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2026 Stronger Together IT Conference Proposal Form

At the OTDI IT Conference —the first inaugural conference—we’ll delve into how we transform learning, teaching, research, and supporting higher education and our global community. We’ll hear from Ohio State leaders who are thinking outside the box to provide expertise, examples, and insights.

We encourage you to break the traditional presentation mold to present in an inclusive and engaging way that fits your content.  

Proposal Deadline
The request for proposals closes on January 25. Presenters selected for this year's conference will by the end of February 2026.

Please Note
Presentation titles may be modified for editorial style and marketing purposes. All final presentations will be shared with participants to access after the conference.

Questions
If you have questions or want feedback on your proposal, contact OSUITConference@osu.edu.

Conference Thread

OTDI IT Conference is all about stronger together – how we innovate, influence, and build our future. Select one thread that best suits your content. 
This thread explores how individuals and teams can strengthen their professional skills, adapt to evolving technologies and build a culture of continuous growth. Sessions may highlight leadership approaches, career development strategies, coaching and mentoring, team dynamics and practices that support staff at all stages of their careers. Topics related to fostering engagement, navigating change and enabling people to do their best work are welcome.
This thread invites sessions that showcase ways we work better together—across units, disciplines and technologies—to improve the digital experience at Ohio State. Presentations may cover collaborative project models, cross-campus partnerships, service design, communication practices or approaches to building digital environments for all. Submissions that highlight lessons learned, success stories and strategies for community engagement are encouraged.
Sessions in this thread explore how emerging and established technologies are transforming teaching, learning, patient care, research and operations at Ohio State. Presenters may address AI applications, data governance, data literacy, analytics tools, automation, machine learning or novel digital innovations. This track welcomes both technical and nontechnical proposals— including case studies, demos, frameworks, and big-picture discussions on how intelligent technologies are shaping higher education.
This thread centers on safeguarding the university’s people, data and digital infrastructure. Sessions might explore security best practices, privacy considerations, risk mitigation strategies, identity and access management, incident response, secure development or building a culture of shared responsibility. Proposals that connect security with usability, accessibility or collaborative campuswide initiatives are welcome.
This thread provides an opportunity to propose topics or ideas that may not align with the other categories. Submissions should focus on innovative concepts, emerging technologies or forward-thinking strategies. Please note that not all proposals will be selected, and some ideas may be combined to create comprehensive sessions. Use this space to share your vision for advancing technology and collaboration in meaningful ways.
Session Format

 Select one session format that best suits your content. 
 
These 45-minute information sessions present innovative work done by presenters and convey actionable steps for participants to create similar changes in their institutions, departments, communities or work.
These high-energy 15-minute mini-talks present an intriguing idea related to a conference thread. Presenters deliver content in a lightning-round style and then give the stage over for the next presentation.
This interactive learning space is an opportunity to share innovative work alongside informal networking. Showcase your project or tool(s) with an engaging demo, tabletop display, or mini digital presentation. If your idea aligns well with hands-on experimentation or one-on-one discussion and sharing, the Imaginarium is a good fit.

Choose a simple title that is catchy, inspires interest and makes your topic clear.

Note: The OTDI IT Conference committee may modify presentation titles for editorial style and marketing purposes.  

Provide a succinct but descriptive 50-word summary of your session to be used in our program. 
Provide a 150-word description of your session to be used for our website. Explain the session you plan to lead, not simply the content or work about which you will present. 
How does your proposal reflect the conference thread you chose (thread 1, 2, or 3)? 
What are the practical outcomes for attendees? Think about the top 2-3 things you would like them to walk away knowing or being able to do in their own work.
How will you engage attendees during your session (e.g., active learning strategies, discussion, collaborative learning, hands-on activities)? 
Proprosal Agreement

If my proposal is accepted, I agree to share my presentation slides for participants to access after the conference.