Office of Faculty Engagement

2026 Outreach and Engaged Scholarship Symposium - Call for Proposals

Thank you for your interest in submitting a proposal for the 2026 Outreach and Engaged Scholarship Symposium. The theme for this year's symposium is "Passion and Purpose: The Power of Partnerships. This year’s symposium aims to accomplish the following objectives:

1. Advance Transformational Partnerships for Public Good - Emphasize the catalytic role of partnerships—across academia, community, and industry—in driving impactful, ethical, and sustainable solutions for the public good. Highlight best practices and the “togetherness” that makes outreach and engagement possible.

2. Elevate Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Innovation - Encourage interdisciplinary teams to co-create, share, and implement innovative outreach and engaged scholarship initiatives.

3. Promote Inclusive and Respectful Engagement - Address challenges that inhibit the promotion a culture of respect, integrity, and empowerment within and beyond the university.

4. Showcase and Celebrate Partnership Impact - Recognize and celebrate the achievements of community partners, staff, students, and faculty scholars. Highlight measurable outcomes, acknowledge the contributions of long-term partners, and share compelling stories of partnership-driven success at local, regional, and global levels.

5. Strengthen Assessment and Continuous Improvement – Encourage all symposium projects and presentations to include discussion about mechanisms for assessing partnership effectiveness and impact. Encourage the use of institutional IRB protocols and post-event evaluations to inform future outreach strategies.

Registration will open on March 2, 2026 the call for proposals will be available through June 1, 2025. Finalized information for accepted proposals will be shared in the weeks following the deadline for proposals. All presenters with accepted proposals must register to attend the symposium. The symposium is to be held on Wednesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 27. The anticipated location is the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. A complete 2025 OESS presentation proposal includes the following.

2026 Outreach and Engaged Scholarship Symposium Presentation Formats:

Podium Talks (20 minutes, including Q&A): A formal presentation where speakers share detailed insights or research findings, often followed by a brief audience Q&A.

Roundtable Presentations (45 minutes): A facilitated, interactive discussion focused on sharing ideas and perspectives on a specific topic in a small group setting.

Engaged Scholars Poster Session: A visual presentation format where faculty, student and community researchers showcase their work on posters and engage in one-on-one or small-group discussions with attendees.

• Presenter information
• Presentation Type and timeslot availability
• Proposal Information
• Presentation title
• 300-word limit Abstract
• 150-word limit Project description

If you are a graduate student submitting a proposal for the Outreach and Engaged Scholarship Poster Session on Wednesday, August 26, you will be required to provide your faculty advisor's name, email address, college, and department.

Please ensure you have all of the proposal and presenter information before beginning the survey in the event of a timeout. If you need to revisit and continue the survey later, you may do so as long as you are using the same device and browser.

Registration Fee

This year there will be a $50 registration fee for the Outreach and Engaged Scholarship Symposium. Presenters will be responsible for the registration fee. This fee will help the Office of Faculty Engagement offset the rising event costs. Undergraduate and graduate students will be exempt with sign-off from their faculty advisor. Please note that late fees for registration will be assessed following August 1, 2026.

Registration Fee Policy:

• Registration Fee: $50 for faculty/staff/community partner participants. Presenters will be required to pay the registration fee due to rising event costs. Graduate student registration fees are comped with faculty advisor approval. Add notes from 2.16.26 1:1
• Sponsorships: We will welcome sponsorships from the colleges and academic units. Those sponsorships will include comped registrations. Comped registration recipients to be determined by each sponsor.
• Late Registration: Beginning August 1, 2026, registrations will be considered late and assessed an additional $15 fee. Registrations made after August 14, 2026 will be assessed a $25 fee. Registrations after August 14, 2025 will not receive a nametag.
• Walk-ins: Walk-ins will be accepted. The walk-in registration fee will be $80.
• Cancellation/Refund Policy: You may cancel your registration and get a full refund without penalty if you let us know about your change in plans no later than 4:45 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2026. If you cancel by August 14, 2026 half of the registration will be refunded. If you cancel any time after August 14, 2026, you will not receive a refund.
• Refunds: All refund requests must be made in writing to Office of Faculty Engagement at OFEEOA@auburn.edu. The Office of Faculty Engagement regrets that refunds will not be provided to people who register but do not attend the conference (no-shows).
• Substitution Policy: Substitution of registrations will be permitted at no charge by notifying Office of Faculty Engagement at OFEEOA@auburn.edu. The paid registrant must provide the name of their substitute. After August 14, 2026, name tags cannot be provided for a substitute.

Submit Proposal