprofit Management and Finance
- Social Equity and Race
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Single Paper Listing
If you are interested in submitting a panel but need additional papers to complete your proposal, we invite you to review the Single Paper Listing which will be updated weekly as submissions are received. This listing includes the policy area and abstracts for each single paper submitted for inclusion in the 2020 Fall Research Conference. Fully submitted panel submissions have an average acceptance rate of 47% compared to 26% for single paper submissions.
We hope this will encourage APPAM members and the public policy community at large to broaden their research networks and become familiar with their peers who are doing important work around the world.
The listings will be updated each Thursday until the submission deadline of April 24, 2020. Any policy area that does not have an active hyperlink has not yet received any submissions.
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Submission Instructions
The following specific instructions on the submission process were provided.
Session Definitions
Panel - Panels include 3-4 papers. A chair and at least one, and a maximum of two discussants are required. Panels with four papers are encouraged to have two discussants. Presenting authors may not serve as the chair or discussant on the same panel. Individuals may only present a paper on one panel throughout the conference, though they may serve as a chair or discussant multiple times.
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.
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 each poster session. A first, second, and third pace winner will be selected from the presenters each day.
Roundtable - Roundtables do not include papers, but rather feature speakers who will discuss a topic from varying perspectives and draw the audience into a discussion on the topic. Roundtable proposals should include 4 speakers plus a moderator.
Super Sessions - Super Sessions are broadly-appealing sessions that will interest a large number of attendees, and cover an important and topical issue in public policy.
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Institutional Member Submission Instructions
Due to a lack of Spring Conference this year, the Institutional Representatives Committee recommended that we hold three sessions at the #2020APPAM Fall Research Conference, dedicated to topics of interest to institutional members.
Topics may include pedagogy, teaching resources, student readiness and research networks.
Submissions will remain open until June 1, and can be done here.
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Important Dates to Remember
| Submissions Open |
Early February |
| Submissions Close |
April 24 |
| Accept/Reject Notifications Sent |
Mid July |
| 2020 Fall Research Conference |
November 12-14 |
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Questions?
Questions about conference submissions should continue to be directed to Samantha Oliver Thomason.
Questions about the general conference should continue to be directed to Tristanne Staudt.