2025 NARME Summit Call for Proposals

The National Alliance for Relationship and Marriage Education (NARME) is pleased to announce a call for proposals to present at the annual summit July 24-27, 2025, to be held in Washington, D.C.

NARME equips leaders and practitioners with research-based relationship education strategies, tools, and best practices to develop healthy relationships, stronger marriages, and safe and stable families to increase human flourishing.  We are particularly interested in proposals that focus on relationship education research and best practices, as well as management of relationship education and responsible fatherhood programming and delivery.  We welcome proposals from a wide-range of academic disciplines, organizations, and perspectives. 

There are four options for presentation at the summit:

1.      Workshop (60 or 75 minutes in length; specify length preference).  Workshops are designed for smaller groups (25-50 participants) to focus on disseminating research, theoretical perspectives, best practices in relationship education, innovative approaches, policy, and related topics. 

2.      Posters.  This session is designed for participants to present information in a poster format (typically 36x48 inches in size). Presenters and participants have a more informal opportunity to interact and share information. Poster content should focus on: (a) innovative research with the potential to advance practice; (b) innovative best/promising practices learned through systematic improvement efforts; or (c) innovative programming to better serve targeted populations.

3.      Roundtable Discussion. This session is designed for small groups of participants (10-15) to discuss together a cutting-edge issue or challenge in relationship education. It is led by a facilitator who provides a brief background for the discussion and an agenda of discussion questions. Open discussion is the hallmark of this format rather than didactic presentation by the facilitator.  (The facilitator submits the Roundtable Discussion proposal).

4.      Plenary Presentation (30 minutes in length).  Most plenary speakers are invited by the NARME Board but submissions are welcome for consideration.  Plenary addresses are delivered to all attendees in plenary sessions and focus on topics relevant to the NARME mission.

Important considerations:

1.       The focus of the NARME summit is on relationship education, including responsible fatherhood programming.  NARME does not focus on therapeutic or clinical practice.

2.      The NARME Summit offers an exhibit hall for vendors to market products and services.  Presenters should not sell or market products during workshop or poster sessions. Instead, they are encouraged to rent exhibit space.

3.      NARME is not a political organization. Politics certainly affects families and is involved in supporting relationship education. Hence, political issues are welcome as part of presentations at NARME. However, NARME is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse any particular political party or ideological viewpoint. Presentations must respect these parameters.

4.      NARME is not a religious organization. Religious organizations play a key role in providing relationship education to key target audiences. Hence, religious issues can be appropriate content in presentations at NARME. However, presenters should not promote a particular religious view. And presentations with an important religious context or theme should be identified as such to the audience before the presentation.

5.      We welcome proposals from all perspectives and request that presenters respect the NARME Diversity Statement: “NARME respects, values, and welcomes all individuals, groups, and organizations, and seeks to impart data and knowledge that can enhance human flourishing and healthy relationships throughout the lifespan.”

Proposal Submissions:

We request the following information for proposals:

a.      Name, email, phone number, affiliation, professional title

b.      Title of proposal, 3 learning objectives, 500-word description, and 100-word abstract. The title, abstract, and description should clearly outline the full substance of the presentation, although it cannot cover all details.

c.       Curriculum Vitae for all presenters (used for Continuing Education Review for MFT & CFLE)

Proposals are due December 15, 2024.  Please submit proposals here.  Please direct all questions to Paul Schvaneveldt, Ph.D., NARME Summit Coordinator paul@narme.org