2027 Call for Preconference/Postconference Workshop Proposals

About the Workshops

The Program Committee of the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) invites proposals for preconference workshops to be held Tuesday, June 1, 2027, the first day of the SPR Annual Meeting. We are also interested in post-conference workshops, which are virtual workshops held in the months following the conference on a date acceptable to both the presenter and SPR. Both pre- and post-conference workshops are primarily pedagogical, with hands-on instruction and specific learning objectives. The Program Committee encourages workshop proposals on any topic, as long as the workshop’s objective is to enable the audience to gain skills and knowledge that are important to prevention scientists.

Preconference, in-person workshops typically are a full day in length. SPR will provide a suitable room and audiovisual equipment and will reproduce handouts if they are provided far enough in advance. Postconference virtual workshops are typically half-day in length. SPR will provide Zoom hosting for virtual workshops. Please indicate your preference to be a preconference workshop, a post-conference workshop, or either option.

Training Priorities for 2027

The SPR Training Committee will select workshops on a diverse set of topics from the submitted proposals. Priority areas have been identified by the SPR Training Committee considering the conference theme as well as the following:

• The SPR Training Needs Assessment Task Force (TNATF), which completed a two-year project that surveyed the SPR membership and other stakeholders on the training needs of prevention scientists (Chilenski et al., 2020; View publication)
• Ethical issues in bringing prevention programs into community settings (e.g., how to develop ethical partnerships with communities; issues of privacy in an era of big data access; Leadbeater et al., 2018; View publication)
• The SPR Health Equity Task Force (Boyd et al., 2022; View publication).

Below are the training needs that have been identified as priorities for the 2027 workshops and that are aligned with the 2027 conference “Prevention Science Advancing Public Health: Translating Evidence and Expanding Reach” See the 2027 Annual Meeting Call for Papers for the broader conference themes.

1. Enhancing skills in translation, implementation, and real-world reach of prevention science research. Presentations on innovative topics encouraged including new approaches to implementation science, ways to incorporate AI ethically, and novel ways to collaborate with community partners. Any topic that focuses on skills related to new approaches to bridge the gap between science and practice and expand the reach of prevention science are encouraged.
2. Best practices in strengthening, supporting, and engaging with the prevention science workforce to accelerate research to public impact. Examples of the prevention science workforce are explicated in the 2027 call for papers.
3. Building interpersonal and pedagogical skills (e.g., educational best practices; building consensus among audiences with a wide range of perspectives; effective communication of prevention science research across different audiences) to enhance mentoring, teaching, interdisciplinary research, or partnerships with systems (e.g., child welfare, education, health) with the goal of reducing health disparities, supporting health equity, or promoting the translation and real-world impact of prevention programs and practices.
4. Identifying and successfully obtaining funding from diverse sources, building relationships with funders (e.g., federal, foundations, non-profits) to support research translation and sustainability.

Proposal Review Criteria

Workshop proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria: clarity of workshop objectives; value of the topic to the field of prevention science; relevance to the conference theme(s), TNATF-identified theme(s) and/or ethical issues in prevention science; likelihood that the content and methods of the workshop will impart knowledge and/or skills successfully; relevant background of presenters; and lack of redundancy with recently presented workshops.

To see topics previously presented, browse the SPR Preconference Workshop History (2006–2026).

How to Submit a Proposal

Questions?

For questions about workshop proposals or the review process, contact Jennifer Lewis at jenniferlewis@preventionresearch.org or 703-934-4850.