APA 2023

August 8–10, 2024

Seattle, WA

Division Sessions

The Call for Proposals closed January 10, 2024 at 5PM ET.

For additional division-specific information and program chairperson contact details, click here.

Division Program Types

Division session proposals closed Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

Skill-Building Sessions

50 minutes

Skill Building sessions should offer practical experience to help participants increase their understanding and skills in a particular area of current interest in the field of psychology. Activities and discussions should be woven into the session plan to help attendees truly apply learnings to their work. Session topics might include (but are not limited to) demonstrations of various methodologies, interviews, therapeutic or assessment techniques, statistical or scientific approaches.

Symposia

50 minutes

Symposia are focused sessions in which multiple speakers present information related to a unifying topic that is viewed to be a significant common theme, issue, or question. The presentations generally include a review of data but may also include discussions of contrasting viewpoints or other innovative strategies for engaging the audience. A symposium should include 2 or 3 brief presentations of research, practice or educational content. 


Other symposium roles, including chairs and discussants are optional. The chair is the main point of contact for convention organizers; coordinates the symposium including inviting the presenters; ensures that all presenters are aware of the correct date, time and location of the presentation; and ensures that the symposium remains within the 50-minute limit. If no chair is designated, the first presenter listed in the online submission system will be designated as the main point of contact for the symposium submission. A symposium may include a very brief introduction to the topic by an expert who can set context and offer background for why the session topic is important. A discussant also has expertise in the topic at hand and can briefly draw a unifying theme across the presentations.


A symposium is not a paper-reading session. Participants are encouraged to actively engage their audience rather than reading from a paper. Participants should prepare presentations in advance so that the discussant, if there is one, can effectively draw linkages across the presentations. 

Critical Conversations

50 minutes

Critical Conversations are designed to support informed conversations between presenters and audience members. These sessions should begin with one or more brief presentations designed to provide the information needed for the audience to effectively participate in the discussion. The chair should act as a moderator to ensure that the bulk of the time in the discussion portion is spent in conversation with the audience.

Data Blitzes 

50 minutes

Data blitz sessions feature up to six fast-paced, brief reports on hot topics, with individuals presenting for no more than five minutes each on various research, educational or practice topics. Data blitzes should provide an interactive experience for the audience, and organizers should allocate time (e.g., 10 minutes for every three presentations) to support audience engagement. Interactive experiences could include posing questions that require audience participation or organizing the data blitz around a particular theme that offers an opportunity for audience and speaker integration and discussion.

Science Summits 

APA will feature three science summits to showcase outstanding science and discuss the future of research in three areas highly relevant to contemporary issues—Technology and Human Behavior, Promoting Social Equity, and Physical Activity: Supporting Health and Performance. These summits offer an exciting opportunity to highlight top research and provide critical discussions that can guide and inspire scientists across broad areas of research. Submitters with an accepted division program in one of these areas will be invited to be co-listed with the relevant science summit.


Learn More

How to Submit a Proposal

This video will guide you step-by-step through the process of submitting a proposal.

Instructions for Session Proposals

Division session proposals closed on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

All APA 2024 division session proposals must be submitted online through the call for proposals platform by Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 5 p.m. ET. If you do not already have an account, you will be asked to create one and complete your contact profile before starting. Please ensure that you allow yourself enough time to enter all of the required information before the deadline. We highly encourage participants to enter the required information in advance to account for any questions or issues that may arise when submitting through the online platform.


You can save your proposal(s) and return to them at a later time. After you have submitted your final proposal, you and the session participants can still make edits through the platform until the January 10 deadline.

Session Information

  • The APA Division you are submitting to
  • Session Title
    max: 100 characters including spaces
  • Program Type and Length
  • Session Description
    This is the brief description that will appear in the APA 2024 program. It should provide a clear overview of the session and make the case for why this topic is relevant and useful to attendees.
  • Key Session Takeaways
    max: 50 words/each

    Two action statements that describe what attendees will get from attending this session (e.g., Discover ways to..., Learn three strategies for...)
  • Session Abstract
    max: 300 words

    The abstract should describe the session's overall focus and/or goals, including any interactive component or audience engagement strategy. It should also provide a brief mention of the content to be covered by each of the individual speakers/presenters. If you submit the session for
    CE consideration, the abstract will also be used to review the session for CE.
  • Index Term 
    This term will be used to index sessions in the APA 2024 program and is used by attendees to search for sessions of interest.
  • Session Chair 
    First name, Last name, Email, Organization

    All chairpersons of sessions must be APA members (members and fellows). Persons with an affiliate status, such as student, high school teacher, or international, may not serve as chairpersons. The chair role is optional. If a chair is not designated, the first name listed in the online submission system will, by default, serve as the primary point of contact for convention organizers. 
  • Discussant and/or Co-Chair (optional)
    If applicable: First name, Last name, Email, Organization
  • Scheduling Accommodations (optional)
    If any of the participants require scheduling accommodations related to religious beliefs or other protected statuses, please provide details. NOTE: We will coordinate all other accommodation requests with participants after sessions have been accepted.


Presentation Information

  • Presentation Title
    max: 100 characters including spaces
  • Presentation Abstract — only for Symposium and Data-Blitz presentations
    max: 250-300 words
  • Open Science Disclosure (optional)
    APA encourages researchers to use open science practices, and APA 2024 presenters can earn an open science badge for doing so. Badges will be placed next to eligible presentation titles in the APA 2024 program.
  • Primary Presenter and Co-authors 
    First name, Last name, Email, Organization


CE Information

If you opt to have your session considered for CE credit, you will be required to provide additional information about all the session participants (see the CE section below).


Policies

  • All participants are expected to understand and agree to the Rules for Participation
  • All arrangements for the proposed session, including written acceptance by each participant, must be completed when the proposal for a fully organized program is submitted.
  • All presentations should use inclusive language that avoids stereotypes, labeling, and pejorative comments. Presenters are encouraged to acknowledge diversity and use appropriate descriptions, including those for gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identity, disabilities, and age. Failure to adhere to these steps may lead to a request to revise or withdrawal of the submission.
  • Participants are reminded that the highest standard of courteous and respectful behavior is expected for presentations, especially when sensitive and controversial topics may require balanced and varied perspectives and opinions of the presenters and the audience.

Continuing Education

The APA Office of Continuing Education in Psychology sponsors CE credit for selected sessions offered by APA divisions and governance groups at APA 2024. Note: These sessions are different from CE Workshops.


Our Goals

● Provide APA members the opportunity to earn CE credit for selected sessions.

● Work with APA divisions and governance groups to promote high-quality educational programming.

● Highlight some of the outstanding programs offered at APA 2024.


Which Division Sessions are Eligible to Offer CE Credit?

Eligible for CE Review
  • Critical Conversation, Skill-building, and Symposia sessions; Fellows’ addresses, Invited addresses, and Presidential addresses.

Not Eligible for CE Review
  • Business meetings, Committee meetings, Data blitz, Executive committee meetings, Poster sessions, Roundtable discussions, and Social hours.


How to be Considered

If you would like to submit your session for CE review, please be sure to review the “APA Standards and Criteria for Approval of Sponsors of Continuing Education for Psychologists” to make sure your session meets the parameters of CE in psychology.


If your session meets the parameters of CE in psychology, select “Yes” to the Consideration for CE Credit question in the program submission form and then complete the following fields:  

  • Learning Objectives (up to two) 
  • Reference List (at least three current, relevant, supporting, and complete references)
  • Instructor Qualifications (required for Chairs, Co-Chairs, and Presenters; All of whom will receive an email to complete their own Instructor Qualifications) 
  • Current Employment Title 
  • Number of Years in Current Position 
  • Education Background 
  • Professional Licensure Status 
  • Teaching Experience 
  • Previous Professional Positions


Note: The Abstract section of the submission for will also be used to review the session for CE


The CE Session items are included in the APA 2024 program submission form, and must be completed at the time of submission (and by the January 10 deadline). If your session is accepted by the division to which you submitted a proposal, it will be the division program chair’s decision to submit the session for CE review to the APA CE Office.


The CE Office will review each session. Decisions are made by mid-May each year. If your session is approved to offer CE credits, the division program chair will notify you. The number of sessions offering CE credit may be limited due to cost, space considerations, and scheduling of sessions; therefore, not all sessions submitted for CE credit will be approved to offer CE credit.

Important Information

ALL presenters and program participants—members, nonmembers, and students—are required to register for APA 2024 and pay the appropriate registration fees. APA 2024 registration will open in April.

Questions?

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