Call for Proposals

Review Criteria

The exhibit hall during the Healthier Texas Summit

Healthier Texas (formerly It’s Time Texas) and The University of Texas System are now accepting proposals for the 2025 Healthier Texas Summit, taking place October 2-3 in Austin, Texas.

This is your opportunity to share your expertise, innovative strategies, and success stories with public health professionals, educators, advocates, and policymakers who are working to improve health outcomes across Texas.

Submission Deadline:
April 27, 2925, at 5:00 p.m. CST

2025 Summit Theme:
Uniting to Transform Health in Texas
the Summit theme highlights the power of cross-sector collaboration and knowledge-sharing to develop solutions that address health challenges across the state.

Know someone who should apply? Help spread the word and encourage colleagues, partners, and thought leaders to submit proposals. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on public health in Texas.

Proposal submission is now open for the 2023 Healthier Texas Summit. Join us in “Uniting to Transform Health in Texas: Empowering Action for Systems Change”. It’s Time Texas and The University of Texas System welcome thought leaders and health champions to submit proposals to help further the conversation for change.

Presenting at the Healthier Texas Summit offers a notable opportunity to share knowledge, experiences, and ideas interprofessionally with likeminded advocates for health in Texas.

Proposals must be submitted by Sunday, May 22, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. CST. It's Time Texas will not accept late submissions or submissions in another format. Review the Proposal Submission Guidelines for full instructions.

Session Types

Provides an in-depth interactive and hands-on training to increase attendees’ knowledge and skills about a topic of interest to target audience. Submissions must show evidence that the workshop will engage attendees in learning and using best practices for adult learners. Attendees will leave with tools and resources.

Audience Engagement

Highly interactive
At least 2/3 of time should be interactive (i.e. polls, breakout groups, hands-on activity, etc.)
Presenters are required to provide handouts or other reference materials for attendees to take home to study and practice.

Provides a meaningful environment where subject matter experts can share knowledge and insights on a relevant topic in public health. Panelists are encouraged to represent multiple sectors and bring unique and diverse perspectives to the conversation.

Audience Engagement

Low interaction
At least 15 minutes for Q&A
Panelists are not required to provide handouts or other reference materials for attendees to take home to study and practice

Provides an opportunity for attendees to hear the latest information from presenters on current research and/or public health practice. The topic can be a tool or practice, a data source, or method that is important to public health research or practice. Submissions must show evidence that the presentation will engage attendees in learning and using best practices for adult learners. Attendees will leave with tools and resources.

Audience Engagement

Medium interaction
At least 15 minutes for Q&A
Presenters are strongly encouraged to provide handouts or other reference materials for attendees to take home to study and practice.

Provides an opportunity for presenters to share their work with interested colleagues. Poster presentations allow for shared learning, dialogue, and feedback between presenter(s) and attendees. The topic of the poster must align with one of the above listed content tracks.

Audience Engagement

Highly interactive
Presenters will interact and dialogue with attendees throughout poster session time
Presenters are required to provide their own mounted poster. Easels will be provided

Skill Building Workshop (60 minutes):

Audience Engagement

Highly interactive
At least 2/3 of time should be interactive (i.e. polls, breakout groups, hands-on activity, etc.)
Presenters are required to provide handouts or other reference materials for attendees to take home to study and practice.

Panel (60 minutes):

Audience Engagement

Low interaction
At least 15 minutes for Q&A
Panelists are not required to provide handouts or other reference materials for attendees to take home to study and practice

Presentation (45 minutes):

Audience Engagement

Medium interaction
At least 15 minutes for Q&A
Presenters are strongly encouraged to provide handouts or other reference materials for attendees to take home to study and practice.

Poster Session (2-hour session):

Highly interactive
Presenters will interact and dialogue with attendees throughout poster session time
Presenters are required to provide their own mounted poster. Easels will be provided

Submission Guidelines

Submission Deadline:
Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 5 p.m. CST

Late submissions or submissions in other formats will not be accepted.

Proposals must be submitted using the required online form. We recommend drafting proposals in Microsoft Word for easy editing and copying/pasting into the submission form.

For further questions, please contact us at summit@healthiertexas.org.

Presentation Submission Components

Presentation proposals must be submitted using the required submission form by Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST. We will not accept late submissions or submissions in another format.

Tip: We recommend developing proposals off-line in Microsoft Word for ease of editing and copying/pasting the final version into the submission form.

To ensure your proposal aligns with our submission guidelines, please review the following components carefully:

Session Type:

Select the appropriate format for your proposal – Skill Building Workshop, Panel, Presentation, or Poster Session.

Session Title:

Craft a concise and impactful title (max 10 words) that captures the essence of your presentation. Review these tips for support.

Session Description:

Max of 80 words
Use complete clear simple sentences (no bullets) and avoid writing in first-person narrative. If accepted, this description will be used in the conference program and on the website.

Note: For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter or panelist must provide an abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names

Additional Session Information:

Max of 200 words
Optional: If additional space is needed to further elaborate on the session description. Any information provided here will be used during the committee review process and will not be printed in the program or placed on the website.

Objectives:

Max of 70 words
3 clear, measurable learning objectives that reflect the scope of the session and describe learner-oriented outcomes that can be expected by participating in the session.

Note: DO NOT USE the following verbs – Understand, Learn, Appreciate, Know, Think Critically, Improve, as they are not measurable. For a list of measurable verbs, please review Bloom’s Taxonomy of Measurable Verbs

Relevance, Significance to Theme, and Track:

Max of 200 words
Describe how this session is relevant, groundbreaking and/or significant to the overarching theme of the summit and the specific content track.

Audience Engagement (Does not apply to Panel Presentations):

Max of 200 words
Describe how this session will engage your audience. Provide specifics on the use of instructional design best practices and the use of specific interventions (i.e. polls, activities, hands-on activities, breakout groups, etc.) that meet diverse learning styles.

Resources and Tools:

Attach evidence-based*, accessible resources and tools (i.e. handouts) that connect to the learning objectives of the session. These resources will be provided to the attendees at the end of the presentation.
Appropriate tools and resources should be those that are currently used within the program, during implementation, or to facilitate practice. Do not submit research that is used to define the work.
The inclusion of resources and tools is optional for panels and highly encouraged for presentations. If submitting a proposal for a workshop, please note that resources and tools are not required at the time of proposal submission. Individuals whose workshop proposal is accepted are required to submit resources and tools by August 29, 2025 (additional guidance will be provided at time of acceptance notification).

*Include citations

Primary Audience:

Identify the top two audience sectors most likely to benefit from your presentation.

Higher Education
Government
NGOs (nonprofit, faith-based, coalition, etc)
Private Sector
Public health
Healthcare
Academic Research Institutes

Place of Project, Program, or Research:

Select the primary institution in which the project, program or research occurs.

Academic or Research Institution
Business
Clinical Setting
Community-based setting (non-healthcare)
K-12 School
Other

Speaker Representation:

Max of 100 words
Describe the diversity by sector and demographics amongst presenter(s) (moderator included)
Please select the Race(s) your proposed speakers identify with (choose all that apply):
- White
- Black/African American
- Asian
- American Indian/Alaska Native
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
Do your speakers identify as Latino/a/e/x? (choose all that apply):
- Yes
- No
- Prefer not to respond
Please enter the geographic location of each speaker (i.e. Austin Texas)
Please select the gender identities of your proposed speakers (choose all that apply):
- Male
- Female
- Transgender
- Non-Binary
- Prefer not to respond
Please select the sectors of your proposed speakers (choose all that apply):
- Government
- Healthcare
- Non-Government Organization (non-profit, faith-based, coalition, etc.)
- Academic Reseach Institution
- K-12 Education System
- Business/Workplace
- Other:__________________

Speaker Details:

List of Name, Title, Organization, and contact information for each presenter and moderator
Please mark if the individual listed is a speaker or an author. Full speaker details are only needed for individuals presenting at the Healthier Texas Summit.
Short biography for each speaker (100 words maximum)
Headshot for each speaker

Note: For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter or panelist must provide a signed Conflict of Interest (Disclosure) form with a relevant Qualification Statement. This form will be emailed to speakers whose submission is accepted.

Qualifying Statement

Please highlight key skills and qualifications that demonstrate your ability to deliver a well-informed and impactful presentation or workshop on this subject.
Please include attached reference materials directly related to your program (e.g. program website, resources used to implement the program or papers highlighting the impact of the work)

Audio & Visual Needs

Please detail any specific audio-visual needs for your presentation, including required equipment (projector, microphones, etc.); special video formats, or technical setup requirements.

Previous Healthier Texas Presentations

Choose all that apply:

Presented at HTS on this topic
Presented at HTS on a different topic
Have not presented at HTS before
Presented this topic at another conference

Review Criteria

Session Types

Poster Submission Components

Poster proposals must be submitted using the required submission form by Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST. We will not accept late submissions or submissions in another format.

Accepted posters must be “mounted” and suitable for display on easels. The suggested poster size is 36”x48”. Exceptions to the poster size suggestion will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please be mindful of your poster design so that the main headings are visible from around 3-4 meters away. For example, set the main heading font size to no less than 100pt. Subheadings should be at least 40pt, and actual text should be at least 20pt.

Tip: We recommend developing proposals offline in Microsoft Word for ease of editing and copying/pasting the final version into the submission form.

Poster Title:

Craft a concise and impactful title (max 10 words) that captures the essence of your presentation. Review these tips for support.

Abstract:

Max of 200 words
Provide a description of your proposed poster.
Abstracts should include the following: 1) background and context of the public health problem, 2) purpose of the work or research questions; 3) methods used to solve the problem; 4) outcomes/results/implications of the work
Use complete sentences (no bullets) and avoid writing in first-person narrative.

Relevance, Significance to Theme, and Track:

Max of 200 words
Describe how the work featured in this poster is relevant, groundbreaking and/or significant to the theme and tracks

Poster Information:

Presenters must be able to mount and bring their posters. Healthier Texas will not print or mount posters for accepted posters. Easels for presentation will be provided at the Healthier Texas Summit, or presenters may choose to bring their own. Suggested poster size is 36”x48”, though exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Consider the use of the Better Research Poster Design for an easy-to-digest poster design

Primary Audience:

Select the top two audience sectors most likely to benefit from your presentation.

Higher Education
Government
NGOs (nonprofit, faith-based, coalition, etc)
Private Sector
Public health
Healthcare
Academic Research Institutes

Place of Project, Program, or Research:

Specify the primary institution or setting where your project or research occurs.

Academic or Research Institution
Business
Clinical Setting
Community-based setting (non-healthcare)
K-12 School
Other

Poster Presenter Details:

List of Names, Titles, Organizations, and contact information for each poster presenter (up to 2)
Please only include information for individuals who will present the poster at the Healthier Texas Summit.

Presenter Representation:

Max of 100 words
Describe the diversity by sector and demographics amongst presenter(s) (moderator included)
Please select the Race(s) your proposed speakers identify with (choose all that apply):
- White
- Black/African American
- Asian
- American Indian/Alaska Native
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
Do your speakers identify as Latino/a/e/x? (choose all that apply):
- Yes
- No
- Prefer not to respond
Please enter the geographic location of each speaker (i.e. Austin Texas)
Please select the gender identities of your proposed speakers (choose all that apply):
- Male
- Female
- Transgender
- Non-Binary
- Prefer not to respond
Please select the sectors of your proposed speakers (choose all that apply):
- Academic Research Institution
- Business/Workplace
- Government
- Healthcare
- K-12 Education System
- Non-Government Organization (non-profit, faith-based, coalition, etc.)
- Other:

Qualifying Statement:

Please highlight key skills and qualifications that demonstrate your ability to deliver a well-informed and impactful presentation or workshop on this subject.
Please include attached reference materials directly related to your program (e.g. program website, resources used to implement the program or papers highlighting the impact of the work)

Previous Presentations:

Choose all that apply:

Presented at HTS on this topic
Presented at HTS on a different topic
Have not presented at HTS before
Presented this topic at another conference

Review Criteria

Session Types

Review Criteria

Please click the buttons below to review the review criteria for presentation and poster proposals.

Presentation Review Criteria

The Healthier Texas Summit planning committee will review proposals using the following criteria:

Meets criteria of session type
Title, description, objectives are clear, significant, and engaging
Relevance, significance, and appropriateness to theme and track including policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change, cross-sector collaboration, scalable strategies, and advancing health equity
Engages participants effectively
Provides evidence-based resources and tools (optional for panels, strongly recommended for presentations, mandatory for workshops)
Clear connection to primary audiences
Speakers are a diverse representation demographically and by sectors
Speakers have the skills and qualifications to present on the subject
All speaker details were submitted

Poster Review Criteria

The Healthier Texas Summit planning committee will review poster proposals using the following criteria:

Meets criteria of session type
Title and abstract are clear, significant, and engaging
Relevance, significance, and appropriateness to theme and track including policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change, cross-sector collaboration, scalable strategies, and advancing health equity
Engages participants effectively
Clear connection to primary audiences
Speakers are a diverse representation demographically and by sectors
Speakers have the skills and qualifications to present on the subject
All presenter details were submitted

Important Notes

An author may not submit more than two proposals and two posters and each proposal or poster must be different.
Sales or marketing pitches within proposals for any session type are not allowed; these talks take away from the integrity of our event and are rarely well-received by conference attendees.
Speakers are expected to promote the event via LinkedIn, Twitter and/or other communication channels with their network. The planning team will provide promotional materials.
Authors submitting proposals are responsible for ensuring that all speakers listed on the proposal have been notified of the submission by Sunday, April 27, 2025.
You may review, modify, or withdraw your proposal or poster submission any time before Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST.
We anticipate notifying presenters on the status of their proposal by Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST.
Accepted speakers are required to submit their slides by Friday, August 29, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST.
Accepted poster presenters are required to submit a copy of their poster by Friday, August 29, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST. Please submit the poster copy either as a pdf or PowerPoint.
Accepted workshop proposals are required to submit finalized resources and tools by Friday, August 29, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST.
Individuals with accepted poster presentations are required to provide their own mounted poster at the Healthier Texas Summit. Easels will be provided, or presenters can opt to provide their own.
We will provide complimentary Summit registration for accepted primary speakers and co-speakers. Lunch will be included for the day of the presentation, with an option to purchase a lunch for the remaining day.

Content Tracks

The effectiveness of health programs is greatly enhanced through its integration with data-driven approaches. Evidence-based interventions and successful collaborations hinge on robust data systems that enable informed decision-making and continuous quality improvement. Communicating on these programs requires a strong understanding of the population accessing these programs, multiple modes of communication, and tailored approaches. Proposals for sessions in this track will focus on approaches for using data to effectively inform, tailor, manage, and communicate on health programs. These approaches would include data collection, data sharing, program evaluation, quality improvement, communicating needs, and engaging program participants.

We encourage session proposals that will highlight:

Use of storytelling and public narrative to catalyze action
Capturing community voices to inform care and health programs
Specific tools and evidence-based practices used to assess organizational capacity to implement effective health communication and measure impact
Promising practices, lessons learned, and indicators of progress for sharing data and information, particularly in multi-institutional and multi-sector partnerships
Effective, and efficient approaches to unlocking the power of data for decision-making, evaluation, and quality improvement
Innovative approaches to leverage technology and data to enhance advancements in healthcare
Use of disaggregated data and person-centered communication to address health disparities and inclusion

Healthier institutions support healthier people; this is especially true of the spaces in which we live, work, and play. Creating deep and lasting health improvements in these settings requires a systematic approach that empowers individuals to become change agents for their health and the health of their communities. These strategies often include building deeper connections with professionals from various sectors including those who specialize in addressing non-healthcare factors, such as housing, legal issues, parenting support, healthy behaviors, and food insecurity to drive change. Sessions in this track should highlight evidence-based, data-driven approaches that empower leaders across sectors to collaborate on policy, systems, and environmental change for improved health.

We encourage session proposals that will highlight:

Challenges faced in working across sectors, including issues such as differences in culture, terminology, goals, and outcome measurement
Financial sustainability
Experiences of coalitions, collective impact models, school health advisory councils (SHACs), community health collaboratives, and other community organizations in building a culture of health
Experiences by health institution and health organizations in forming collaboratives and working across sectors to have a collective impact on the health outcomes of their communities
Programs with demonstrated impact(s)

Primary care organizations are central to quality healthcare delivery. It is often a patient’s first point of entry to care that provides greater access to healthcare services, preventive care, management of chronic illnesses, and coordination of care. Post-pandemic, primary care has transformed to meet the needs of the population in innovative ways. Sessions in this track will share evidence-based strategies that address complex challenges of effective healthcare delivery while advancing the quality of primary care and patient outcomes.

We encourage session proposals that will highlight:

Investments in innovative and collaborative primary care practices
Implementation of strategies, including patient-centered care to address disparities and provide quality and timely services to diverse patient populations.
Leveraging and scaling transformative practices
Utilization of technology to bridge access care gaps
Use of quality improvement strategies to optimize health outcomes of patient population
Bridging primary and specialty care
Partnering with community organizations
Innovative ways to address non-medical drivers of health

In the dynamic realm of health, nurturing and empowering the current and upcoming workforce is paramount as the demand for quality and timely health services continues to grow. Shortages in the workforce, access to training, and stressed providers contribute to a reduction in both access and quality of care. This track is dedicated to learning opportunities for developing, strengthening, re-imagining and supporting the Texas health workforce. Proposals for sessions in this track will delve into strategies to equip professionals with essential skills and knowledge while fostering resilience, adaptability, and innovation amidst complex challenges.

We encourage session proposals that will highlight:

Team based approaches
Integration of non-traditional health professionals including, but not limited, to public health professionals, community health workers (CHWs) and social services into care practices
Contributions to the health and public health workforce by developing core competencies—such as data, health equity, and leadership—to adapt to evolving work environments
Innovative approaches to engage and recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the communities that they serve
Use of technology to reduce administrative burdens and to effectively support the workforce in the care of their participants
Ways to reduce stressors and support the workforce to increase retention and interest in entry into the field
Programs and initiatives that foster healthy behaviors, promote employee well-being and create supportive environments that prioritize physical, mental, and emotional health.

Audience Types

The Healthier Texas Summit brings together professionals from various sectors, including:

Public Health
Healthcare
NGOs (nonprofits, faith-based organizations, coalitions)
Government
Academic Research Institutes
Private Sector
Higher Education

This conference fosters cross-sector collaboration and networking opportunities throughout the event.

Support and Frequently Asked Questions:

A video tutorial outlining the proposal submission process via Oxford Abstracts, including a detailed walkthrough of the criteria and components, is now available. This resource is designed to guide potential proposal submitters for the Healthier Texas Summit.

For any immediate inquiries or further assistance, please contact us at summit@healthiertexas.org.

Additional Support and FAQs:

For further inquiries or assistance, please contact us at Summit@healthiertexas.org.

Key Dates

March 10, 2025
Proposal application opens

April 27, 2025
Proposal Submission Deadline (by 5 p.m. CST)
Deadline for Modifying or Withdrawing Submissions
Notification Deadline for Authors to Inform Speakers

June 12, 2025
Anticipated Notification of Proposal Status (by 5 p.m. CST)

August 29, 2025
Deadline for Accepted Workshop Presenters to Submit Finalized Resources (by 5 p.m. CST)
Deadline for Accepted Speakers to Submit Slides (by 5 p.m. CST)
Deadline for Accepted Poster Presenters to Submit Digital Copies of Posters (by 5 p.m. CST)

October 2-3, 2025
Healthier Texas Summit at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, Austin, Texas