CALL FOR ABSTRACTS — APHA 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo
Public Health Social Work
Meeting theme: "Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan"
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, March 31, 2026
The Public Health Social Work Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) invites submissions for presentations for the 2026 American Public Health Association Conference in San Antonio, TX (November 1st – 4th). The theme for the 2026 conference is "Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan.” This theme expands on our 2025 theme “Making the Public's Health a National Priority,” reflecting on a continued commitment to equity, collective well-being, and social justice across the life course.
We are soliciting abstracts on original research that have implications for Public Health Social Work practice, policy, and leadership. Abstracts are encouraged in a range of substantive areas. The submission should include completed work that uses scientifically sound quantitative or qualitative methods. Abstracts can be proposals for oral presentations, poster presentations, symposia, or roundtables.
We also welcome public health social work professionals, students, and practitioners who have not presented at APHA in the past to become "new presenters" in 2026. Be sure to indicate "new presenter" and/or "student" on your submission. We are particularly committed to showcasing student work, and encourage MSW/MPH dual degree students to submit abstracts! We ask that you select one of the following cluster areas to help us in contextualizing your essential work:
Decolonizing Social Work: The Role of Indigenous Voices, Immigration Policy, Border Health, and Displacement
Preventing Family, Community, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence
Preventing and Addressing Environmental Injustices from a Social Work Lens
Public Health Social Work Approaches to Addressing Racism & Anti-Blackness
Public Health Social Work Approaches to the Grand Challenges of Social Work
Public Health Social Work Perspectives on Health and Well-Being Across the Lifespan
Public Health Social Work Professional Development: Increasing Health Promotion and Intervention Literacy
Social Justice-Centered Responses to Pandemics, Conflicts, & Other Global Health Issues
Structural and Population-Level Approaches for Increasing Health Equity & Enhancing Health Access
Session types are described below:
Poster Sessions: (60 minutes)
Poster presentations are visual/graphic displays of an author’s research. Presenting authors should arrive a few minutes early to set up their posters and should remain at their poster during the entire session. No more than 10 poster boards will be assigned to a poster session.
Oral/Panel Sessions: (90 minutes)
There are two types of oral presentations:
Contributed Research Paper sessions: Four papers per session will be presented orally. Time will be allocated for a brief question and answer period at the end of all presentations.
Panel Sessions: These are generally solicited sessions. The presenters must show expertise on pre-selected topics. The proposed session must open with a brief introduction of the speakers, followed by each panelist’s presentation. Time will be allocated for a brief question and answer period and the session generally concludes with a summation by the moderator. Each panel submission must contact the Program Planner prior to submission. Panel sessions are special and must contain the following:
An overall session abstract, which includes a rationale for the session, the proposed paper titles, author(s), order of presentation, and length of time for each person;
Clearly label the overall session abstract as “PANEL SESSION ABSTRACT – PROPOSED SESSION TITLE”. You must insert the title of the panel session on the electronic submission page form when entering your proposal;
The proposed moderator and discussant (if applicable);
Be sure that each individual proposed presentation submits a separate abstract under the same restricted “category” (session title), otherwise they may become lost in the shuffle; and
Place contact information (phone and e-mail) for the person in charge of the session directly on the overall session abstract for easy contact.
To submit an abstract please click on the button below:
