Present at the Forum

The Call for Proposals is now open!

 

The Program Committee invites you to submit a proposal to present at the 5th National Adaptation Forum. The Forum program emphasizes the implementation of climate adaptation measures and the sharing of lessons learned to improve practice. Presentations and sessions that connect science to management decisions and the implementation and evaluation of adaptation actions’ effectiveness are of high priority. We also strongly encourage proposals from federal partners, community members, students, and youth interested and engaged in climate adaptation.

 

 

The following information is included on this page. We recommend reading through every section before submitting a proposal. 

 

Submission Timeline

Submissions Open: Submissions are now open

Submission Deadline: February 4, 2022 at 11:59pm Hawaiian-Aleutian Time

 

 

How to Submit

Click here to submit a proposal

 

Submission Instructions

1. Read through the session formats and descriptions below to decide which session is the best fit for you (Still not sure which session is right? Check out the Session Decision Tree)

2. Click on the link above to go to the abstract submission portal

3. Click "Make Submission"

4. Read through the entire form BEFORE filling it out. The entire form must be filled out at once, it cannot be partially filled out, saved, and returned to later.

5. Fill in all required fields (those noted with an asterisk) and submit. Note: Make sure to record your submission ID and password so you can access your abstract later. 

 

Please note: Due to increased interest in the National Adaptation Forum, we have set limits on submissions. To ensure content and presenter diversity, we are only accepting two submissions per individual. If your proposal for a Training, Working Group, Solutions Room, or Symposium is not accepted, it will be automatically considered for an individual oral or poster presentation, therefore you do not need to submit the same abstract for different session types. Individuals who submit more than two proposals will be asked to withdraw extra proposals from the abstract submission system. 

 

 

Session Formats and Descriptions

There are eight session formats available to you at the National Adaptation Forum. Proposal submissions may either be based on the priority topic areas listed below or on a topic of your choice. 

 

Can't decide which session is best for you? See the Session Decision Tree

 

Special Session Oral Presentation

Special sessions are designed to provide opportunities for presentations on new and emerging ideas and to recruit a broad array of participants at the Forum. More detailed descriptions on Special Sessions and calls for individual 15-minute oral presentations may be found here.

 

Oral Presentation

A 15-minute talk on research, practice, process, and unique case studies. The Program Committee will review and organize individual oral presentations into 90-minute concurrent sessions and assign session moderators.

 

Poster Presentation

A poster on display in the networking reception and Forum breaks to share a particular project, research, or tools. Accepted posters will - to the greatest degree possible - be arranged and displayed by priority topic area.

 

Tools Café

Present an online adaptation tool during the network reception and tool training session to educate, enlighten, and capture the imagination of fellow Forum attendees. Presentations can either focus on a specific tool or the tools that may be necessary to address a broader topic/challenge.

 

Training

An interactive educational experience in which participants develop skills to apply to their work. When submitting a proposal, please describe how the session will actively engage participants and if the session will offer professional development credits.

 

Working Group

A meeting around a key challenge or emerging issue in order to lay a foundation for further action with a focus on developing tangible outputs on specific issues/challenges (e.g., paper, plan of action). When submitting a proposal, please describe the tangible outputs likely to emerge from the session and if the session will offer professional development credits.

 

Solutions Room

A session dedicated to crowdsourcing solutions to specific challenges faced by practitioners (e.g., institutional roadblocks, inconsistent public support). When submitting a proposal, please describe the specific project(s) and challenges you are facing that would benefit from group exploration and discussion and if the session will offer professional development credits.

 

Symposium

A session featuring several presentations or moderated discussion on a key topic. Symposia organizers are responsible for recruiting presenters. When submitting a symposium proposal, you must list a minimum of three presenters (three separate authors). In addition, include a tentative presentation title for each individual presenter within the abstract. Symposium sessions should include presenters from a variety of perspectives from more than one organization. If your session is accepted, abstracts for each presentation in your session will be required. Please note that presenters in a proposed symposium session do not need to submit a separate oral presentation submission. Symposia organizers should also consider ways to actively engage session participants such as through the sharing of adaptation experiences and stories.

 

Priority Topic Areas

Submissions are requested for a range of topics focused on climate change adaptation, however the Forum planning committees encourage submissions on the following prioritized topics:

  • Agriculture & Food Security

  • Biodiversity, Ecosystems, & Nature-Based Solutions

  • Built Environment

  • Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Intersection

  • Climate Justice & Equity

  • Climate Displacement & Gentrification

  • Communications & Youth Engagement

  • Decision-making Tools & Technology

  • Economics, Workforce Development, & Green Jobs

  • Energy Solutions

  • Extreme Events, Disasters, & Emergency Management

  • Faith-Focused Adaptation

  • Financing Adaptation

  • Public Health: Physical, Behavioral, & Mental

  • Implementation of Adaptation

  • Infrastructure, Transportation, & Land-Use Planning

  • Insurance & Risk Management

  • International Perspectives

  • Monitoring, Evaluation, & Adaptive Management

  • Natural Resources

  • Politics of Climate Change Adaptation

  • Public & Private Sector Partnerships

  • Research & Science of Adaptation

  • Rural & Island Communities

  • Social Resilience & Transformation

  • Tribal & Indigenous Perspectives

  • Water Resources

 

 

Review Criteria

All proposals will be reviewed by members of our three planning committees. We encourage sessions that engage a variety of adaptation practitioners from beginners to seasoned experts. Proposals must be about adaptation and not just climate change. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

 

  • JUSTICE, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND DIVERSITY: Proposal provides details on if and how justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity are included in adaptation efforts, such as evaluation of the allocation of burdens and benefits of decisions, and the meaningful involvement of all people in decision-making regardless of race, color, national origin, ability, or income. Proposal includes diverse voices as presenters (e.g., community members, youth).

  • RELEVANCE: Proposal provides a sound and credible approach for addressing climate change adaptation and is relevant to practitioners, policymakers, or others working on adaptation.

  • CROSS-SECTORAL: Proposal provides details on a cross-sectoral approach to adaptation, such as multiple angles or perspectives on a theme (e.g., geography, sectors, demographics, disciplines, approaches, or engagement with other organizations), including presenters from different organizations and sectors.

  • CLARITY OF PURPOSE: Proposal provides a clear focus; defines a concept, approach, process, or subject area; and clearly demonstrates successes and/or failures of practices. The proposal clearly defines the goals, key objectives, expected outcomes, and what participants will learn or experience.

  • INNOVATION: Proposal provides details on how projects are inspiring change, breaking new ground, and testing new approaches and ways of thinking and doing.

  • COLLABORATION: Proposal provides details on how diverse perspectives from different communities, cultures, organizations, and sectors are integrated into adaptation efforts.

  • RESEARCH: Proposal incorporates research and data or reflects your understanding of the changes happening in your area of work, including the use of best available science, traditional knowledge, established methodologies, best practices, and established metrics for monitoring success or identifying maladaptive practices.

  • ACTIVE LEARNING: Proposal provides clear description of activities to promote active engagement among attendees (e.g., collaboration, exploration, group knowledge exchange). This criterion is weighted highly for interactive sessions such as Working Groups and Trainings.

 

Please note: The Program Committee expects to receive a large number of highly competitive proposals. In the interest of designing a conference program that is representative of the field, the Program Committee reserves the right to select proposals based on not only overall scores, but also on the topics addressed by the session. This will help ensure diversity in the program and that it includes frequently underrepresented content or sectors.

 

A special thank you to the members of our Program Committee and Equity & Climate Justice Working Group for their help in developing the Call for Proposals.