Realizing Equity and Justice Research Symposium – Call for Proposals

We are asking applicants to submit basic biographical information—a headshot and a brief paragraph describing their scholarly and professional information—to be used for all publicity and social media associated with the Symposium.

If you are submitting a team proposal, only one member of the team is required to complete the application form (i.e., one presentation title, one research outline, etc.). Please ensure you have all the information required to complete each team member’s personal information section (name, email, school/division, advisor, bio paragraph, and headshot).

• Personal Information:

  • Name

  • Email (please use CGU email only)

  • Academic Advisor

  • School/Divsion

• Biographical Information:

  • Please Submit a Headshot (his will be used for all publicity and social media associated with the Symposium, upload a .jpg or .png).

  • Please submit a short biography with your scholarly and professional information (limit of 100 words).

• Presentation Format (please select one):

  • Presentation with Panel Discussion: Individual or Group Presentation; 15 minutes each; Followed by a discussion with the audience.

  • Visual Storytelling (Pecha Kucha): Individual or Group Presentation; 20 image based slides; 20 seconds per each slide.

We will assess each part of the submission form. Use the rubrics provided (see below) to ensure you craft a proposal that meets all the rubric requirements. We strongly encourage you to work with the Center for Writing & Rhetoric in developing your proposal.

Title of Presentation: a title that conveys the main idea of the presentation in concise, easy to understand language.

Research and Topic Justification (100 words max): explain how/why your research addresses the conference focus of moving forward in inclusion, equity, and justice.

Presenter Justification (200 words max): explain how you (and your team if a group presentation) are effectively positioned to deliver the proposed work. For example, the courses and research you have undertaken and/or your lived experiences that position you to speak to and present your topic and question.

Session Abstract (200 words max): a summary of what you will present. This must include a concise description of the key question or issue/s addressed, and main points of your presentation. We will use this abstract in Symposium programs and related media. Consider the timing of your presentation and what you will be able to effectively present.

Research Outline: upload a document (.docx or .pdf) responding to each section below that provides concise responses to the scholarship and critical thinking that underpins your presentation.

1. A Primary Research Question or Thesis: that is clearly linked to issues of inclusion, equity, and justice.

2. Positioning within Existing Literature: how is your work connected to the current literature on this topic? Provide a concise overview of key areas of scholarship and identification of a gap or area that this research/project addresses or amplifies.

3. Frameworks or Methods: briefly explain your methods or conceptual frameworks, including any boundary crossing elements that link topics, disciplines, or methodologies.

4. Key Findings or Ideas: summarize your key findings and/or main ideas emerging from your research.

5. Significance or Intended Take-Aways: why is this work important, i.e. answer the “so what?” question in terms of how the work addresses/advances inclusion, equity, and justice and connect back to the research question/thesis.

6. Annotated References: provide 5 key references annotated briefly to explain why each is important for your research.

This rubric contains the criteria we will use to assess your submission.

We will assess each part of the submission form. Use the rubrics provided (see below) to ensure you craft a proposal that meets all the rubric requirements. We strongly encourage you to work with the Center for Writing & Rhetoric in developing your proposal. Please read the guidelines for Visual Storytelling and explore the Pecha Kucha website so that you understand this mode of presentation and can submit a strong proposal.

The Realizing Equity Symposium at CGU encourages submissions using the Pecha Kucha style of visual storytelling. PechaKucha style presentations contain 20 slides that each appear for 20 seconds.

The philosophy behind the format is to represent ideas visually and put the onus on the speaker to verbally express these ideas concisely with an upbeat tempo. This style of presentation does a great job of meeting an audience where they are, even if they have no background knowledge of a topic. Visual storytelling helps engage and build a shared interest presenters and audience members from across a range of disciplines, while facilitating the free exchange of ideas. This is a good format at a symposium focusing on inclusion, equity, and justice across multiple topics and issues.

Development Process:

In designing a Pecha Kucha presentation, you engage in distilling the absolute essentials from your research to craft a compelling story to share with your audience. The best way to develop your visual storytelling presentation is to clarify your topic and what aspect of it you are going to present as you would for other presentations, and select imagery that tells the story best with a brief oral narrative. While you can use some standard academic items (charts and figures, quotes, short texts), to tell a visual story of your research you must use other items (e.g., photos, metaphors) to engage the audience and tell your research story. While you might not have finalized your images and narration, present a list of the kinds of images you are thinking of using that pertain to your topic with some notes explaining the key point made. Your goal is to demonstrate the potential for translating your work into an engaging research story within the timeframe of a Pecha Kucha.

1. Begin by sketching a rough outline of the flow of ideas and collecting as many potential images as possible.

2. Visual Storytelling presentations use images on the slides to engage the audience as much as possible. This often means choosing representative images instead of only presenting data, quotes, or other typically academic slides. While some of this can be integrated, think about images and keywords that express the essence of the ideas that communicate your research story.

3. Consider the timing in crafting the oral narrative to accompany each visual slide. Design what you will say and how the image slide will expand and extend your narrative so that together, the imagery and your narrative communicate clearly to the audience.

4. Draft an outline of the verbal presentation.

5. Create a Microsoft PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slide template with slides and work through various combinations while continuing to develop and solidify your flow of ideas.

6. Visit the PechaKucha website and watch example presentations on topics that interest you. There are thousands there! This is meant to help you get a feel for the style and culture of the presentation format.

7. Finalize the script of your presentation and the corresponding presentation deck.

8. Practice and present for friends, peers, and/or make an appointment at the Center for Writing & Rhetoric. If you have any questions, reach out to cwr@cgu.edu

Title of Presentation: a title that conveys the main idea of the presentation in concise, easy to understand language.

Research and Topic Justification (100 words max): explain how your visual storytelling addresses the conference focus of moving forward in inclusion, equity, and justice.

Presenter Justification (200 words max): explain how you (and your team if a group presentation) are effectively positioned to deliver the proposed work. For example, the courses and research you have undertaken and/or your lived experiences that position you to speak to and present your topic and question.

Session Abstract (200 words max): a summary of what you will present. This must include a concise description of the key question or issue/s addressed, and main points of your presentation. We will use this abstract in Symposium programs and related media. Consider the timing of a Visual Storytelling presentation and what you will be able to effectively present. Remember that you will be communicating primarily in images and brief narration.

Types of Images: list the images you intend to use and describe each focusing on the main point being made with the image. While you can use some standard academic items (charts and figures, quotes, short texts), to tell a visual story of your research you must use other e.g., photos, metaphors to engage the audience and tell your research story. Your goal is to demonstrate the potential for translating your work into an engaging research story within the timeframe of a Pecha Kucha. Please note: you are not required to submit a PowerPoint or slide-deck when submitting your application materials, only the list of images and a description of each is required for the application.

Research Outline: upload a document (.docx or .pdf) responding to each section below that provides concise responses to the scholarship and critical thinking that underpins your presentation.

1. A Primary Research Question or Thesis: that is clearly linked to issues of inclusion, equity, and justice.

2. Positioning within Existing Literature: how is your work connected to the current literature on this topic? Provide a concise overview of key areas of scholarship and identification of a gap or area that this research/project addresses or amplifies.

3. Frameworks or Methods: briefly explain your methods or conceptual frameworks, including any boundary crossing elements that link topics, disciplines, or methodologies.

4. Key Findings or Ideas: summarize your key findings and/or main ideas emerging from your research.

5. Significance or Intended Take-Aways: why is this work important, i.e. answer the “so what?” question in terms of how the work addresses/advances inclusion, equity, and justice and connect back to the research question/thesis.

6. Annotated References: provide 5 key references annotated briefly to explain why each is important for your research.

This rubric contains the criteria we will use to assess your submission.

1. What are the themes?

   You can review the suggested themes at the top of the page: “Suggested Themes for Consideration.”

   Think about this way, this symposium showcases research for psotive social transformation from students committed to scholarship in equity and justice. The symposium is open to all, active CGU students within any field and at any stage in their graduate journey.

   If you are not certain if your idea meets one of the suggested themes or you have other questions related to the themes, please contact us at either realizingequity@cgu.edu. You can also reach out to the Center for Writing & Rhetoric to request a consultation meeting. You are also welcome to review the the slide deck from our November 4th symposium info session.

   View the Info Session Slide Deck!

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   Where can I get help?

   We are also hosting a series of prep sessions for students to assist applicants throughout the application period. Please review the sessions (past and future) in our help section below. You can also email realizingequity@cgu.edu team for help.

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   How do I create an abstract? What are the best practices?

   Review the recording on abstracts below to learn about elements frequently present in a conference proposal submission, and the key components of a well-crafted abstract.

   View the Guide!

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   I have never done a visual storytelling piece, but I am interested, where can I learn more?

   The Center for Writing & Rhetoric created a guide to visual storytelling. You can check it out here:

   Visual Storytelling Guidance!

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   I am nervous about presenting, what resources are available?

   The Center for Writing & Rhetoric has a number resources related to presenting at conference and speaking in public. You can find those resources here:

   Presentation Resources!

   The Center for Writing & Rhetoric also hosts a number of in-person, online, and hybrid events and webinars every term. You can find those events and webinars here:

   Events & Webinars!

   All events offered through the Center for Writing & Rhetoric are free and open to students, alumni, staff, and faculty.

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   I am doing human subject study stuff, is there anything special I need to do?

   Yes. First, talk to your faculty and/or research advisor. Second, reach out to the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB’s “focus is to facilitate faculty investigators and help train student investigators to understand and carry out the fundamental purpose of all IRBs, which is to assure the Investigator’s Respectful Behavior toward every person who participates in research as a ‘human subject’.”

   The IRB advises that asking whether a project is HSR is really asking two questions: (1) Is it research? (according to federal regulations) and (2) Does the research involve human subjects?

   Human subject means a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research:

   1. Obtains information or biospecimens through intervention or interaction with the individual, and uses, studies, or analyzes the information or biospecimens; or
   2. Obtains, uses, studies, analyzes, or generates identifiable private information or identifiable biospecimens.

   Research means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. Activities that meet this definition constitute research for purposes of this policy, whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program that is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities. For purposes of this part, the following activities are deemed not to be research:

   1. Scholarly and journalistic activities (e.g., oral history, journalism, biography, literary criticism, legal research, and historical scholarship), including the collection and use of information, that focus directly on the specific individuals about whom the information is collected.
   2. Public health surveillance activities, including the collection and testing of information or biospecimens, conducted, supported, requested, ordered, required, or authorized by a public health authority. Such activities are limited to those necessary to allow a public health authority to identify, monitor, assess, or investigate potential public health signals, onsets of disease outbreaks, or conditions of public health importance (including trends, signals, risk factors, patterns in diseases, or increases in injuries from using consumer products). Such activities include those associated with providing timely situational awareness and priority setting during the course of an event or crisis that threatens public health (including natural or man-made disasters).
   3. Collection and analysis of information, biospecimens, or records by or for a criminal justice agency for activities authorized by law or court order solely for criminal justice or criminal investigative purposes.
   4. Authorized operational activities (as determined by each agency) in support of intelligence, homeland security, defense, or other national security missions.