Abstract/Presentation Call

The National WIC Association invites you to help shape the future of WIC! Join us at the 2027 NWA Annual Conference, April 11–14, 2027, in Chicago, Illinois, where professionals, participants, and partners come together to engage, inspire, and energize.

This event is a prime opportunity to enhance your professional skills, expand your knowledge, support and learn from your peers, and prepare for current and future WIC challenges and opportunities. Share your research, clinical skills, and expertise with our attendees!

Conference Theme: Engage, Inspire, Energize

We welcome proposals from: 

• WIC staff
• WIC participants
• Researchers and academic institutions
• Commercial companies are eligible to submit abstracts only when partnering with WIC staff or WIC participants as co-presenters. All presentations must be educational, evidence-based, and free from commercial promotion or product marketing.

Click Here to Submit Abstract/Presentation

Continuing Education

NWA ensures quality educational content for IBCLCs and RDN/DTRs that meets IBCLE and CDR requirements. Submissions will be evaluated on the following: relevance to lactation, nutrition, and infant feeding; innovation and originality, clarity and organization; applicability to diverse populations; and evidence-based or experiential grounding. To comply, sessions must be free of marketing and promotional content, bias, and any conflicts of interest must be disclosed for transparency. Having a conflict of interest does not disqualify a presenter.

Conference Topics/Tracks 

Submission Deadline: October 14, 2026  (Extended to October 28) 

If accepted, presentation submission deadline: Tuesday, February 26

Conference Theme: Engage, Inspire, Energize

Please note: The points listed under each track are meant as a helpful guide and are not all-encompassing.

Breastfeeding Education

• Breastfeeding promotion and counseling techniques, including case studies, protocols, or innovative approaches to lactation support and education
• Guidance on pump usage and support for pumping parents
• Innovations in breastfeeding research, lactation science, public health or clinical practice

Nutrition Education

• Managing food allergies and feeding challenges
• Impact of implementing changes to the WIC food package 
• Nutrition counseling, including case studies, protocols, or innovative approaches to nutrition education
• Innovations in nutrition and nutrition education practice or research

Policy & Advocacy

• Legislative, institutional, or organizational policy strategies to protect, enhance, or expand access to WIC

Ethical Practices 

• Research integrity, data, and evaluation practices
• Confidentiality, consent, and reporting
• Privacy, security, and responsible use of technology, AI and digital tools

Community Engagement and Support

• Addressing community health through WIC partnerships
• Community-based models to increase positive maternal and infant outcomes

Mental Health & Family Well-being

• Maternal mental health and its impacts on lactation and nutrition outcomes
• Supporting perinatal mood disorders within WIC services
• Parenting support and trauma-informed care models

Workforce Sustainability & Retention 

• Mentorship and professional development pathways in WIC 
• Strategies for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce
• Building resilience in the WIC workforce

• Building inclusive, supportive workplaces

Innovation in Service Delivery

• Hybrid models of WIC service delivery 
• Telelactation and virtual nutrition counseling outcomes
• Collaborative partnerships between WIC and healthcare systems and early childhood programs

WIC Participant Experience

• Research that highlights opportunities to enhance the WIC participant journey
• Sharing lived experiences of WIC participation

When submitting an abstract you will be asked for the following:

• Abstract details: Title, Abstract proposal, short description (used to share with the public if selected), format (60-minute oral, 30-minute power, poster), objectives. 
• Tip: Your proposal should be engaging and thorough. Think of an elevator pitch. 
• Speaker details: Contact Information. Please note, there is a maximum of 3 presenters per presentation.
• Speaker Disclosure/Conflict of interest Policy (this includes non-presenting authors) Click here to complete. 
• Accept Media Disclaimer
• Speaker Resume: We will request resumes from speakers if session has been accepted. We will not ask for it in the initial presentation proposal.

Presentation Formats

• 60 Minute Oral: 45 minutes with 15-minute Q&A
• 30 Minute Power Session: This session will be paired with another presentation of the same track. Each presenter/group will have 23 minutes to present. Total session combined 60 minutes. Moderator will hold Q&A until the end of the full session.
• Poster Presentation: Poster presenters will print and bring their posters with them to the conference. There will be dedicated time for attendees to visit with presenters during breaks.

Before Submitting an Abstract

By submitting an abstract to be considered for the conference you acknowledge that all presenting authors are responsible for their own registration, travel, and hotel costs.

• Discounted Presenter Registration Rate: (Do not register with your group if you would like to take advanatage of this discount)
• We have negotiated a discounted rate with the hotel plus taxes and fees per night.
• By agreeing to present, you acknowledge that your session may be scheduled for presentation on any of the 4 days of the conference, which runs from Sunday, April 11 through Wednesday, April 14, 2027. You must be available all days. Your session date and time will be confirmed once the program is finalized.

Click Here to Submit Abstract/Presentation

Setting up your Exordo Profile

Tip: When using Ex ordo, please use Chrome. You also may need to clear your cache from time to time.

Before you begin, you must set up your profile in Ex Ordo. (Returing submitters may already have a profile) Once you are logged in you will navigate to the Submit Your Abstract link to get started. Submissions may be up to 300 words. For more information on how to submit an abstract see this guide. Check out this helpful article when it comes to submitting an abstract. 

Questions: If you have any questions regarding this process or the conference in general, please contact our Conference Support Team at [email protected]