Guidelines for Proposal Submission: Learning Labs

Thank you for your interest in submitting a Learning Lab (LL) proposal, we welcome your submission!

The Convention Program Committee (CPC) typically receives more than 200 proposal submissions each year, exceeding what can be accommodated in the program. To ensure the integrity and balance of the educational program, each proposal undergoes a rigorous review process, resulting in an acceptance rate from those submissions of approximately 50%. The CPC review process involves three tiers:

1. A blind review by 10-15 peer athletic trainers
2. A blind review by CPC members
3. An open CPC discussion

General Description of Learning Lab

• Learning labs are two-hour sessions that involve a blend of didactic and hands-on learning with attendees.
• The first hour of LLs is typically for lecture. The second hour is for hands-on learning.

Format & Audience

• Learning labs are two hours in length.
• Learning labs typically have one or two Primary Speakers and lab assistants.
• The Primary Speaker/s are responsible for:
  • Delivering the lecture and serving as a lab leader
  • Selecting up to three to four lab assistants for each lab
• Attendance ranges between 125 -150 attendees.

Important Guidelines

• Learning lab topics must align to at least one of the athletic training practice domains.
• Primary speaker and all lab assistants must be credentialed or licensed health care professionals. Students that do not possess appropriate credentialing or licensing are NOT allowed to serve in these roles.
• Learning lab sessions may include no more than one NATA non-member speaker.
• Any medical procedures (e.g., dry needling, intravenous fluid administration, suturing) proposed for the session are subject to review and approval by CPC and state regulation.
• All LL presenters must disclose any potential conflicts of interest or affiliations with a commercial product or service at the beginning of the presentation. Presenters should avoid promoting or disparaging equipment brands and/or providers.
• LL will be scheduled over all three days of the Convention.
  • Speakers must be available for scheduling on any of the three days of programming.
• The individual submitting the proposal must have confirmed all participants (e.g., Lab Assistants) prior to submission.
• Sessions will be selected based on the organization of the program, quality of content and speakers, feedback from the review team and CPC and significance of the material to the NATA membership.
• After July 22, 2025, the CPC will only consider a speaker change if the original speaker is unable to attend the annual meeting.

Deadline

• Proposals are due July 22, 2025.
• Incomplete (e.g., missing speaker CV) and/or late proposals will NOT be accepted.

Submission Process

Have the following information available as you will need this to complete the proposal submission process:

• Title of session
• Presentation length
• Domain(s) of athletic training that the presentation pertains to:
  • Domain/Task - Identify the domain and the task tied to that domain. Reference the Practice Analysis, 8th Edition.
  • Does the presentation align with the Orthopedic Specialty Practice domains? If yes, list domain(s) and task(s). Reference the BOC Orthopedic Practice Analysis.
• Level of presentation (Essential, Advanced, Mastery)
• Abstract/Knowledge Gap (100 words or less)
• At least three learning objectives of the lecture portion of the session:
  • Use Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs. Avoid “understand” and “appreciate”.
  • Do not begin with “Following this session, participants will be able to…”
  • Start the learning objective with a Bloom’s verb.
• At least three learning objectives of the lab portion of the session:
  • Use Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs. Avoid “understand” and “appreciate”.
  • Do not begin with “Following this session, participants will be able to…”
  • Start the learning objective with a Bloom’s verb.
• Two to three keywords (not in the title) that best describe the focus of the proposal
• Clinical Bottom Line:
  • Provide a summary of the evidence (three to four sentences) identifying the clinical recommendation(s) outlined in the learning objectives.
• A list of the equipment necessary for the lab portion of the session.
  • Provider (NATA or speaker) of equipment will be discussed if proposal is accepted.
• Three to five references/sources that support the content of the presentation:
  • Use the format described in the Journal of Athletic Training authors guide.
• Speaker Information (required for Primary Speaker and lab assistants):
  • Name & Credentials
  • Title or position of speaker
  • Affiliation (or place of employment): name & address
  • Contact information: Email, phone
  • NATA Membership Status (Member or Non-member)
  • CV for uploading (Word document or PDF)

Submission forms will be available April 2025.

The deadline for submission is July 22, 2025.