2023 TOTA Annual Conference Call for Proposals

November 3-4, 2023 in Houston, TX 

Call for Proposals Instructions 

Submit Your Proposal 

Presenter Information

“Changing Lives Through Occupation” All topic areas with relevance to occupational therapy will be considered. Proposals from occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students are welcome, as are proposals from related professions. Occupational therapy continuing education is defined as professional development activities that are directly relevant to the profession of occupational therapy. We encourage you to incorporate the conference theme into your proposal and presentation.

Please read the instructions in its entirety. The instructions can be downloaded above or click here

Presentation of Credentials: 
We ask that all presenters comply with §369.3 of the OT Rules and §454.007 The OT Practice Act:
Abbreviations such as OT/L, OTR/L, and LOT and OTA/L, COTA/L, and LOTA should not be used.
As per §454.007, Use of Title of Doctor, of the OT Practice Act, “An occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant may not use the abbreviation “Dr.,” the word “Doctor,” or any suffix or affix indicating or implying that the person is a physician.” 
Note: The presentation of your credentials is subject to correction in the whova app and in our publications.

New Practice Forum Presentation Format:
The Practice Forum is a new presentation format that was successfully piloted at the 2022 TOTA Annual Conference. The format has been added as an option for this year’s conference call for proposals. 

The Practice Forum format is designed to have a more interactive structure as OTPs from a similar practice setting discuss current issues of their practice, share specific resources, and/or collaborate around setting-specific initiatives to enact beyond conference as a community of practice. This is a great option for OTPs who are looking to network and share resources with those working in a certain practice setting in a supportive and intentional context. A Practice Forum is allotted 45 – 60 minutes. To facilitate a Practice Forum, 1 – 3 presenters will submit to the call for proposals on the TOTA website and select the Practice Forum as the presentation format. Within your abstract, describe the needs of the targeted practice setting and the proposed focus of the forum (e.g., discuss practice-specific issue, share resources, and/or facilitate a community of practice initiative). A wide range of practice settings will be considered including older adult, adult, pediatric, behavioral health, and academic.

 Important Notes for Call for Proposals Process:

1. Proposals will only be accepted on-line. Paper forms will not be accepted.
2. Some sections are limited by character counts, not word count. If the character count is exceeded, a red warning will display under the text box.
3. Partial submissions are NOT SAVED
4. Avoid any reference to persons and facilities as this may bias reviewers.
5. You will receive a confirmation email upon completing the submission. If you DO NOT receive an email, contact [email protected]

Important Information After Submission:

1. The primary contact listed will be notified of the committee's decision via email by July 7, 2023. (If approved, presenter contracts will be emailed to the primary contact in the same email.)
1. It is up to the primary contact to ensure that all listed presenters and authors are notified of the call for proposal status.
2. Only the primary presenter needs to complete the contract.
3. If accepted, no changes can be made to the proposal content.
2. Presenter changes (changes to who will be presenting) can be made up until one month prior to the first day of the conference after which all information may be printed as it was submitted.
1. Submit, in writing any change requests to [email protected]
2. The deadline for change requests is October 10, 2023
3. You will email handouts to TOTA at [email protected] Handouts should be available to the attendees by Oct. 19, 2023, on the conference app. Save your handouts as a PDF file.

Poster Size: Posters should be no larger than W36"xH48".

Any questions can be directed to [email protected]