The UF Water Institute is issuing an open call to the water science, technology, education, policy, management, and community to assist with developing our symposium agenda. We invite you to propose a session related to your interests and expertise. Symposium topics of focus are suggested on the Overview Page, but sessions do not need to be limited to these areas. The symposium seeks to capture all emerging issues and new ideas.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

When developing your session theme and identifying colleagues to present about their work in your session, keep these factors in mind:

• Proposals will be evaluated for relevance to the overall scope of the Symposium.
• Preference will be given to sessions that focus on emerging and urgent water issues, are integrative and interdisciplinary, and of interest to a broad audience.
• Additional criteria for evaluation include the potential for generating useful dialogue among attendees and the expected level of interest.

Session Format Options

All presentations will be live and in-person. This will not be a hybrid conference.

The 2026 UF Water Institute Symposium will offer two primary session formats, described below, to promote various presentation styles and to allow more attendees to present valuable insights, lessons learned, and best practices. All sessions are 90-minutes long. Please indicate your format preference when uploading your proposal. If you would like to format your session differently, please describe your session format in your proposal.

Standard Format

The standard format consists of a five-minute session introduction and overview by the moderator, followed by five consecutive 15-minute talks around a cohesive theme (typically 12 minutes per talk plus three minutes Q&A.)

Panel Session

The panel session format provides for more interaction among panelists and with the audience.  The session begins with a brief introduction of the panel topic and the participants, followed by moderator facilitated questions, answers, and discussion among the panelists and with the audience. Panels typically include no more than five participants, plus the moderator, to allow sufficient time for audience participation.

Alternative Formats

We welcome innovative session formats that differ from the standard or panel structures. Proposals for alternative formats should still include multiple perspectives from different speakers and fit within the 90-minute session time.

Steps to Develop a Session Proposal

1. Define the purpose, focus and overarching message of the proposed session.
2. Identify five speakers/panelists who commit to attend the symposium if the session is approved. Speakers/panelists should represent a variety of affiliations, perspectives, and expertise.
3. Use the Session Proposal Template (.doc) to create a session proposal.
4. Submit your proposal online by Friday, July 25, 2025.

Please Note: Only one session proposal will be accepted per submitter.

When Confirming Speakers/Panelists, Make Sure:

• Speakers plan to attend the symposium in person on the dates of February 24-26, 2026.
• Speakers understand they must submit an abstract by Friday, October 17, 2025, if they are participating in a standard session.
• Speakers were not asked to speak in another prearranged session. The committee reserves the right to deny a session if speakers are invited in multiple proposals.
• Understand they are required to register and pay to attend the symposium by Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

Session Organizers Are Expected to:

1. Serve as the primary contact for the session. We will communicate with one official representative per session, the session organizer.
2. Adhere to all published deadlines and proactively remind their speakers/panelists of key dates. Please visit our Important Deadlines page for the full list of deadlines.
3. Moderate the session. The introduction period is not considered a formal talk, you do not have to submit an abstract for it.
4. For standard sessions, ensure speakers submit abstracts by Friday, October 17, 2025. If all abstracts are not submitted by the deadline, the committee reserves the right to dissolve a proposed session and assign remaining speakers to other sessions.
5. Confirm all session speakers or panelists are registered for the conference by Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Bailey by email at: j.bailey@ufl.edu