Historians from the United States appearing on the program are required to be AHA members. Everyone on the program must register for the meeting when registration opens in the fall. Affiliates with questions about submitting affiliate sessions should consult our affiliate page.

Effective Proposals

The Program Committee highly recommends reading the Submitting a Proposal page, Call for Proposals, and Annual Meeting Guidelines in their entirety before beginning a submission. The Program Committee encourages submissions employing creative session formats that encourage lively interaction among presenters and with the audience. Those proposing posters should also consult our poster resources.

Proposing an annual meeting session is like writing a grant proposal. Abstracts should be designed to convey the goals of the session to readers who are not necessarily specialists in your field. A convincing session abstract clearly states the goals of the session, describes how the presentations will fit together, and lets the Program Committee know what the audience will learn from the session. Roundtable proposals should describe what will be discussed and how each panelist will contribute to the conversation. Proposals for workshops and experimental sessions should clearly explain the format and goals of the session. Proposals that represent a diversity of viewpoints, methodologies, specialties, fields, and time periods are particularly attractive to the Program Committee.

Proposers are welcome to contact members of the Program Committee for advice. The resources below include advice from previous program chairs and tips from the meeting staff:

What Makes a Great Proposal for the AHA Annual Meeting?

Crafting an Effective Panel Proposal

Four Myths about Proposals

Five Proposal Crafting Tips