The role of government and public programs in the lives of the American public was a focus of the 2024 presidential election. Shifts in administration priorities and funding at the federal, state and local levels are likely to impact human services programs and the families they serve in a broad array of ways yet to be fully understood. This shifting landscape raises important questions about how public programs will support individual and family economic well-being. As we enter into this era of change, research will provide policymakers and practitioners with evidence about the needs of their clients, effectiveness of their programs, and opportunities for innovation.

The 2025 NAWRS Workshop will convene researchers and human services partners to share lessons learned from recent experiences and ongoing work for the future. Participants will explore research-to-practice connections across the human services spectrum, including cash and food assistance, disaster relief, child support, and child care. Key themes will include:

• Opportunities for programmatic innovation via federal waiver programs
• Planning for programs, services, and staffing amid funding or outcome uncertainty
• Understanding which programs and strategies work best, for whom
• Designing policies and services responsive to local contexts and needs
• Examining the costs and benefits of universal programs compared to means-tested and conditional supports
• Using participatory methods in designing, delivering, and evaluating social supports
• Reducing administrative burdens on programs, individuals, and families

At the 2025 NAWRS Workshop, human services researchers and practitioners across the country will come together to examine how the social support system has evolved and its trajectory moving forward and share best practices. The event will also feature practical learning opportunities for researchers and partners on methodological questions and implementation science. True to NAWRS’ collegial tradition, the Workshop will foster collaboration and learning among human services research partners.

All proposals are due on Wednesday April 4, 2025 and must be submitted through the online form, which can be accessed here. Presenters will be notified of the acceptance of their proposal by Wednesday April 19, 2025.

NAWRS Workshop Location, Dates, & Registration

The 60th NAWRS Workshop will be hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Omni Charlotte Hotel from August 3 - 6, 2025.

All presenters must register for the Workshop and pay registration fees. Details regarding registration fees and lodging will be available on www.nawrs.org in April 2025.

Travel Support

Travel and per diem expenses are the responsibility of presenters and facilitators. NAWRS may cover registration fees for a select number of presenters. However, travel and lodging expenses must be covered by the presenters themselves.

Sessions Types

We encourage proposals that are engaging and useful to participants. Submissions may focus on evaluations, research, case studies, data analysis, or research practices. Proposals for completed work, planned or in-progress projects, or useful practices are welcome.

Session Types:

Individual Presentations: Presenters will deliver a 15-minute presentation. Up to three individual presentations on related topics will be grouped to form a 75-minute session, with 15 minutes reserved for audience questions and discussion.

Full Panel Presentations: A primary presenter organizes this session, providing an overall description, a title, and a brief summary of each presentation. The panel explores a shared theme with commentary and discussion facilitated by the organizer. The total session length is 75 minutes.

Speed Sessions: Presenters will give short presentations twice to two groups of attendees in a 75-minute session. These sessions are designed to encourage discussion, feedback, and deeper exploration of projects or techniques. Examples of topics include effective participatory research methods, or innovative data visualization techniques.

Birds of a Feather: These 75-minute sessions provide opportunities for individuals in similar roles to connect and share experiences. For example, TANF program managers, analysts, or researchers with common interests can explore cross-sector collaboration or discuss shared challenges and strategies. Hosts should come prepared with an outline for the discussion and a clear goal for the gathering.

Program Areas and Topics

Presenters should select program areas that reflect the focus of their study or work and identify relevant topics.

Program Areas (Choose up to 2):

• Cash Assistance and direct cash transfer programs (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Separate State Programs (SSPs), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Guaranteed income or universal basic income, state funded programs, etc.)
• Food/nutrition assistance (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), WIC, state funded programs, Free and Reduced School Lunch programs, Sun Bucks – Summer EBT, etc.)
• Workforce programs and supports (SNAP E&T, WIOA, TANF welfare-to-work engagement, state funded initiatives, vocational rehabilitation, etc.)
• Child Support
• Tax credit programs (Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), state programs)
• Medical and health related programs (Medicaid, Medicare, state funded programs, substance use and mental health intervention/treatment)
• Parenting support programs (Fatherhood, Home Visiting, etc.)
• Child welfare related programs (foster care, early intervention supports, etc.)
• Child early learning, education, childcare programs (Head Start, childcare subsidy, preschool development grant, state funded programs)
• Housing and homelessness support (affordable housing programs, subsidies, rental assistance, homelessness intervention, etc.). 
• Disaster relief
• Other

Topics – Choose up to 2

• Variability in Program Receipt and Outcomes
• Research Methodologies
• Support Program Design (Universality vs. Means-Testing)
• Community-Centered Program Development
• Inter-Agency Collaboration
• Local Program Research Capacity
• Data and Technology Integration
• Innovative Research Approaches
• Two-Generation Program Strategies
• Behavioral Science Insights
• Children's Policy Issues
• Housing and Homelessness
• Other Emerging Trends
• Other (describe)

Research Practices

We encourage presenters to share diverse research practices, including:

• Implementing randomized evaluations in administrative data
• Engaging communities in research and dissemination
• Collecting qualitative and quantitative data
• Conducting research with hard-to-reach populations
• Producing effective visualizations for communication

New to social supports

NAWRS is particularly interested in fostering the work of people new to social supports research or practice. We consider those who started working in the field in the past three years as new. Individuals who are early in their careers are strongly encouraged to submit proposals for the conference.

Proposal Submission Instructions

Deadline: All proposals are due by April 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM.

Submit proposals via the online form here. Presenters will be notified of the proposal’s acceptance by April 19, 2025, and must confirm participation by May 15, 2025.

What we ask

To submit the online form, you will create a Cvent account and then provide information about your proposal.

Please provide the following information:

• Presenting authors:
  • Name
  • Email
  • Organization
  • Title
  • Short biography (800 characters)
  • Photo (optional)
  • For primary presenter only
    • New to social supports research or practice
    • First proposal submission to NAWRS
• Presentation Title (Limit of 15 words)
•  Session type:
  • Individual presentations
  • Full panel presentations
  • Speed sessions
  • Birds of a Feather
• Very brief summary
  • This description will be used to describe your session in the program. Please be very succinct. Two or three sentences.
  • Limit to 280 characters
• Abstract
  • Limit to 10,000 characters
• Primary topic
  • Please select the topic that is most closely associated with your proposal.
• Other topics
  • If your proposal is related to other topics please select them here.
• Program Area
  • Please select any program areas associated with your proposal.

Scheduling Requests: Presenters must be available for any session during the conference. Schedule limitations (e.g., religious observances or medical needs) must be emailed to workshop@nawrs.org. NAWRS will attempt but cannot guarantee accommodations.

If you have questions, contact us at workshop@nawrs.org. We look forward to seeing you in Charlotte!

Submit your proposal

All proposals must be submitted by April 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM.

Please direct questions about conference content to: workshop@nawrs.org  

Thank you!