The National Council on Public History (NCPH) invites poster submissions for presentation at the 2026 Joint Conference with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).

Deadline: Monday, March 30, 2026

Submit a proposal at https://ncph.org/conference/2026-annual-meeting/call-for-proposals/poster-proposal-form/

Questions? Email NCPH Program Manager Meghan Hillman (meghillm@iu.edu)

What is the NCPH Poster Session? The NCPH poster session is a two-hour block of time at the conference where presenters can share their projects with attendees in the form of a poster. It offers an alternative for presenters eager to share their work through one-on-one discussion, can be especially useful for works-in-progress, and may be a particularly appropriate format for presentations where visual or material evidence represents a central component of the project.

When is the Poster Session? The poster session will be held on Friday, September 18 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. Set-up will start one hour before the poster session begins. How to Submit a Proposal Please fill out the online form at https://ncph.org/conference/2026-annual-meeting/call-for-proposals/poster-proposal-form/. Along with contact information and a brief (~300 word) explanation of your poster, we ask that you provide a one-page C/V or resume for each presenter and a simple visual mock-up of your poster (saved and uploaded as a PDF).

How Will Your Proposal Be Judged? The Program Committee will consider the persuasiveness of your abstract, the quality of your proposed visual presentation, and your project’s relation to major issues and questions in public history. Adherence to this year’s conference theme, “The Work of Revolution,” is not required, but reading this year’s Call for Proposals may give you some helpful tips for your poster proposal.

When is Your Proposal Due? Poster proposals are due Monday, March 30, 2026. You will hear back about the status of your proposal by mid-April 2026. Accepted poster presenters must register and pay for the conference by the Early Bird registration deadline unless an extension is arranged with NCPH.

Student Funding Opportunity: Graduate students who are members of NCPH are eligible to apply for a Graduate Student Travel Award. Applications are due by April 1, 2026. Poster proposal acceptances will not be announced until after the award due date, so students are encouraged to submit an application if they have submitted a poster for consideration, and a recipient will be selected amongst the proposals that are accepted.

Why is the Poster Session Important? Posters are an interactive and collegial format for displaying and discussing project-based work and for showing off visual and material approaches. In the sciences, posters are often a way to present preliminary data on a research topic and gather advice. We understand that most posters for this conference will represent work that is complete, but we encourage students and advisors to present work as part of multi-year or ongoing projects so they can solicit advice and resources at the conference.

Guidelines for Posters: The following guidelines are an attempt to standardize the posters, leveling the playing field for all presenters and hopefully reducing the cost of participation (especially the cost of shipping). We are keenly aware of the need for creative license in creating the posters and do not want to squash anyone’s creativity; however, we ask that presenters stick to the size and material guidelines for the poster. Upon request in your proposal, one-half of a six-foot table will be provided where groups can display websites, video, audio, objects, or other supporting materials. *Please note that basic wireless internet access will be available for the poster session. However, should service be interrupted for any reason, you are encouraged to save any websites or videos to your hard drive so that you are able to navigate the site without internet access.

What are the dimensions of a poster? No larger than 36” x 48”. Please note that the cardboard provided to which you’ll attach your poster will be this size, so posters smaller than these dimensions may look untidy. What materials should I use? Use laminated paper or poster paper. If you will need space to hang a poster, please be sure to request an easel in your proposal. 36” x 48” cardboard will be provided to those who request an easel, as will binder clips to attach your poster to the cardboard.

Formatting and content advice:

● A good poster should introduce your topic, research questions or goals; describe methodology and/or best practices; and give outcomes (what was accomplished/what you learned)

● Give the poster a title.

● Use images to illustrate your points.

● Caption the photos with a title, photographer, and date.

● Keep text brief. Edit carefully. The test of a good poster is if someone can read it in two minutes and understand your main points.

● Use backgrounds and graphics to enliven the look of the poster. Visual appeal is not a secondary consideration but a fundamental part of your poster’s effectiveness.

● Print out all text. Do not hand-letter.

● Consider making copies of your poster as handouts. This will mean shrinking the poster to legal-sized copies. Observers often want something to take away. Provide your contact information so folks can reach you later with additional questions, resources, and/or suggestions.

● Please provide a QR code on your poster that links to an accessible, electronic version of the content, following NCPH’s guidelines for accessibility.

Printing and Shipping: You have a few options for printing and shipping. If you are staying in Providence, you may print the poster at home, roll it in a poster tube, and ship it to your hotel. (More details will be provided closer to the annual meeting.) You may also print your poster at home and carry it on the plane. If you do not wish to ship or transport the poster, you may email your poster file to a print shop in Providence and pick it up there.

Resources to Consult: If you’ve never designed or presented a poster before, here are some collected tips and tricks!

● 2014 NCPH attendee Stephanie Krom wrote a blog post about the NCPH poster session that includes great tips for poster presenters.

● The University of North Carolina Grad School has general tips and resources for poster presentations.

● Tullio Rossi offers excellent advice for poster concept, design, and logistics at the blog for the London School of Economics. While written with scientific posters in mind, most of this advice is great for humanities posters as well!

● The American Historical Association has assembled a page on effective poster presentations.

● The American Public Health Association has some guidelines for putting together an accessible poster presentation.

● The Association of University Centers on Disabilities also has guidelines for designing accessible printed posters.