2025 Call for Proposals

The Mentoring Institute is excited to announce its 18th Annual Mentoring Conference: Inclusive Developmental Networks: Building Transformative Communities Through Effective Mentoring, taking place from Monday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, in the Student Union Building at the University of New Mexico, Main Campus, Albuquerque, NM.

During our five-day conference, productive and dynamic conversations will be nurtured as participants engage in networking and educational opportunities through facilitated learning sessions, individual and panel presentations, hands-on experiential workshops, and daily plenary sessions.

The Mentoring Institute welcomes proposals from faculty, students, researchers, professionals, and practitioners interested in the scholarship of mentoring, coaching, supervision, and leadership from non-profit and NGO organizations, businesses and corporations, governmental agencies, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher education from all disciplines and professions.

We aim to create an active, inclusive, and diverse community of practice where all members can learn from each other; therefore, all accepted authors and presenters must participate in the peer-review process and register for the conference.

We also welcome volunteer peer reviewers who have been accepted to present at previous Mentoring Institute conferences and those who hold faculty positions at Institutions of Higher Education. 

Important Dates 2025

Abstracts and Papers									Registration
Abstract Submission**		Feb 15 - April 15							Early Registration	Feb 15 - May 30
Proposal Acceptance Notice		April 30							Presenter Registration	Feb 15 - May 15
Paper Submission Due		May 30							Reviewer Registration	Feb 15 - May 30
Peer-Review Process		June 1 - 30							Participant Registration**	May 30 - Oct 13
Peer-Reviewed Papers Returned		July 1							Conference Program	Sep 15
Final Paper Submission Due		July 30							Conference	Oct 20-24

**To submit an abstract, create an account or log in to the Mentoring Institute’s website, click My Conference, and submit abstract.

***Refund policy:

Before Jun 30th – full refund

Before July 30th – 50% refund;

After July 31st - no refunds will be processed.

What We Are Looking For

Our 18th Annual Mentoring Conference theme is Developmental Networks for Wellbeing: The Impact of Mentoring on Individual and Organizational Performance and Growth

In the past few years, the Annual Conferences sponsored by the Mentoring Institute have focused on increasing our collective understanding of developmental relationships while discovering effective evidence-based practices to establish high-quality connections for performance improvement.    

In addition to proposals regarding theoretical models, conceptual papers, and systematic literature reviews advancing the scholarship in the mentoring field, we would like to explore the impact of developmental relationships and networks on individual and organizational wellbeing.  

Understanding what works for whom, when, where, and why in promoting healthy and high-quality developmental relationships requires attention to current, evolving, and dynamic paradigms to create the appropriate conditions within our programs, organizations, and communities that will foster the wellbeing and success of individuals, institutions, and societies in the decades to come.  

As you respond to this Call for Proposals, consider the following questions: 
•    What does wellbeing—professional, psychosocial, emotional, identity, and more—mean in your context? 
•    How do developmental networks uniquely address the promotion of wellbeing?  
•    How does mentoring reciprocally promote wellbeing for mentees and mentors?
•    How does wellbeing support positive professional choices and a fulfilling career?  
•    How does sustaining wellbeing nurture transformative communities of practice?  
•    How do the social determinants of health promote wellbeing in communities?
•    How can the promotion of wellbeing lead to valuable structural and institutional change?
•    What strategies must be implemented to create sustainable change?   

Guidelines for Presenters & Reviewers

Presenters for the 2025 conference must meet the following requirements for their session presentation, abstract, and paper development. (Please read these carefully, as they are mandatory for all presenters.)

Enrollment of Presenters & Reviewers

All presenters must have an account with the Mentoring Institute. If you are new to our community, please click here to create an account. If you are a previous presenter or participant, please use your previous credentials to log in to the Mentoring Institute’s website. Click on My Conference and submit abstract. 

By applying to present at the 18th Annual Mentoring Conference, all accepted authors and co-authors agree to contribute to this mentoring community by participating in the peer review process between June 1 and 30, 2025.

Submission of Abstract for Review

Three types of papers are appropriate for presentation at the 18th Annual Mentoring Conference: (1) Research Projects, (2) Case studies of Programs or Projects, and (3) Theoretical Models, Conceptual Papers, or Systematic Literature Reviews.

Presenters/authors should specify in the Introduction of their abstract if their presentation is an individual or group session. The main presenter/author must submit a 300-word abstract between February 15th and April 15th, including all contributing co-authors' names, organizations, and contact information.

Research Presentations
The four parts of the 300-word abstract should include (1) Style of presentation & Introduction of topic, (2) Conceptual or theoretical framework, (3) Methodology, and (4) Outcomes and discussion. Each of the four parts is limited to 75 words. 

Case Study Presentations
The four parts of the 300-word abstract should include (1) Style of presentation & Introduction of the topic; (2) Relevant research, concepts, and theories supporting the development of the program, model, or project; (3) Context; (4) Outcomes and discussion. Each of the four parts is limited to 75 words. 

Theoretical Models, Conceptual Papers, or Systematic Literature Reviews
The four parts of the 300-word abstract should include (1) Style of presentation & Introduction of topic; (2) Relevant research, concepts, and theories supporting the development of the model, concept, or the need for a systematic literature review; (3) Context; (4) Outcomes and discussion. Each of the four parts is limited to 75 words. 

Expectations for Accepted Presentations
Individual or lead authors of group presentations will be notified of their acceptance by April 30, 2025.  

Presentation
Accepted authors are assigned a 45-minute slot; we suggest a TED Talk format for the first 30 minutes of the presentation, 10 minutes for Q&A, and 5 minutes for the session's evaluation

Paper Development
Submission of a 5–7-page paper on the topic of your presentation is mandatory no later than May 30, 2025. Papers will be peer-reviewed and published in the online journal The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching. 

Review of Paper Submissions
Each accepted author must review 2-3 papers between June 1 – 30, 2025. All authors, presenters, and reviewers will use the individual sign-in and password to create their account. Please avoid multiple accounts – if you have more than one account, contact The Mentoring Institute at mentor@unm.edu to consolidate your accounts and get streamlined access to your assigned papers for review.  

Presenter Registration
Conference registration and payment: All authors, presenters, and reviewers must register for the Conference for their names to be included in the conference program and for their papers to appear in The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching. 

Presenter Benefits
All registered presenters will have access to all plenary, keynote, poster, and facilitated learning sessions. Accepted presenters will receive a $100 discount from the standard fee of $600 with their acceptance code as a token of our appreciation for their contributions.

Student Fee Waivers
Any prospective, presenting full-time student authors may submit a fee waiver application for their standard conference registration. Required peer reviews may also be reduced or waived by request. 

To submit a fee waiver request:

1. Submit an email to mentor@unm.edu with the subject line "Student Author Fee Waiver Request" requesting a registration fee waiver, and/or a reduction/waiver for required peer-review.
2. Proof of full-time enrollment as a student in a degree-seeking program at an institution of higher education.
3. Requests submitted before April 15, 2025.

**Please note waivers do NOT apply to non-presenting student participants.**

Recap of Submission Process & Deadlines

1. Call for Proposals: The 2025 Call for Proposals announcement is on Feb. 15, 2025. Abstracts must be submitted through our website using the above submission guidelines.

2. Abstract Submission: The deadline to submit abstracts is Apr. 15, 2025. Authors will be notified of proposal acceptance or exclusion by April 30, 2025.

3. Presenter/Author Registration: Accepted presenters and authors must register for the conference no later than May 15, 2025. Failure to complete registration by this deadline will result in removal from the accepted presenter list; subsequently, vacant slots will be offered to other presenters.

4. Last Date to Register as Peer-Reviewer: If you are not a conference presenter and are interested in being a peer reviewer, the deadline for registration is May 15, 2025.

5. Paper for peer review: authors whose abstracts are accepted must submit their paper by May 30, 2025, for peer review.

6. Peer Review: The review process will occur from June 1-30, 2025. Papers will be returned from peer review on July 1, 2025. At this time, authors may accept suggestions and make final edits.

7. Final Paper: Final paper submissions are due electronically by July 30, 2025.

8. Conference Program: Presenters and authors with finalized papers will receive information regarding their presentation slots by September 15, 2025.