Proposals for the 2024 NCFR Conference are sought from scholars and practitioners from across all disciplines and career levels who study or work with families. You may submit multiple proposals as a first author. There is no submission fee.

Choose from among 13 individual calls, as listed below.

Before you submit a proposal, please download and read through the full call for proposals for instructions on conference presentation formats, criteria, topics, and more.

Advancing Family Science

Advancing Family Science (AFS)

Silvia Bartolic, Chair

The AFS Section seeks to expand, strengthen, and enhance the Family Science discipline and profession. In particular, the AFS Section is concerned with issues related to the strength and sustainability of Family Science programs, including marketing and recruiting for Family Science programs; innovative and effective teaching strategies for Family Sciences courses including the development, delivery, and evaluation of Family Science curricula; best practices for administrators of Family Science programs; ethical issues in the practice of Family Science; and the state of Family Science as a discipline.

The section welcomes conference proposals which address the 2024 theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities. More specifically, the section is interested in innovative proposals which exemplify the conference theme and focus on examining family and community in areas germane to the section. Presenters might consider proposals which address new, continuing, or improved strategies for preparing students to work with families dealing with change and adversity or new ways to promote the Family Science discipline in a time of ongoing change.

Examples of topics related to the conference theme might include, but are not limited to:

• New outreach and marketing approaches to support NCFR’s efforts to increase the visibility of Family Science.
• Innovation in recruitment and retention of students in Family Science.
• New approaches in communicating about Family Science with the public. How can Family Science illuminate challenges and build resilience among families during ongoing change and adversity?
• How we can leverage innovative pedagogical approaches to enhance student outcomes? How do we know we have made an impact? How must our pedagogy change to address “building resilience”?
• New paradigms and/or perspectives when working with families. How can we utilize these perspectives to be more effective and inclusive in our work? How has the work of faculty been expanded and/or transformed to meet the changing needs of families and to build resilience?
• How to expand the Family Science discipline both locally and globally through community engagement and study abroad programs.

In addition to the many other conference proposal formats, we will again feature Resource Exchange Roundtables. See special instructions for this format in the Call for Proposals PDF.

Proposals focusing on theory development, research methodology, and specific issues confronted by families do not fall within the focus of the AFS Section and would be a more appropriate fit for another section.

We encourage submissions of proposals from all Family Science professionals, including administrators, educators, practitioners, and students. NCFR undergraduate and graduate student members who serve as first authors of the accepted proposals are eligible for the Wesley Burr Student Paper Award, which includes a plaque and cash award. Submissions are also encouraged for the Outstanding Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Award, the Felix Berardo Award for Mentoring, the AFS Legacy Award, the Outstanding Administrator Award, and the Emerging Mentor/ Teacher Award. Applicants must be members of the AFS Section.

Contact: Silvia Bartolic, Department of Sociology, University of British Columbia; email: [email protected]

Family and Community Education

Family and Community Education (FCE)

Sarah Kuborn, Chair-Elect

The FCE Section supports and unites the members of NCFR who are involved with and interested in the translation of research into effective community education and enrichment for individuals, couples, and families. The 2024 conference theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, offers an opportunity to submit proposals that address healing and resiliency from the pandemic and societal division.

Proposals for this section may provide dialogue and share innovative evidence-informed resources about methods, materials, programs, and processes for enriching and improving the lives of individuals, couples, and families across the life course. We are interested in proposals that encourage researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to engage with each other to better understand the dynamic nature of family life in ways that are unique, inclusive, and innovative. Fitting with the 2024 conference goals, proposals may include, but are not limited to, programmatic practices, community engagement and collaboration strategies, and tactics that uniquely address families from historically disadvantaged communities. Various topics may include those surrounding healing and resiliency of families and communities in a post-pandemic world. 

Examples of presentation topics may include: 

• new and innovative ways of delivering Family Life Education content and programming; 
• examining critical gaps in community education programming and training that have yet to be addressed (e.g., vicarious trauma, practitioner voices); 
• the effective use of innovative online technologies to inform myriad topics of family functioning, well-being, and social justice issues; 
• fresh, new perspectives in providing community education programming which address unique needs of families and individuals regionally and internationally; 
• the challenges and unforeseen consequences for learners in a virtual community education environment; 
• unique ways of addressing sustainability for community programming (i.e., examining the evidence of various programs that address specific family concerns); 
• effective and innovative Family Life Education practices for diverse populations that promote healing and resiliency; and
• cutting-edge community education programs that connect to multiple political and philosophical audiences.

As has been done at previous conferences, the Advancing Family Science and Family and Community Education Sections will again feature Resource Exchange Roundtables. Highlighting the role of practice as integral to Family Science, we are looking for tangible resources from both applied settings and basic research to strengthen the work of applied researchers, extension specialists, faculty, Family Life Educators, practitioners, and more that helps to contribute to the conference theme. See specific instructions for this format in the Call for Proposals PDF.

We encourage proposals from established scholars, practitioners, new professionals, and students. All FCE student members who submit a proposal as first author will be considered for the Student Proposal Award, which includes a cash award and $100 towards the Annual Conference registration fee.

Contact: Sarah A. Kuborn, Department of Child and Family Studies, Southeast Missouri State University; email: [email protected]

AFS and FCE Resource Exchange Roundtables

Special Instructions

In addition to all conference proposal formats, the Advancing Family Science and Family and Community Education Sections will again feature Resource Exchange Roundtables.

The Resource Exchange Roundtables are an interactive opportunity to demonstrate an educational, administrative, enrichment, or pedagogical (e.g., specific curricula or teaching technique) resource that has been particularly useful when working with students, families, professionals, or other populations. An overview is given by the leader who then facilitates active discussion about the topic.

It is expected that presenters provide a tangible resource to participants. Examples of resources include detailed assignment instructions or rubric; an example of a completed student project (must include a statement of permission to use); or a list of useful topical online resources. An example of the specific resource that will be provided to roundtable attendees must be included with the proposal.

Please note: Resource Exchange Roundtable proposal submissions go through the normal proposal review and evaluation process; those accepted for the conference program are peer-reviewed.

Families and Health

Families and Health (FH)

Jeremy Yorgason, Chair

The FH Section promotes the health and well-being of all families and their members through interdisciplinary practice, research, education, and policies related to family health.

FH members collectively work across disciplines to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. We view health holistically and on a continuum that encompasses a variety of wellness and disease states. We encourage the submission of proposals related to the conference theme or any aspect of families and health.

This year’s conference theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, fits well with our section, and we encourage proposals to consider ways that individuals, families, and communities have developed resilience in response to the various relationship, health, financial, political, and other stressors faced in recent years.

The 2024 theme lends well to proposals that emphasize adaptation and resilience in the face of great challenges. We welcome innovative proposal submissions that deepen members’ understanding of strategies to promote health and well-being and lessen health disparities.

Topics may include any of the following as they relate to couple and family relationships:

• war, violence, and political unrest;
• COVID-19 or aspects of the pandemic;
• health behaviors (e.g., exercise, sleep, nutrition);
• chronic conditions (physical and mental health);
• health-related interventions and outcomes-based research;
• public health prevention (e.g., community health workers, nursing);
• health and wellness issues across the life course (birth to death);
• relational influences on health (e.g., siblings, partners, aging parents);
• community influences on health (e.g., education, services and supports through schools, health care centers, community mental health centers, military, churches, parks and recreation centers); and
• effects of trauma, conflict, disability, illness, caregiving, loss, sleep, substance abuse, risk behaviors, and more on family health and well-being.

Established scholars, new professionals, and students are encouraged to submit proposals.

Each year, FH acknowledges outstanding student and professional papers, and student posters, with honors that include plaques or certificates, and monetary awards.

Contact: Jeremy Yorgason, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University; email: [email protected]

Family Policy

Family Policy (FP)

Sharon N. Obasi, Chair

The 2024 NCFR Annual Conference aspires “to be a national model for building resilience and unity following heightened social strain, division, and political tension that accompanied the global pandemic.” This aspiration aligns with the potential development and advocacy for a range of policies that prioritize family well-being, resilience, and unity to build stronger, more resilient communities and families.

The goal of the 2024 conference is in concert with the primary mission of the FP section, which is to inform and examine the influence of policy on all aspects of family life, including how policies facilitate and/or hinder well-being across diverse families and the lifespan. Policies influence the functioning, adaptation, coping, and health of individuals, families, and communities. We as researchers, educators, practitioners, and leaders are uniquely positioned to inform policy matters in the academy, as well as at state, national, and global levels.

The conference theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families and Communities, immediately stimulates ideas focused on articulating and implementing comprehensive family-centered policies that:

• foster family resilience;
• address the diverse needs families may face post-pandemic in social services and support policies;
• integrate family well-being into educational policies;
• promote cohesion and inclusivity in community building and inclusion policies;
• bridge social divides within communities;
• prioritize access to physical and mental health services and community based preventive measures in public health policies;
• promote work-life balance, family-friendly workplace, and economic initiatives in workplace and economic policies;
• ensure equitable access to resources during crises for families into crisis preparedness policies and emergency management plans; and
• provide equitable access to technology and promote positive online communication within technology and communication policies that target the digital divide.

The FP section welcomes proposals that directly or indirectly examine family policies and laws and further encourage submissions that have implications for policy, even if the policies or laws are not the primary subject of the work. If your work interacts with the larger systems in which families are embedded, then your work has implications for family policy!

We welcome innovative and synergistic proposals providing a novel way to inform policy and programming in the context of building resilience among individuals, families, and communities.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

• resilience sustainability through strategic planning, resource allocation, and policy frameworks;
• the effectiveness of mental health policies;
• community-driven initiatives that evaluate local governance structures, grassroots organizations, and policy frameworks;
• educational policies and practices from early childhood to higher education, including the assessment of school-based intervention effectiveness;
• evaluation of policies that provide targeted support to families during crises (e.g., natural disasters, pandemics);
• the responsiveness of existing policies and strategies in emergency situations;
• investigation of digital inclusion policies;
• efficacy of public health policies focused on preparedness and resilience;
• communication policies as a mechanism for fostering individual, family, and community resilience;
• identification of policies that can be leveraged to build individual and family resilience or antecedents of resilience across complex family situations (e.g., military families, divorcing or separating families, repartnering families, families involved in the foster system);
• evaluation of policies for creating economic equity that strengthens the resilience of vulnerable populations and communities;
• interdisciplinary approaches to resilience-building policies; and
• efficacy of policies that promote collaboration among healthcare, social services, education, and other sectors.

Research designs do not need to be embedded in or emerge strictly from policy. Authors, however should devote attention to the policy implications of their scholarship and how their work may inform policy and programs that strengthen, protect, or support individuals, families, and communities.

The FP Section encourages creativity and synergy, for example, submissions could combine the experiences and knowledge of policy researchers or administrators, practitioners, people or families with lived experience, and/or family researchers or scientists. Please consult with FP section officers if you have questions or would like to discuss options prior to submission. If you are putting together a more innovative, interdisciplinary approach, a consultation is recommended to ensure the proposal meets submission guidelines. FP section officers would be happy to guide you in shaping your proposals' policy-relevant content.

The FP section recognizes exceptional student and professional work by offering three awards. More information can be found here. 

Contact: Sharon N. Obasi, Department of Counseling, School Psychology and Family Science, University of Nebraska at Kearney; email: [email protected]

Family Therapy

Family Therapy (FT)

Nathan Hardy, Chair

The FT Section unites members who share common interests, goals, and purposes in marriage and family therapy. The section improves the practice of marriage and family therapy through the promotion of: a) open dialogue between clinicians and researchers relative to marital and family therapy theories, research, practice and training; b) the integration of theory, research and practice; and c) effective, efficient, and ethical practice methods.

The theme of the 2024 conference, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, invites us to consider ways families are handling the divisive, tense, and complex sociopolitical conditions of our age. We hope that the 2024 conference theme will attract scholarship covering a broad range of cutting-edge relationally-oriented clinical research that examines the ways family therapists can help families and communities navigate these conditions.

In particular, we are seeking proposals focused on (but not limited to):

• developing and testing clinical theories (e.g., theories which link family therapy to complex and polarizing societal contexts);
• creating and evaluating therapeutic interventions (e.g., interventions which address multilayered stressors and resources);
• improving the training and supervision of marriage and family therapists (e.g., supervising through complex sociopolitical times); and
• presenting innovative mechanisms to access data and conduct research.

Special consideration will be offered for proposals which include clinical data.

We also invite submissions on a wide variety of other topics important to the family therapy field. Research and applied presentations can focus on systemic topics including but not limited to:

• intimacy,
• relationship formation and dissolution,
• parent-child relationships,
• diverse families and couple relationships,
• influences of larger social factors on individuals, couples, and families, and
• therapeutic approaches and techniques.

Established researchers, therapists, and educators as well as students and new professionals are encouraged to submit proposals. Student and new professional poster and paper submissions that are first authored by FT Section members are eligible for awards within the section (please see descriptions on our section website, and attend to the award solicitation discussion board posting in the fall).

In addition to the general NCFR review criteria for proposals, the FT Section expects that proposals will include practical implications for clinicians, educators, supervisors, and the profession of marriage and family therapy.

Contact: Nathan R. Hardy, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Oklahoma State University; email: [email protected]

Feminism and Family Science

Feminism and Family Science (FF)

Erin S. Lavender-Stott, Chair

The FF Section works to integrate feminist scholarship and perspectives into theory, research, and applied work with families. As feminist family scholars we explore, question, and critique biases and assumptions within the Family Science discipline with the goal of foregrounding and changing interlocking systems of privilege and oppression (e.g., challenging sexist, racist, classist, ableist, cissexist, and heterosexist beliefs).

Dr. Karina Shreffler, the 2024 conference Program Chair, has chosen the theme Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities. Dr. Shreffler challenges us to consider how Family Science can benefit society and to build resilience and unity when facing multifaceted adversities. Concepts that highlight the ways in which resilience can be demonstrated, such as agency, liberation, generativity, resistance, collectivism, art, joy, among others, are inherently feminist. As feminist Family Scientists we are also called to question the structures and systems that build multifaceted adversities for individuals, communities, and families.

In our section’s ongoing commitment to fight systematic oppressions and inequities, we particularly encourage work that is grounded in intersectionality, critical frameworks, and praxis, including but not limited to critical race, critical femininities, queer, Black, Chicana, Indigenous, and anti-colonial feminisms. We encourage submissions that foreground how White heteropatriarchal systems shape our understandings of individual, familial, and community well-being, or lack thereof. Submissions which are critical, reflexive, and explicit in identifying ways to promote individual, family, and community well-being and healing are also welcome.

We encourage work that is transdisciplinary; is grounded in sociohistorical and cultural contexts; and furthers NCFR’s goals of disseminating high-quality scholarship and theorizing, as well as engaging with a diverse array of communities and practitioners. We invite proposals advancing feminist theories and practices related to the conference theme. Established professionals, newer professionals, and undergraduate and graduate students are all encouraged to submit proposals.

While not limited to these areas, some suggested topics for proposals may include:

• shifting theoretical paradigms to engage with anti-racist, feminist, and queer theories;
• Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Queer, and Trans joy, liberation, agency, and collectivism;
• challenging patriarchal, heteronormative, U.S. centric, and White supremacist ideologies in family scholarship;
• family and interpersonal violence survivors as agents of change, navigating inequitable and unjust systems as they strive for safety, justice, and healing;
• praxis through resistance and focusing on structural issues as to why marginalized individuals and families need resiliency; and
• feminist and critical pedagogy in classrooms and Family Life Education.

Contact: Erin Lavender-Stott, School of Education, Counseling, and Human Development, South Dakota State University; email: [email protected]

International

International (IN)

Gizem Erdem, Chair

The IN Section strives to increase the understanding of unique variations of family processes around the world by promoting cross-national family research, education, policy, and practice. The section strives to facilitate communication and collaboration among international family scholars by providing a venue to share information on current and proposed research projects and inform researchers about recent international research, practice, and policies around global issues and their impact on the well-being of families and communities.

Through its global focus, the IN Section has a great opportunity to make significant contributions to the 2024 NCFR conference theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities. The IN Section welcomes proposals that use sound theoretical and empirical approaches focused on families in an international context. The IN Section particularly welcomes proposals that focus on conditions and/or situations which impact international families and communities and how family researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can strengthen or enhance resilience in families and communities to withstand the vicissitudes of life.

Possible topics related to the conference theme include:  

• global and macrolevel challenges faced by families and communities across the nations such as migration, violence, war and mass trauma, climate change, global financial crisis, youth mental health crisis of the post-pandemic era, and the rise of discriminatory practices and policies against marginalized populations (ethnic, religious, sexual minorities, refugees etc.);
• consequences of those global challenges and stressors for international families and communities with a particular focus on vulnerable populations, their needs, and resources;
• an investigation of how global challenges impact family relationships, human development, mental health, and well-being;
• examination of family and community resilience as a response to those global challenges and adverse conditions;
• understanding unique coping skills and resources to promote functional relationships and individual flourishing;
• creative approaches to promoting health and well-being among international families and communities during difficult times;
• comparative family and community studies related to societal influences and public health; and
• exploration of ways in which family scholarship and practice can address global issues, such as gender equality, poverty reduction, health and well-being, and strong communities and societies.

The IN Section seeks to attract submissions from colleagues from around the world and have a wide geographical representation at the conference and to apply for the IN Section travel awards. Established scholars, early career professionals, and graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals.

Contact: Gizem Erdem, Ph.D., ILMFT, Department of Psychology, Koc University, Istanbul, Türkiye; email: [email protected]

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families (REDF)

Shardé McNeil Smith, Chair

The REDF Section examines child, youth, individual, family, and community issues within the sociopolitical, historical, economic, and cultural context and through the lens of ethnicity, race, and other social addresses. We specifically focus on the social, cultural, biological, regional and ancestral characteristics, traditions, learned behaviors, customs, and adaptive tendencies found at all levels of human ecology. Our section strives to continue the legacy of our past section members Marie F. Peters and John L. and Harriette P. McAdoo, who recognized the importance of human capital in ensuring resilience over adversity in families of color.

The theme of the 2024 conference, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, is aligned with the values of the REDF Section. Dr. Karina M. Shreffler, the 2024 NCFR conference program chair, asks us to examine how we as a nation are healing and building resilience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and societal division. As such, we must examine how families and communities of color are fostering resilience and drawing on their inherent strengths as they navigate a context ingrained with multiple social injustices.

When thinking of this year’s conference theme, in the context of REDF Section values, one might consider:

• how racial and ethnically diverse families and community members are utilizing their inherent strengths and engaging in resilience-promoting behaviors;
• the ways in which systemic racism and other oppressions create the need for resilience;
• the long-term consequences of resilience on families of color;
• the theoretical and methodological opportunities and challenges for understanding resilience among families of color; and
• programs, policies, and practices that are in place or are needed to promote resilience among racial and ethnically diverse families and communities.

We welcome other research, theory, practices, and policies that provide a cultural perspective on any aspect of the 2024 conference theme while centering children, youth, and families from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. We encourage proposals to consider how experiences operate at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and other social position characteristics.

Scholars, practitioners, and new professionals of all ethnic, racial, and diverse backgrounds are encouraged to submit proposals. Accepted proposals submitted by Students or New Professionals (SNP)—who are also REDF Section members—will be considered for the SNP Best Proposal Awards for the section. The submission must demonstrate research that is completed and focused on a topic that has direct relevance to racial and ethnically diverse families.

Contact: Shardé McNeil Smith, Chair, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; email: [email protected]

Religion, Spirituality, & Family

Religion, Spirituality, & Family (RSF)

Andrew H. Rose, Chair

The RSF Section furthers the cause and study of religion and its relationship to the family. The study and examination of the impact of religion on family life is examined as well as the relationship of religion to other family-related disciplines and NCFR Sections.

The 2024 NCFR conference theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, intersects well with research on religion, spirituality, and family life. The theme is an opportunity for the RSF Section to showcase the role of religion and spirituality as a buffer that builds resilience and may serve as a conduit for healing. The theme also warrants understanding of how religion and spirituality may cause harm instead of help. The association between religion and resilience is well documented, but more research needs to be done with families and particularly with healing and helping those who experience unique hardships such as poverty, minoritization, health disparities, etc. We invite proposals that consider the impact and role of religion and spirituality and its unique role in building resilience and promoting healing. We welcome proposals that highlight strengths and weaknesses regarding the ways in which religion and spirituality may impact individuals, families, and communities.

The following questions may be helpful in formulating proposals to be submitted to the RSF Section for the 2024 conference:

• How has religion/spirituality served as a buffer for families?
• How has religion/spirituality been a source of healing for families?
• How has religion/spirituality impacted resilience for families?
• How has religion/spirituality helped or hindered social injustices?
• How can religion/spirituality strengthen and support those who are minoritized and marginalized?
• How can religion/spirituality harm those who are minoritized and marginalized?
• What are ways in which religion/spirituality impact how families interact in societies?
• How have religion/spirituality influenced the ways in which families handle challenges?
• How can understanding religion/spirituality help us understand resilience in families?

These questions are not meant to be exhaustive but are intended to provide ideas on how a focus on religion and spirituality may add to this year’s conference theme. All proposals on these or other issues related to religion, spirituality, and family are welcome.

Contact: Andrew H. Rose, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; email: [email protected]

Research and Theory

Research and Theory (RT)

Isaac Washburn, Chair

The RT Section focuses on promoting work that effectively integrates research and theory about families and the context in which families live, work, interact, and develop. All theoretical perspectives and styles of research that emphasize both conceptual and empirical rigor are welcome.

Consistent with the purpose of RT, we invite proposals that:

• rigorously explore the links between theory and the research process or methodologies; and
• anchor research questions or hypotheses in a clearly articulated theoretical perspective.

The theme of this year’s conference, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, pushes us to think deeply about resilience and unity and the development of those traits at the individual, family, and community levels. This kind of interaction pushes us to think complexly about the world and therefore our theory and methods need to follow. While developing and presenting more intricate theories and methods is important, we as a discipline can use this opportunity to think more deeply about how our existing theories and methods interact across the individual, family, and community levels.

We underscore a call for theoretically grounded proposals that present rigorous cutting-edge aspects of a content area, methodology, or analytic procedure. We invite you to submit a proposal and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

Possible topics of salience to our section might include:

• advances in measurement, assessment, and analysis that are anchored in theory, particularly those that leverage advances in analysis and technology (e.g., machine learning or digital indicators of health and well-being);
• results from qualitative or quantitative studies that highlight theoretically driven research questions about individual, family, or community experiences of resilience building; mixed-methods designs are of particular interest; and
• reports on the development of new theories that account for contemporary understanding of within group heterogeneity (e.g., variability in outcomes when accounting for social determinants of health and well-being).

Symposium proposals are strengthened by including scholars who are from diverse disciplines or who approach the topic with innovative methodological strategies and theoretical perspectives and should include a maximum of four papers organized around a common theme, with a named discussant. In addition, formats other than symposia are welcome. Presentations by senior scholars as well as rising new scholars are encouraged, as are proposals by scholars from outside of North America.

We look forward to putting together another great selection of RT Section sessions.

Contact: Isaac J. Washburn, Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center; email: [email protected]

Affiliate Councils (State/Regional and Student Interests)

Affiliate Councils (AC)

Student and State/Regional Affiliate Workshops

Janis L. Henderson, Affiliate Councils Conference Program Representative

The NCFR Affiliate Councils (AC) consists of the state/regional and student affiliates, with the Affiliate Councils Board (ACB) providing support to NCFR affiliate councils. NCFR affiliate councils provide opportunities to interact within communities at the state, regional, or university level (local), spur new initiatives within those communities, and allow members to develop new and expanded perspectives on a variety of topics important to families. Active engagement in an affiliate council provides a network of colleagues who empower and support one another. Strong affiliate councils are vital to NCFR as they play an important role in connecting state, regional, and student organizations to each other and to the national organization. Student affiliate councils consist of students who anticipate careers in Family Science as well as university faculty that serve as advisors. State/regional affiliates include Family Science professionals working as researchers, scholars, and practitioners. State/regional affiliates can provide students with a network beyond their university home. State/regional members are encouraged to connect with and support student affiliate councils.

In accordance with the conference theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, the ACB goal for the 2024 AC conference sessions is to provide programming that empowers and informs resiliency processes; reflects strengths building for individuals’ professional, volunteer, or advocate pathways; and growth and stability within affiliate communities and beyond.

The ACB invites all NCFR members to submit a  .workshop, interactive or traditional, symposium, or panel formats. Building on changes made for recent ACB conference sessions, submissions that bridge affiliate involvement with other areas of professional development are sought; suggested topics include:

• resilience building when navigating change and during times of change;
• resilience building through community service; and
• empowering students and professionals’ development, social action, and resilience work.

 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Individuals or collaborative groups are invited to submit. Please submit the following two separate documents in PDF format addressing the following:

1. Title and Proposal Information, including:
   • title and format for the proposed session;
   • abstract (maximum 100 words);
   • three measurable objectives for the session; and
   • session proposal (maximum 1,000 words) for peer review.
2. Presenter Information for each presenter, including:
   • presenter(s) name(s);
   • email address(es);
   • state, regional or student affiliate(s) (if applicable);
   • professionals should include degree earned, discipline and university from where the degree was earned, current employer and title; and
   • students should include the program and university in which they are currently enrolled.

The first presenter will be the primary contact between NCFR conference planners.

Proposal documents should be emailed by March 25, 2024, 11:59 p.m. PST. Email proposal documents to Ginnie O’Neill, Director of Member Engagement and Development.

 

AFFILIATE COUNCIL AWARD NOMINATIONS

Applications and nominations for the three AC awards are due June 1.

• Affiliate Grant (grant money for an affiliate group);·
• Meritorious Service Award (for outstanding service by state and regional affiliate council members); and
• President for-a-Day-Award (empowers a student or new professional to continue growing in their leadership within NCFR).

More information can be found here. Contact NCFR membership staff if you have any questions.

Contact: Janis Henderson, Affiliate Councils Conference Program Representative, J. Henderson Education Services; email: [email protected]

Students and New Professionals

Students and New Professionals (SNP)

Allen Mallory, Program Representative

SNP sessions promote professional skills development and provide relevant information to students (graduate and undergraduate) and new professionals (within five years of their final degree). The primary emphasis for SNP sessions is on promoting professional development for students, teachers, researchers, and practitioners at the early stages of their careers.

We encourage students, new professionals, and seasoned professionals to submit proposals. The goal of the 2024 conference theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, to build resilience and unity following heightened societal strain, division, and political tension that accompanied the global pandemic will ideally be incorporated into SNP sessions.

With the conference theme, goals, and the SNP mission in mind, we are particularly interested in proposals related to:

• supporting students and new professionals building resilience;
• building resilience as a student or new professional;
• applying for grants/funding as students and new professionals;
• applying to graduate school;
• navigating school/academia as a member of historically excluded/underrepresented group(s);
• outreach and public scholarship: science communication, translational research, and broader impacts engagement;
• scholar-activism and/or practitioner-activism;
• setting goals for your career;
• sustaining work-life integration (self-care, overcoming the imposter syndrome, etc.);
• teaching and pedagogy for new professionals;
• tips and tricks for the job market (academic and non-academic); and
• tips, tricks, and benefits of post-doctoral positions.

We welcome all proposals related to skill building and/or professional development relevant to students and new professionals. If you are a student or new professional with a proposal outside of those foci, it may be a better fit in one of the other sections.

The SNP Program Rep is happy to answer any questions or provide feedback regarding proposal ideas.

Contact: Allen Mallory, Department of Human Sciences, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, The Ohio State University; email: [email protected]

Theory Construction & Research Methodology

Theory Construction & Research Methodology (TCRM) Workshop

Robin Yaure and Kelly Munly, Co-Chairs

Since its establishment in 1971, the Theory Construction and Research Methodology Workshop (TCRM) has been a collegial forum for the discussion, development, and refinement of theory and methods relevant to the study of families. It is a venue for moving forward cutting-edge work in family theory and research methods. The TCRM preconference workshop is held in conjunction with the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference. All who have an interest in family theory and research methods, including graduate students and new professionals, are invited to attend and participate. The TCRM preconference workshop offers a unique opportunity for scholars to discuss working papers that emphasize four goals: (1) family theory; (2) research methodology; (3) emerging/novel ideas in the study of families; and/or (4) reconsideration of long-held practices and ideas in Family Sciences.

The TCRM workshop is scheduled to take place immediately prior to the 2024 NCFR Conference on November 19-20, in Bellevue, Washington. This year we plan to offer a specific session to highlight the work of students and new professionals related to the four goals above. We invite scholars to submit proposals that would be of interest to a wide range of scholars, including applied researchers. Preference will be given to papers that focus on this year’s NCFR theme, Building Resilience Among Individuals, Families, and Communities, which will provide an opportunity for TCRM attendees to explore the foundations of prevention and recovery mechanisms in stress and crisis contexts, whether individual, familial, or community. We welcome submissions that seek to broaden our theoretical and methodological frameworks for thinking about how individual, familial, and community experiences of stress and crisis intersect with social and political changes. These changes require critical examination and reconceptualization of issues that, while may have long histories, are being experienced in novel and different ways in these challenging times.

TCRM has a unique purpose and format, in that it is designed to promote discussion and provide a forum for feedback that moves working papers and ideas forward, rather than being a place to simply present finished products. Authors submit their papers in advance of the preconference workshop with the intent that attendees can read the papers before attending the preconference workshop. Discussants also read and provide detailed reviews of papers in advance of the preconference workshop. Rather than being presentations of the submitted papers, TCRM sessions instead comprise informed discussions of theoretical and methodological issues raised by the papers, discussants, authors, and workshop attendees. Because it is assumed that attendees have already read the papers, discussions can center on the ideas raised by each paper and on the integration of different papers in a session. Additionally, since discussants also have provided their comments to the authors in advance, authors also get a chance to respond to these comments in an atmosphere of collaboration, pushing forward the thinking of authors, discussants, and audience alike. The focus in this intimate, receptive climate is on constructive feedback and collaborative discussion, providing a collegial and cooperative context for family methods and theories to evolve. For papers eventually intended for submission to the Journal of Family Theory & Review, this forum can provide valuable feedback that authors can use to strengthen the manuscript's contents prior to submission.

In sum, TCRM is especially designed for those who want to participate in or attend an active intellectual exchange. Works-in-progress are especially invited. Papers submitted to TCRM should not have been previously submitted for presentation or publication elsewhere, nor should they be submitted elsewhere prior to the workshop, so that the feedback and discussion that takes place at the workshop is meaningful.

In addition to the authors’ papers, extended abstracts are made available to attendees prior to TCRM. The extended abstract should be about 1,000 words and is provided in lieu of a formal presentation by the author at the beginning of the session. Sessions begin with discussant comments, followed by author responses and audience feedback. TCRM papers should focus on theory and/or methodology, but empirical papers highlighting emerging/novel uses of theory and/or methodology are also invited. TCRM is sponsored by NCFR’s Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR) which encourages the submission and publication of TCRM papers in the journal.

We will accept proposals for four types of sessions:

1. Working papers: special topics on theory, methodology, novel uses, or reconsideration of family frameworks. Paper proposals are submitted individually.
2. Paper symposium: This may include a working paper session which includes 2-4 papers discussing a particular topic associated with family theory, research methodology, or other foci of TCRM. Symposium proposals should be submitted according to NCFR symposium guidelines (see the full 2024 NCFR Conference Call for Proposals PDF).
3. Dialogue session: focused on opposing or differing viewpoints on a specific topic. Presenters and the audience will engage in a discussion around a common topic to examine conceptual similarities and differences.
4. Methodology or theory workshops: open-format sessions focusing on specific methodological techniques, data sources, or theories related to the qualitative or quantitative study of families. Theory workshops could focus on theory building or application.

TCRM proposals should be submitted in PDF format and include:

1. the working paper, symposium, workshop title, or dialogue session name;
2. a short abstract (approximately 100 words, for publicity);
3. a proposal of 1,750 words or fewer (excluding any tables, figures, or references) for peer review; and
4. two or three suggestions for discussants.

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• background, context, and significance of the topic proposal;
• connections to the conference theme;
• relationship to one or more of the four TCRM goals listed at the beginning;
• a description of how the paper, symposium, workshop, or dialogue addresses innovative, novel, and/or important issues in theory, methodology, or the empirical study of families; and
• a brief discussion of the paper, symposium, workshop, or dialogue’s implications for research and/or practice.

The deadline for TCRM submissions is March 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PST. TCRM submissions are not submitted through the NCFR online submission system. Instead, TCRM submitters should fill out the TCRM application form and attach the proposal in PDF form. All proposals should be submitted via e-mail to TCRM co-chairs Robin Yaure, Penn State Mont Alto, and Kelly Munly, Penn State Altoona, at [email protected].

Authors of accepted papers will be required to submit a full version of their paper, up to 35 pages (all inclusive), by August 19, 2024, with extended abstracts and discussant reviews due by October 4, 2024.

Please contact the TCRM co-chairs with any questions, inquiries, or volunteer requests.

Contacts: Robin Yaure, Penn State Mont Alto, and Kelly Munly, Penn State Altoona; email: [email protected]