Call for Proposals:

The Graduate School
Bowie State University
1400 Jericho Park Rd
Bowie, MD 20715

Harmonizing the Future: Interdisciplinary Pathways for a Resilient Society

Transformative Synergies brings together faculty, scholars, graduate students and practitioners to explore how disciplines can intersect to address the complex challenges shaping our world.

As technology, public health, social policy, education and the arts continue to evolve, meaningful solutions increasingly require collaboration across traditional academic boundaries. This conference invites researchers and creators to examine the connections among arts, business, STEM, health and education and consider how these fields can work together to build a more resilient society.

Submit Your Work

We welcome proposals that explore innovative ideas, research and creative approaches related to the conference theme, including:

Pedagogy for a New Era: Interdisciplinary curriculum design, trauma-informed education and the future of the R2 research institution
Creative Technologies: Digital preservation, emerging technologies and the ethics of the human-machine interface
Social Equity & Policy: Research addressing systemic health and educational disparities
Health-Arts Nexus: Narrative medicine, art therapy and the role of the humanities in public health
Sustainability & STEM: Environmental science, Indigenous knowledge and resilient urban design

These topics are not exhaustive. Proposals that explore meaningful connections across disciplines are encouraged.

Graduate Student Symposium

The conference will feature a Graduate Student Panel designed to give emerging scholars an opportunity to share research in progress, completed projects, theses and dissertations. The session will provide a supportive environment for scholarly feedback, interdisciplinary dialogue and networking with scholars from across institutions.

Proposal Formats

We welcome:

Individual papers
Panel discussions
Poster presentations
Creative and multimedia works
Workshops and interactive sessions
Who Should Submit?

Graduate students, faculty, researchers and practitioners from all disciplines are encouraged to submit original work that engages with the conference theme.

Proposal Guidelines

Proposals should be 300-600 words, depending on disciplinary standards, and address:

Title – A concise, descriptive title that engages an interdisciplinary audience.
Purpose and Central Question/Problem – The primary aim of the work.
Conceptual, Theoretical or Disciplinary Framework – The intellectual foundation of the work.
Methods, Materials or Creative Approach – How the work was conducted or developed.
Findings, Claims or Scholarly Contribution – The work's intellectual contribution.
Interdisciplinary Significance and Broader Impact – The relevance of the work beyond a single discipline.

For panels, submit an individual abstract for each paper.

How Proposals Are Reviewed

All proposals will undergo peer review and will be evaluated based on:

Clarity and coherence
Scholarly rigor
Methodological or interpretive soundness
Originality and contribution to knowledge
Interdisciplinary engagement and accessibility
Relevance to the conference theme
Conference Information

Nov. 8-10, 2026
The Hotel at the University of Maryland

Discounted rates are available for conference attendees.

Ready to Contribute?

Share your research, scholarship or creative work with an interdisciplinary community exploring new approaches to the challenges of the 21st century.

Submit your proposal: graduateschool@bowiestate.edu

Transformative Synergies
Arts, Business, STEM, Health & Education for a Changing World
Bowie State University | The Graduate School