2026 Call For Abstracts | Kentucky Conference on Health Communication

The 19th biennial Kentucky Conference on Health Communication invites competitive paper and poster abstracts and panel proposals to be submitted for its 2026 conference in Lexington, Kentucky. The theme for the conference is Health as a Human Right: The Role of Health Communication. Although this call seeks original contributions in all areas related to health communication, special consideration will be given to those that address issues related to the conference theme.

Please read the following information carefully because we have updates from previous years.

Competitive Papers/Posters: Competitive papers or posters should be submitted in abstract form with up to 500 words of text. Have the following information ready to submit through the online submission system: 1) author names, degrees, affiliations and email addresses; 2) whether the author is presenting, corresponding and/or a student or early career scholar; 3) author phone numbers and email addresses; 4) paper/poster title of no more than 130 characters, including spaces; 5) abstract of up to 500 words of text; 6) references (optional; not counted toward word limit; if you include references, cite only those that you cite in the abstract); 7) acknowledgements (optional; not counted toward word limit); 8) whether you wish your abstract to be considered as a paper only, a poster only or either a paper or poster. The submission system also will ask you to provide up to five keywords for research topic and up to two keywords for method(s); we provide a list from which you can select keywords, or you may provide your own. Abstracts will be submitted to blind peer review. Deadline for abstract submission is Monday, December 1, 2025, by 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time; programming decisions will be sent by Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

In fairness to the competitive submission process, submit your abstract for consideration only if you anticipate being able to register for and attend the conference to present your work (or arrange to have someone else present your work in the event that an emergency prevents your attendance). Being able to register for and attend the conference includes having the funding available to cover registration and travel expenses. Unfortunately, KCHC cannot provide travel support. The conference does, however, offer a substantial registration discount to students. Registration covers breakfast each day of the conference and lunch during the awards banquet on Saturday.

Panels: Panel proposals should be submitted in abstract form with up to 250 words of text. Have the following information ready to submit through the online submission system: 1) panel participant names, degrees, affiliations, email addresses and role (chair, participant, respondent); 2) if applicable, whether the panelist is a student or early career scholar; 3) panel chair phone and email; 4) panel title of no more than 130 characters, including spaces; 5) abstract of up to 250 words of text; 6) additional descriptive information if absolutely necessary (optional; not counted toward word limit). Deadline for panel submission is Monday, December 1, 2025, by 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time; programming decisions will be sent by Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

***NEW THIS YEAR***

For KCHC 2026, we are introducing an innovation to our abstract submission process. Specifically, in addition to submitting abstracts that cover a variety of topics, you may also designate your abstract to be considered for one of two special emphasis panels:

Research, Interrupted

In current times, research across multiple disciplines, including health communication, is being ravaged by ideology-driven decisions that run counter to science and reason. Funding for countless projects supported by the National Institutes of Health has been terminated, especially those focused on marginalized communities, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ population. As a result, not only are the careers of academic researchers being jeopardized but the lives of millions of people around the globe are being threatened and destroyed. To navigate our way through this chaos, we need to understand how health communication research has been affected by these cuts and identify strategies that researchers are using to strive to continue their work. If you have a story to share about your experience with funding cuts, please consider submitting an abstract for a special emphasis panel we are calling “Research, Interrupted.”

To have your abstract considered for this special emphasis panel, please check “Research, Interrupted” when you submit your work. Proposing a full panel is an option, too. For that, please follow the panel submission path and indicate “Research, Interrupted” in the description.

Health Communication Research and Practice in an Era of Socio-Political Turmoil

Health communication research and practice to promote the wellbeing of multiple and diverse communities is challenging in the best of circumstances. It is even more so in this era of socio-political turmoil. One striking example is the censoring of speech related to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, topics that are central to so much of our work in health communication. Other examples include research and practice around vaccination, HIV prevention and treatment, women’s reproductive health, and the role of gender in society. For this year’s conference, we would like to hear your experiences dealing with these and any other issues impeding your research in a special emphasis panel we are calling “Health Communication in an Era of Socio-Political Turmoil.”

To have your abstract considered for this panel, please check “Health Communication Research and Practice in an Era of Socio-Political Turmoil” when you submit your work. Proposing a full panel is an option, too. For that, please follow the panel submission path and indicate “Socio-Political Turmoil” in the description.

Submit Here

The submission system will open on October 1, 2025. Deadline for submission of paper/poster abstracts and panel proposals is Monday, December 1, 2025, 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. For tips on how to write abstracts, click here. Notification of acceptance will be sent electronically by Wednesday, January 14, 2026.