Welcome to the AAMC Group on Faculty Affairs (GFA)

Professional Development Conference

July 15-18, 2024, New Orleans, Louisiana

Call for Proposals

Submission Deadline: January 5, 2024, 11:59 pm PST

Instructional Guide

The AAMC GFA Call for Proposals is now open! The GFA Program Planning Committee invite proposals for skill-based workshops, podium presentations, ignite sessions, and posters for the Group on Faculty Affairs Professional Development Conference scheduled for July 15-18, 2024 at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.

All proposals must be submitted online by January 5, 2024, 11:59 pm PST. Late submissions will not be accepted. Acceptance notifications will be sent by February 9 2024. Submitters are strongly encouraged to read the instructional guide for all the details before logging in to submit a proposal.

Conference Content

As experts in the field, your knowledge and perspectives drive the topics and sessions featured at the conference. The GFA Program Planning Committee has designed specific opportunities to highlight your work. Submit your best proposal in one of four ways:

1. Skill-based Workshops

1. Podium Presentations

2. Ignite Sessions 

2. Posters 

The conference program will feature a mixture of presentations that address the needs and challenges of seasoned, mid-career, and new faculty and professional staff colleagues. We highly encourage interactive and innovative submissions that incorporate collaborations. Preference will be given to submissions that incorporate speakers and content from both public and private institutions, medical schools, teaching hospitals, or healthcare systems, large and small institutions, and recognizes varying levels of resources.

The GFA Program Planning Committee has identified topics of interest related to the overall conference theme, although this list is not exhaustive. The planning committee accepts proposals related to these topics in addition to other submissions of interest to faculty affairs professionals. Submitters should review the suggested topics below.

Planning and Designing

Support the learning by tailoring your submission. Here are some important recommendations:These sessions provide opportunities for institutions to highlight their recent innovations, projects, systems, or other practices. They should be applicable to other institutions and should incorporate successes as well as challenges along the way. Sessions should include takeaways such as actions, tips, tools, and processes that can be applied immediately. All sessions should include ample time to engage the audience in discussion. Proposals that are organized like case studies are encouraged. We also encourage breakout sessions that focus on a deep dive on a specific topic. Please indicate in your submission whether your session will be structured as a deep dive.

Here are some important recommendations:

1. We are looking for innovative and collaborative submissions.
2. The preferred types of sessions are hands-on workshops, demonstrations/simulations, small group discussions, and interactive panels over lectures.
3. The preferred participant activities are problem-solving exercises and discussing case studies. Activities should highlight innovation, new and/or experimental learning.
4. Presentations should spark discussions and deliver strategies, best practices, and solutions.
5. Provide handouts, tools, resources, presentations, or website links for the participants.

Explore videos and guides and examine tips and tools for planning, designing, developing, and delivering a terrific conference session. Submitters are strongly encouraged to use the instructional guide before logging in to submit a proposal.

Suggested Topics of Interest:

The GFA Program Planning Committee has identified topics of interest related to the conference theme—Evolution and Excellence: Navigating a Dynamic Landscape through Innovation and Collaboration.

Sample topics of interest are included below, although this list is not exhaustive. The committee will accept proposals related to other submissions of interest to faculty affairs professionals.

Developing the next generation of leaders

• Mentorship, coaching, and transitions at early-career, mid-career, late-career and senior levels
• Leadership development for basic science and for education-focused faculty members
• Personal leadership development tools and models
• Developing professional and administrative staff—managing change, communication skills, professional advancement and promotion
• What tools are institutions using to develop leaders?

Advocacy

• How do you move hot topics forward at your institution?
• Engaging Stakeholders: Lessons on how to work with your dean, hospital leadership and other stakeholders
• Advocating for institutional transparency and accountability in pay equity including resources and opportunities

The Changing Academy

• How is the landscape changing (e.g. loss of tenure, impact on educational scholarship, changing content delivery, etc.) and how will the new landscape impact future faculty members?
• How do we leverage data to implement change or address barriers to change? What data are you using to make changes at your institution?

Inclusive and Safe Environments

• Ending sexual and gender harassment in academic medicine
• Addressing microaggressions through bystander intervention training
• How do you build an environment that values, expects and amplifies a diversity of voices?
• Strategies for collaboration and networking in a diverse environment
• Professionalism – best practices for handling issues with professionalism from microaggressions to major transgressions

Organizational Policies, Practices and Procedures

• Developing and supporting research and scholarship in faculty affairs
• Faculty appointment/promotion and tenure policies and practices – specifically looking for innovative practices in this arena (e.g. holistic review as it related to hiring faculty)
• Annual faculty reviews (including post-tenure reviews)
• Faculty engagement and recognition
• Wellbeing, particularly systems and organizational approaches
• Managing the social presence (websites, social media) of faculty, and professional and administrative staff
• Use of current and emerging technologies in clinical, educational and administrative offices – specifically AI and it’s impact on compliance, intellectual property, academic integrity, data privacy, etc.

You are encouraged to compose the submission in Word before completing the online submission form. All fields will be required to complete a submission.

Important Note: The GFA Program Planning Committee highly encourages collaborative submissions. Submitters are encouraged to identify colleagues either from the home institution or another. The reviewers will place higher preference on collaborative submissions.

Submission Deadline: January 5, 2024, 11:59 PM (PST)
Late submissions will not be accepted.

Notification Date: February 2024

For more information please contact: GFA@aamc.org