Proposals for NATA 2027 educational programming are open for submission August 10 - September 30.
If that sounds like your work, we want to hear from you.
Official Call for Proposals
The NATA Convention is the premier event for athletic trainers seeking evidence-informed education, practical solutions, professional connections and innovative ideas that advance patient care and professional practice. We are committed to building a dynamic educational program that reflects the evolving needs of athletic trainers across all practice settings, career stages, and areas of interest. We encourage submitters to think broadly about how their content can be relevant and applicable to a diverse audience.
As part of our commitment to creating engaging and impactful learning experiences, proposals that emphasize active learning, participant engagement, hands-on application, discussion, collaboration and practical skill development will receive priority consideration over passive lecture-based presentations.
We are particularly interested in proposals that:
- Incorporate meaningful learner engagement and participation.
- Provide practical tools, strategies or resources attendees can immediately apply.
- Address emerging challenges, opportunities and innovations within the profession.
- Encourage critical thinking, discussion and knowledge sharing.
- Support advanced skill development and professional growth.
- Create meaningful in-person learning experiences that cannot be easily replicated virtually.
Essential - Core theories, concepts, and applications appropriate for individuals seeking foundational knowledge or skill development.
Advanced - In-depth theories, concepts, and applications that build upon foundational knowledge and support increased competence and confidence in practice.
Mastery - Highly specialized content intended for experienced practitioners seeking advanced expertise, complex application, and deeper exploration of a topic.
To support the evolving needs of the profession, increased emphasis will be placed on Advanced and Mastery-level learning opportunities.
The following educational tracks are intended to guide proposal submissions and help shape a balanced educational program. The Convention Program Committee will use submitted proposals to inform the final educational program and may refine, combine, expand, or adjust the tracks based on proposal volume, emerging topics, and the overall educational needs of attendees. These tracks are not intended to limit topic submissions, and innovative proposals outside these tracks are encouraged to address important or emerging educational needs for the athletic trainer.
- Clinical Care & Performance:
Examples of topics: Examination, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, musculoskeletal care, rehabilitation, manual therapy, therapeutic interventions, return to sport, biomechanics, performance optimization, medical conditions - Emergency Care & Patient Safety:
Examples of topics: Emergency action plans (EAPs), catastrophic injury, cardiac emergencies, spine injuries, heat illness, environmental emergencies, patient safety, risk management - Mental Health & Whole Person Care:
Examples of topics: Mental health, behavioral health, psychosocial care, sleep, wellness, resilience, whole-person care, nutrition - Leadership, Innovation & Practice Advancement:
Examples of topics: Leadership, business of athletic training, education, preceptor development, advocacy, entrepreneurship, career development, technology, AI, research translation, new models of care, future trends
Tracks are subject to change based on educational needs and program development priorities.
Athletic trainers work in a wide variety of settings and roles. Submitters are encouraged to consider how their content may apply across multiple practice settings, career stages and professional interests whenever appropriate. While not every session will be applicable to every audience, strong proposals clearly identify their intended audience and articulate how attendees will benefit from participation.
- Sessions must align with at least one athletic training practice domain.
- Presenters must demonstrate expertise relevant to the proposed topic through their submitted CV and professional experience.
- Presenters must disclose any potential conflicts of interest or affiliations with commercial products or services.
- Sessions may be scheduled on any day of NATA 2027.
NATA receives significantly more proposals than can be accommodated within the educational program. To ensure a high-quality, balanced learning experience, all proposals undergo a rigorous, peer-reviewed process.
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- Relevance to athletic training practice
- Alignment with identified learner needs
- Quality and strength of content
- Evidence supporting recommendations
- Presenter expertise
- Clarity of learning objectives
- Learner engagement and opportunities for application
- Potential impact on professional practice
- Alignment with the selected session format
- Appropriateness of the selected presentation level
- Relevance across practice settings, career stages, and professional interests when appropriate
Learning Format Guidelines
Facilitated individual or small group activities with guided discussion, collaboration, and active participation.
Focused presentations that highlight emerging ideas, evidence-informed practices, innovative approaches, practical strategies, or timely topics relevant to athletic trainers.
Highly interactive, discussion-driven learning experiences that foster meaningful dialogue between attendees and subject matter experts.
Hands-on learning experiences designed to help athletic trainers develop, refine and apply clinical skills in a guided environment.
On-demand learning experiences providing focused, evidence-informed content that attendees can access anytime and anywhere.
Presenter Information
Presenting at the NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo is an opportunity to share your expertise, contribute to the advancement of the athletic training profession, and engage with thousands of colleagues committed to excellence in patient care, education, and research. Being selected to present is a significant professional achievement, and we are grateful for the time, knowledge, and dedication our presenters invest in creating exceptional learning experiences.
To recognize this contribution, NATA provides presenter benefits designed to support participation while ensuring we can continue to offer a high-quality educational program.
Financial honoraria are no longer provided for educational sessions selected through the Call for Proposals. Instead, NATA recognizes presenter contributions through the presenter benefits outlined for each educational format.
Presenter benefits vary by educational format and are detailed in each format's guidelines.
Benefits may include:
- Complimentary convention registration
- Presenter resources and support
- Promotion through convention communications
- Other format-specific support, as outlined in the session guidelines
The 2027 Call for Proposals includes several new educational formats and updated presenter expectations. Because presenter benefits, session requirements, delivery models, and participation expectations vary by format, all prospective presenters should carefully review the guidelines for each session type before submitting a proposal.
By submitting a proposal, presenters acknowledge that they have reviewed and agree to the requirements and presenter benefits associated with their selected session format.