CALL FOR PROPOSALS
2026 EERS Conference
TRANSFORMING EVALUATION THROUGH VISION AND VALUES
We are happy to announce that the theme for the Eastern Evaluation Research Society’s 2026 Annual Conference (#EERS26) is: Transforming Evaluation Through Vision and Values. The conference will take place in-person on Sunday, May 3 through Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Galloway, NJ, at the Seaview Hotel. A description of the conference theme can be found here.
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We invite you to submit a proposal to present at the 2026 EERS Annual Conference.
All proposals were due by Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 5:00pm Eastern Time. We are no longer accepting abstracts for #EERS26.
Proposal Requirements
All proposals need to include the following:
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A synopsis (a 300 character summary of your presentation that will be used exactly as submitted in the conference program and online session listings);
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An abstract (a 2,000 character maximum description of your presentation);
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A list of all speakers for your proposed session;
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A 300 character description linking your proposal to the conference theme; and
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The selection of one presentation format that best suits your proposal and content. Note: if you select the Wild Card or the new Bridging 2025 and 2026: Two-Year Sessions format you will be asked to describe your anticipated presentation format.
Presentation Formats
The presentation formats for EERS 2026 are:
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Individual Presentations: these are 20-minute presentations by a single speaker on a topic of your choice. An additional 10 minutes will be reserved for audience questions. (Total session length: 30 minutes.)
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Student Presentations: these are similar to individual presentations but are reserved for single undergraduate or graduate students. The content should include presentations on evaluation methods and/or findings of projects for which the student had substantial responsibility and involvement. These are 20 minute presentations with an additional 10 minutes reserved for audience questions. (Total session length: 30 minutes)
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Panel Presentations: these consist of three or more individuals presenting on a single topic or common topics. This may or may not include a moderator or discussants. All panels will be 60 minutes long (including audience questions). Panels cannot have more than 5 individuals (including presenters, authors, moderators, and discussants).
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Skill-Building Sessions: these are 30- or 60-minutes sessions that are designed to teach a specific skill or demonstrate a specific approach to audience members. You will be asked to identify the specific skill(s) and methods/approaches you will use in your session. Skill-building sessions can include a maximum of 3 speakers or presenters.
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Wild Card Sessions: these are sessions that do not fit into any of the above categories or formats. Wild Card Sessions can be 30 or 60 minutes in length. The only limitation to Wild Card Sessions is that they cannot include more than 12 speakers/presenters/authors.
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Bridging 2025 and 2026: Two-Year Sessions (ONLY FOR ACCEPTED SPEAKERS FROM 2025) - these unique presentations span two consecutive conferences, connecting to the themes of both years as appropriate to the session style. Abstracts should be submitted directly to Program Committee chairs. They will be emailing previous accepted sessions directly no later than October 1st. You DO NOT need to submit a proposal form.
Proposal Review
All proposals submitted to EERS undergo a blinded peer review process; each proposal is reviewed and independently rated by three reviewers.
If the same individual submits multiple proposals, it should be expected that only one proposal for which that individual is lead presenter will be selected for presentation at the conference. This is to ensure the maximum opportunity for participation from the evaluation community.
You will be asked to submit the necessary information by either typing it into the fields directly, or by copying and pasting from another source. Once you submit the information, you will receive an email confirming the receipt of your submission.
All proposals were due by Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 5:00pm Eastern Time. You will be notified in January of the status of your submission.
If you have any questions or concerns about your submission, please contact Program Co-Chairs: Joy Pansari (jpansari@eers.org) and Lin Zhu (lzhu@eers.org)