Welcome to the AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI)
Professional Development Conference
Call for Proposals!

Monday, March 24 - Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Hyatt Regency Columbus
Columbus, Ohio

Submission Deadline: October 11, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

Instructional Guide

The AAMC GDI Call for Proposals is now open! The GDI Program Planning Committee invite proposals for breakout sessions and posters for the Group on Diversity and Inclusion Professional Development Conference scheduled for March 24-26, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Columbus in Columbus, Ohio.

All proposals must be submitted online by October 11, 2024, 11:59 PM PST. Late submissions will not be accepted. Acceptance notifications will be sent by November 2024.

Conference Content

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

1. Breakout Session

2. Poster 

The conference program will feature a mixture of presentations that address the needs and challenges of seasoned, mid-career, and new faculty, administrators, staff, and stakeholders in all aspects of diversity and identity. We highly encourage innovative submissions that offer in-depth explorations of specific topics and deliver actionable takeaways. 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.

We are also interested in research proposals that present new research findings or research in progress dealing with typical and/or atypical aspects of diversity, equity or inclusion. Presentations should be based on original research and provide new data/information pertaining to either scientific bases of a certain discipline (i.e., medical education) or field of study or practice (social science, basic science or clinical practice). Data/information regarding new interpretations of existing data may also be included in this category.

Breakout Sessions

Tailor your submission to meet the unique needs of diversity and inclusion professionals by providing in-depth presentations within your areas of expertise. These sessions offer institutions the opportunity to showcase their recent innovations, projects, systems, or other practices. Presentations should be applicable to other institutions and should incorporate both successes and challenges encountered along the way. Sessions should deliver actionable takeaways, such as tips, tools, and processes that can be immediately applied. All sessions should include ample time to engage the audience in discussion. Proposals organized as case studies or deep dives on specific topics are highly encouraged.

Here are some important recommendations:

1. The preferred types of sessions are those that provide deep dives on specific topics through expert-led lectures.
2. The preferred participant activity is providing ample Q&A time and preparing facilitated questions to further ignite group discussions.
3. Presentations should deliver strategies, best practices, and solutions.
4. Provide handouts, tools, resources, presentations, or website links for the participants.

NOTE: You are responsible for uploading electronic materials to the conference website/app and for printing and distributing physical materials yourself.

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.

Posters

The GDI Program Planning Committee invites proposals for posters to be featured during a dedicated segment of the program. These posters aim to showcase a variety of ongoing sustainability projects and research through visual presentations. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the topics independently while engaging in one-on-one or small group discussions with the presenter. The GDI Program Planning Committee will select up to 35 posters to feature at the conference. A guideline for poster presentations can be found here.

Suggested Topics Based on GDI Strategic Priorities

The GDI Program Planning Committee has identified topics of interest although this list is not exhaustive. The planning committee accepts proposals related to these topics in addition to other submissions of interest to diversity and inclusion professionals. Submitters should review the suggested topics based on GDI strategic priorities.

Institutional Culture and Climate

• Implement and outcomes for accreditation requirement for LCME and ACGME
• Supporting marginalized communities by providing them with exclusive spaces that allow them to talk openly about their challenges
• Systemic and institutional racism, antiracism
• Intersectionality: race, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, pronouns (and why they matter), language, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, education
• Priorities including diversity and inclusion strategic planning, metrics, evaluations, and assessments
• Collaborations across stakeholder and AAMC affinity group participants (i.e., CFAS, GBA, GFA, GIA, GIP, GIR, GRA, GSA, ORR, OSR, GWIMS)
• Research and scholarship focusing on diversity and inclusion (i.e., health equity, diversity in GME)

Graduate Learners

• ACGME diversity and inclusion requirements for underrepresented groups throughout the medical education continuum
• Holistic review practices and policies
• Initiatives for addressing diversity work as it pertains to graduate admissions
• Preparing diverse learners for successful careers in academic medicine
• Diversity and inclusion curriculum
• Challenges, success factors, and pitfalls
• Implementation models and best practices
• Disability inclusion in medical education
• Accommodations and accessibility in clinical settings
• Promoting disability awareness among faculty and peers
• LGBTQIA+ inclusion in healthcare training
• Creating safe and inclusive learning environments
• Addressing health disparities in LGBTQIA+ populations
• Cultural competency training for healthcare providers

Faculty (Senior Administrators, Staff, and Stakeholders)

• Self-care and well-being best practices in racial trauma, resilience, wellness, isolation, or burnout for URiM faculty, senior administrators, staff, and stakeholders
• Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce
• Guidelines for addressing issues as a URiM manager
• Role of diversity and inclusion officers at resource-limited institutions
• Dealing with retaliatory behavior as a response to addressing challenges in the workplace
• Navigational Strategies for early-career, mid-career, and late-career
• How to know when to take on more in your current field or pivot to a new focus
• How to get involved with mentorship and sponsorship as senior faculty
• Transferrable skills for leaders who would like to transition to Chair or other leadership roles
• Alliances, partnerships, and collaborations within institutions (i.e. healthcare systems)
• Innovative efforts for recruitment, retention, and advancement of underrepresented faculty, senior administrators, staff, and stakeholders
• Role of diversity and inclusion officers at resource-rich vs. resource-limited institutions
  • Health systems vs medical schools
  • Leadership buy-in
  • Human capital to full-time equivalent (FTE) ratio
  • Operational vs programmatic budget
  • Demonstrating the value of diversity and inclusion
• Competencies and skills for diversity and inclusions officers
  • Advocacy and negotiation
  • Strategic planning
  • Institutional knowledge/political savvy
  • Influence
  • Change Management and innovation efforts
  • Crisis leadership and communications
  • Inclusive leadership
• Addressing and overcoming challenges and barriers
  • Lack of resources and staff
  • Too much work and too little time
  • Lack of support, direction/strategy, and coordination from institution and/or leadership
  • Validation of the emotional burden that come with this work

Community Engagement

• Case studies on how to successfully establish community engagement programs and impacts, and measure outcomes
• Initiatives of community-based organizations
• How to apply for grants and other resources for funding for your institution
• Community-based participatory research
• Ways to be inclusive of community members for research and work in partnership with community members
• Providing community members with opportunities to ask questions about the health and health equity of their community
• Cultivating a neutral environment for community research
• Successful institutional partnerships or lessons learned (i.e., neighboring hospitals, across health professional schools, health systems, academic medical centers)
• Engaging with individuals who benefit from an unfair system
• Philanthropy and fundraising programs to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and community engagement

Other

• Submissions are intended to be inclusive of but not limited to the suggested topics above. Proposals in an “Other” category will be considered.

Submission

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

All proposals must be submitted online by October 11, 2024, 11:59 PM PST. Late submissions will not be accepted. Acceptance notifications will be sent by November 2024.

Important Note: The GDI Program Planning Committee reserves the right to consolidate submissions and/or recommend any additional speakers or content related changes that will enhance the presentation’s relevance to the audience.