SELC 2026 / Call for Papers

Download: Call for Papers [pdf]

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Proposal Submission Deadline: January 18, 2026

Over the last 25 years, the National Academy of Public Administration’s (NAPA) Social Equity Leadership Conference (SELC) has brought practitioners, scholars, public servants, policymakers and students together to advance social equity policies and initiatives. Through deliberative discussions, presentations and workshops, the SELC has embraced the dual importance of leadership and learning. As John F. Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

Throughout the world, we are witnessing shifts in governance and democracy, what it means to be a citizen, and who is deserving of civil and human rights. In this changing global environment, leadership in public service and advocating for justice to enhance equity in practices and policies are profoundly important. This year, we embrace the call to enhance social equity in public service by focusing on learning from each other to help us lead our institutions and communities toward the future in ways that benefit all.

The 2026 SELC will focus on how and what we can do to address the challenges facing social equity in public service today and into the future. As we celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the SELC, we seek to advance social equity and to build a path that will lead to a better future.  As such, we particularly encourage proposals from practitioners and community leaders, as well as academics and students. Proposals that highlight intersectional dimensions of leadership are especially welcome.

Conference Tracks

This year's theme, "Leading and Learning Toward a Future for All," features six tracks:

• Leadership in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
• Pursuing Equity and Safeguarding Civil Rights
• Challenges to Higher Education in a Changing World
• Impacts of Federal Policy Changes on State & Local Governments and Nonprofit Organizations
• Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Evidence
• Governance, Equity, and Human Rights Around the World

Conference Tracks >

Five Types of Proposals

1. Individual paper: Proposals should include presentation title and name of presenter. Paper should focus on topics related to one of the conference tracks. The Program Committee will group papers into panels based on similar themes. Audience participation will follow the presentations.
    
2. Panel: Proposals should include panel title, name of convener, and names of 3-4 individual presenters and titles of their presentations. Panel should focus on a theme that addresses one of the conference tracks.  Audience participation will follow the presentations.
    
3. Roundtable Discussions: Proposals should include roundtable title and names of convener and 3-5 other participants. Roundtables should be interactive and conversational in nature (i.e. no PowerPoint presentations) and bring the audience fully into the discussion. Roundtables should be built around a theme that addresses one of the tracks.
    
4. Workshops or Engaged Learning Session: Proposals should include the title and names or names of persons delivering the workshop.  It should include the purpose and method of the workshop, intended takeaways and the time required. The intention of these interactive sessions is to provide opportunities for hands-on learning and application.
    
5. Poster Sessions: Proposals should include poster title and name of presenter(s) as well as description of visual displays of research or a professional idea, model, initiative, or case. Presenters are responsible for printing their accepted posters and remaining with them during the dedicated poster session to discuss their respective content. 

Proposals should include a 250- to 300-word abstract that includes:

• A short description of the individual paper, full panel, roundtable, workshop or poster
• A short statement about how the proposal impacts practitioners
• The names, affiliations, titles, and contact emails for yourself and your coauthors (if applicable)

Student Conference Support

We encourage participation by undergraduate and graduate students in panels, workshops, roundtables, and poster sessions. A travel grant from NAPA is available for students who present their research at the conference. The maximum funding provided by the grant is $750. Up to ten (10) student travel grants are awarded each year. For more information, please contact Kaitlyn Blume at kblume@napawash.org.

Other student support may be available. For more information, please contact Marilyn Rubin at marilyn.rubin@rutgers.edu.  

Questions?

For any questions about SELC 2026, please contact us at selc.2026@newark.rutgers.edu.