Call for Proposals

Welcome to the ZERO TO THREE LEARN CONFERENCE proposal submission page.

Help shape what comes next for babies and families.

In 2027, ZERO TO THREE celebrates 50 years of advancing the well-being of infants, toddlers, and their families. Join us at the LEARN Conference to share the research, practice innovations, and policy strategies that will inform the field’s next chapter.

We invite proposals from across early childhood disciplines that connect knowledge with action. Bring your emerging findings, questions from practice, implementation experiences, and lessons learned to a community ready to explore what they mean for children, families, and the systems that support them. The 2027 LEARN Conference will be held in Washington, DC on November 1-3, 2027 (Monday through Wednesday).

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE: December 11, 2026, 11:59 PM PST.
All notifications will be made by mid-April 2027.

Bring emerging research into the conversation. We welcome proposals that make research accessible across disciplines and roles, connect findings with practice and policy, and surface questions that can inform future studies or strategies. Emerging research and work in progress are welcome when proposals clearly describe the stage of the work, its supporting evidence, its potential relevance to children, families, services, or systems, and how the work will benefit from partnership and exploration with practice audiences.

ZERO TO THREE invites five types of proposals for the 2027 LEARN Conference:

  1. Digital Posters and Research & Practice Exchanges — New for 2027, the LEARN Conference combines digital poster displays with selected opportunities for facilitated conversation.
    • Posters use text and graphics to share research concepts, questions, or findings; practice innovations; implementation experiences; and/or lessons learned.
    • All accepted posters will be displayed in the Digital Poster Showcase throughout the conference. Printed posters will not be required.
    • Selected posters will also be featured in Research & Practice Exchanges, with brief presenter overviews and multiple facilitated conversations exploring related work and its implications for practice, policy, and systems.
    • Exchanges span one concurrent session block (60 minutes) and will be offered in each of the conference’s six blocks.
    • Submit one digital poster proposal. Acceptance notifications will specify Digital Showcase or Digital Showcase & Exchange.
  2. Baby Talks (grouped 15-minute presentations & discussion)
    • Baby Talks are rapid-paced sessions with presentations summarizing one powerful idea and teeing-up one related question or consideration for discussion.
    • Selected proposals will be presented in groups of 2; ZERO TO THREE will group the 2 presentations by themes.
    • Baby Talk Sessions are a total of 60 minutes; two 15-minute presentations with 30 minutes of discussion.
  3. Lecture Sessions (60-minute presentations)
    • Lecture Sessions present new information or evolving understandings about a specific topic, process, or issue. Research-focused proposals should make findings accessible to an interdisciplinary audience and explain their implications for practice, policy, or systems.
    • Lectures are 60 minutes of content presentation or information sharing, with Q&A incorporated if/as proposed and feasible.
    • HealthySteps/Pediatrics specific submissions should be grounded in integrated pediatric care, and may focus on the domains from the HealthySteps Specialist Competencies, HealthySteps implementation, and/or Continuous Quality Improvement.
  4. Synergy Circles (60-minute rotating group dialogues)
    • Synergy Circles are dynamic, discussion-based sessions designed to spark multi-dimensional dialogue on a shared topic.
    • Each Synergy Circle takes place in a large room with three faculty/faculty groups and three participant table groups. Faculty rotate every 20 minutes to engage each group, sparking dialogue and encouraging practical application.
    • Rather than formal presentations, faculty summarize key insights, pose questions, and foster rich discussion tailored to each table group. Handouts may be provided via the conference app; slides are not used.
    • Synergy Circles span one concurrent breakout block (1 hour) and are designed to promote reflection, collaboration, and application among participants across disciplines.
  5. Issue Intensives (120-minute presentations & interactive activities)
    • Issue Intensives take a deep dive focus on a topic, process, or issue and include opportunities for learners to explore ways to use and apply the content in their work. Proposals may engage participants in exploring how to apply research findings in practice, address challenges in implementing policy, or identify questions arising from practice that could be investigated in collaboration with research partners.
    • Issue Intensives include a mixture of presentation/information sharing to set context and interactive activities (e.g., Q&A, framed discussions, small group activities, polls, guided individual reflection). Interactive activities should account for at least 50% of Issue Intensives.
    • Issue Intensives are delivered in 2-parts, each 60 minutes for a total of 120 minutes (2 hours).
    • HealthySteps/Pediatrics specific submissions should be grounded in integrated pediatric care, and may focus on the domains from the HS Specialist Competencies, HealthySteps implementation, and/or Continuous Quality Improvement.

Proposals should feature content that is: (1) relevant to professionals working with and on behalf of children under 5 years old (including those in the prenatal period) and their families, and (2) grounded in the domains from the ZERO TO THREE Competencies for Prenatal to Age 5 Professionals™. All presentations must be educational in nature and may not be used to market products or services.

Each year ZERO TO THREE receives several hundred responses to its Call for Proposals with a limited number of slots available for accepted session proposals. We are pleased to feature the valuable work being done in the early childhood field as much as possible at the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference. All notifications will be made by mid-April 2027.

Review Process Overview

ZERO TO THREE uses a two-part review process.

Part 1: Peer Review

Proposals are evaluated by ZERO TO THREE staff, HealthySteps National Office staff, and ZERO TO THREE fellows and members who are subject matter specialists with specific expertise in the ZERO TO THREE Competencies for Prenatal to Age 5 (P-5) Professionals™ and HealthySteps Specialist Competencies as applicable.

Peer review evaluation criteria:

  • Relevance of proposed content to inform field knowledge and enhance practice.
  • Strength and appropriateness of the supporting evidence or knowledge base, with clear identification of preliminary findings and limitations where applicable.
  • Clarity of implications for practice, policy, services, or systems.
  • Fit between the proposed content, intended audience, and session format.
  • Alignment with the ZERO TO THREE Competencies for Prenatal to Age 5 Professionals™ domains, (and HealthySteps Specialist Competencies as applicable).
  • Selection for Research & Practice Exchanges will also consider opportunities to connect related posters and support meaningful facilitated discussion across research, practice, policy, and systems perspectives.

Part 2: Quality Assurance and Program Balance Review

A secondary review by the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Signature Events leadership is made to ensure that all review processes were followed and that the overall program content is well-balanced and relevant to the LEARN Conference audiences.

Presenter Information and Requirements

  1. Number of Presenters: To support high-quality interactive programming, each presentation is limited to no more than three (3) presenters. There is no limit to the number of authors or contributors credited on a digital poster. For posters selected for a Research & Practice Exchange, up to three authors or contributors may participate as presenters.
  2. Schedule: Presenters selected for live sessions, including Research & Practice Exchanges, must agree to participate at their assigned dates and times. Any special scheduling requests should be made at the time of acceptance, but we cannot guarantee that all requests can be accommodated.
  3. Presenter Support: Guidance to support session planning and orientation to the LEARN Conference is provided, but presenters should carefully reflect on their ability to design and deliver their session before they offer a proposal.
  4. Presentation Materials: Presenters will be required to upload supporting presentation materials (e.g., PowerPoint deck, articles, or other handouts) to be shared with attendees on the conference platform. All accepted poster contributors must submit their poster in the required digital format by the materials deadline; digital specifications and preparation guidance will be provided upon acceptance.
  5. Registration: All presenters participating in live sessions, including Research & Practice Exchanges, must complete a speaker agreement and register for the conference. For posters accepted for the Digital Poster Showcase only, one member of the poster team must attend and register; additional authors or contributors are not required to attend or register. A discounted presenter registration fee of $295 is available.
  6. Disclosure: All presenters will be required to:
    • Verify that all reference materials that will be used are current and that all education materials are accurate;
    • Verify that all the materials to be used, including handout materials, are free of any liens or encumbrances, or that all necessary permissions and/or licenses have been secured for their use; and
    • Disclose any proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services, or materials discussed in the session.
  7. Learner Objectives: At the beginning and end of each session, including Research & Practice Exchanges, presenters are required to review session learner objectives. If selected, presenters must develop assessment questions and answers aligned with those objectives. Posters accepted for the Digital Poster Showcase only are exempt from these requirements.

Click here to sign-in or create an account and begin your application.

Submitting your proposal will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. The application includes each step of the submission process, prompting you for all required information. If you cannot complete the entire submission process at one time, the online system allows you to save a draft, exit the system, and log back in to complete it.