Steps and Instructions:

1. Introduction

   The Conference Planning Committee of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) welcomes submissions for presentations within all content areas of social work, social welfare services, and social policy.

   The theme for the 2026 conference is “Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice.” Social work stands at a pivotal moment, facing complex societal challenges that demand innovative and transformative leadership. To drive meaningful change, it is essential to align scientific research, policy development, and practice implementation. Oftentimes, social workers in the community do not have access to the best available science to guide their practices, and researchers do not fully capture communities’ needs and cultures which are critical to shaping the research questions. Policymakers also need insights from frontline social work practitioners and researchers to inform effective and equitable policy reforms.

   Fragmented systems, unequal resource distribution, lack of alignment of implementation science, and deeply rooted racial injustices have contributed to the lack of integration of research, policy, and practice. Thus, the leadership role of social work in tackling these challenges is more vital than ever. The theme of 2026 SSWR underscores the importance of building leadership capacity among social work researchers to be more visionary and forward-thinking in approaches to advance evidence-based science to inform socially justice policies and practices and ultimately save lives. 

   The objectives of the conference are to:

   1. Recognize policy and program impacts of social work research at the local, state, national, and international levels by social work scholars;
   2. Advance social work as a discipline by reviewing the collective impact and potential for social work science; and
   3. Center racial equity and social justice in social work research, policy, and practice.

   Submissions should focus on what changes may have resulted due to the research that was conducted. These changes may be due to the research process itself or the dissemination and implementation of the research. We encourage submissions that describe how research has contributed to changes in individuals, organizations, communities, and policies. The challenge is to describe what has changed as a result of the research not just the research per se. Community partners, research participants, policymakers, and other research partners are welcome as co-presenters.

   We also invite critical reflections on how research can better achieve social change. How might we better define issues and engage research participants? What designs, methods, analysis, and means of dissemination maximize public impact? How can social work researchers lead the academy in engaging community and influencing social policy?

   We also continue our focus at this conference on racial and social justice. Of particular interest are submissions that address implicit and explicit bias in social work research, and describe research and research findings that advance racial and social justice for marginalized populations.

   Research abstracts are encouraged in all substantive areas, using scientifically sound qualitative and/or quantitative methodology. The research may take place in any country and at the micro, macro, or policy level. This year’s conference theme is cross-cutting by population, problem and substantive areas, as well as methodological expertise and as a result, we encourage submissions across all Clusters as they pertain explicitly to the impact of social work research in the form of proposals for individual papers and poster presentations, symposia, roundtable discussions, and workshops. These may span various forms of research.

2. Cluster Areas

   Cluster areas are:

   • Adolescent and Youth Development
   • Aging Services and Gerontology
   • American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Global Indigenous Populations (Indigenous Cluster)
   • Asian and Asian-Pacific Islander Focused-Research
   • Black and African Diaspora Focused-Research
   • Child Welfare
   • Communities and Neighborhoods
   • Crime and Criminal Justice
   • Disability
   • Gender
   • Gender-Based Violence
   • Health
   • History (new cluster)
   • Inequality, Poverty, and Social Welfare Policy
   • International Social Work and Global Issues
   • Immigrants and Refugees
   • LatinX Focused-Research
   • Mental Health
   • Military Service Members, Veterans and Their Families
   • Organizations and Management
   • Race and Ethnicity
   • Research Design and Measurement
   • Research on Social Work Education
   • School Social Work
   • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
   • Social Work Practice
   • Substance Misuse and Addictive Behaviors
   • Sustainable Development, Environmental and Climate Justice
   • Work and Work-Life Policies and Programs

3. PDF Downloads

   • 2026 Call for Papers (PDF)
   • 2026 Clusters and Topical Areas (PDF)
   • Abstract Types and Requirements (PDF)
   • Abstract Review Criteria (PDF)

4. Submission Instructions

   Abstracts must be submitted in the following formats (see Author Submission Instructions document). Abstracts should be 500 words or less. References are not required, and if included count towards the 500-word limit. Image(s) and table(s) are not permitted in any abstract.

   • Oral paper presentation
   • Flash Talk presentation (new format, click here to learn more)
   • Poster presentation
   • Symposium of three or more papers on the same topic to be presented in the same session
   • Roundtable
   • Workshop

   Oral paper, flash talk, poster, and symposium paper abstracts should be submitted in a structured format and include the following:

   • Background and Purpose: description of the problem, study objectives, research question(s) and/or hypothesis (es).
   • Methods: study design, including a description of participants and sampling methods, data collection procedures, measures, and appropriate analytic/ statistical approach.
   • Results: specific results in summary form.
   • Conclusions and Implications: description of the main outcome(s) of the study and implications for practice, policy, or further research.

   When submitting a symposium, please submit an abstract (500 words or less) for each symposium paper, along with an overall abstract (500 words or less) for the symposium session that describes the symposium theme and its importance. Preference will be given to symposia that demonstrate cohesiveness across presentations. Symposia will be accepted or rejected in total, i.e., abstracts will not be accepted independently.

   Roundtable and workshop session abstracts should:

   • add to the current knowledge base in social work practice, policy, theory, and research methodology, and,
   • offer clear meaningful implications for social work research, policy and practice.

   When submitting a roundtable or a workshop session, please submit an abstract of 500 words or less that describes the content and how it will be addressed. For roundtables, describe the topics that will be addressed elaborating on viewpoints and perspectives to be discussed. The workshop session should offer training opportunities for methodology (study design, sampling, data collection, measurement, and analysis) and describe the pedagogical techniques.

   Abstracts should not be based on research previously published elsewhere. Please note that only paper and poster abstracts reporting completed findings will be reviewed. We urge that studies with “findings pending” be submitted for future review after the study is complete. Peer reviews will be used to select submissions based upon technical merit and importance of findings. Please note that all abstracts are to be submitted online using the SSWR online abstract management system at http://secure.sswr.org/.

   SSWR seeks to optimize as many people participating in the conference as possible. SSWR, therefore, limits the number of roles that participants can play in the 2026 conference. There is a limit of two (2) presenting-author abstract submissions per person. This limit applies to these presentation formats: oral papers, both individual papers and papers within an organized symposium, posters, and workshops. It does not apply to co-authorship. Participants may, however, perform additional roles such as chairing an organized symposium, leading a special interest group, serving as moderator for a session of grouped oral papers, and a panelist in a round table session.

5. Presenter/Speaker Requirements

   You DO NOT need to be a SSWR member to submit an abstract. However, if your abstract is accepted for presentation the presenter/speaker MUST be a current 2026 member and register for the conference. This requirement is applicable to oral paper and poster presenters, symposium organizers, symposium paper presenters and symposium discussants, and workshop and roundtable speakers. Co-authors are not expected to comply with this policy. Co-authors attending the conference, however, are required to register for the conference.

   Sample Abstracts

   Oral Papers (individual papers and papers within a symposium) and Posters:

   • Sample Oral Paper and Posters 1 - Large Data (PDF)
   • Sample Oral Paper and Posters 2 - Primary Data (PDF)
   • Sample Oral Paper and Posters 3 - Qualitative Data (PDF)

   Please see the following links for examples of model Workshop and Roundtable abstracts. These examples are included to provide guidance to authors; however, there may be instances in which another format is preferable.

   • Example Roundtable
   • Example Workshop

Begin a submission to the following: